May
2010 - Welcome the new members of our Fruitlands
family. Four "energizer" quinea fowl can be
seen running around the grounds. Three are pearl and
one lavender. One male and three females. They have
promised to consume every tick, Japanese beetle and
fly that dare come near!
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5/1/09
- This past weekend we planted another bed of 50 blueberries.
Several new varieties to us were planted: Reka, Chandler,
Blue Gold, Chippewa. Bark mulch has been put down and
now to wait five years for first significant berries!
4/7-
Some of the signs of the season that we enjoy the most
are nesting bluebirds, apple blossoms and the promise
of our vegetable garden. Our guests are welcome to share
from our garden as the season progresses. Nothing like
that home-grown tomato. *Looking out the window this
morning, we still have over 2' of snow in the garden...but
this scene below will come rapidly now with sunny days
and warm temps.
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Late
August - Our corn is delightful this year and
guests are welcomed to pick a few ears and roast over
the open fire. There is nothing as nice as sitting up
back by the fire and watching the stars come out. S'mores
anyone!
We
are still serving fresh rapsberries and blueberries
for breakfast. Apples and pears soon!
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All
types of boats can be rented just six miles from here
on Joe's Pond.
If
you have your own kayak or canoe, this is a premier
spot for you. |
August
- Many of you have stated that you did not realize that
we are so close to one of the nicest lakes in the area.
YES! We are simply a mile from a 2.5 mile long lake that
is free of camps. We recently sat on the beach on the
island with our 4-year-old granddaughter and quietly watched
a mother and father loon feed fish to their baby. They
did many of their calls and even fanned their wings. What
a treat! |
The photos
below were sent to us by an Alabama couple who stopped by
to buy our maple syrup. New pictures will be posted soon.
(Click on each image to open up a larger view.)
| July
31, 05 - One of our raspberry pickers heard the
distinctive 1/2:3/4 call of a male indigo bunting this
morning. What a treat when one landed on a scare-eye balloon
post long enough for us to capture him on film. (Click
on thumbnail for larger image.) |
Indigo
bunting |
| July
21, 05 - We had the most beautiful sunrise this
morning. We could also hear the loons calling form the
lake below. (Click on thumbnail for larger
image.) |
Click to view larger image. |
July
14, 05 - The outdoor
fireplace was busy over the 4th weekend as was the lake.
Things tend to get much quieter on the lake during the week
which is nice for those of you who stay at Fruitlands during
week days. Last night we were out on the island until quite
late. As we left, we were treated to a mama, papa and baby
loon in tow. It was a wonderful moment.
The raspberries
and blueberries are ripe!. Imagine, hundreds of feet of lush
ripe berries awaiting you as you step outside. Fresh
shortcake! For breakfast? Those of you who stay in the
Alcott Suite and prepare your own meals in the new kitchen
will want to share in many of our delicious organic vegetables.
We recently
bought a truck load (literally) of roses and have planted
a new rose garden. Our guests are enjoying fresh-cut roses
placed in each of our rooms.
At
Fruitlands Maple and Fruit / Bed and Breakfast:
~ Relaxing and sharing good conversation
~ Visiting our gardens
~ Sitting by the outdoor fireplace (new
fireplace as of 6/22 - our first fire)
~ Harvesting raspberries, blueberries, apples and other fruits
in season
~ Walking llamas
~ Stargazing in a "zero" light-pollution setting
~ Enjoying some of the purest water in the state, right from
our tap
~ Soaking in our Hostprings Spa
Minutes
away:
~ Canoeing, kayaking, swimming, fishing or watching
loons in Molly’s Falls Pond (Marshfield Dam) one
of our area's nicest lakes (Fruitlands
is in the upper right on top of the mountain.)
~ Professional
guide services providing you with some of the finest fly
fishing in central and northern Vermont.
~ Riding mountain bikes
~ Snowmobiling on VAST
trails
~ Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing (We have Tubbs snowshoes
available. Reserve these when you make your room reservation.)
~ Visiting Cabot
Creamery
~ Taking in the incredible selection of lillies and other
flowers at the Vermont
Flower Farm
~ Learning to play Celtic music at the Vermont
Institute of Celtic Arts - providing instruction in Highland
piping, Scottish smallpiping, French bagpipes, Irish flute,
whistle, and bodhran
In the area:
~ Enjoying
Groton
State Forest, Vermont’s single largest tract of
state-owned forest
~ Finding your way into and out of the Great
Vermont Corn Maze in North Danville, a "perplexing
puzzle pondering place"
~ Visiting Vermont’s
state capitol
~ Touring Barre
granite quarries and notable local cemeteries
~ Taking in the many local
artisans and crafts people
~ Visiting historic St. Johnsbury's Athenaeum
and Fairbanks
Museum
~ Discovering historic
sites in Vermont / National
Register of Historic Places
~ Exploring and photographing Vermont's notable covered
bridges
~ Enjoying local concerts: Craftsbury
Chamber Players and Adamant
Music School
~ Attending a Circus
Smirkus performance in Greensboro
~ Experiencing Grandview
Winery in East Calais.
~ Hiking, trail running, biking,
snowshoeing, x-country skiing on Kingdom
Trails
~ Skiing at Burke
Mountain our home away from home in the winter (special
ski packages available for our guests) We are actually within
an hour of several notable Vermont ski areas such as Stowe
and Sugarbush
Check
our weather:
The best weather forecast from the Fairbanks
Museum's Eye on the Sky
Fall
foliage updates:
Get up-to-date
foliage reports from Vermont's official tourism site.
For reservations
and additional information, contact us at:
Fruitlands Bed and Breakfast
506 Thistle Hill Road
Marshfield, VT 05658
802-426-3889 (phone)
802-426-3030 (fax)
info@fruitlands.net
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