Pickin' Pumpkin

 



  One of the things I love most about the
Thanksgiving season is PUMPKIN!!


   As you can see I have a great pumpkin colored dress and check out these lovely roses that match it. As interim innkeepers, we always get to decorate a Thanksgiving table and it is fun to choose fall flowers. Let's do something with PUMPKIN, huh??

 Of course the other fun thing we get to do with Pumpkin is COOK!

These are the Pumpkin Muffins I make at Thanksgiving Time.
Because I like you so much, I'll give you the recipe.

    K.C.'s Pumpkin Muffins

Beat - 4 eggs, 1C oil, 2/3C water, 2C pumpkin
Add - 1 1/3/ C flour, 2t baking soda, 1 1/2 t salt,
         3C sugar and spices [I do not measure, just add
         cinnamon and apple pie spice]
Bake 350 for 25 min

Top w/ apricot glaze:
1/4 C melted butter, 2T apricot jam, 1/4 C powdered sugar
beat well until smooth and drizzle on top


 

                                                      Happy Thanksgiving!!

Falls in the Fall!

    Another road trip! We took a week between a job in California and a job in Oregon to travel with a friend - and look at what we saw!  This is stunning Burney Falls in the Fall. It is located in a State Park in Northern California. Teddy Roosevelt said that this falls was one of the wonders of the world and I agree. We liked it so much that we stayed for two days to do some hiking and sightseeing.

       

   
  This little gem is Boulder Lake. We hiked there with our traveling companion Halla and her sweet little dog. It was a long drive and a long walk to get there but we were rewarded with a great pic-nic spot and you know how  I feel about pic-nics, especially if they include wine!! And there was lots of colorful Fall foliage on the hike and around the lake to enjoy.




But this is my best Fall shot - look at these glorious trees! This is why I Fall for Fall!!

   What is your Fall Favorite??

A Victorian Village

   Here is our new "home" in Ferndale California: the Shaw House Inn. Isn't it lovely? An eight bedroom B&B that was built as a family home by Mr. Shaw in 1854 to lure his bride from the delights of San Francisco. It still maintains most of the original architectural details, fireplaces and ceilings. It even has some of the old wallpaper still left. It's really a treat to be an innkeeper here!

However, the Shaw House is only one of many beautifully restored Victorian buildings in Ferndale. In fact this Victorian Village has the largest collection of these "painted ladies" anywhere in the west.

These fanciful homes are called "butterfat palaces" because the primary industry was dairy. Many wealthy farmers had to build a showy house in
town for their families.

 

 

      Downtown Ferndale is a true Victorian Village  complete with charming shops, restaurants and inns all housed in colorful, fanciful, whimsical buildings from the late 1800's. It's worth a stop if you are ever in Northern California

   This is probably the grandest Victorian in the town: the Gingerbread Mansion. I wonder how it got it's name??  I wonder if they need an Interim Innkeeper??