New 4th of July Wee Forest Folk Figures in our Shop

We just received our shipment of the new 4th of July Wee Forest Folk figures for our gift shop.

From left to right we have: Dandy Doodler (a limited edition piece), Red Rocket, and Drop in for the Forth (also a limited edition).

This one is First Spring Outing and you can get the baby mouse in blue or in pink blanket!

Early Morning Tourists

Caught these two early morning tourists on our front lawn.

Maybe they heard about my new breakfast special - Pancake Muffins with Strawberry Syrup. Either that or they were eyeing the last remaining tulips blooming along the front driveway and wondering if they dared take a place at that dining area with out being seen.

Lilacs, Lupines, and Light

We had a lovely break in the rain clouds today, so I was able to get out in the gardens to enjoy the beauty that all this rain has produced.

The ancient lilac is in full form right now with amazing bunches of light violet flowers.

The flower stalks on the Lupines are starting to form. I'm very excited about finally having some Lupines in the garden -- mostly due to being a fan of Monty Python and their very funny sketch about Lupines!

The Cherokee Princess dogwood is also starting to bloom and to recover it's form. The previous winter the heavy snow caused the shrubs in back of it to press on top and snap off a couple of it's branches.

This is the view looking towards the Carriage House from the pool area. I love this new view now that the overgrown Hemlocks are gone!

The creek that runs through the property is rushing merrily along, but has stayed nicely within it's bounds.

Watering the Lilacs

The lilacs are in full bloom all around the inn grounds, but it has been so rainy the last couple of days that I haven't been able to take any pictures! Still I slipped out this afternoon during brief lull in the rain to take this shot of the lilac in front of the Cottage rooms.

The air scented with the heady aroma of lilacs everywhere you walk around the property.

The lupines are coming along nicely, too.

More Quilts For The Guest Rooms

Three more quilts for the guest rooms have been completed! That makes a total of 5 so far. Many more to go, but it's a great start.

This one is in Room 5. It is a Queen sized bed. Room 5 is located on the second floor of our Main Inn.

The next one is in Room 18. It is also a Queen sized bed. Room 18 is located on the second floor of our Carriage House.

The last one is in Room 15. It is a King sized bed. Room 15 is located on the second floor of our Carriage House.

All of the quilts in this set were designed and pieced by me (Kim LaPolla), then quilted by Eileen Keane, and then the final edge binding is sewn on by me.

I'll be working on some coordinating pillow shams to go with the new quilts as my next project.

Shopping at Story's Nursery

The robins are nesting and the squirrels are hopping around trying to remember where they left their nuts. Another sure sign of Spring is a trip to Story's Nursery in Freehold, NY, which is about 10 minutes from the Greenville Arms.

Story's is a treasure trove of plants and trees. They are open all year and always have a wonderful selection, including lots of unique and unusual varieties.

I always have a difficult time limiting myself to just one cart full of plants!

This Mother's Day shopping trip was for new additions for our White Garden. The White Garden is currently just a small patch on the edge of the front side lawn, but the plan is to extend and expand it, at least up to the garden bench.

Today we plant our selections! Pictures to follow in the next post.

Lemonade Day in Greene County

Lemonade Day in Greene County, NY is an event designed to teach children how to set up a business and manage their earnings and expenses. Groups of children, with the assistance of an adult supervisor, register to build a lemonade stand at a certain location in Greene County, to be open for May 1st - the official Lemonade Day.

There were close to a dozen wonderful and inventive lemonade stands within a short walk of our inn, mostly around one of the town parks.

Here are couple of the lemonade stands at the park.

Mad Dog Lemonade was one of my favorites!

It was a beautiful Spring day in Greenville for the event, as you can see by the lovely reflection in the town pond.

What a difference between this photo and the one I took just a couple of months ago when the pond was frozen and the landscape covered in snow!