When guests are checking in I am always there to greet them, I often hear them say how much fun it would be to own a bed & breakfast. I watch them look at the inn’s warm surroundings , comment on how comfortable it feels, get excited about the hot tub. Inevitably, Heidi will be approached by some guests and asked what it is like to be an innkeeper and how she decided to become one. Well, pull up a chair, I’ll settle into my dog bed, and let me tell you about innkeepers.

For those of you who remember, the TV show “Newhart” really put being a bed and breakfast owner into the spot light. And that is fine. We need all the help we can get. However, becoming an innkeeper should not be taken lightly.

For Heidi, the innkeeper bug bit during a weekend away and a stay at a sweet little B&B in the northeast kingdom of Vermont. As soon as she walked in, she said she wanted to be an innkeeper when she grew up. (We are still waiting for THAT to happen!). What really stood out for her was the lifestyle and the ability to be her own boss. After spending over 11 years with the PA Fish & Boat Commission, she retired and purchased her first B&B.  Now, she had no background in hospitality, cooking, or running a business, however, with her enthusiastic personality, her willingness to work, and her years of working in the public’s eye, she knew she could do this!

I missed her formative years in owning, operating, and running a B&B, however, I get to watch her now. Her passion for making people happy, cleaning rooms, and cooking amazing breakfasts has not waned. One of her best qualities is that she is always “ON”!, which is good for me because I am always on, too. And in the afternoons, that means playtime for me.

Yes, it is a lot of work – dogs do not know how to lie. Her mornings start at 5 am as the alarm sounds. In the kitchen by 6 am and fresh muffins or scones are in the oven by 6:20 am. Tables set. Juices poured. Fresh fruit cut. And a yummy hot plate made from scratch. My favorite? Anything with bacon.

After breakfast is cleanup up, time to do dishes, rooms, then laundry. The afternoons keep her busy, too. Maybe outside to mow. Dig in the flower beds. Monitor the big vegetable garden. Sometimes it’s off to the local farmers market, a meeting, or maybe a fun day hike with Moshannon and myself. Of course, almost any time of the day, guests will always seek her out for places to see, restaurants to try, where to shop, or just ask her to join them on the porch for a drink and gabfest.

No matter what she does though, she always has a smile on her face and a willingness to help with anything.

Actually, watching her makes me tired. It’s time to take a nap………..