The Inn of the Tartan Fox Blog

Spring or Summer?! St Patrick's Day

2012-03-13T19:22:50Z

The calendar says it's not even St. Patrick's Day yet, but robins are hopping around the yard, daffodils are popping up, primroses are growing and our chickens are laying eggs like crazy! What a strange winter, or non-winter this has been. So, it may as well just move into Spring so we can get an early start on gardening, bird watching and biking.

Early spring narcissus (Photo credit: mobilene)

I actually got my bike out yesterday, dusted it off and did a few easy miles, didn't even need a heavy jacket or any gloves. I've also been able to hang laundry on the clothesline, so the sheets have that fresh, outdoors smell.
Speaking of St Patrick's Day there are some nice things going on this weekend. The church in Swanzey Center will have a Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner at only $8.50 per person, it is probably the best deal in town. Delrossi's Trattoria (yes, I know it sounds not Irish) will have a Celtic Harp program with harpists from County Mayo, Ireland and Glasgow, Scotland. Coincidently Delrossi's is located in Dublin (New Hampshire).
At the Tartan Fox we will be serving Irish Soda Bread, 2 kinds of marmalade-all homemade and a traditional Irish Breakfast, plus we are offering rooms at 17% off the regular rate. That means a little money to keep in your pot of gold!

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Look To November

2011-11-11T15:44:01Z

I know, everyone thinks the best time to come to New Hampshire is October, and October is a beautiful time of the year. It seems that November gets a bad rap for all the things it doesn't have; brightly colored leaves, apple picking, the last of the outdoor festivals. But there is plenty to love about November, days perfect for hiking without bugs and crowds, seeing the solid sturdiness of the trees, planning for Thanksgiving, the first of the seasons warming fires in our fireplaces, the quiet, natural calmness that surrounds us.
Here in the Monadnock Region of southwest New Hampshire we look forward to the start of the Christmas Craft Fairs, Stonewall Farm's Thanksgiving Farm Fare, League of New Hampshire Craftsmen Open Studio Tour, putting our gardens to bed and picking the last of the Brussels Sprouts for Thanksgiving dinner. Farm stands are still selling winter squash, root veggies and cold hardy greens.
There are still plenty of reasons to take a weekend jaunt to New Hampshire or if a mid week escape is possible, you can get an even better deal. Get a start on your Christmas shopping at local artisan shops where you can support local people that live, work and create right here in New Hampshire.

Pre Autumn Musings

2011-09-06T13:38:19Z

Well, September is here. Hurricane Irene has come and gone and luckily this area suffered very little damage. Some localized flooding, short power outages, but nothing like our neighbors to the west in Vermont and the north of New Hampshire have been dealing with. We are looking forward to the nice weather September is known for, warm and sunny days with cool and clear nights. Right now we have an abundance of fresh pears, thanks to our next door neighbors who have a tree that is weighted down with sweet, juicy pears. I plan to cook up a batch of Cranberry Pear Jam this week. This goes really well with Treacle Farl, a Scottish Molasses bread or Irish Soda Bread which will surely be on the menu for the weekend. These are easy to make breads that fill the house with great aromas and are perfect in the afternoon with a cup of tea. Apples will also be soon ready for picking. I visited Julie at Maple Lane Orchards last week and the apples are picture perfect on the branches bend from the weight of the fruit. Pick your own will start September 9. They have several varieties that will carry the season into the very end of October.
Craft Shows too, are a big part of fall, with the first one of the season in Dublin Sept. 10 at Yankee Field (Yes, the Yankee Magazine) on Rt 101. We will be there selling jams, baskets, chairs and carvings. My niece brings her pottery and we have a nice couple of days, chatting, cooking and selling. The Langdon Fall Festival is Sept.24 and there will be demonstrations as well as selling. I will be demonstrating either basketry or chair caning. Demonstrating generates a lot of interest and really adds to the spirit of a country fair.
So plan your visit to New Hampshire and participate in some of the traditional fall activities.

April-No Foolin!

2011-03-29T13:21:29Z

We've made it through March and are really looking forward to some warmer April breezes. Most of the snow on the fields and lawns has melted, now if only those dirty snow banks that line the edges of parking lots would go away!
The first weekend of April we are offering a two night special, Stay one night and get the second night at half price. Many migrating birds are quickly making their way home for the summer and this is the start of prime bird viewing season. Friday I saw 2 Great Blue Herons in area waters. The Audubon Preserve in Marlborough, The Colony Nature Preserve and Goose Pond trail, both nearby in Keene, are welcoming back water birds and warblers.Visiting now before the trees leaf out makes birds easy to spot.
The second weekend of April is the a great time to stock up on books for your summer reading. The Annual "Round the Mountain Book Sale" of 4 Monadnock Region Used Book Shops is scheduled for April 7,8,9 and 10-Thursday through Sunday. Each shop is unique, some specialize, others offer many varieties. Visit www.roundthemountain.com for all the details. There will be a drawing for a $50.00 gift certificate if you visit all 4 shops.
April 15th is not only tax dead line day, it is also Antioch Graduate School visiting day. This Open House gives interested students the chance to check out their programs. We offer special rates for visitors and students returning to classes throughout the year.

Maple Sap Is Flowing

2011-03-14T12:34:44Z

Even though there is still snow on the ground, the warming days are finally convincing the maple trees to start the annual sap run. The state Governor, John Lynch, will be tapping the first tree today at Stonewall Farm in Keene. As the sugar houses fire up the air will soon be filled with the sweet fragrance of sap changing to syrup. This coming weekend, Stonewall Farm will have demonstrations of sap gathering and boiling. Next weekend is their annual Sap Gathering Contest, featuring horse drawn wagons collecting sap in the woods. We will be cooking with syrup and our guests will be enjoying maple syrup from Homestead Farm in Marlborough.
Thursday is St Patrick's Day and even if your are not Irish by heritage, it never hurts to be Irish in spirit. We will be serving fresh baked Irish Soda Bread and Treacle Farl, another great bread and Champ Patties made with potatoes and greens.
There are some other signs that spring is definitely on its way-we have seen several red wing black birds and starlings. While starlings are not the most beautiful birds, by this time of the year, we are really happy to see them, it's a sure sign that spring is knocking on the door.
So come and celebrate St. Patrick's Day, Maple Syrup and Spring!

March Is For Pie

2011-02-27T15:46:25Z

March is a month full of contradictions; the first day of spring can be accompanied by snow, it can be dark and dreary but the days are longer, we've all had our fill of winter comfort food but we can never get enough of pie or PI either. March is also the month for celebrating the birthday of Albert Einstein and celebrating the mathematical formula which also manifests itself in the date of March 14, if you write it just so. And besides it's a goon reason for getting

out of the cabin for a quick get away to enjoy pie at what can be for some an unusual time of day, breakfast! For me there is nothing better than pie for breakfast, but I'm told that not everyone is familiar with pie as a breakfast food. How sad is that? Can there be a better way to start the day than crisp flaky crust pie filled with luscious fruit? I'm not fussy about the type, apple, pumpkin, lemon meringue, pear, cherry, the possibilities are endless. The weekend of March 11 and 12 we are offering a special of buy one night, get one night free and pie at breakfast.
Seriously, ask yourself, "What would Einstein do?" I'm sure he would say let them eat pie! Or was that Marie Antoinette?

March Is For Pie

2011-02-27T15:46:25Z

Beautiful Snow

2011-02-03T13:15:49Z

Well, today is dawning with blue skies over new snow. Although the storm was not nearly as bad as predicted we still were blessed with a good 8 inches of the powdery stuff. We are still offering Buy One Get One Coupons for Granite Gorge Ski Area with $10.00 off our nightly room rate. Or bring your own cross country skis and ski for free at the Swanzey Rail Trail, just down the road from the inn. There is ample parking at the covered bridge and the Town of Swanzey does a great job of keeping the parking area plowed. We plan to do some snow shoeing on Mt Caesar in Swanzey Center on Saturday. This is a nice walk that we often use in the summer but it is great in the winter as well. We have seen owls flying about and, while it is not a high hill, the view from the top is reason enough to venture out. It's really just an excuse to have some hot cocoa in front of the warm fire when we get back. So bundle up and come to our snowy corner of New Hampshire, you don't need to spend 4 or 5 hours on the road, all the snow you need is just over the Mass. border in the Monadnock Region of New Hampshire.

More Snow

2011-01-18T22:22:33Z

The last couple of weeks has really seen Old Man Winter settle in and he's not napping! Today we got several more inches of beautiful, fluffy snow. I spent a good part of the afternoon clearing walkways, bringing in firewood and generally keeping things warm and toasty. No doubt the snowmobilers will be out in full force this weekend. But, if you are looking for some great cross country skiing or snowshoeing, we can give you some secret places we use where you will have the peaceful surroundings that you envision for an afternoon.

New Hampshire Snow

2011-01-11T14:08:38Z

We just returned from a short trip to Jackson NH and were shocked to see that

there is virtually no snow, not on the fields, snowmobile trails or in the woods. The downhill ski areas have made snow, but those are the only places that have snow. I took my cross country skis, but had to settle for some ice skating. On the other hand, the southern part of the state has had a couple of good storms that have kept our ground covered. Another storm is predicted for tonight that is expected to give us upwards of 8 inches or more. Our cross country ski trails and snow mobile trails should be perfect for this weekend. I met last week with the owner of Granite Gorge, our local skiing and snow tubing center. We can now offer a Two For One package; an overnight stay and a coupon that will get you on your skis or snow tube for the price of one ticket. Just ten minutes from Keene, it is the perfect way to spend the afternoon. Their cross country trails connect to Otter Brook State Park for a longer outing.
Here at the inn, we have started to remove the Christmas decorations, although the outside pine boughs that have frozen in place will have to wait until the ground thaws a bit!
So come to southwest New Hampshire for lots of winter snow activities;it's just a two or three hour drive from most New York,Conn or Mass areas. Come on up, the snow is great.

Winter Dreaming

2010-12-27T15:11:25Z

Christmas has come and gone, all too quickly! We are now watching a lot of snow falling, over one foot has fallen since last night and it is still coming down. The cross country ski trails will be calling, if we have any energy left after clearing the driveway and side walks. The window seat over the radiator is the perfect spot to watch the flakes silently cover the north lawn as the winds send the flakes into dance steps we can only dream of doing. A crackling fire, a new Christmas book, a comfy blankey, some hot cocoa, sounds like a plan for the afternoon.
If you're looking for a low - key, relaxing end to 2010, you might think of coming for the weekend. We'll be doing some traditional Scottish Hogmaney (New Year) breads and enjoying the broadcast on NPR of the Vienna New Years Day Concert, then head to the rail trail for some cross country skiing.
The highway dept. has done a good job of keeping up with the snow and while you do need to drive with care, the roads are in pretty good shape.
We hope everyone has had a Happy Christmas and wish all a Happy New Year.

Autumn is Still Here

2010-10-26T17:40:34Z

Don't be tricked into thinking that all the good foliage is on the ground, there are still many pockets of color around our inn and the whole area. Today is a warm and sunny day, perfect for picking those late fall apples at Maple Lane Orchard. I've already made one batch of apple butter, but still need to make applesauce and at least one more batch of apple butter. Last week we went to Cape Cod and purchased our supply of fresh cranberries. We will be selling most of them at Stonewall Farm's Thanksgiving Farm Fare the Saturday before Thanksgiving. We even got to try our hand at hand harvesting with an antique cranberry scoop that belonged to the grower's Grandfather. We quickly scooped up about a half crate from the edges of the bog, then put them through the sorter, so we got a few extra!
This weekend is Halloween and there is no better place to get in the spirit of things than be visiting the grave of Ichabod Crane in the Surrey Village Cemetery. The Cranes were one of the early settlers of Surrey and apparently Ichabod was a fairly common name way back in the olden days. There are also some walking trails nearby for an afternoon hike.
So come out for the weekend and enjoy the late autumn, we will be serving baked apples and cranberry bread for breakfast!

Fall is Really Here

2010-10-08T20:00:50Z

The leaves are fast turning those glorious autumn colors, the apples are red and crunchy good; that can only mean that our guests are enjoying baked apples made with orchard fresh apples. Sunday was a perfect fall day and I spent about an hour picking and eating apples at nearby Maple Lane Orchard. I gathered a bushel of drops for apple butter, a half bushel of Cortlands for baking and eating and some super sweet Jonagolds for munching. Some friends sent me an email asking if I wanted the last of their tomatoes that won't be ripening, of course I said yes, so yesterday Wayne and I scrubbed, cut and ground up a half bushel of green tomatoes for green tomato mincemeat and piccalilli. The house smelled great with all the spices, molasses and brown sugar simmering on the stove, so much better than potpourri!
If you haven't been to New Hampshire to see the fall colors there is still time, some rooms are still available mid-week and Halloween is coming. What better way to spend Halloween than in the grave yard where Ichabod Crane is buried! More about that at a later date.............

Autumn Weekend

2010-09-24T19:15:37Z

It officially is the first weekend of Autumn, but summer is still around, temps today have been in the low eighties, which made for a rather warm bike ride today. I came home and shortly after a car pulled in the drive, our first guest for the weekend thought I. She came in and told me that her son, who she was visiting at Keene State for Parent's Weekend was in the car and sick, so she could not stay. Anyone who reads this will know that a last minute cancellation for this weekend can be had just for making a quick call. Leaves are turning and the weather promises to be good, perfect for a bike ride or a hike up Little Monadnock in Fitzwilliam. This is one of our favorite hikes, not too long or strenuous, but still a good workout, and you can see the top of Mount Monadnock from the summit.
Local apples are ready for picking, Maple Lane Orchard has crunch good Cortlands, Macs, hardy mums, pumpkins and gourds. Little red wagons are available to haul your harvest to your car, the views are wonderful and it is sooooo peaceful. The perfect take home treat and a great way to start your Autumn season.

Time To Harvest

2010-09-06T14:53:40Z

Our garden has been producing like crazy this year,in spite of the heat and lack of rain. Wayne has been very diligent about watering so that has helped a lot. We have been brewing some organic "tea" to give the plants some extra growing power. Since I finally got some hot peppers to grow, today we will be making some salsa; I'm thinking one pepper per batch should be enough for me! We've canned corn from a local farm; frozen and canned a lot of squash and tomatoes-gives a good feeling to see all the jars filled with garden goodness that we will have well into the cold months.

It looks like we may have early foliage color this year. I am again serving as an Official Leaf Peeper Reporter for the NH Dept. of Tourism. Reporting starts this week and I'm sorry to have to report that the top of our large tree on the north side of the house is already showing bright reds and oranges.

The early color will make for a beautifully decorated field for Saturday's craft fair. Sponsored by Yankee Magazine, it will be held at Yankee Field in Dublin NH on Route 101. Our gift shop will be re-located for the day, be sure to visit us! I will be doing some chair caning, selling refurbished chairs and selling my hand woven baskets. My niece brings her beautiful pottery so it's a great time for us to visit, chat and do some cooking together after the fair.