Little River Bed and Breakfast, Peterborough NH

Spring means Farmer's Market Time...

noreply@blogger.com (The Innkeepers) — Sat, 05 May 2012 20:20:00 +0000

Spring means a lot of things to different people: birds singing, flowers blooming, people putting away their skis and breaking out their hiking boots, etc. Spring also means the local farmer's markets are opening their doors.

Peterborough is blessed to have two farmer's markets (one on Mondays and one on Wednesdays). The Monday "Fresh Chicks" market opens May 7th. That's just two days away and it will be open every Monday until October! The Wednesday Depot Square Market opens May 16th.

Fresh Chicks has farms selling fruits and vegetables, crafters, bread makers, bakers (like us), and more. We are excited to be participating again in both markets this year selling our now world-famous granola, best-ever granola bars, and other delicious breakfast treats that we serve at the B&B. Come on out and see us, we hope to see everyone there!

BTW, if farmer's markets in general are your thing, there are many around the Monadnock Region from the Keene market that happens twice a week, one in Jaffrey, Hancock, Rindge, Hillsborough, and Fitzwilliam on different days of the week.

Kayaking in the Monadnock Region

noreply@blogger.com (The Innkeepers) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Paula and I may be novice kayakers but that hasn't stopped us from getting out on the ponds and rivers of the Monadnock Region and having a great time. Kayaking is a great way to see places that would otherwise be inaccessible. The season is off to an early start because of the beautiful mid-April weather and we hope it will last well into the fall.

Paula on MacDowell Lake in early spring

To answer the first question, you cannot kayak the Nubanusit behind the B&B, there are several good sized falls close by and places where it is too shallow.

However, the Nubanusit originates just 1.5 miles up the road at the 165 acre Edward MacDowell Lake and this is a great spot very close by to drop your oars in. You could easily spend an hour or two exploring the coastline and bird watching. We have also heard there is a small waterfall somewhere on the lake.

Yesterday Paula was unavailable but a friend of ours was interested so we drove the ten minutes up to the covered bridge in Greenfield and launched the kayaks on the Contoocook River at Powder Mill Pond. We started by paddling "up" the Contoocook for about a half hour. We spotted ducks, red wing black birds, and a couple of beavers. They really got our attention when one slapped the water when diving.

At that point we turned around and let the current encourage us back downstream, past the boat launch and into 435 acre Powder Mill Pond. That required going under the scenic County Covered Bridge. We spent about an extra hour paddling around and up to the railroad bridge while taking in views of Crotched Mountain. A look at the map when we got home made us realize we had just barely scratched the surface, we could have traveled much farther up the Contoocook and there was much of Powder Mill Pond we didn't see.

There is no doubt we will be back to both places to do some more paddling this summer but a quick look at the regional map excites us to think about all the nearby places there are to explore including 380 acre Contoocook Lake, 228 acre Lake Skatutakee, 250 acre Thorndike Pond and 715 acre Nubanusit Lake, the Ashuelot River in Keene and many others.

If you are considering coming to the area this summer and would like to try some kayaking, there are a few places you can rent kayaks and canoes from including our local EMS store in Peterborough and Pelletiers Sports in Jaffrey.

Peterborough Players 2012 Lineup

noreply@blogger.com (The Innkeepers) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 12:46:00 +0000

We are very excited the award winning Peterborough Players have announced their 2012 calendar of plays. Some of the highlights include:

Auld Lang Syne: Award winning NYPD Blue actor Gordon Clapp returns to The Players for the third year in a row to star in this World Premiere comedy about a two-bit gangster and an Irish housewife on New Year's Eve.
The 39 Steps: Featuring the ever popular Kraig Swartz, this mystery/comedy is a humorous adaptation of the famous Hitchock story with a dash of Monty Python added in.
Present Laughter: a Noel Coward comedy starring Jack Koenig
Rounding Third: a comedy with heart that focuses on life centered around America's Favorite Past-Time

As always, we will be offering Special Getaway Packages for Dinner, a Show, and an Overnight Stay at the B&B. We hope to see you this summer!

A sweet day trip to Norwich. Vermont

noreply@blogger.com (The Innkeepers) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 05:45:00 +0000

Along the Appalachian Trail in Norwich, Vermont

With all the unusually warm weather we've been having lately, we decided to make a quick day trip up to one of our favorite food/baking-related destinations... The King Arthur Flour Company Store in Norwich, Vermont. We typically head up to King Arthur a few times a year. Sometimes for their baking classes, but other times just for browsing/shopping. This was one of those browse/shop trips, combined with some hiking/geocaching, and a little eating too. Google Maps puts the drive at about 1 hour and 45 minutes, but it always seems to go just a little faster... more like an hour and a half, unless we make extra stops. The drive is easy and you get beautiful views of the countryside in New Hampshire and Vermont. In addition, there are plenty of places to stop on the way (Keene, Walpole, Bellows Falls, Quechee, Hanover, etc) if you want to explore.

This time, we made a quick stop in Keene, then headed for Norwich. If you keep up with happenings at the King Arthur Store, either through their e-mail newsletters or their website, you already know that they've been undergoing an expansion project that started last June. The store is still in the original building, but according to the folks at King Arthur, the new store will be opening in April. Then, the construction will to move on to converting the original store into a bigger bakery and cafe, with the whole project finishing up in the summer. (Here's a link to the Renovations page on the King Arthur website.)

So, we did our shopping and our "big" purchase was a nifty space-saving stacked baking rack that holds 4 cookie sheets. It was definitely an impulse-purchase, but the hope is that it will come in handy as we make our granola and breakfast treats for the local Farmers' Markets which will be starting up again pretty soon. We are looking forward to participating at both the Monday Fresh Chicks Market at Monadnock Community Hospital and the Wednesday Market at Depot Square again this year!

Next, it was on to the geocaching. We had considered a few caches along the hiking trail at King Arthur, but it was closed due to the construction, so we opted for one on the Appalachian Trail just a few miles away instead. As we started walking, we realized that this was the first time that either one of us had done any hiking on the Appalachian Trail! The walk through the woods took us first alongside and across a pretty little stream and eventually past some small wetland ponds still holding on to a bit of their ice (see photo at the top). One interesting feature we kept coming across were these big white rocks that at first glance looked like big snowballs or chunks of ice! They were quartz, sometimes covered in moss, but their size and their color was really striking.

We found the cache and headed back to the car. Our GPS told us we had walked a little over a mile on the Appalachian Trail. According to Rob, that's one mile down and only 2, 179 miles to go!

On the way home, we stopped to eat at Lui Lui Restaurant in West Lebanon, NH. Their menu features Italian entrees and brick oven pizza (cooked in a wood fired oven shaped like a tomato!), and we are never disappointed by their warm and yummy rolls served with herb oil for dipping. It's kind of funny... we just sort of happened across the restaurant many, many years ago when we missed our exit between highways on the way home from a ski trip... and we have been finding our way there ever since.

It was a great little day trip all around!

The Innkeepers are TV Stars

noreply@blogger.com (The Innkeepers) — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 13:54:00 +0000

A local television show, The Chef's Plate, did a feature episode on dining in Peterborough. Although we were not featured because we are not open to the public for breakfast, we were selected to have a one minute sponsorship. Here is a link to the entire show (with our sponsorship).

Little River Bed & Breakfast from Good Eats NH on Vimeo.

"M" is for "March", "Maple" and "mmmmmmm"

noreply@blogger.com (The Innkeepers) — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 15:48:00 +0000

Just a quickie post to remind everyone that March is Maple Syrup time in New Hampshire. The mild winter will result in an abbreviated season but the NH Maple Producers are still holding their 17th Annual Open House Weekend the third weekend of the month (and some of the sugar houses are open every weekend).

Check out our blog posting from last year to learn about all the fun that can be had during the Open House Weekend. Here at Little River B&B, we also created a map to guide you to all the sugar houses near the B&B.

noreply@blogger.com (The Innkeepers) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 03:53:00 +0000

There hasn't been much snow around here lately, but according to the calendar, it's still winter!

We recently had a guest comment on how much she liked the winter wreath we had hanging outside, so I thought I'd post it here to share. It is actually really easy to make one for yourself! All you need is a large evergreen wreath (I used our Christmas holiday wreath and just removed the red bow), a long, thin scarf (or a piece of fleece cut to size), some colorful kid-sized mittens, a small length of clothesline, wooden clothespins, white snowflakes (the ones here are painted wood from the craft store), and some bendable wire (I used white floral wire, but white twist-ties would work great too). Rather than actually tying the scarf into a bow (which was a little bulky with the fleece), I formed the bow-like loops and used a piece of floral wire to cinch in the middle like a knot. The scarf, clothesline, and mittens are then all attached to the wreath with clothespins. The beauty of using the clothespins is that everything can be easily adjusted until you are happy with the way it looks! The snowflakes are scattered around the wreath and attached to the branches using small lengths of floral wire. Once you've gathered up all the supplies, it only take a few minutes to do!

A colorful wreath to bring a little cheer to the winter.

The possibilities are endless!

Five year anniversary special...

noreply@blogger.com (The Innkeepers) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 23:59:00 +0000

February 2nd will will be our five year anniversary since taking our first guests. We still tell the story about how our first guests brought us a bottle of champagne to celebrate. It has been a fun, fast, and often times unpredictable five years and it is our guests that make our chosen career so rewarding.

To thank our guests, we are offering a special:

Stay with us during the months of February and March and take 5% off our standard rate. In addition, stay two nights and order an Anniversary Mini-Carrot Cake Package for just $5 more! If you want to order it, please be sure to ask for the Anniversary Package when you make your reservation.

We look forward to seeing former guests again...and look forward to the ones we have not yet met :)

-Paula and Rob

Jimmy's Coming Back!

noreply@blogger.com (The Innkeepers) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 23:59:00 +0000

Happy New Year to All!

We thought we'd start our 2012 blog with some good news from 2011. In December, the Sharon Arts Center announced that their "Jimmy Campaign" to bring nationally recognized cardboard artist James Grashow back to Peterborough was a success! It all started back in the late fall with "Bring Jimmy Back" signs popping up all over town. With those signs as teasers, the Sharon Arts Center used the fundraising website Kickstarter to raise over $10,000 to bring Grashow to town for an artist-in-residence program.

Grashow was last in Peterborough in 2006 for a show at the Sharon Arts Gallery called "Aquarium of the Imagination". This time he will be part of a "Garden of the Imagination" collaboration where he will work with more than 700 students from 12 area schools to build the installation and will also participate in the Children and the Arts festival.

According to the "Bring Jimmy Back" Kickstarter website: "James Grashow was born in Brooklyn in 1942 and has been creating works that address themes of man, nature and mortality since the 1960's. His prints have appeared regularly in the New York Times and in virtually every well known periodical and publication through out the country. Grashow attended Pratt Institute where he received a BFA. On graduation, he was awarded a Fulbright Travel Grant for painting and graphics to Florence, Italy. After a year abroad, he returned to Pratt to receive his MFA. Grashow had his first sculpture show at the Allan Stone Gallery in 1966. This show began a relationship with the Allan Stone Gallery, which continues to this day." He is currently featured in the Under the Sea installation at Kidspace at Mass MoCA in North Adams, Massachusetts.

We can't wait to see what he'll create in Peterborough!

P.S. If you have a bit of time, browse around the Gallery on James Grashow's website. He work is truly amazing!

Harrisville - A short drive... and well worth the trip!

noreply@blogger.com (The Innkeepers) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 15:00:00 +0000

An early morning view of Harrisville Pond.

A bit of background first… During our first summer in New Hampshire, after we had started working on the renovations for the B&B, Rob decided to “go exploring” on his way to Keene. In this case, the scenic route took him through Harrisville. He was so impressed that the next morning, as I was getting ready to leave on a business trip, he insisted that we HAD to leave extra early for the airport so he could take me to see his discovery. I am always rushed when leaving on a trip, so it was a tough sell, but eventually I conceded and off we went! As busy as I was that morning, I can’t deny… it was worth the trip!

Harrisville, New Hampshire is a sweet little historic mill village just 10 miles away from Peterborough. (Ask us for “the scenic route” directions and we’ll suggest you go past Half Moon Pond and Skatutakee Lake on your way.) Harrisville’s history and current feel is based a lot on its mills. As described on the Harrisville Designs website, “Woolen yarn has been spun in the water powered, brick mill town of Harrisville since 1794. This small village is nestled in the Monadnock Highlands of southwestern New Hampshire and is the only industrial community of the early 19th Century that still survives in America in its original form. In 1977, the Department of Interior designated Harrisville a National Historic Landmark… It is recognized as the only 18th century textile village in America that survives in its original form.”

We’ll usually plan to stop for lunch or a snack at the Harrisville General Store, which is a treat in itself. The chairs on the front porch and warm wood interior just make you feel welcome. Across the road from the general store is Harrisville Designs, a weaving center and retail store with yarns and products for weaving and knitting enthusiasts. Even if you aren’t into fiber arts, Harrisville Designs it is a feast for the senses! The big bright windows, the old worn floors, and the beautiful colored yarns are total eye candy, and the sounds of the river rushing right underneath your feet is hypnotizing! And then there’s the town library, the walking path around the cemetery that takes you out on a small peninsula that juts into Harrisville Pond, and the rest of the mill village to explore.

Historic Harrisville, a nonprofit public foundation which owns the core mill buildings within the historic textile mill village, has developed a self-guided audio walking tour which feature’s some of Harrisville’s history and architecture. The goal of Historic Harrisville is to preserve the integrity of the village, not as a museum but as a working community. Restoration and renovation of the mill buildings has allowed for adaptive reuse in support of a variety of businesses including artist studios, general offices, and light manufacturing. An MP3 and map of the self-guided tour are available at the Historic Harrisville website.

Back in October, we made a quick trip up to Harrisville to peek in their “Open Doors”. The event celebrated Historic Harrisville’s 40^th anniversary by allowing visitors to tour 10 of the buildings including the Twitchell House, Harris Mill, Harris Storehouse, Harris Boiler House, Harris Sorting & Picker House, Harrisville General Store, St. Denis Church, Cheshire Mills Boarding House, The Temple, and the Cheshire Mills Complex. Here are just a few more photos from that day:

Cookie Tour 2011 - Granola Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (The Innkeepers) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:10:00 +0000

Well, I did it! The 7th Annual Currier & Ives Cookie Tour here in the Monadnock region is coming up this weekend and I actually have my recipe completed with time to spare!

If you are interested in participating in the tour, it will be this Saturday, December 10, from 11:00 AM until 4:00 PM. The tour includes 15 different B&Bs, inns, and specialty shops in Peterborough, Jaffrey, Rindge, Troy, Fitzwilliam, Swanzey, and Marlborough. Each stop features a homemade holiday treat (with recipe) and other refreshments. Visit at least 10 of the 15 stops and you can be eligible for a gift certificate valued at over $100. Tickets cost $10 and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Helping Hands of Troy, an organization that provides food and donations to Monadnock region residents in need. Tickets can be purchased at our B&B, and also from Inn at East Hill Farm (Troy), Monadnock Inn (Jaffrey), Woodbound Inn (Rindge), and Inn of the Tartan Fox (Swanzey).

So for our treat this year, we are offering... Mmmmm... Granola Cookies!

The inspiration for these cookies started this summer when we began making and selling our homemade granola at two of the local farmers' markets (Fresh Chicks Outdoor Market, and Depot Square Market, both in Peterborough) and we started thinking about all-things-granola! At the time, I came across a King Arthur Flour Company recipe for Granola Brownie Bars. (I'm a huge fan of KAF - their products, their people, and their recipes!) The bars were pretty good (although I probably would call them "Blondies" rather than "Brownies") and really versatile (you could add your own favorite combination of granola, dried fruit, nuts, chips, etc.) and a note with the recipe suggested you could make them as cookies.

Hmmm... Granola Cookies... that could work for this year's Cookie Tour!

So off to the lab... oh, I mean kitchen... I went to work on the recipe. The original recipe for the bars was a little too sweet for our taste and the dough was a little soft for cookies, so the first adjustment was simply lowering the sugar and increasing the flour. The first batch of cookies were a little too cakey and still a little sweet, and they didn't spread out at all. For the next batch, I decreased the sugar a bit more, substituted all-purpose flour for some of the whole wheat (to make them a little more delicate) and substituted baking soda for the baking powder (baking soda is known to increase the spread in cookies and the brown sugar has enough acid to react with the baking soda so it doesn't leave a residual taste). I also added some rolled oats to the recipe thinking this would give them a little more "texture", but this was not an improvement because the cookies ended up with too much "stuff" and not enough cookie! So, for the third batch, I took out the extra oats, added just a little more flour, and decided on the "right" combination of granola and mix-ins. Dried cranberries and white chocolate chips seemed just right for a holiday cookie, but the options could be endless! And sure enough, the third time was the charm! (It almost seemed too easy compared to last year's quest for the "perfect" Mint-Filled Chocolate Fudge Cookie!)

Here's the recipe: Little River Bed & Breakfast Granola Cookies

Enjoy!

Maybe we'll see you on the tour on Saturday. You'll be able to sample the cookies (in addition to the one you get to bring home) and we'll even have some of our own homemade granola available for purchase.

Alpacas!!! :)

noreply@blogger.com (The Innkeepers) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 02:31:00 +0000

Since the beginning of the summer, Deb at Spring Pond Farm and Liz at Kilblaan Farm have invited me to come visit with their award-winning alpacas and see their farms.

Today I was able to visit with Deb and Ray at Spring Pond Farm and I was expecting to simply see her "girls and guys". That would have been cool all by itself since I have never seen alpacas before but there is so much more to her farm. Her 100+ acres include sweeping views of Powder Mill Pond and the hills to the West, a small apple orchard, pumpkin patch, and Christmas tree nursery.

Deb offered me the "fifty cent" tour and with her magnetic and energetic personality, I more than got my money's worth (plus I didn't really have to pay)! I got to pet and feel the soft coats of the alpacas, learn about the shearing process and how she spins their coats into yarn and creates finished clothing. The "ladies" seemed more timid around me but the "guys" came right over to say "hi".

Deb's farm is on the upcoming Wool Arts Tour (Columbus Day Weekend...October 8-10), her store is open Thanksgiving through Christmas, and if staying with us, there's a chance we might be able to arrange a visit if the timing is convenient. Spring Pond Farm is just twenty minutes from us at Little River Bed & Breakfast and easily worth the drive!

I am hoping to visit with Liz at Kilblaan sometime in the near future and she will also have her yarns and fleece on display during the Wool Arts Tour.

Fall has arrived at Little River Bed & Breakfast

noreply@blogger.com (The Innkeepers) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 18:15:00 +0000

We would like to wish everyone a nice fall with lots of color just like the trees just down the road from us we spotted yesterday. Look for pics of the river when the colors change behind the Little River B&B.

Hurricane Irene & Peterborough and the Monanock Region...

noreply@blogger.com (The Innkeepers) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 00:04:00 +0000

Our hearts go out to everyone who was affected by Hurricane Irene last week and the additional flooding this week. Especially our neighbors to the West in Vermont where some areas were washed out and devastated!

At the same time, we want to ease the minds of fall foliage travelers and let everyone know that the Monadnock Region of Southwest New Hampshire and Peterborough in particular were not affected by the storms and everything is business as usual! We are looking forward to a strong fall foliage season as some of the swamp maples are already starting to turn pretty colors.

We look forward to see all of our guests at Little River Bed & Breakfast over the next six weeks!

An apple (or two) a day...

noreply@blogger.com (The Innkeepers) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 18:00:00 +0000

Throughout the summer you will find blueberries, strawberries, and peaches on the Little River B&B breakfast menu as they all come into season in New Hampshire. The end of August marks the start of another season...apple season...and we have already picked our first batch of the year.

Paula at the Norway Hill Orchard stand

It's late August which is the start of the season so just the Paula Reds are ripe for picking at Norway Hill Orchard in Hancock as well as Ginger Golds and Sansas at Alyson's in Walpole. Depending on the orchard, apple picking season lasts until early November so there is lots of opportunities to get out there and bite into a sweet (or tart) but always delicious fruit fresh from the tree.

Fresh apples also means fresh apple cider ;)

Madame Sherrie's Forest

noreply@blogger.com (The Innkeepers) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Hidden in the very Southwest corner of the Monadnock region is one of the area's "wicked" cool secrets...Madame Sherrie's Forest. From what we have read, Madame Sherrie was an eccentric French costume designer who built her home (some would call it a castle) in the woods of Chesterfield where she would host extravagant parties.

The majority of the home was destroyed by fire in the 1960s but the exterior spiral staircase that led to a second floor balcony remains as well as an interior chimney and some other stonework. Trust us...it's cool!

The state forest is more than just the ruins, among the 488 acres is a 2+ mile trail Ann Stokes trail that leads to some fabulous views of Indian Pond and East Hill. Of course there are also a few geocaches to add to the enjoyment of the hike :)

Bridge of Flowers, Shelburne Falls

noreply@blogger.com (The Innkeepers) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 15:18:00 +0000

As many of you may know, Paula grew up in Central Connecticut, so we often find ourselves traveling on Interstate 91 through Massachusetts on our way to visit family. So many times, we have passed the sign for The Bridge of Flowers in Shelburne Falls and have thought "We need to stop there", but time of day, time of year, weather, etc. just never seemed to be right. On a day in late July though, everything worked out just right and we made our move.

Shelburne Falls - Glacial Potholes (in foreground)

Shelburne Falls is a quaint little village along the scenic and historic Mohawk Trail (Route 2) in Massachusetts (about 8 miles from I-91). It is home to artists, a natural feature in the Deerfield River called Glacial Potholes, the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum, and our destination for the day... The Bridge of Flowers.

The Bridge of Flowers was originally a trolley bridge built in 1908, but by 1927 the railway company went bankrupt, unable to keep up with modern progress such as the invention of the automobile. Quickly, the unused bridge became overrun with weeds, but in 1928, a town resident had the idea to turn the weed-filled "eyesore" into a bridge of flowers. By 1929, with funds raised by the Shelburne Falls Women's Club, the project was in motion. In 2011, this former "eyesore" is absolutely stunning! Filled with beautiful, fragrant flowers and mature trees, it is a treat for all... including the birds and bees. (As we were taking pictures of some beautiful red flowers, a hummingbird decided to visit them as well! If you look closely in the photo, just to the left of center, you can see him, or her!)

Crocosmia Lucifer flowers with hummingbird

An interesting tree on The Bridge of Flowers

We often have guests that stay with us in Peterborough as part of a larger trip visiting multiple New England states. We've found that Williamstown, Massachusetts, home of Williams College, the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, as well as other art, theater and cultural activities, is sometimes on their itineraries. If this is part of your travel plans, then a drive on the Mohawk Trail and a stop in Shelburne Falls is definitely worth the trip.

Beautiful Bounty from the Farm

noreply@blogger.com (The Innkeepers) — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 12:09:00 +0000

The harvest from our CSA this week was amazing... and beautiful!

And the farm itself presented some pretty nice photo ops too.

Although we've been members of a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm ever since moving to New Hampshire, this is our first year with Nubi CSA and it has been great. The farm is part of the Nubanusit Neighborhood and Farm that is just around the corner from us... almost in our back yard! It is so close that we can just walk over for work sessions and pick-ups. We weren't exactly sure how the work sessions would fit into our schedule (most are on Saturday mornings and our Saturdays can already be quite busy), but some mornings after breakfast, Paula will grab her hat and gardening gloves and join in on the farm work. (Admittedly, Rob doesn't have much of a green thumb, so he usually takes care of things here at the B&B while Paula is at the farm.) Lately, the farm work has involved a lot of harvesting and weeding, but earlier in the season we prepared beds for planting helped with other chores as needed. Even the farm work has been a great experience!

Now back to this week's share... tomatoes, onions, garlic, green peppers, cilantro, etc. With a quick trip to the market for lime and jalapenos, we had all the makings for some salsa... likely to be seen at a breakfast soon!

Crazy Monkey Bird... and Others

noreply@blogger.com (The Innkeepers) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 10:16:00 +0000

Over the weekend, we had a nice conversation with some of our guests about the many birds in the area. During the discussion, we realized that we often hear different birds in the mornings, or in the evenings, or when we are out and about in the yard. We typically hear them, but we don't actually see them. This lead to the realization that rather than attempting to identify the birds by their common names, we have simply created our own alternate naming system based on their calls... as in, "Oh, there's the Crazy Monkey Bird again!" Our interest in finding the true names of the birds has been piqued though, and we found the Cornell Lab of Ornithology - All About Birds website to help. It has some really nice recordings of bird calls, but so far we've only been able to search based on the common name of birds, then try to match up the recorded bird call with what we are used to hearing. We are about halfway through our list and will report back later... in the meantime, here is our Alternate Bird Naming System (based on their calls)!

Crazy Monkey Bird - You got it! It sounds like a crazy monkey at the zoo!
Birdie - Says "birdie-birdie-birdie-birdie-birdie-birdie" really fast!
The Guilty Bird - Says "I did it" or sometimes it sounds like "He did it", with the emphasis on the "I" or "He"
Wheezy - Like the name... sounds wheezy
Asteroid Bird - Sounds sort of like the gun shooting in the old video game Asteroids (not exactly, but it is the best description I can come up with)

(I'm sure we've got a few more, but that is all I can think of right now. As we come up with some of the others, we'll add them to the list!)

Pickity Place... A Hidden Gem!

noreply@blogger.com (The Innkeepers) — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 09:31:00 +0000

Although we have heard about it for years, we had never had the opportunity to enjoy the herbal luncheon at Pickity Place. That is... until just recently when Paula went with a friend and her two young teen daughters.

(There's a really big tree right in front of the cottage... it is very interesting, but makes it a little difficult to get a good picture of the whole cottage.)

Pickity Place is a quaint 1786 cottage in Mason, NH that was the model for Elizabeth Orton Jones' illustrations for Little Red Riding Hood in 1948. The cottage sits on top of a hill, down a wooded drive, and is surrounded by acres of herb and perennial gardens. Open year-round, the main attraction is the 5-course gourmet luncheon with a menu changes that monthly and features herbs harvested daily from their own gardens. Pickity Place also features a cute country gift shop, a garden shop and greenhouse, and ample opportunity to unwind by wandering in the gardens or feeding the sheep.

Inside the cottage, they've got one of the rooms set-up with the big, bad wolf in Grandmother's bed.

We arrived just shortly before our 12:45 PM seating and checked-in at the dining room, then waited outside in the garden with others for a few minutes. A dinner bell beckoned us in and we were seated in a sunroom/solarium that made us feel like we were actually eating out in the garden. The 5-course themed luncheon menu for June included a Tomato Herb Spread, Creamy Broccoli with Smoked Gouda Soup, Quinoa and Black Bean Salad, Parmesan Herb Bread, and Strata Bolognese or Spinach Flan with Caramelized Vidalia Onions, both options served with Sesame Green Beans, and a Strawberry and Chocolate Custard Tart for dessert. The girls were definitely skeptics when they heard it was an herbal luncheon, and even my friend accused me of tricking her into going to a vegetarian restaurant, but all were happy when the server described the Strata Bolognese on the menu as "similar to lasagna, but with bread layers instead of noodles". (There is a Kid's Menu with two options: Sandwich, Fruit, and Cookies, or a Half Portion of the Entree, Soup or Salad, and Cookies, but the girls were game for the strata so they didn't have to rely on the alternative.) For a beverage, we all had the lavender lemonade, but mocha coffee and orange herbal tea (hot or cold) were among the other options. The portions were not huge, but given the number or courses, the serving sizes were just right and everything was delicious!

After lunch, we explored the gardens and shopped in the gift shop and greenhouse (I bought a rosemary plant for my kitchen). I also picked up their newsletter and discovered they host craft and painting workshops onsite (including their luncheon, of course). Some of the upcoming classes include making lavender wands (in July) and oak leaf & herbal wreaths (in September). Sounds like a great reason to go back soon! That, and the fact that their upcoming menus looks really good too!

The Greenhouse and Garden Shop

Getaway Easy!!!

noreply@blogger.com (The Innkeepers) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 23:03:00 +0000

Little River Bed and Breakfast has teamed up with Del Rossi's Italian restaurant and Peterborough Players to offer a fantastic getaway package. Overnight accommodations at the 1870s Little River B&B, dinner for two at Del Rossi's Italian restaurant set in a 1700s farmhouse, and two tickets to a performance of the award winning Peterborough Players in their 1700s completely renovated barn.

Check out the great lineup of shows The Players are performing this year from a tribute to Noel Coward to Shakespeare's Measure for Measure.

Make it a midweek getaway or a two night weekend getaway, either way it is a great deal on a great vacation! Check out our Special Packages page for more details.

Fresh Chicks Local Outdoor Market

noreply@blogger.com (The Innkeepers) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 09:36:00 +0000

In an effort to get the word out locally about Little River Bed and Breakfast, we have started vending at a new local outdoor market called Fresh Chicks Local Outdoor Market. It is held every Monday, May through October, from 12:00 to 6:00 at Monadnock Community Hospital.

We are "part-timers" vending every other Monday selling some of our guests very favorite treats. Granola, scones, quick breads, etc. The most popular sellers so far have been our Maple Walnut and Signature Honey Granola, Strawberry Pecan Bread and Pumpkin Scones. Check out our Facebook Page to see what some locals have been saying.

There are about twenty vendors and it has been pretty active the first two weeks...especially considering the farmers with fresh fruits and vegetables are not there yet. They also hope to have music performing every week. We hope to see you there!

PHS honors the Civil War's sesquicentenial

noreply@blogger.com (The Innkeepers) — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 22:07:00 +0000

The Peterborough Historical Society is honoring the 150th anniversary of the start of the U.S. Civil War with an exhibit of artifacts, photographs, and personal stories being displayed through the end of October.

In addition, there will be a Civil War dinner hosted on May 28th. Recipes will include President Lincoln's favorite dish as well as Mary Todd Lincoln's cake and Jefferson Davis' pie recipes. There will be a day long enactment on May 28th and a concert of period music on June 17th.

Signs of Spring in Peterborough and Hancock

noreply@blogger.com (The Innkeepers) — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 23:14:00 +0000

According to the calendar, it has been spring for a few weeks now, but the weather has been a little slow to catch up. We've still got patches of snow in some areas and ice on some of the ponds and lakes, but this weekend, the weather was beautiful! Sunny and warm! On Sunday, we went for a ride up to Hancock for lunch at Fiddleheads Cafe. It was just warm enough outside for us to sit at the tables on their covered porch to enjoy our sandwiches! On the way there and back, we were treated to some very welcome signs of Spring!

Crocuses on a front lawn in Hancock

Swans frolicking in a makeshift pond along Middle Hancock Road

Back at the B and B... daylilies coming up along the Nubanusit

Maple Sugar Season is in Full Swing

noreply@blogger.com (The Innkeepers) — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 16:22:00 +0000

This past weekend was NH Maple Producers Open House Weekend. Sunday, we took advantage of the beautiful sunny sky and open houses, mapped out our route, and hit up five of them to check out what was "cooking".

The day started in Rindge at the Fieldstone Farm Sugar House. It was crowded with families as Tim offered us free samples to sip (yum) and Dana explained the different grades of syrup from light to extra dark and what they are all best for. Afterwards, a trip out to the field to see Abe the buffalo pace back and forth "greeting" visitors was a fun and unique experience.

Our next stop was Coll's Farm in Jaffrey. Coll's is a full fledged market with fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, and dairy, and other things grown/made by the farm. Coll's was serving up pancakes all day and they were boiling extra dark maple syrup while we were there.

Next we drove up to Antrim for a completely different experience at Old Pound Road Sugar House. OPRSH is a much smaller operation (40-50 gallons of syrup a year) which allowed for a more intimate setting. We were on the later side and had missed the big crowds which worked to our advantage. Charles was boiling today and as his only guests, he was able to give us an up close look at the filtering system for the syrup as his maple sap was reaching the magical boiling temperature of 219 to 220 degrees. As a smaller operator, he doesn't necessarily have all the same fancy equipment the bigger guys have but it also means he does things the old fashioned way which was cool to see!

Our next stop was in Hancock at Longview Forest Products. Bill was not boiling today because he had boiled all the sap he had and was waiting for the weather (and trees) to cooperate. Bill has been making syrup since he was kid helping his dad and has now run his own operation for over thirty years. He happily gave us a tour of his sugar shack explaining how the reverse-osmosis machine works and explaining his vacuum pumps that draw the sap from his taps/tubing and tanks.

The last stop on our tour was Ben's in Temple. I don't think we realized how big Ben's operation was until we had visited some of the smaller shacks in the area. The shack was packed wall to wall with visitors and maple syrup makers, he had lots of treats to try from "sugar on snow" (maple syrup drizzled on snow), maple flavored popcorn, maple syrup on vanilla ice cream, and much more. There was a buzz around the place and since Ben makes more than just syrup (maple candies, popcorn, etc), so we were brought to the candy making/packaging room and shown how that is done.

It was a great day but we only scratched the surface. We missed Parker's Maple Barn in Mason, Morning Star Maple in Dublin, and CB's Sugar Shack and Monadnock Sugar House in Jaffrey. Maple sugaring will go on for several more weeks and next weekend has one more big event: Stonewall Farm is hosting their 12th Annual Sap Gathering Contest. Twenty teams of horses race around the farms property through a course collecting maple sap from buckets and racing it back to the sugar house for boiling.

If you missed this year's weekend and cannot make it out for Stonewall Farm's event next weekend, make your plans for next year. It's a fun...and sweet weekend to visit New Hampshire!