Everyday Canvas

B&Bs and a Couple of Experiences

Prompt: The moment I pulled into the driveway with the real estate agent, I was embraced by the inn's appeal. Oh, yes with its natural bright natural light and large windows that overlooked the cove, this B&B felt like home already. It was the perfect for starting my new life.” The Inn At Rose Harbor Debbie Macomber
Have you ever wanted to run a B&B? Write a poem, short story or whatever you want about it.

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No, I never wanted to run a B&B, but my daughter-in-law does. I think she can do it for she is capable and has good taste. Such an undertaking would be both interesting and wonderful because not everybody can run a place like that with much success.

I have been to a few B&Bs as a guest. The first one I went was in PA, but it was such a long time ago, during the late sixties or early seventies. I don't recall the name of the place or even the name of the town. The visuals of it are still etched in my brain, though. I remember eating dinner with a whole bunch of other guests, possibly twenty people who had no connection with one another. The dinner conversation was a heavily labored one because there were a couple of other people who assumed things about everyone else and annoyed everyone. One of them talked against religion and ministers. Another guest’s father was a minister and he turned hot under the collar. Then the other person talked against working women, as it was the time when baby boomers were up in arms about women’s and human rights. The three working women plus yours truly defended a woman’s right to a well-paying job. It was uncomfortable for everyone.

My last B&B visit was on 2009 summer, July I think. Hubby had taken a temp job in Monticello, Florida, and we stayed in a very interesting B&B. The owner, manager, and the worker was one very nice woman, named Pat, who employed local women on an hourly basis when the work became too much for her. What was so interesting about this place was that it was an old haunted Victorian mansion, built in the Italian style with a cupola and front porch. At the turn of the century, the house served as a bordello. When I learned that, I laughed out loud; after that experience, I can easily boast that I stayed in a bordello, although Pat the owner didn’t like to talk about that part of the mansion’s history.

Pat was also a minister and she conducted séances. We stayed there about two weeks, but at the time, there weren’t many other guests in the place. Those who came didn't stay more than a night or two. I had my laptop with me, so I did some writing, edits and reviews etc. Most of the time, I was alone there, and twice when Pat went shopping, I was the only one inside the entire mansion. Honestly, the ghosts were very nice. I didn’t hear or see a thing. If anything, my own house which was built in 1978 creaks and emits sounds of knocks and rumbles a thousand times more.

In my old blog, I have an entry written while we stayed there. "Poem-Walk"  has the photos of tall trees with kudzu hanging. That was the view from my window.

I think, later on, Anderson Cooper did a report on the place. I am posting the black and white photo of the house. More info and photos in color can be seen on its website.
http://www.johndenhamhouse.com

This is what the place looked like: