Jefferson Carnegie Library Author Night, February 16

Posted on: February 6th, 2012 by Stephanie

Jefferson Carnegie Library

Historic Homes & Ghosts

Richard Collins, author of The House of the Seasons and Cheryl MacLennan, author of Historic Homes of Jefferson will be speaking at the Jefferson Carnegie Library at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 16, 2012.  The public is invited to attend, free of charge.  Complimentary dessert and beverages will be offered.

Come meet the authors and learn more about these two books featuring local Jefferson historical landmarks.

Cheryl MacLennan is a Texas native and has been practicing photography for more than 25 years.  John Scheyd of Pelican Publishing says “Her enthusiasm for history, architecture and culture serves as inspiration for her work.  Historic Homes of Jefferson features the finest landmarks of Jefferson.  Through stunning photography, MacLennan captures the architectural details of more than 25 historic homes and buildings, built between the years of 1850 and 1880”.

The House of the Seasons is a children’s book based on historical facts, characters and GHOSTS taking place at House of the Seasons during the Civil War.  Collins is president of the House of the Seasons, a historically prominent manor located in Jefferson.  Illustrations for the novel were produced by Dan Kuenster, Emmy-award winning animator who worked on popular animation films.  Co-author, T.J. Kuenster, is the Musical Director of the Glen Campbell Band.  Ms. Shirley Reiman, General Manager of House of the Seasons, says “their input has really added to the creativeness of the novel.”

This event will take place in the upstairs ballroom at the Jefferson Carnegie Library.  Many Americans first entered the worlds of information and imagination offered by reading when they walked through the front doors of a Carnegie library. One of 19th-century industrialist Andrew Carnegie’s many philanthropies, these libraries entertained and educated millions. Between 1886 and 1919, Carnegie’s donations of more than $40 million paid for 1,679 new library buildings in communities large and small across America.  Jefferson’s library, built in 1907, is one of only five Carnegie Libraries serving its original function in Texas today.

The Original Greek Revival architecture of the library was awarded a Texas Historical Commission plaque and a National Trust Register of Historical Places plaque.  Operating as a non-profit organization, the library board is committed to the preservation, maintenance and full usage of this historic landmark.

Now All I need Are Some Bats for My New House

Posted on: February 4th, 2012 by Stephanie

Bat House

One of the challenges you have when you live in the swamps and wetlands of East Texas are Mosquitoes.  We grow ‘em big here and when when they bite, you know it.  It is a shame too!  So many pretty nights our guests here at the Carriage House Bed and Breakfast have been ran back inside from the pests.

We have tried everything to combat them.  We have burned citronella candles.  We ran the little Off fans and finally we just started putting cans of bug spray around the property for the guests to use.  Nothing says a romantic evening, then the smell of DEET.

So last summer, I began a campaign to get a bat house.

We have 32 native species of bats here in Texas, and as we all know, they LOVE to eat mosquitoes.  In fact, the Little Brown Bat can eat between 500 and 1000 mosquitos an HOUR!!

So for Christmas, Santa brought me a bat house and today Santa put it up for me.  It is outside the Ruth Lester room in the Garden Courtyard.  We positioned it in a place where the bats would be happy roosting and our guests can watch them at dusk.

So, now all I need are some bats.

Mounted Bat House

Breakfast Photos Before and After The Bug

Posted on: February 4th, 2012 by Stephanie
Breakfast

Before

Breakfast

After

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like everyone else, we have a project list about a mile long.

One of our many projects is to get some awesome breakfast photos for our website.  So I commissioned my favorite photographer, Tom, and we had a photo shoot this morning right after breakfast.  The Pasta Frittata was colorful and really did photograph well!  As is not unusual for us, we were  quickly distracted by cleaning and giving directions to the guests.  When we walked back into the kitchen we had a surprise.  The plate had been licked clean and The Bug was looking very guilty!!

Life as a Coffee Snob

Posted on: February 2nd, 2012 by Stephanie

coffee cups

It ain’t easy being an innkeeper.  The hours are long and the laundry never seems to end.  There is always one room that needs to be cleaned or needs some sort of repair.  You live your life in a constant state of being one project behind where you should be.

However, there are some real pluses to the job.  We LOVE our guests (really do!).  We get to experiment in the kitchen a lot (not always with good results) and we get to live in a beautiful old home full of stories and charm.  One of the other big pluses to the job is drinking awesome coffee…every morning.

I did not realize that I had become a coffee snob until last week.

Tom and I went to the Professional Association of Innkeepers International (PAII) Innkeeping show in Little Rock, AR.  It was awesome!!  I got to see some friends I only see once a year and learn some amazing cool things (watch for some new stuff to come).

However, the coffee in the hotel and at the show was AWFUL.  I mean really AWFUL!!  I mean rot gut!  Blech!!

We have been ordering our coffee from a roaster in Shreveport called Jelks Coffee for some time now.  We change the flavors for the season and order whole bean so that we grind fresh coffee every morning.  Right now we are working our way through Mardi Gras/ Valentines Day flavors.  We drink what the guests drink and I forgot what bad coffee tastes like.  YUCK!!

We spent a lot of time at this year’s show talking about why bed and breakfasts are a “Better Way to Stay” then hotels.  Well here is one reason.  We will NEVER serve you a bad cup of coffee ever and we will ALWAYS serve your coffee in a fabulous mug (think a Deneen Pottery Mug) not a Styrofoam cup.

A good cup of coffee to start the day really does make us a Better Way to Stay!!

Port of Jefferson Riverfront Restoration Project Has Begun!!

Posted on: January 20th, 2012 by Stephanie

Port of Jefferson Boat RampTrees

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was so excited to hear the news this week that the highly anticipated Port of Jefferson Riverfront Project had begun this week.  The heavy equipment was delivered on Wednesday and work began in earnest on Thursday.  Woo Hoo!

This project has been in the works for decades and is something that we have needed for generations.  The Big Cypress Bayou area has been altered and degraded from hundreds of year’s of boats and man’s influence. Many of the native species of plants  have died out and native animals no longer come to the shores of the water or are even in this area.  This project will return this wetland back to it’s original state and re-introduce many of the trees, plants, animals, and fish that once populated this unique swampy area of Texas.  The Army Corps of Engineer’s estimate the entire project to take anywhere from 18 months to 2 year to complete.

For more information about this project, please visit the project website at http://portjeffersonrestoration.com/.

Please enjoy this video of the first day’s work.  The first work effort of the project is to move the current boat ramp (located at the Polk St bridge) down Austin Street right next to the Historic Jefferson Railway depot.

I hope you enjoy this update!  I will be making more as the project moves forward and milestones are achieved.