Wild Iris Inn

Being A Green Inn

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Edwards) — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:53:00 +0000

Worm composter

When guests come to stay at the inn they always ask what does it mean that you are a green inn. Well we are part of a program through Maine EPA that certifies lodging establishment in Maine called Environmental Leader. We get a certain number of points for everything we do. Some of our green practices are the following;
-We have three different kinds of ways to compost leftover food waste, a worm composter, two outside barrel composter and a European electric composter, that we use a lot in the winter when our outside ones aren't composing.
-We recycle most everything as the city of Portland has a great curbside recycling program.
-All left over bake goods get frozen and brought to the Soup Kitchen in town.
-We only use environmentally friendly cleaning and laundry product, in fact we make most of our cleaning products.
-Our lights are LED or CFLs and we have sensor lights in the common area and halls.
-All our painting and remodeling projects are done with earth friendly or recycled products.
- We also try to "Buy Local" as much as possible, coffee, dairy, maple syrup, honey, wheat flour to name a few. We are a member and supporter of Portland's Buy Local movement.
These are just a few of our practices here at the Wild Iris Inn. We also always welcome suggestions from our guests!
Wild Iris Inn "Growing Green Since 2002"

Come for a Bike Ride In Portland!

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Edwards) — Wed, 02 May 2012 20:52:00 +0000

Spring is here and we just dusted off the Wild Iris Inn bikes and got them into the shop for their spring tune up! We have two bike for guests to borrow while staying at the inn. Portland is a great bike friendly city.
A new Portland Bike Map was publish this year that shows all the great bike trails in greater Portland that you can borrow while at the inn.
Also Summer Feet Cycling, 866-857-9544, www.bikeportlandmaine.com, has two bike tours in Portland, a 5 Lighthouse Tour that runs daily at 10am and a Explore Casco Bay, that take you out on the ferry to Chebeaque Island for a ride around and lunch at the inn which is offered Saturdays in July and August!
Or bring your own bike and have your own riding adventure!
So hop on your bike and do some exploring!

Wild Iris Inn 273 State Street Portland, ME 04101 800-600-1557 www.wildirisinn.comDiane@wildirisinn.com

Deering Oaks Park Rose Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Edwards) — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 19:00:00 +0000

I took the dog's for a walk yesterday in Deering Oaks Park and stop by at the Rose Garden. It was so beautiful! How lucky were are at the inn to have such a awesome garden just a couple minutes walk from our front door! Kudos to the city and volunteers who do such a great job of maintaining it. So when you come to the inn don't forget to take this short walk and visit the incredible rose garden.

Diane Edwards
Wild Iris Inn
273 State Street
Portland, ME 04101
800-600-1557
www.wildirisinn.com
Diane@wildirisinn.com

Scarborough Marsh Audobon Center

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Edwards) — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 16:13:00 +0000

Last week my sister and I took her one person canoes to the Audubon Center at Scarborough Marsh. It took us about 20 minutes from the Wild Iris Inn to drive there. Since we brought out own canoes it was free to launch but they rent both canoes and kayaks for $16/hr. There are two ways to paddle depending on the tide we chose to go toward the ocean so the paddle back would be easier. We spent a couple of hours exploring the marshes and checking out the various birds along the way, including two beautiful snowy egrets! They offer various programs and tours, check out their website at http://www.maineaudubon.org/explore/centers/marsh2.shtml . It is definitely worth a day trip if you enjoy paddling!
Diane Edwards
Wild Iris Inn
273 State Street
Portland, ME 04101
800-600-1557
www.wildirisinn.com
Diane@wildirisinn.com

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Edwards) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 17:58:00 +0000

Tuesday I made my annual spring pilgrimage to the Maine Botanical Garden's in Boothbay Harbor. It was a picture perfect spring day and my friend's Keri and Nini joined me. It is only about an hour and fifteen minutes from Portland so it makes a great morning adventure and then go out to lunch in Boothbay. The Azaleas were in bloom and looked gorgeous. We also saw lots of other beautiful spring flowers while meandering through the woodland paths and the gardens. You can check out their website at http://www.mainegardens.org/ as they have many interesting events going on throughout the year. It is definitely worth a visit.

Diane Edwards
Wild Iris Inn
273 State Street
Portland, ME 04101
800-600-1557
www.wildirisinn.com
Diane@wildirisinn.com

Park Your Car & Borrow a Bike at the Wild Iris Inn!

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Edwards) — Tue, 10 May 2011 17:18:00 +0000

The Wild Iris Inn just got two bikes at Gorham Bike Shop Swap last weekend. So now guests can park their cars while staying at the inn and borrow our bikes to explore Portland and the coast. It is a great way to see the sights and be green! Portland Trails, http://www.trails.org/ has a great trail map of places to explore in the area, from beaches to parks to waterfalls. You can ride to all the different lighthouses in the area or take the bikes on the ferry to an island and go explore. Portland is a very bike friendly place! So come to the Wild Iris Inn in Portland and park your car and explore!

Diane Edwards
Wild Iris Inn
273 State Street
Portland, ME 04101
800-600-1557
www.wildirisinn.com
Diane@wildirisinn.com

New Chicken House

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Edwards) — Tue, 10 May 2011 13:04:00 +0000

So my chicken coop kit finally arrived three weeks late and they sent me the wrong model! At this point I decided not to send it back as I would end up paying for shipping back and who knows when the other would come. This is the smaller version and still suppose to be able to house three chickens.
So I assembled our Dixie chicks, Martie, Natalie and Emily's new house yesterday afternoon. It is very cute but tight fit for three Rhode Island Reds! I am going to fence off about a fourth of the backyard so they will have more outside area to scratch around this week and in about a few more weeks I can move them from my basement to their new home. I think my city chicks will be quite cozy and happy in their new home! I of course will love having fresh eggs for the inn and their dropping will be a great addition to my compost barrels!

Diane Edwards
Wild Iris Inn
273 State Street
Portland, ME 04101
800-600-1557
www.wildirisinn.com
Diane@wildirisinn.com

Chickens at the Wild Iris Inn!

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Edwards) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 18:59:00 +0000

I have decided to bring a little of my love for the country life and get some chickens for the inn! Since we are an eco-friendly inn they should fit right in and fresh local eggs for breakfast! So I thought I would be very clever and build my own coop but after pricing out wood and checking plans I opted to buy a kit on Ebay which is made to house up to four chickens. So I am awaiting that delivery which I will still have to put together. My three baby chicks are schedule to arrive at the end of the month but will have to reside inside for awhile until they get bigger. Portland just past a chicken ordinance which allows for up to five chicken (no roosters) in your backyard. You have to register your chickens with the city. So I had chicken when I lived in rural California but this will be my first with city chickens! I will post my completed chicken house and three little chicks when all is assembled and chicken are pecking about my backyard garden!

Diane Edwards
Wild Iris Inn
273 State Street
Portland, ME 04101
800-600-1557
www.wildirisinn.com
Diane@wildirisinn.com

Holiday Fun in Portland

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Edwards) — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 16:51:00 +0000

Well the Fall season is slowing down, leaves falling off the trees and the inn is quieting. We are taking some time to do some repairs and painting during this month. We order some eco-friendly carpet for the bedrooms which I am excited about. They are made from recycled plastic but looks and feels like regular carpet. We will be painting our common area with some eco-friendly no VOC paint this month.
Winter is just around the corner and it felt like winter early this morning when I took my dogs out for a walk. I do love this time of year when the morning air is crisp and cold and the sun comes out and warms things up for the afternoon.
Lot of interesting things happening in Portland during the holidays so it is a perfect time to come for a visit. Whether it for holiday shopping trip to our wonderful shops in downtown, check out Merry Madness on December 16th, where all the shops are open late and serving wine and goodies. Catch a play at one of the theaters or just enjoy some of great art and music venues. The State Street Theatre has just reopen and some some great acts lined up, check out their website, http://www.statetheatreportland.com. I just had a tour of the newly remodeled theatre and it looks great! So come have some fun!

Diane Edwards
Wild Iris Inn
273 State Street
Portland, ME 04101
800-600-1557
www.wildirisinn.com
Diane@wildirisinn.com

Take Me Out To The Ballgame!

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Edwards) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 17:30:00 +0000

My brother Stacy and sister-in-law, Louise stopped in Portland for a visit at the inn on their way up to Deer Isle. We decided to go to a Sea Dogs game at Hadlock field. It is short ten minute walk from the Wild Iris Inn. We bought general admission tickets which were all of $7.00. You can also buy box seats for $9.00. It was nice to see lots of families enjoying an evening out together. It definitely is a fun affordable family outing. Sea dogs were playing Hartford that night and it was a great game and they won 7-4. So on your next visit to Portland this baseball season check out their website, www.seadogs.com and see if there is a home game. It was a great way to spend a warm summer evening. Don't forget to try a Sea Dog Biscuit while you are there!

Diane Edwards
Wild Iris Inn
273 State Street
Portland, ME 04101
800-600-1557
www.wildirisinn.com
Diane@wildirisinn.com

Portland Maine Day Trips- Maine Wildlife Park

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Edwards) — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 18:14:00 +0000

Monday was quiet afternoon at the Wild Iris Inn so Jacqui, my assistant and I decided to take a drive to the Maine Wildlife Park in Gray, http://www.mainewildlifepark.com. It is located about 30 minutes NW of Portland. We stopped and got some sandwiches and headed out. The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IF&W) manage this park.

Many of the animals at the Maine Wildlife Park were brought there because they were injured or orphaned, or because they were human dependent - raised, sometimes illegally, in captivity. The Park serves as a permanent home for wildlife that cannot survive in the Wild.

They had a nice shaded picnic area to sit and eat our lunch. Jacqui and I were quite surprise how pleasant and accessible the park was for all ages. We viewed moose, lots of deer and turkey vultures, along with a variety of Maine's wild cat population. It was a very hot and humid day and it was quite pleasant walking through the woods and viewing some of Maine's wildlife up close. It would be a great place to take kids or adults as they had lots of information on the animal that lived there. It is stroller, wheelchair and walker accessible. We both agreed it was a pleasant way to spend the afternoon.

Diane Edwards
Wild Iris Inn
273 State Street
Portland, ME 04101
800-600-1557
www.wildirisinn.com
Diane@wildirisinn.com

May Music Happenings in Portland Maine

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Edwards) — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 12:49:00 +0000

Portland has a very active music scene with a variety of venues to listen to your favorite music. The Wild Iris Inn is conveniently located within walking distance to many of these hot spots! One Longfellow Square is an intimate venue within a couple of blocks walk from us. Coming in May are many exciting shows, Rachel Efron and Audrey Ryan Saturday, May 01, 2010 8:00 PM, Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill Saturday, May 08, 2010 8:00 PM, Portland Jazz Orchestra Thursday, May 13, 2010 8:00 PM to name a few, see http://www.onelongfellowsquare.com/ for more shows. At Port City Music hall at 504 Congress there are more greats shows coming, Peter Wolf 5/12, Crash Kings 5/21, Rustic Overtones, Might Mystic 5/28 to name a few see ttp://www.portcitymusichall.com/ for a more detailed listing. Blue is a intimate little club to listen to music and a short walk from the inn. See their website for listings, http://www.portcityblue.com/. SPACE is another interesting place for music, art and film, see their happening at http://www.space538.org/. If Chamber music is your thing then check out Portland Chamber Music festival, http://www.pcmf.org/. One of my favorite venue for music is the Merrill Auditorium, http://www.pcmf.org/ which is a beautiful venue at City Hall. In May go listen to the Portland Symphony Orchestra, Best of Broadway show or come this summer and see Kotzschmar Organ Summer Series. Whatever your taste in music I am sure Portland has a venue for you to enjoy it. So come to Portland Maine and let us entertain you!

Diane Edwards
Wild Iris Inn
273 State Street
Portland, ME 04101
800-600-1557
www.wildirisinn.com
Diane@wildirisinn.com

Is It Spring Yet?

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Edwards) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 12:28:00 +0000

What a mild winter and early spring we have been having. Although today when I took the dogs out for their morning walk there was ice on the ground. This early spring has made me anxious to start digging in my gardens. My bulbs are pushing up through the soil and I actually went out and bought some pansy to put in the window boxes and it is still only March. Last week I put two truckloads of mulch on my front and side garden and was so sore! The next day is was snowing. Weather in new England is so unpredictable that I guess I am going to curb the urge to plant and settle for flowers from the grocery store. We are shooting a video for of the inn and the grounds this May and we are also going to have our own Wild Iris Inn avatar on the website! So stay tuned for some changes on our website!

Diane Edwards
Wild Iris Inn
273 State Street
Portland, ME 04101
800-600-1557
www.wildirisinn.com
Diane@wildirisinn.com

Innkeeper's Vacation

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Edwards) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 14:18:00 +0000

After seven years of running the Wild Iris Inn by myself and no time off in the last two years I decided it was time to get away for a month and relax. So I decided to do a road trip with my dog Basil. I left the inn in the trusty hand of my assistant/housekeeper. January is my slowest month so I decided that would be a good month to leave. I spent the fall trying to decided where to go. I ruled out leaving the country as this was the first time I left the inn that long and was a little nervous about it. So I settle on the panhandle of Florida, the forgotten coast as they call it here. I had never been to that part of Florida and it looked like there were lots of State Parks, National Forest and beaches to explore. I rented a place on St George Island, mainly because it had a dog friendly beach right across the street. I figured the rest of the trip I would visit family and explore along the road.
Of course when I got here they had the longest cold spell that anyone could remember. It has been sunny and it usually warms up by afternoon so I get down to two layers instead of three. It has been great hiking weather and Basil does not seem to mind the cold. We have already done looks of exploring and looking forward to more. The beaches here are incredible beautiful. I can walk the beaches and trail and not see a soul.
I can already feel myself relaxing and wondering why it too me seven year to figure I needed more time away from the inn. I know I will go back to our long Maine winter a happier innkeeper and will look forward to planning next years adventure.
Diane Edwards
Wild Iris Inn
273 State Street
Portland, ME 04101
800-600-1557
www.wildirisinn.com
Diane@wildirisinn.com

Food Art in NYC

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Edwards) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:53:00 +0000

Last week I attended the International Hotel and Restaurant Show in New York City. I spoke at a Bed and Breakfast segment on Green Innkeeping. It was a huge show and the vendor floor was pretty amazing with all the latest and greatest items for you hotel or restaurant. One of the best exhibits was a food art contest. I thought I would share some of the photos I took. Some were obviously cake, chocolate and some were bread art. They were too beautiful to eat!

Diane Edwards
Wild Iris Inn
273 State Street
Portland, ME 04101
800-600-1557
www.wildirisinn.com
Diane@wildirisinn.com

A Walk at Maine Audubon at Gilsland Farm

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Edwards) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 19:51:00 +0000

Last week I took a beautiful walk at Maine Audubon, Gilsland Farm, which is situated along the Presumpscot River estuary just five minutes from Portland, Maine. it is Audubon’s headquarters and a 65-acre sanctuary with more than two miles of trails winding along a pond and through woods, meadow, orchard and salt marsh. Usually I snowshoe there in the winter when I have more time away from the inn but it was such a beautiful warm fall day and crystal clear blue sky so I had to take a break from the inn and go for a walk.

As I was walking along the trails I saw chipmunks scurrying around gathering food for the winter along with many birds on the water and flying over the fields. Some of the trees had started to turn colors. It was a spectacular day for a walk. I thought how lucky we are to have such a beautiful spot to take a walk so close to us in Portland!

Diane Edwards
Wild Iris Inn
273 State Street
Portland, ME 04101
800-600-1557
www.wildirisinn.com
Diane@wildirisinn.com

Make your own eco-friendly cleaning products

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Edwards) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 17:13:00 +0000

For the past two year the Wild Iris Inn has been using only eco-friendly cleaning and laundry products. When I first started I used Shaklee products which were fine but had to order them via the Internet. Then I started using other green products that are available in your local stores like Method, etc., which are expensive. Now I have started to make my own cleaning products as it is so easy and they work great. All the items you can buy in your local grocery store and some you already have them in your cupboards. I thought I would share some with you.

Basic formula for antiseptic all-purpose cleaner
Up to 1 teaspoon antiseptic essential oil, (thyme, sweet orange, rose, clove, lavender or tea tree)
1 teaspoon of washing soda
2 teaspoons borax
1/2 teaspoon liquid soap (I use Ecover, which I use to wash dishes)
Combine all the ingredients in a spray bottle and shake to dissolve and blend the minerals.

Cleaning Drains
For clogged drains, pour 1 cup of washing soda into the water surrounding the drain and wait a minute. If still clogged follow with 1 cup of vinegar. I usually rinse with boiling water after.

Happy cleaning!

Diane Edwards
Wild Iris Inn
273 State Street
Portland, ME 04101
800-600-1557
www.wildirisinn.com
Diane@wildirisinn.com

Summer is almost over

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Edwards) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 15:27:00 +0000

Wow has the summer gone by so quickly. We have been very busy at the Wild Iris Inn. Despite all the rain for the first month and half of the summer followed by very hot humid weather we stayed pretty full all summer. The fall is gearing up to be very busy also. Beside being my favorite time of the year there is lots of great events happening in Portland. Harvest on the Harbor is gearing up for a fantastic weekend of premier foods of Maine on October 22-24th. Last year was the first year the Convention and Visitors Bureau put on the event and it was a huge success. Go to the website and see what is cooking for this tasty weekend of events! http://www.harvestontheharbor.com/
Following on November 13 and 14th will be the Maine Brewers Festival at the Portland Expo which is walking distance from the inn. Check out their website and get your tickets early as they sell out fast. http://www.mainebrew.com/.

Diane Edwards
Wild Iris Inn
273 State Street
Portland, ME 04101
800-600-1557
www.wildirisinn.com
Diane@wildirisinn.com

Deering Oaks Park

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Edwards) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:28:00 +0000

I took my dog for a walk early am in Deering Oaks Park which is a block away from the Wild Iris Inn. It had been raining and overcast for days in Portland and this was the first day of sun we have had and it was just starting to peek out of the sky. The Rose Circle Garden is surrounded by a circle of shrubs so the rose bushes are hidden. When I walk through the path into the garden I was surprised to see all the roses in full bloom. What a beautiful sight! I realized how lucky we are to have such a treasure of this beautiful park less than a block away. We have a great farmers market on Saturdays, concerts, children's wading pool, tennis courts, horseshoes, basketball court and baseball field. It is also a great place just to walk the paths through the magnificent oak trees. It was design by Fredrick Law Olmsted 1822-1903, a famous landscape architect who also designed New York's Central Park.

Diane Edwards
Wild Iris Inn
273 State Street
Portland, ME 04101
800-600-1557
www.wildirisinn.com
Diane@wildirisinn.com

Great Tours in Portland

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Edwards) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 19:58:00 +0000

Last week I attended a Front Desk Training at the Portland Maine Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB). They put this free training on every year for any CVB member and their staff. Many of the tour vendors were there and it was great to talk to all these people and find out about the amazing of fun activities in Portland. Portland Discovery Tours has been around but have combined their various tours under one name. They have a wonderful lighthouse lover cruise, Portland City Cruise or is you can't decide which one you can go their Land & Sea Tour. You can find out more at http://www.portlanddiscovery.com/. There was a new tour just launching this season called Maine Foodie Tours that looked quite delicious. They offer up an Old Port Culinary Tour or a Just Desserts Tour for those with a sweet tooth. Portland is becoming know as a great "foodie city" with all it's incredible restaurants, bakeries and speciality shops. Check them out at http://www.mainefoodietours.com/. If eating is not your thing then maybe Deep Sea Fishing might be with Captain Jim. What ever is your catch, ground fishing, shark or tuna trip they can provide you with lots of excitement. More can be found out about these trips at http://www.atlanticadventures.biz/.

For those history buffs Portland Landmarks conduct great walking tours around Portland or visit them at the Portland Observatory and find out about America's only maritime signal tower at http://www.portlandlandmarks.org/. Or go for a Windjammer sail to see our beautiful Maine coast and islands. Two companies in Portland http://www.portlandschooner.com/ or http://www.mainesailingadventures.net/ have wonderful trips from 2 hour excursions to overnight sails. So come to Portland Maine and have an adventure!

Diane Edwards
Wild Iris Inn
273 State Street
Portland, ME 04101
800-600-1557
www.wildirisinn.com
Diane@wildirisinn.com

Rainy Days in Portland

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Edwards) — Fri, 29 May 2009 12:11:00 +0000

It has been rainy for three days straight in Portland, Maine, but don't despair as there is still lots you can do. Friday nights are great because the Portland Museum of Art, http://www.portlandmuseum.org/ is free to visit so I always suggest this to my guests when they check in. The Biennial exhibit is still going on until June 7th, 17 Maine artist exhibit their art. The museum also has great movies on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. This weekend "Shall We Kiss" is playing. The Portland Player are performing "Sweeney Todd" this weekend.
USM Southworth Planetarium, 96 Falmouth Street Portland Friday evening have a new solar system program, Eight Planets and Counting", There are plenty of choices for music around the city, check out North Star Cafe, http://www.northstarmusiccafe.com/ or One Longfellow Square, http://www.onelongfellowsquare.com/. So come visit Portland just bring your umbrella and have some fun!
Diane Edwards
Wild Iris Inn
273 State Street
Portland, ME 04101
800-600-1557
www.wildirisinn.com
Diane@wildirisinn.com

Great Restaurants in Portland Maine

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Edwards) — Fri, 15 May 2009 14:43:00 +0000

Portland is becoming known as a food lovers city. We are lucky to have so many wonderful restaurant within walking distance of our inn. Some of my favorites are Local 188, http://www.local188.com/ and Five Fifty Five, http://www.fivefifty-five.com/ and Norm's which are with about a five minute walk from the Wild Iris Inn. Chef Rob Evans of Hugo’s just was won James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Northeast , http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20090506-FOOD-90506026. This is the second time a Portland chef has been given this coveted honor.

Portland has a restaurant for everyone taste and budget. If you just want to eat a Maine lobster on the wharf or are a vegan or want to have a fine dining experience, we have the perfect place for you. If you would like to learn more about Portland's food scene then go to this great new website, http://www.portlandfoodmap.com/ . It is a great site that has every restaurant, food event and reviews of restaurants. Bon Appetit!

Diane Edwards
Wild Iris Inn
273 State Street
Portland, ME 04101
800-600-1557
www.wildirisinn.com
Diane@wildirisinn.com

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Edwards) — Fri, 08 May 2009 16:28:00 +0000

This week I had a night with no guests so I decided to visit another innkeeper friend in Boothbay Harbor and walk around the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, http://www.mainegardens.org/ in Boothbay. The gardens are about an hour and fifteen minute drive from Portland. It is a great day trip for my guests. There are 248 acres of waterfront property to wander and explore. In any season they are a treat to see. They have created various themed gardens throughout the property. They also have children's and fairy garden to enchant your kids. I love springtime at the gardens when all the flowers and plants are pushing up through the earth. The Tulips were in bloom and what a magnificent display. It was raining lightly while we were there but I did not mind as it is all part of the Maine coastal experience. We walked down to the Meditation Garden and along a new path they are creating along the waterfront. They are building a five senses garden that is going to sensational. They just completed a beautiful handcrafted bridge for it. If you are in Maine you should must make time to take a trip to experience these special gardens!

Diane Edwards
Wild Iris Inn
273 State Street
Portland, ME 04101
800-600-1557
www.wildirisinn.com
Diane@wildirisinn.com

Spring is here!

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Edwards) — Fri, 01 May 2009 19:28:00 +0000

The hardest thing I had to adjust to when I moved to Portland was the long Maine winters and the short growing season. After living in California for 19 years I got spoiled with the short winters and incredible variety of local produce available. Last fall I decided to plant a hundred daffodils at the Wild Iris Inn to welcome in the spring. People in living in Maine by March are craving spring. The first promise of nice weather Mainers are out in shorts and t-shirts. It surprises my guests when they come up in early spring and they are all bundled up and see people walking around like this. I go the the flower show in March just to see and smell the flowers as I am pretty deperate by then for spring as we still had snow on the ground this year. Now I know spring is really here when my daffodils bloom and the Farmers Market opens! Tomorrow I will go to my first Farmer's Market of the year at Deering Oaks Park and stroll through the wide variety of vendors and pick up some lettuce starts. So this is my first pictures of my daffodils and next the Iris' will bloom!

Diane Edwards
Wild Iris Inn
273 State Street
Portland, ME 04101
800-600-1557
www.wildirisinn.com
Diane@wildirisinn.com

So you want to be an innkeeper....

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Edwards) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 12:28:00 +0000

Have you ever dreamed of running a quaint bed and breakfast, making gourmet breakfasts, chatting with guests and sitting in you beautiful garden reading a book. I thought of that many times while working in the corporate world. It is a huge life style change. One thing I can say I am never bored!

Last week at the inn.

Sunday:Up at 6am and started breakfast for a full house. I got breakfast cleaned up and guest checked out by 11:00am. Since this is my one day a week I have a housekeeper, cutting cost in the slow season, I decide to go for a 5k walk. It was a nice day after a hard rainy night. When I get back there is a note from the housekeeper saying there is a leak in the 3rd floor linen closet all the sheet sets got wet! So I go climb up into the dark attic and check it out. Since it is not rainy I could not tell where it was coming from. Made note to call roofer in the am. I finish the laundry up and put it away.

In the late afternoon it rains and rains so I go up and check the closet and water is pouring down the wall, soaking the plaster to the point that it is bulging out. Stuff towels to soak it up and left message for roofer. Still washing sheet sets....

Monday: I got up at 6am and made coffee and started breakfast and baking muffins for guests. It was pretty quiet after a busy weekend. After cleaning up I started in on cleaning the rooms. Normally I have a housekeeper in the busy season but since it is still slow during the week I do it myself to cut my costs. Monday I try to give a thorough cleaning to the inn after a busy weekend. I do the laundry which is hauling it down three flights of stairs to the basement and then hauling it back up clean. I go grocery shopping and run errands and back at the inn by 4pm to check in a room. Still not roofer but also no rain.

Tuesday: 3am I am awaken by pipes humming and vibrating form above. Toilet is being flush and making a awful sound. Luckily only one room at the inn. The noise stops but then I awake at five to the same sound. So just get up and start the coffee and breakfast. I apologize to the guests in the am and tell then I will be fixed today. I put on my plumbing hat adjust the innards and flushed it a couple time and voila, no noise. I call the roofer again and he comes over to check out roof. My building is 3 stories high so he bring binoculars to see if he can spot the trouble spot. He shows me the bad news, looks like another hole in the roof valley. I should add I have a slate and copper roof in a historic zone so it has to stay slate and copper. Last year I had another "leak" and had to fix the roof so my vacation this winter is sitting on my roof. He cannot get to it until next week and will only be able to patch it as he is booked up. Said he has a couple hour window open next Wednesday. I come in and look at the weather forecast, rain for the weekend. My guests shows up while the roofer is here. I check in my guests and then my tech guy shows up to fix my guest computer. Luckily that was an easy fix! Run out get my haircut and go to the Keller Williams Real Estate office. Oh I forgot to say I sell Real Estate to supplement my income. I picked up my mail and check in with some co-workers and go home. The laundry needs to be finished and then I bake some bread for the next day. Finally I get to put my feet up.

Wednesday- 3am I am awaken again by the screech of the toilet. So after breakfast is served and cleaned up I go to the local hardware store to get replacement parts. Maine Hardware is a great local company that has very knowledgeable people in each department. The plumber that works there has saved me lots of $$ but showing me how to do it myself. I have to say after seven years of fixing toilets I am pretty impressive with a plumber's wrench! I go home turn off the water and start in on fixing the toilet. Three plus hours later after getting multiple interruptions by phone and doorbell it is fixed. So then I rush to clean up and put on business clothes and run off to a meeting at Keller Williams Realty. Come home and make biscotti as we offer homemade biscotti to our guests everyday. I also made a batch of our homemade granola as we were running low. I worked on the computer for a couple of hours while waiting for guests to check in.
And that just the beginning of the week.... As I said it is never dull and never the same day to day. An innkeeper definitely has to keep a good sense of humor! Like when I woke at 21am to find water dripping on my bed, but that is another story.

Diane Edwards
Wild Iris Inn
273 State Street
Portland, ME 04101
800-600-1557
www.wildirisinn.com
Diane@wildirisinn.com