Baby has NEW SHOES

Baby Has New Shoes

We have a Trail Lite trailer that we just used last month on our camping trip to Colorado.  We got this after Gordon experienced a very heavy and wet snow while using our old tent in the mountains.  No more tenting!  Anyway, we bought the trailer used and found it went through tires. 

We bought a new set 2 years ago and put less than 3,000 miles on them and the tire's inside edge was worn almost to the belting. Terrible!  Gordon did a little measuring and found the axle was bent.   A little research on the Internet revealed this was a common problem with rubber torsion axles.  We also found there was no fix other than replacement.  

Well, Gordon jerked out the old axle (strained back ate aspirin). Found he had to have an axle tailor made.  Hauled it down to a axle specialty shop and had it measured and then unloaded it on the scrap iron pile on the farm (reinjured back).  Got the new axle and waited a weak for the back pain to subside and guess what?  The axle Didn't fit.  

NO problem!  1 1/2 inch angle iron, 1/2 inch bolts and a MIG welder and WAA LAA..    He made a few modifications.  Husband and WIFE rolled it into position and it slid into place; "like sliding a sock over a chicken's lip."  Axle is in, new tires are on:  BABY has NEW SHOES!  

Nest Cleaning

We have hanging flower baskets on the porch and its necessary to water them every other day.  My "other chores" include feeding the fish, filling the bird feeders and watering the rest of our flowers. While enjoying a cup of coffee on the porch I  noticed a sparrow would land on the hanging basket and crawl in the foliage.  I took a closer look and found it had a nest which had 2 eggs.  I quiet watering and in a few days, the eggs hatched and eventually they fledged and flew off.  

The plants had died from lack of water and I took the basket down and examined the nest.  What I found was interesting and provided a "lesson."   Few would actually say they enjoyed "house keeping": however, if you were a bird you would find literally distasteful. 

Upon close examination, I found the inside of the nest remarkably clean.  However, there was a thick ring of bird droppings that surrounded the nest.  The only way those would have gotten there is by the parents cleaning and discarding their offspring's waste with their beaks.  I wonder if birds can spit?  

Wonderful People!

One of the great pleasures of running a Bed & Breakfast is the nice people you meet.  It gives you a whole different perspective of American folks than what the news portrays.  Linda and I both worked with the Public in our previous careers; we like and enjoy people.

We feel breakfast is a special meal; it is at home.  We eat with our guests and few get-away without telling us about the jobs, their families and their hobbies.  We've found conversation is an important feature of our business.  Breakfast generally takes a minimum of one full hour and often last 3.  Often, it takes another pot of coffee to finish up. 

On several occasions, we've had guests come down stairs in the evening to simply visit and often that produces a bottle of wine from someone.  The most recent bottle was shared with Boris and Theresa, a charming couple from Canada.  They stayed several days and by the time they left it felt we had known them for years.  

They surprised with a going-away gift: two bottles of wine an a beautiful holder.

Thanks; from Boris and Theresa

Most of our guests are older, our age or retired.  Yesterday we hosted a young lady from Chicago for a couple of days.  She was in her early 20's, charming and had come for a friend's wedding.  We normally find our younger guests less "talkative" but that wasn't the case here.  We had a two marvelous conversations over breakfast. It was a real treat.

We have guests books in each of our rooms for guests to leave messages.  Those are normally the first things we look at to get an idea if they had a good time.  Occasionally, we even find a "tip" on the dresser.  Today, after Kristina left we went up to start cleaning and found a "Display of Gifts" that included the sign:"Friends are Life's Greatest Gift".   How very true!

Kristina: Thank you Very Much!

     We certainly don't expect this.  When someone is this kind and generous, its a wonderful reward.  Kristina, we'll enjoy the tea, coffee, chocolates, Friends sign and your thoughtful words.  Thanks; Gordon and Linda.

Lilies are Beautiful this Year!

It's nearing the end of July and we're experiencing the most wonderful weather; sunny and cool.  The lilies love it!  

Oriental Lily; Oft's Bed & Breakfast

 Three years ago we planted Oriental Lilies next to the pool and this year they really bloomed.  Coolness, no wind, and generous watering and they are beautiful!  

Tiger Lilies; Oft's Bed & Breakfast

Grandma Nancy had Tiger lilies planted on the northeast corner of the house where its cool and moist.  When we were remodeling I transplanted a few next to the pool and they love it!  What a beautiful year for flowers.  We had to share.  

Ford Model T's Rule!!

The Centennial Model T Club had a road rally and picnic in Bennington's Centennial Park which is located a block from our home.  Linda and I got to drive our 1918 Model T pickup to the park.  Three other "Ts" were there along with a room full of great people and good food. 

This was our first introduction to this club and we offered the women a tour of our home, they graciously accepted.  While they were enjoying the tour, one of their husbands drove his 1911 Ford over to the house for some photos.  What a beautiful car!

1911 Ford Model T and the 1910 Oft-Gordon House

Interesting Guests

A beautiful 1938 (?) Ford.  Richard and Verna were entered in the Ford V8 Club 50th Anniversary Celebration.  The car rally was driving from the East Coast to Reno, Nevada.  The route was along the Lincoln Highway.  The couple were from Ames, Iowa.

The Wonderful Morel!!

There is a regular cult of morel mushroom hunters and I'm one.  When temperatures start to rise in the spring and reach 90 degrees; some of us come down with morel fever.   It happens every years as we get the uncontrollable urge to wonder out into the woods.    Last year I went out several times and only got a few along with a case of poison ivy!  

This year the morel crop was unbelievable!  My brother is the "morel scout" and he gave me a call and said: "they are here!"  He was right!  Linda and I went out and we got about 10 pounds worth.  We breaded quite a few up and froze them and now we're serving them with our breakfasts.  Guests love them!

An Oft's B & B Breakfast Special; Morels, bacon and eggs.

 This is my favorite breakfast and one that guests love; Maple cured bacon, eggs with cheese and morel mushrooms.  

Take a Quick Tour of our Home

House full of Ladies

Bennington's Women's Club

We hosted the Women Club's April meeting last night and presented a video of Bennington's business district and a tour of the home.   It was a lovely time.  

Meet Henry

Henry, Parakeet Ex'Traordinar, Oft's B & B

Meet, Henry our parakeet and the subject of quite a story.  

Jeanette, my mother had two birds and when she passed away in 2007 we inherited them.  Linda and I went on a cruise that following year and a member of the family took care of the birds at their home.  During our absence, the original male somehow got out of the cage and the house door was open.  

You guessed it; the bird escaped.  He truly flew the coup!

Rather than tell us, our family member tried to sneak in a ringer. When Linda went to pick up the birds one had miraculously changed color!  They couldn't find a match. Close but no cigar!

Anyway, the new Henry was a much younger bird.  He outlived the older female and has been single now for about 3 years.  

NO,..... we're not getting another bird.  

Exterior Decorations

 It is a challenge to have an attractive and inviting home setting.  We try to keep the porch as clutter free as possible and do a lot of planting around our pool so we have something blooming most of the time.  Our daffodils bloom first, then our tulips, iris, day lilies, star gazers, tiger lilies, and a few others which I don't remember all their names.  We like to drive through older districts when we travel.  We just had to take a picture of this home.  They certainly like color.

Cooking Class!

I've cooked professionally for years.  When I was in college I cooked for my folks at Oft's Hall and today, I'm cooking breakfast at our bed & breakfast.  We pride ourselves on both the "bed" and "breakfast."   However, I've never taken a cooking course; that is until today. 

A dear fiend was signed up for a course and couldn't make it and invited me to take it in his stead.  The course was in Lincoln at the Bread and Cup Restaurant which is located downtown in the Hay Market District. 

We've eaten at the Bread and Cup and the food is out of the world. Kevin the owner and chef uses natural ingredients, most grown or raised in the Lincoln area.  Our meal was outstanding and something real special.

Kevin, owner and Chef of the Bread and Cup

The subject of the course was the EGG!  The perfect food.  I learned so much!  Kevin showed us cooking themes and various ways eggs can be used in cooking.   He showed us how easy it was to make savory custards, quiches; sweet custards and even angle food cake.  No frying pan in this course.  As we got to eat the results.  Ever had a savory custard and 'warm' angle food cake?
WOW!

A Delicious Quiche

 If you ever get down to Lincoln, give the Bread and Cut a try, you won't regret it and if you're interested in a cooking class, you are out of luck this year.  Kevin is done; however, there is next year.   
Got to go, I'm experimenting with eggs!

"ROAD TRIP!!"

Fort Scott, Kansas

January marks our off season when we hit the road.  This year we went to the Southeast, which was the first time we've been to this part of the country.  It was a great trip.

We stopped and stayed at the Levine House in Fort Scott, Kansas.  Its a B & B and Cynthia was a great hostess, we talked "business" over a great breakfast.  There was another B & B across the street which we took this picture of.  If we go back, we'll have to try it.

Walnut Hills Restaurant, Vicksburg, Mississippi

One nice thing about B & B's, you can ask the locals about their favor places.  In Vicksburg, it was the Walnut Hills Restaurant.  It is a must do!   They have their "round table" which features home style cooking and everything was simply outstanding.  I am not kidding!  Chicken and dumplings, drop biscuits  okra, greens, fried fish, pork steak, cold slaw and much more.   

Windsor Plantation Ruins

Linda wanted to see some real southern plantations.  One of our trips took us literally to the end of a road.  These columns are all that remain of the Windsor Plantation Mansion.  We were impressed with the devastation the south suffered during the Civil War.  Many areas are celebrating the 150 anniversary of that conflict this year.  Vicksburg's siege and bombardment occurred in 1863.  Many of the large plantations were destroyed.  Those located along the river were shelled by river boats and others where fired by Union troupes as they passed through the country side.  We read that Vicksburg had the second largest number of millionaires in 1860, only being surpassed by New York.  

Stanton House

We toured the Stanton House in Natchez, Mississippi.  It is a beautiful Plantation home that was build just before the Civil War and survived.  

Mount Locus Inn and Plantation

Remember the movie, How the West Was Won?  Remember Jimmy Steward's role as a trapper who was floating down river to sell his furs.   Well, back in the late 1700's and early 1800's, they would float down river to sell their goods and then walked back upstream to Illinois, Ohio and surrounding states.  Well, that trail started at Natchez and was called "Natchez Trace."    

The "Natchez Trace" trail is managed by the National Park Service and  scenic highway now follows adjacent to a portion of that trail.  Historically, there were about 15 known inns located along the trail that supported travelers.  The photo above is of Locus Hills Inn which was the first inn located 15 miles north of Natchez.  The inn was established in 1790 and the founder is buried in a cemetery located a couple of hundred years from the building.  The founder died in 1801 and his marker is in the cemetery.  That is old!

Nottoway Plantation

Nottoway Plantation was completed in 1859.  The contains 53,000 feet of living space; unbelievable!  The tour was one of the best on the trip and our guide was a lady dressed in period costume.  They do rent out rooms, but they are $$$.   

Beauvoir

Linda and I stopped at Beauvoir which is located in Biloxi, Mississippi.  Beauvoir was the last home of President Jefferson Davis after the war.  President Davis died in 1889 and his home was turned into a retirement home for Confederate soldiers and their dependents.  Even former slaves retired here.  Nearly 800 of the residents are buried in the cemetery in back. 

The facility is managed by the Mississippi Division of the United Sons of Confederate Veterans.  I asked, and not one cent of federal money has gone to support this facility.  This is the true south!  

The group is currently building a Presidential Library and its an impressive structure.  We sat on the front porch waiting for the tour; it was hard not to think about what this country went through during the Civil War and attitudes on both sides still linger today. 

The National Parks we stopped at stressed the primary reason the Civil War was fought was over slavery.  Others view the War was fought over State's Rights.  The country is still debating State Rights. I thought of the comparison of the south's succession and what the colonies did in 1776.  If the British had won, many of those battle fields would be honored with Union Jacks flying over them.  I wonder how that history would be told to us today.  

The home is located right on the coast.  Katrina's tidal surge was 27 feet or 2 feet above the top of the front porch.  They only were given 18 hour notice of the hurricane's change in course.  They were unable to same much.  The roof was blown off and many of the artifacts were lost or destroyed.  The house was saved and restored but the majority of other buildings were lost.  

Live Oaks

We made it to Savannah  Georgia and some roads were lined with live oaks that made it like driving through a tunnel.  They are remarkable trees. 

East Bay Inn

In Savannah, we stayed at the East Bay Inn which was located in the historical district near the river.  It was an ideal setting and perfect to walk and take in the sites of old town.  The Inn offers 28 rooms which they promote at "Clean and Cozy" and that they were.  They offered guests wine and cheese in late afternoon and we thoroughly enjoyed visiting with other guests.  

Fort Pulaski

Just outside of Savannah is Fort Pulaski which was shelled by Union troupes.  The fort surrendered after rifled cannon fire breached the fort's wall (left, red brick is repair) and threatened to blow up the powder magazine which held 40,000 pounds of black power.  Canon balls can still be seen in-bedded in the wall. 

We stopped at Chattanooga, Tennessee and visited that battlefield. The battlefield is extensive and more than 600 monuments have been erected since 150,000 troupes met and fought there.  Two days of fighting resulted in 34,000 casualties.   34,000!  It is hard to comprehend that level of carnage today.  

Linda and Gordon Mueller, Big Springs, MO

On our way home we visited Ozark National Riverways, the location were I started my career.  This self portrait was taken at Big Springs where we took a family photograph 33 years ago. 

Alley Springs Mill

We went on and stayed with very close friends.  It was really good to see them again.  While we where there, one of their friends came over with his son to do some arrow head hunting.  They were finding several along the creek that ran through Dave's property.  What a great father and son project.   

Arrowhead Hunting