Some more vacation photos

This is the view of the Bavarian Country Manor as seen from the front lawn. Though it is hard to see quite clearly, the front porch that was such a delightfully shady morning stitching spot can be seen just below the leaf canopy of the center tree ... which provided that lovely shade. The very 1950-ish red metal chairs in front of the inn circle a fire pit that will probably be a favorite evening spot when we visit in the fall. The inn is open year round because there is skiing in the winter and hiking, swimming, biking and just plain relaxing in the cooler mountain air in the spring, summer and fall. The front and side lawns are extensive.

The next photo is a shot of one of the many whimsical bear figures that are found in the area. This fellow welcomes all visitors to the inn. The potted plant above his head was visited daily by hummingbirds, much to the delight of my husband who had never seen one before. The wicker love seat behind the bear was my stitching chair for the duration of the vacation. There were many more bears to be found throughout the area. The nearby town of Cairo has an annual contest to promote tourism in the town: there is a display of 30+ folk art bears scattered around the business district, each one concealing a butterfly in the design. Using a ballot, the visitors note the location of each butterfly. Completed ballots are entered for prizes. You can also take chances on the bears. I suppose the winners display them as lawn art or as folk art focus pieces in their homes. The bears tend to spotlight the various attractions of the area. There was a bear in the inn's dining room dressed as a race track enthusiast, probably headed for Saratoga, complete with binoculars, betting sheet, etc. I couldn't get a photo of that

one since the nineteenth century ambiance of the inn called for very dim lighting. But here is a mother and cub from a previous year, now being displated as lawn art near the gold fish pond on the front lawn.

I regret not taking a few more photos of thebears around town, especially the fire-fighter bear and the librarian bear in town as well as a few others. They were odd but rather sweet.

Here is a shot of my husband enjoying the front porch. Over his left shoulder, you can see one of the many bird feeders scattered about the property that attracted all manner of birds. Birdsong was constant background music ... another one of the small pleasures that graced our vacation.

Walking around to the back of the inn, one comes upon this view of a litte lake perfect for fishing, kayaking or canoeing. No one ever seems to swim in it though ... it's a little too murky ... one would definitely need a shower after swimming in this lake.