The end of summer and beginning of autumn are typically our busiest months at our Chestertown Bed and Breakfast. We are so lucky to have our returning guests and of course newcomers too all here to enjoy the perfect weather. We have our bicycling groups to look forward to, and here and there we pick up a small business meeting group that helps to round out our occupancy levels.
But every so often, whether we are super busy or not, there might be a day during the week when the inn is completely empty. After breakfast and checkout time, it’s pretty quiet. (It’s also troubling because that means we have to eat any cookies left in the cookie jar!) These are always the days we think we’ll get so much work done in terms of : that pile of recipes that needs sorting, the cabinet that needs organizing, general cleanup, and house maintenance. And we do get it done. Mostly.
And then there’s Michael.
The “energizer bunny,” as Danielle calls him. There is no down time for Michael; he just keeps going and going. To Michael, a day with no guests arriving simply means he has more time to work on the house, and less need to keep the noise down! His current project is the re-glazing of all the windows in the house. As I learned, this involves removing and replacing the putty that goes around the the wood that creates the panes in the window (apparently, these are called “muntins“). There are 8 windows on the first floor, each with 15 panes. There are 9 windows on both the second and third floors, each with 12 panes. That’s a lot of putty. This “current” project has been going on since July!!
Over the years, the putty dries out and becomes brittle and can crack into pieces exposing the muntins to the elements. Parts of the muntins can then rot and cause the glass to become vulnerable. Then this can happen:
This shows a repair in progress: a piece of wood needed to be replaced here, and consequently, the pane of glass.
Methodically chipping away at the putty.
The debris from just a few panes on this window.
An old house such as the Brampton is constantly in need of maintenance. Michael does a great job of keeping her looking her best, don’t you think?
Jumping Rocks Photography