Mea culpa. The holidays are always filled with lots of joy! Ellen bakes mountains of cookies, and I love the candy cane cookie crumbs that land on the kitchen floor! So many crumbs! So little time! There are always lots of guests to take care of and lots of dog guests to entertain. I love celebrating New Year’s with my friend Sophie Kaplan, the most beautiful collie! And I still must find time to guard my presents under the tree. My favorite gift this year was a blue and white plush square box with a plush white bow. The box says “Sniffany & Co.” Because I’m worth it!

So that’s why I’ve been out of touch! I never did get to the holiday cards this year but had the greatest of intentions. Next year. Fersure.

Meanwhile I hope you:

• had a joyful holiday season,
• have a happy and healthy new year,
• and visit me soon!

Started off the day on a hot note. At breakfast I was sitting by the gas fireplace in the dining room when suddenly my tail was on fire!!! The guest sitting closest to be quickly put out the blaze, and I am just fine. My tail is tad shorter but no big deal.

Fortunately the day got better. It was a picture-perfect Berkshire day, sunny, in the sixties. Instead of grocery shopping, we drove on the newly opened road to the top of Mount Greylock, the highest peak in Massachusetts (not the Matterhorn!), from the south end, north of Pittsfield,  and meandered down to the north end, just outside of Williamstown. It is past peak but many of the leaves are brilliant golden and the red maples and Japanese red maples are outrageously scarlet. The muted rust tones have their own special beauty. There won’t be many more days like this this year, I’m afraid. See it now!

I  love chipmunks and squirrels! Thankfully, there are lots of them at Birchwood. For more than nine years, I have spent many afternoons barking and chasing the little critters, but I’ve never been able to catch one. Not one! They love to hide in the stone fences. I know they are there but, alas, they know I’m there, too. Nuts!

Since it is quite well known among my friends that I love bushy tails, my friend Amy gave me a stuffed squirrel. It was so realistic that guests often did a double-take!

Once I took the squirrel with me to an innkeeping conference, but in all of the excitement, I left it behind. No problem, Jim, the inn’s assistant innkeeper at the time, called the hotel. “Mrs. Chenaux seems to have left a squirrel in her room,” said Jim with a straight face. The hotel employee at the other end did not miss a beat and asked, “Sir, could you please describe the squirrel?”

Maybe we’re nuts but the squirrel did make it home eventually.

I know it has been a long stretch between posts, but it was a very busy summer! Lots of wonderful guests giving Piper and myself lots of love, toys, and treats, not to mention the crumbs in the dining room.

This was the summer we put an end to Piper’s Lenox wanderings with an Invisible Fence. I really didn’t think it would work for my most stubborn canine friend, but it did and in record time! She only needed two or three “adjustments” (broke Ellen’s heart). For a week or so, Piper was neurotic, refusing to go outside! But nature eventually took its course, and she has become a homebody. I will really miss the lobster shells she used to find and bring home!

Just after Labor Day, Ellen and I drove to Philly to participate in a photo shoot. In the spring,  Ellen and seven other innkeepers (who share a passion for food) from across the US have created a blog, www.bedandbreakfastfoodie.com, with their best recipes. The “Eight Broads” descended on Philly friends for the event. Each of the innkeepers wore a T-shirt saying “Foodie” on the front and “Eight Broads in the Kitchen” on the back. What am I? Chopped liver? Not! I had my own T-shirt that said “Eight Broads and A Dog!” I’ll post photos shortly. We set up our shots and did lots of posing but most of all we had a lot of laughs.

Then Ellen and I set off for the Jersey Shore and some quality beach time. It was not to be. We had bad vacation karma, with the beginning, middle and end of a viscous nor’easter!Ellen read a great vacation novel, The Help, and highly recommends it. We did manage to get to two of Ellen’s favorite Shore restaurants, Red’s in Point Pleasant, and Klein’s in Belmar.

We’re back at the inn, and having an early but great fall. The leaves are changing, and the colors are brilliant. According to leaf-peeping experts, this is going to be one “wow” foliage due to the never-ending summer rains. Come and see for yourself!

I have just returned to the inn from Berkshire Bank where I made a withdrawal from my cookie account. They’re lucky I didn’t leave a “deposit”! Quinn

Quinn making a withdrawal from her cookie account.

I have been so busy wagging at guests, old and new,  that I haven’t had a moment to wag online.

What happened to July? Seems as if it got washed away with seven straight weeks of rain! While we all feel mildewed, Birchwood’s gardens are spectacular, a riot of color!

With a plethora of concerts at Tanglewood, theater at The Berkshire Theatre Festival and Barrington Stage Company, dance at Jacob’s Pillow plus hiking and watersports — it’s summer in the Berkshires.

My friend Piper is not a happy camper these days. She has wandered once too often and is now being trained for the Invisible Fence. She is doing just great and won’t go within six feet of a flag! At last she is learning to stay home where we belong!

Foodie highlights of the summer: Country Rhubarb Cobbler Cake and Chilled Peach Soup with Lemon Bread Croutons are but two of the guests’ summer favorites. And speaking of foodies, Ellen and seven innkeeping friends across the US have a new blog — www.bedandbreakfastfoodie.com. Please visit and indulge!

I’d better take a dog nap before check-in time! Woof!

Frelinghuysen-Morris  House and Studio

Some people come to the Berkshires year after year and don’t know about the Frelinghuysen-Morris House and Studio. Pity. Because it is a very special place that belonged to two very special artists and art collectors.

Located on Hawthorne, the Bauhaus design home is a treasure in itself, and there are even more treasures inside. The art deco painters – George L.K. Morris and his wife Suzy Frelinghuysen — collected art created by their very well-known friends. They also liked to photograph their artist friends, and this summer’s exhibit pairs these photographs of their abstract artist friends with their art work.

And who might these friends be? As much as I hate to name drop, the friends include Matisse, Leger, Picasso and Miro. The photograph of Miro in front of his dining room mural, which was later destroyed by the Nazis. This is the only known photograph to survive.

The house will also offer talks about modern paintings, furniture, and architecture on July weekends.

Don’t miss Lenox’s “hidden” gem.

All right here in Lenox!

When will someone drop some bread or bacon?

The alarm rings at 6:00 am. I stretch for a few seconds — I was not originally a morning dog! — get out of my cozy bed, put my paws on Ellen’s bed and gently tap her. Ellen then turns off the alarm and gives me a cookie for doing a good job. I have only overslept a couple of times in nine years!

While Ellen is showering and getting dressed, I move into the living room to take a short nap. Ready for another innkeeping day, Ellen, Piper and I walk 30 steps across the driveway to the inn’s kitchen, where Piper and I are the first to be fed breakfast.

After our breakfast, Piper and I head out to the garden, barking quietly at the kitchen door when we want to come in. Meanwhile Ellen is preparing breakfast for our guests. The homemade bread is in the oven, the muffins to go in later. Ellen prepares the fruit course and puts the finishing touches on the entree. I stay alert waiting for the kitchen timer to ring. And when it does, I find Ellen, tap her left with my paw (sometimes I am a little overzealous and nearly knock her over).

When my kitchen job is done, I move on to the dining room, where I greet each and every guest. Although I am supposed to be lying down, I admit that I do get up and pleasantly stare at the guests and their food. I am on a strict diet, and they are not supposed to feed me (Ellen is very strict about this), but I am an optimist and am always hoping the guests will drop a tasty morsel. Like most Golden Retrievers, I love to put my head on people’s laps, and I do this when Ellen isn’t looking, but don’t tell her that — I have a reputation to uphold.

When staff is cleaning up from breakfast, I take a long nap in the kitchen or join guests on the porch while they finish their coffee and read the newspaper.

Then it’s errand time! I always wear my service dog coat while we are out and about. Some people smile at us, like they do at babies. Others are rude and point at us, as if they have never seen a dog before! Our outings most often take us grocery shopping or out to lunch. I have my own special spot in most Lenox restaurants — the corner table on the patio at Church Street Cafe or in the back room or near the window at Bistro Zinc. This makes me feel as if I’m at Cheers!

While Ellen bakes in the afternoon, I nap until the timer goes off.

At 3:00 pm comes the fun part — greeting guests at the door with my most appealing wag. I even lead the way while the guests get acquainted with the inn. If the guests have a dog and if I like the dog after a welcome sniffing, I may follow the dog around.

While the guests are enjoying hot cider and pastries in the library or iced tea and lemonade with pastries on the porch, Piper and I enjoy our dinner and then a romp in the garden before rejoining our guests.

It’s a long and tiring day so in the evening, while Ellen is cooking or working on the computer, I stretch out for a long nap. And then it’s time to move my venue to the sofa in Ellen’s living room, my all-time favorite place. We enjoy a long cuddle, and then it’s bed time.

I am a working dog, and as you can see, I work very hard for my cookies! For some reason, though, Ellen says she wants to work as hard as I do in her next life! Why is that?

This morning I was in the basement with Ellen. While she was doing inn laundry, I decided to sniff around the “left behind box.” The box is actually a large wicker basket, full to overflowing with items guests have left behind.

The overflow includes: 23 chargers; four sweatshirts; 5 nighties; 8 pairs of shoes; several very nice sweaters, 1 pillow, 1 blanket, a sleeping bag, and “good as new” men’s winter parka.

Some former guests call as soon as they realize something is missing, but most don’t bother. After a year, the wearable items go to Goodwill.

But I must admit, I am guilty of leaving things behind when we travel. I am sure that there must be hundreds of tennis balls somewhere in Dog Heaven.

Once we were at an innkeeping conference at a lovely resort in New Hampshire. When we got home, I looked through Ellen’s suitcase for my squirrel. My friend Amy gave it to me as a gift because she knows I love to chase squirrels. I could not find that squirrel anywhere.

So one of the inn staff members called the hotel. “Good morning,” he said. “Ms. Chenaux stayed at your hotel earlier this week and seems to have left behind a squirrel.” The hotel operator, without missing a beat, asked,” Sir, could you please describe the squirrel?”

Needless to say, my squirrel and I were reunited within a couple of days.

Posted by Quinn

The Tanglewood on Labor Day Weekend always rocks! This popular and long-celebrated tradition sends summer off on a high note and welcomes that most vibrant time of year, autumn in the Berkshires!

This year’s festival opens on Friday, September 4, with An Evening with Paquito d’Rivera.

Radio Deluxe with John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molskey sets the tone for Saturday afternoon, September 5. With special guests Bucky Pizzarelli, Aaron Weinstein, and Harry Allen, this event will be taped live for a national radio broadcast.

The evening features Reverse Thread with the Regina Carter Quartet as well as Dreaming the Duke with Nnenna Freelon, Harolyn Blackwell and, and Mike Garson.

Swing and sway on Sunday afternoon with A Piano Duet with Kenny Barron, Mulgrew Miller, and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra.

The Jazz Festival concludes on Sunday evening with A Triumph of Trumpets with the Jon Faddis Quartet and The Dave Holland Octet.

And back by popular demand, the Tanglewood Jazz Cafe features exciting new artists performing prior to each show in a relaxed cabaret-style setting, free with a ticket to the mainstage performance.

You can purchase tickets by phone, 888-266-1200, online at tanglewood.org, or in person at the Tanglewood Box Office.

And Birchwood still has good availability!

[I love to wag my tail in time with the music at the Jazz Festival! Quinn]