IT’S SUMMERTIME & THE LIVING IS EASY …

Holy cow - it ‘s July!
There’s so much going on – here’s the low-down on the holiday weekend and beyond:

Findley Lake 4th of July
-  Chicken BBQ – FL Fire Hall – noon ‘til gone
-  Duck Race – 12:30 pm -- buy a duck for $2 or 3 for $5
-  Boat Parade - 2:00 pm
-  Flares around the Lake – 9:30 pm
-  Lakefront Fireworks – 10:00 pm

Blue Heron Inn
4th of July Weekend
Fri, Sat & Sun, July 3, 4 & 5
Serving Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
9:00 am – 9:00 pm (later on the 4th)
Come watch the fireworks from our deck!

Peek ‘n Peek Resort & Spa
-  4th of July weekend
    offering discounted tee times

-  Art, Jazz & Wine Festival @ the Peek
   Sat, July 11; 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
   Enjoy artistic talent while sipping on a variety of wines from  
   Vetter Vineyards, Blueberry Sky Farms & Winery, Merritt Estate 
   Winery and more. Info: 716.355.4141 or www.pknpk.com

Great Blue Heron Music Festival
-- located in the Amish countryside of Sherman, NY --
Fri, Sat & Sun, July 3, 4 & 5
Featuring over 100 performers including Donna the Buffalo, Rusted Root & The Horseflies
- Main Stage/Large Dance Tent
- Old-time Jams/Songwriter’s Circle
- Instrumental Workshops
- Drum Circles/Dance Instruction
- Children’s Activities 
- Marked hiking & Biking trails
- Swimming pond
For more info:  Great Blue Heron Music Festival

Findley Lake Cruise-In
Sun, July 19, 2009; 10:00am-3:00pm  


Classic & Antique Cars & Boats
Stroll the street, browse the shops, enjoy music & a variety of vendors. No admission free & no registration fee - the public is welcome to register their vehicles.

 

New at Nostalgia

        

Check out our cool new Findley Lake tie dye tees!

 


The flavored Crickets and Scorpion & Worm lollipops have been a BIG hit! Casey, Austin & Braydon say the salt & vinegar crickets are the very best of the 3 flavors; they say "they taste like sunflower seeds". YUM -- thanks for being our taste-testers guys! 

Lots of new items are arriving daily -
come check out the “coolest store in town!”

Findley Lake “Friday Nights”
Although the Blue Heron Inn offers year ‘round Friday night dining, shopping & lodging, the big news is that the rest of Findley Lake is now open for business on Fri nights this summer.

The restaurants are serving 'al fresco' and the local shops are now open until 8:00 pm every Friday night. Take advantage of the great weather - relax with a cocktail or dine on the Blue Heron deck. There are lots of reasons to kick off your weekend 'Findley Lake-style'! Come browse your favorite shops - we've stocked the shelves with fine gifts for giving and great gifts for keeping!

Add one of several new charms to your collectible Findley Lake charm bracelet. Plan an overnight stay; look around the shops, take in a game of golf, tour he wineries or the travel the Art Trail the next day. Make Findley Lake part of YOUR summer season!

    o . o . o . o . o . o . o

We love this Deborah Devonshire quote we found the other day :

        "It's not how far away you go. It's how far away you get!”

Whether you’re planning to go far or stay put, we wish you a warm & wonderful holiday celebration with your families & friends. And as we celebrate our independence we give 3 cheers to those who keep us safe, both here and abroad.

Cheers to a happy & safe 4th of July!
Tobi & Bruce

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AFTER THE “CRASH”

Yes, I’m finally back to update the blog. My laptop’s hard drive crashed 2 weeks ago & required 2 new hard drives to get the system up & running. No thanks to DELL – this experience left much to be desired as far as their customer service is concerned. Not the front line techs – they were great. But the mid-management know-nothings and their “Dell doesn’t do that” mantra have finally pushed me across the isle – my next computer purchase will be a MAC.

Dell has forgotten that the only difference between computer companies is the service they offer – as a Gold level service account I was subject to mistakes, defective hardware & a lot of excuses. This was NOT a Gold service event! I spent close to 36 hours installing drivers, removing drivers, re-installing programs (twice) in the effort of restoring my system. And this was over Memorial weekend – the kick-off to the summer season! It was a nightmare & I will not soon forget Dell’s lackadaisical attitude. Nor will I forget to spread the word …

But I do have to sing the praises of www.mozy.com - they saved my life! I cannot stress strongly enough how important it is to back up your files. I bought an extra external hard drive years ago but because I couldn’t understand how to configure it I never used it. BAD move! So when I read about mozy.com’s on-line back up service (costs $6.00 per month) – I signed up. The account is set up to automatically back up my files every day. Although the restore feature wasn’t flawless ( my fault – for crying out loud I don’t know where all my files live!) I was able to restore my document files, e-mail & e-mail contact files & guest reservation database. For the life of me I just couldn’t find my payroll database so I was forced to recreate it – but I’m sure the problem was on my end. Run, don’t walk, to sign up for a mozy account – it’s sure to be the best $72.00 you ever spent!

FINDLEY LAKE “FRIDAY NIGHTS”
Although “Nostalgia” is open on Fri & Sat nights almost year ’round, the big news is that the rest of Findley Lake is now open for business on Fri nights throughout the season!

The restaurants are serving 'al fresco' and the local shops are now open until 8:00 pm every Friday night. Take advantage of the great weather - relax with a cocktail or dine on the Blue Heron deck. There are lots of reasons to kick off your weekend 'Findley Lake-style'! Come browse your favorite shops - we've stocked the shelves with fine gifts for giving and great gifts for keeping!

Add one of several new charms to your collectible Findley Lake charm bracelet. Plan an overnight stay; look around the shops, take in a game of golf, tour the wineries or the travel the Art Trail the next day.

Make Findley Lake part of YOUR summer season!

IN THE NEWS
Just thought I’d share a little blurb that came my way via the Findley Lake, NY “google alerts” that I set up on my computer:

“Showcase” Dining capsules
Published: June 11. 2009 12:01AM

BLUE HERON INN. Dinner at the Blue Heron Inn in Findley Lake, N.Y., is a pleasant way to spend a late-summer evening. Daily specials are offered, but the main menu has ample options. Graze on a "whole earth salad" made with fresh greens, mushrooms, sunflower seeds, walnuts, and raisins. Or satisfy a strong appetite with a 12-ounce New York strip steak.
I ordered the New England clam chowder followed by a mixed grille entree of a half-rack of barbecued ribs and half a chicken with Cajun seasoning. The ribs are parboiled, then char-grilled. I love them.
My companion's Middle East plant, consisting of spiced ground lamb kebabs, homemade hummus, and a small Greek salad with feta cheese, met with her approval. Her husband's crab-cake sandwich was the day's special, and in fact it proved to be very special. If you're inclined to breakfast at the inn, chef and owner Bruce Ahlquist makes a delicious Belgian waffle Benedict and cinnamon French toast with multigrain bread.
The skinny: Blue Heron Inn, 10412 Main St., Findley Lake, N.Y.
(716) 769-7852.  www.theblueheroninn.com. No smoking. Reservations appreciated for dinner. All credit cards accepted except American Express. Wheelchair accessible.

Full review appeared Aug. 21, 2008. www.goerie.com
-- by Floyd Lawrence

It’s crazy to think that we’re already staring at the middle of June! The year is flying by - hope you’re summer is progressing “swimmingly” (pun intended)!

Cheers to the lazy, hazy days we all love!

Tobi & Bruce

HOORAY FOR MAY!

Signs of spring are everywhere; the tulips are up, the flowering trees are in bloom, even the dandelions have awakened! The first baby goslings of the season have been sighted and we’re watching as new families appear each week. Life is reinventing itself all around us. Reinvent yourselves at the Blue Heron Inn!

                                 Cheers to Spring!  Tobi & Bruce

THE AWNING IS UP!

That’s right – they put the awning up early! We’re serving on the deck offering our guests a panoramic view of the lake.Come toast the season with a cocktail or a relax over a great meal ‘al fresco’.
As of Wed, May 13^th, the dining room will be open for breakfast & lunch daily Wed thru Sun. Dinners will be served on Fri & Sat nights & we’ll open for weekday dinners in June.

MOTHER’S DAY IS MAY 10^TH

Treat Mom to Mother’s Day brunch at the Blue Heron Inn! Serving from 9:00 am to 2:30 pm. Reservations, please.

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

FINDLEY LAKE TRIVIA CONTEST

April’s Winner:  Congratulations to
Mary Knight-Strong of Harborcreek, PA!

May Question: Is Findley Lake a natural lake and for whom was it named?

This month’s prize winner will  receive a Lolita wine, martini or pilsner glass at NOSTALGIA, “the coolest store in town”! Send your answers to stay@theblueheroninn.com with the subject title: “Trivia Contest” and we will draw one winner from the correct entries. Entries accepted until May 30^th.

“NAME THE GIRAFFE” CONTEST

Nostalgia is celebrating its newest addition with a brand new contest, “Name the Giraffe”. Come visit our 5-foot tall giraffe & enter your favorite giraffe name!

The winner will receive a $50.00 gift certificate to Nostalgia, second place winner will win a $25.00 Nostalgia gift certificate. The contest will run until Memorial Day, May 25, 2009. No purchase is necessary and children 10 and under may register as many times as they wish. Come in & register; we’re receiving some very cool name choices …

ARTS & CRAFTS WEEKEND GET-AWAY

Chautauqua-Lake Erie Art Trail
Open Studio Tour Friday/Saturday nights – May 22 & 23

Put an artistic twist on this year’s Labor Day Weekend. Twenty Chautauqua-Lake Erie area artists and galleries hahave combined forces to offer an Open Studio Tour, May 23-24. This event features 19 artists in Chautauqua County in close proximity to route 20 running from Silver Creek, NY to Sherman, NY. Artists’ studios will be open to the public from 10 AM to 5 PM on Saturday and from 11 AM to 4 PM on Sunday.

Enjoy a  2-night stay, full breakfast each morning and Saturday night  dinner for two in the Blue Heron dining room.This is the perfect opportunity to learn about and support our regional artists.

All-inclusive Package Cost: $369.00 – 399.00 double occupancy (package requires 2 night stay and includes all above amenities)

ERIE AREA “GARDEN TOUR” WEEKEND GET-AWAY Sat/Sun, May 23 & 24

Attention gardening gurus & flower fanciers!
Visit 6 of the Best Private Gardens in the Erie, PA area on Sun May24th. Directions, garden descriptions and admissions tickets are available on the web site: www.opendaysprogram.org. Sponsored by The Garden Conservancy, the Open Days program is America’s only national private garden-visiting program, made possible by the work of hundreds of volunteers.

Enjoy a 2-night stay, full breakfast each morning and Saturday night dinner for two in the Blue Heron dining room. The Garden Tour tickets are on us, as well as tips on points of interest in proximity to the gardens.

$369.00 – 399.00 double occupancy (requires 2 night stay)


ROGER TORY PETERSON BIRDING WEEKEND 
June 4, 5 & 6

Guests who register for the Festival will
receive 20% off a two-night stay

The Roger Tory Peterson Institute in nearby Jamestown, NY will honor Dr. Peterson’s
legacy at the first annual  Birding Festival.

This festival will provide an entertaining and educational experience through activities including the showing
of re-mastered Peterson films, keynote speakers Kenn Kaufman
and Pete Dunne, workshops with Kaufman, Dunne, Lang Elliott
and John Rappole, and field trips to area birding hotspots
led by knowledgeable local birders.

To register, download the registration form and mail it to Birding Festival, 311 Curtis Street, Jamestown, NY 14701. You can also download a schedule of events and a checklist of the birds of Chautauqua County.

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