July 4th Cookout at The Buttonwood

July 4^th  Cookout at The Buttonwood Inn

As the summer approaches, we thought we'd talk about activities and events at The Buttonwood Inn this past July onward in this blog.  

2013 was another great year at the Buttonwood because we welcomed back many return guests and new guests who stayed with us from 3 to 12 days.  We enjoy it when guests stay for longer periods of time because we get to know them much better.  We especially enjoy it when our return guests come through the door because it feels like friends came to visit again.  We catch up on each other lives and we all feel comfortable and at home.

During the July 4^th holiday week of 2013, we had several families return and stay nearly the full week.  The weather was beautiful, but hot, which was great because all of our guests returned early to mid-afternoon.  They either swam in the heated pool, relaxed on the recliners, or conversed over a glass of wine by the table under the umbrella.  The children and adults also played the bean bag and ball string toss lawn games in the back yard, and the croquet game set in the front yard garden area.

Last summer, we added a new 10-foot long cedar picnic table, benches, and more Adirondack chairs from R&RWoodworkers.  In June, we purchased more vinyl Adirondack chairs to accommodate more guests in the evening around the fire pit.  We also purchased more pool tubes and lawn games for our guests of all ages to enjoy.

The Saturday after July 4^th, we invited all of our guests to a backyard cookout.  Everyone attended and got to know each other.  Paula made potato salad, pasta salad, and baked beans.  Bill manned the grill making hot dogs and hamburgers.  The hamburgers were especially delicious because the Johnson family provided their ground beef and goat combination burgers from animals raised organically on their farm.

We set out the food on the new picnic table and everyone gathered around to eat and tell their stories.  It was particularly enjoyable for Bill and me because we don’t get to spend time with our own families during holidays and our guests allowed us to be a part of their families for this short time.