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Calvin[/caption]First and foremost we are doing very well. We want to say "thank you" to all our guests, family, and friends who reached out to us with emails, phone calls, and texts of concern, love, and support. It means very much to us and and reminds us of how much love there is in the world around us.[caption id="attachment_1172" align="alignleft" width="150"]
Hugo & Maxwell[/caption]We, Jamie and Jim, were in Santa Cruz at the time of the earthquake for a niece's wedding. A friend called at 4 am Sunday and said we needed to come home right immediately. All guests were accounted for and uninjured. We learned Calvin hid underneath a night stand. Maxwell jumped up on the bed, barking (naturally). Hugo stood up and watched the whole thing happen. No injuries, just scared little dogs needing some love and attention.[caption id="attachment_1169" align="alignright" width="150"]
Staff Workers and Clean Up[/caption]Our interim innkeeper, Cindy B., out-did herself keeping things calm and cool in the aftermath of our 6.0 earthquake. We lost a lot of "things" and any damage to the historic mansion is cosmetic (cracked plaster, paint chipped off). We called the staff and told them to take care of their families, and if they had time to join us later for clean-up. Cindy B. rallied the troops around us and we began the process.[caption id="attachment_1165" align="alignright" width="150"]
Kitchen in Disarray[/caption]We closed the inn for two days to clean up the mess. Lots of broken glass, lost dishes (a 100-year old hand painted china set- ugh!), two armoires that fell over and broke apart , and the picture window in the living room overlooking First Street.However, as you can see in this next picture we had cleaned up by Sunday evening,
and most things were back in order. We only lost six bottles of wine in the basement/cellar and although everything fell over or off its perch in the attic, very little was lost. All Christmas decorations managed to survive!We were told to repair the cracked stucco on the chimney and the living room window won't be repaired for awhile what with all the other businesses and homes in town in the same post-quake boat.When you visit you are apt to see the plaster cracks in the living room and foyer even though we are structurally sound. Again, the damage is cosmetic.
We are currently ordering new items for the rooms that need it, so please forgive the mismatch of lamps, etc., until we are able to restock our inventory. Apart from some of the visual clues around the house, you would be hard pressed to imagine we experienced an earthquake at all.What about the aftershocks or tremors? We felt two this morning but thought it was the dogs jumping onto the bed. That was the extent of movement we experienced- very short, very small. As seasoned Californians we know these come and go and we find them more amusing as there is no damage to the house or belongings. Our guests from Georgia slept through the first one and she thought the second one was her husband shaking the bed to wake her up. They are with us for another night. Others, though, for their own reasons canceled and while we were sad to see them go we understand their comfort level is different in regard to this event and they didn't want to visit Napa, or even California at this time.
As with all things Californian recovery comes quickly and the community moves
toward full recovery. The Oxbow Market, our local Napa gathering spot with shops, stores, and restaurants, is already booming with activity. I walked around today purchasing produce, spices, and meat as I wanted to support local vendors in their loss of inventory over the weekend. It was nice to see so many other people doing the same. They reopened Main Street today and they are currently looking to reopen First Street this weekend. There are parts of outer Napa (away from downtown where we are located) where water is still an issue with broken water mains. The majority of downtown restaurants are open, some with "limited menus" until inventory is restocked, and wine tasting rooms are still open for business. The wineries are open after their own clean up, and the local grocery stores are looking to be reopened by Friday (the clean up there is pretty significant).
How can you help? Come visit. Taste wine. Go out to lunch and dinner. Support the local community. Let Napa know that we can and should carry on with the great gift of hospitality that is offered to all.
