Winter News

WINTER 2012

Hi to all of our Firedance Inn friends! Winter has finally arrived with the first major snowfall of the season:

There’s a river out there, really! It’s been a mild season and we’ve enjoyed it. Cold times are offset with our super efficient wood/anthracite fired heat system. The hounds stay mostly inside. Our daughter, Ye, has finished UPEI with a degree in business administration and has returned to Shenyang, China, (where it’s significantly colder than here) to get married. She and her husband will be coming back in the spring. Meanwhile we’ve got a busy season planned. We’re geared up for the HockeyDay in Canada (this year in PEI for the first time) later this month and will be getting the steamboat out of storage in April. It was test fired in October and will get its water trial after a few more minor mods. With any luck Wei’s brother and sister-in-law will also be here by summer; I could use Guangxin’s help with the boat (he’s a plumber among other skills).
As always, Firedance alumni are welcomed back with a 10 or 15 percent discount so come on by for a visit! Hope to see you soon,

John & We

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

12/21/11: It's holiday time at Firedance and we're buttoned up for the cold weather. We're still getting guests and making friends, of course, as we're open year round. December's been warmer than most in the past and this is welcome as heating oil is over $1 per liter! We've got the gasifying wood "boiler" running with hardwood and anthracite so heating costs aren't too onerous. Fred and Jie just got their winter baths. Took a photo of them in a recent storm (attached). It doesn't take much wind for Fred the coonhound's ears to blow but it's near gale when Jie's go into flying position!

Hope that everyone has a great holiday season and a super new year. We've got a special for the Hockey Day in Canada for February (first time on PEI) so come by for a winter visit!!

Autumn Idyll

10/29/11 It's been a while for posting; our apologies! September and October were a lot busier than normal and things are just settling down now. Had several steam tests with the boat but never had a chance to put her in the water so that will be another project for next spring. We're going down to Maine and New Hampshire in a couple of weeks then will do some heavy cleaning inside (too cold to do much outside except hang Christmas lights!) We've updated our Facebook page with a new app have some GREAT rates for the winter (give us a call). Will try to post monthly during the off season. Fred and Jie expressed their relief with the end of summer by a little jam session - take a look at this video: http://youtu.be/yZbPgIkbdOM

Busy Times

8/22/11: Things have really been hopping this summer at Firedance! The various promotions we've run have been successful; it's taking a lot more innovation to sell space than in the past. Come on by for Fall Colors and the Island's Fall Flavours - we'd love to see you! (Photo is of Wei picking wild blueberries for our signature blueberry pancake breakfast).

Summer News

Firedance

Country

Inn News

SUMMER 2011

7/16/11

It’s a busy summer here at Firedance Country Inn, PEI, Canada. Lots of things are happening. Ye returned after almost 3 months in China, just in time for the rush season. She brought supplies of hot & sour soup mix and low cost generic medicine. An Inns of Distinction photographer came by recently to take professional shots of the inn:

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and we’re very happy with the way they turned out. You can see more of them on our website and some of the promotions were doing. Speaking of promotions we’re working with Booking.com and marketing some of our inventory with them: http://www.booking.com/hotel/ca/firedance-country-inn.html?sid=5836ed9a228ab506e119082c367f7a54 . Perhaps even more importantly, we’re offering an Escape Deal on LivingSocial during the week of 7/20-26 (http://escapes.livingsocial.com/deals). Our deal will extend from 9/25/11 until 6/15/12 and the price will be a real bargain. Perhaps you have friends or family that might want to come visit us this off season? Be sure to check out LivingSocial’s website next Wednesday if you’re interested.

Wei and I are doing well and the hounds are fine (and making lots of friends with this season’s guests). Most of the parts needed for the steamboat have arrived and plumbing them in will start late this month. With any luck there will be a big steam-up late this summer. The recent visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge gave the tourist industry a needed boost; coincidentally the weather is finally warming up! Hope this note finds everyone in good health; we’d love to see you on PEI again soon.

John & Wei

Summer is Here!

It's been a busy spring but high season's here and the fun really begins. SS Firedance is back on site and we just finished modifying its trailer so that it can be launched. Feedwater equipment is on order from Beckmann's Boatshop in Rhode Island (yes, the boat was supposed to be fully operable when purchased - oh well) on its installation we'll be able to have a big steamup.

Meantime we've got the inn all spruced up for our guests and the weather is finally summer-like. We're planning some promotions with LivingSocial and Booking.com so check with us for good deals in lodging. Until the next time...

End of May

Long time, no blog entry!! My messed up knee has slowed me down a little but we've been really busy too. SS Firedance was brought out of storage; we took delivery of a ton of anthracite and we're already mowing the lawn twice a week. Turns out we have several cords of un-sawed wood on our 5 acres so we're going to be working on that too. Heating oil's gone way up in price so we'll be using the wood and anthracite for the coldest months next winter. The steamboat needs to have its trailer modified (for the 2nd time) and installation of a feedwater system (partially missing). With any luck it will be running before the end of the summer. Fred and Jie got their first outside baths today (in winter we use our downstairs shower) and it was only mildly traumatic. Fred's an ex hunting dog (he's a Treeing Walker Coonhound) and has been taught to follow coons thru streams and the like but he still hates bath time - go figure. Some nice folk from France checked in today so I get a chance to practice my schoolboy French. Anyway, the weather's great, we're hopping with business and things are looking good. Hope to see more of our alumni guests from the past so give us a call! We always give return customers a discount!