Eventually, I retired from the bread and butter job, teaching school and moved to the farm here in Alberta. Farm life was my true bliss, but I wanted the camaraderie of learned and interesting people too. That is where the bed and breakfast came in. I have decided to open the bed and breakfast again. My thinking is this.
If I even get 5 customers at an average price of $100 per night, that is $500 per month. If I serve meals then I can double that pretty much and that is nearly as much as I could get from renting the entire house out full time. Then I would have the headache of permanent tenants, but with the bed and breakfast, I retain full control and the people come and go. That is so much better, and I get to meet fascinating and amazing people again. I miss that.
The bed and breakfast was the perfect complement to the farm too. I could ethically raise meat, and have many critters for pets, cook and bake to serve my guests with produce and eggs from the farm and I was very happy doing so. Even in these hard economic times, I have been getting about 3 - 4 inquiries a month for the bed and breakfast. I am quite sure with the sign back up and the website active again, that would increase too.
So, thank you Joseph Campbell, for your incredible insight. I am in the midst of an insurance claim due to the flood in the bed and breakfast house and it will not be ready for guests for maybe 3 or 4 months from now. The timing is perfect.I will also have a very near to new house, with fresh paint and new flooring, so the folks can enjoy the ambiance and atmosphere even more. The bed and breakfast at Moose Hills Inn will be reopening for this summer. I am so excited and have been already looking at the paint samples. Yay!