Spring is the time for romance, blossoms, baseball…and getting Oak Grove Plantation ready for visitors. Pickett, two teenager workers, a 6-year-old and I traveled from the Washington area to Cluster Springs the last week in March to get things ready for your visit. We open in May, and we’ll continue to serve guests through most of September.
One of our “helpers” was 6-year-old Mauricio Salmeron, whose main job was to entertain our dog, Bonnie. Mauricio repeatedly threw the ball to her and ran with her over the 400 acres, giving both of them needed exercise. The other reason Mauricio came was to take a week of swimming lessons at the local YMCA. He seemed to be laughing and happy all the way through the classes. Milton Moreno, age 17, is his uncle and did a good job of keeping Mauricio in tow. Milton and Victoria Murray, age 15, did good work vacuuming and dusting the nearly 200-year-old house and cleaning bathrooms.
My job was to drive the younger people into town, and I did my share of dusting, groundskeeping and vacuuming, too. But every chance I got, I took my bike out onto the open roads of Halifax County, where traffic is light, hills are modest and scenery is spectacular.
We can’t wait to see you this spring and summer. In May, we’re part of a month-long strawberry festival sponsored by B&Bs throughout Halifax County. Readers of this blog will get a special class in canning preserves in May if they ask us.