Not Quite the Same

   We are on our usual pilgrimage to Door County. This trip is a little different. The bed and breakfast that we usually stay at was sold this past spring. That means that the innkeeper that we've come to know for the last 13 trips was no longer going to be here.
  We had known that the innkeeper was going to sell. He had told us his plans a couple years before. (We had become good friends over the years.) We hoped that whoever bought the inn would continue to run it as a bed and breakfast. As sad as it was to know that we would no longer get to see our friend the innkeeper, we were happy that the bed and breakfast was going to remain in business.
  We wondered what changes the new owners were going to make to the inn. We saw the first change on the inn's Facebook page. They were changing the breakfast. We were both happy about that. No more muffins and stewed fruit. No more cold cereal and grapes. The new owners were going to serve things like pancakes and eggs.
   I was looking forward to this trip to see what else the new owners had done. When we walked into the inn we noticed that the layout of the inn had been changed. There was a room off to the right side of the inn that was used as a sitting room and library. The new owners had turned it into the dining area. There was a sideboard that has some knives, forks and small plates for guests who bought cheese or pie to eat. There was a plate of cookies. The room that had been the dining room and sitting room was now a sitting room only. The had furnished it with a sofa that had two chaise lounges on each end and a pair of comfortable looking chairs. The sofa faced the fireplace which had been converted to gas for ease of use.
  Curt, the new innkeeper showed C and I up to our room. The room looked basically the same. There were a couple of plants that were no longer there. The small love seat in the sitting room part of the room had been moved a little bit. A small birdhouse that was on the mantle of the fireplace in our room was no longer there. Those were the only changes. As far as I was concerned, all the important things remained the same. The bathroom still had the tub with jets. The bad was still the same. The love seat was still there so I'd have a place to write and knit. The TV cabinet was still in the same spot.
   After settling in, we went to dinner and then to a play. We came back to our room and went bed. In the morning, I got up, cleaned up and went downstairs with my knitting bag. Curt was there laying out things for breakfast. He got me a teapot of hot water. I made myself a cup of tea. I sat on once of the chaises to knit and wait for C. The atmosphere was a little different. The former innkeeper greeted guests as they came down to eat and would introduce the guests to each other. There were two tables so guests could sit together and converse as they breakfasted. The new dining area was set up so guests did not have to interact with each other unless they chose to.
  Another difference was the door between the inn and the innkeepers private quarters. Before the door had always been shut. Now the door was open. it seemed like Curt meant to be more available to inn guests.
  C came down and we went in to breakfast. We introduced ourselves to the other couple that were also eating. There was orange juice, milk and water on the sideboard along with bowls for cold cereal should anyone want it. Curt served us each some fresh fruit with a dollop of whipped cream in a crystal stemmed dish. It was delicious. The he brought our main course. It was an egg casserole with bacon. There were two small sausages on the side and a piece of toast. It was perfect. C and Curt talked a little bit. I got myself a small glass of orange juice to drink. As we were going back upstairs to get ready to leave for the day, C noticed a small dish of cinnamon rolls. Curt offered to warm a roll up for C. I went back upstairs.
  It isn't quite the same as before, but that's all right. I was happy to see that Curt and his wife Kathy were putting their stamp on the inn. It will take some getting used to, but I like what I see so far. I am certain that we will come back next year.