Meet Quincy! Quincy, a yellow Labrador Retriever, was born in Oxford, New Jersey on April 22 and was one in a litter of eleven puppies. We knew we wanted a yellow male, and of the three yellow males in the litter, he seemed the most independent. He is pretty much potty trained and will be starting obedience school next week. We are confining him to our personal space for now and as he gets older and more trustworthy we will allow him to meet guests in the Inn's common space. For now, he is enjoying making new friends in the yard or when he is out for a walk.

Halloween Costume 2006

Ken & Quincy discussing how privileges are earned

Quincy had a great first Christmas! He was a quick learner at opening presents thanks to the many guests who were kind enough to bring and send him goodies! He is turning into a very sweet young man and is beginning to develop some manners. Quincy will now actually sit and stay when we tell him to (most of the time). Guests say they do not believe there is a puppy here because he is not much of a barker. As long as he gets his walks and some play time in the yard, he is quite the couch potato. The jumping is still a bit of a problem, but he is an enthusiastic puppy and its just his way (right now) of saying hi— We are working on teaching him to say hi with all four paws on the ground— Wish Us Luck! The newest photo is Quincy at 9 months old, on our first 'Snow Day'!

April 2007: Well, its Spring, and Quincy's first birthday is quickly approaching. We cannot believe how fast the time has gone by and how big he has gotten. He is 84 pounds of muscle and will and at times his strength and sense of humor gets the best of all of us. Needless to say, we are all heading back to school for round two of obedience training in a few weeks. We can't wait! Quincy has mastered the 'sit', but the 'stay' is what he still has trouble with. He is a very inquisitive dog and is anxious to explore all the new things the change of seasons bring.

September 2007: How I Spent My Summer Vacations Quincy had a busy last few months... in June AND in early September, he went on his first vacations and was quite an excellent traveler, sleeping all the way! In June, he visited Newport, with Donna & Ken and friends for the Newport Flower Show, and in September, he traveled to Martha's Vineyard with his family and Grandfolks for some beach time and a lot of R&R. He kept Donna & Ken 'on schedule' with AM rising time, and precluded them from having to pack an alarm clock for either trip. A long walk and coffee time was the usual 6 am, sipping coffee at the picturesque harbors of both places made it all OK. On Martha's Vineyard, Quincy got his first real taste of swimming in beautiful Nantucket Sound. He is an awesome swimmer and retriever and enjoyed the beach like crazy. He did well on the Vineyard Ferry to and from the Island and made lots of people smile. He is still quite a character—he has a bit of separation anxiety when Mom & Dad are out of sight, but all-in-all, he was a really good boy and had two really great vacations!!

Quincy on Vacation at Martha's Vineyard, 2007

Quincy on Vacation at Martha's Vineyard 2007

Quincy on Vacation at Tiglman's Island MD, 2008

May, 2008: Spring's arrival (finally!!!) has us all really excited! We have fenced in the back of the property so Quincy roams happily free and is able to meet guests without being on a leash. His manners are really improving and he is learning that the gardens are a no-no for bulky labrador paws! He recently celebrated his 2nd Birthday after a quick getaway we took to Marlyand's Tighman Island. Located on Maryland's Eastern Shore, 10 miles from the town of St. Michael's, the island is quaint, quiet and allowed for lots of long walks and wonderful Maryland crabs! Quincy did not get to swim this time, but he enjoyed the sea air and meeting a chocolate Lab named Cooper who ran loose along the water. We are all gearing up for a really busy season and Quincy is excited about all the great outdoor events he will be attending in Flemington this summer. Come and join us for Music on Main Street, a movie 'in the Junction' or one of the Classic Car Shows that Flemington is known for!

February 2009: Can you believe all the snow we've had so far this year? Well, Quincy loves it and in perfect Labrador fashion will bulldoze through the snowplowed piles in the backyard with the greatest of ease. Our holidays were enjoyable and one of Quincy's gifts this year is that he is now able to meet guests in the Inn's common area if they ask for him. Sometimes he makes an appearance after breakfast or throughout the day as an assistant Innkeeper in tidying up the Inn or picking up the mail. He has proven himself to be very trustworthy (for the most part) and we think he really understands his role as official greeter, high-fiver & smile-maker.

Springtime 2009:  Springtime was a happy time for all of us at the Inn...especially Quincy.  We saw our first bluebird ever and the Inn's bluebird house had an unwelcomed intruder take up residence there for the entire season!  Quincy was thrilled with his new backyard friend and apparently the intruder squirel did not feel at all threatened. He resided there until Autumn took hold and added to the backyard excitement for Quincy until then.   

Springtime brings birds and flowers and lovely green grass but for those of you who live in the country know well that Springtime also brings STINKBUGS! One of Quincy's favorite pastimes is to hunt this pre-historic looking bug when he feels its presence in the air... and to then pounce on the poor creatures and swat him around until death is eminent....only then does he begin another hunt for his next victim..............   (here he is doing so...>>>>>>>>>>>>

September 2009: Quincy takes his vacation every September to Martha's Vineyard...he loves the island and takes to the water in true Labrador fashion with boundless exuberance, unending energy and excitement!  This year the weather was not the greatest for daily swims for Q, but he managed a few days at the 'locals' dog beach in Edgartown. 

Christmastime, December 2009: Quincy had a rip-roaring December at the Inn (along with us!)! Besides all the gifts from family & friends, many of Main Street Manor's generous guests arrived for their stay bearing gifts for the resident retriever!   

February, 2010:  We decided to take Quincy back to our old stomping grounds in Vermont...back to where we used to go before our days of owning the the Inn, with our old friends and their dogs...Only now we return with just us...without old friends and old dogs. 

We have always loved the Combes...its a place where you can just unwind and decompress...and not even have to drive for a great dinner. (Ruth's dinners are excellent!).  We took 5 days in early February before the Valentine rush to have some 'just us' time.  We have always wanted to visit Stephen Huneck's Dog Chapel in St. Johnsbury, Vt. ...and this was the time to do it!  We took a 1 1/2 hour drive to artist Stephen Huneck's a chapel that he built as an homage to his Labrador Retriever Sally. The 'Dog Chapel' on St. Johnsbury's 'Dog Mountain' is a place for pet lovers to visit and leave a message for their pet...and WE did just that.  Well, we  visited Dog Mountain & Chapel and left prayers, photos, messages & ashes from our two Labradors who passed...,our Black Lab, Marcus in December of 1992 and Beau, our Yellow Lab who we lost in in January of 2006.  Quincy was happy to oblige us and enjoyed the ride and his visit to the chapel.  We believe that the spirit of this sacred place matured him a bit and made him very proud of this special task he acomplished...below are the photos from the ride to and our arrival at the Chapel...

...Below are the pics once we arrived at the Chapel...The large Black Lab Sculpture greets you at the entrance to the Chapel.  The other photos are of of Ken (and Quincy) leaving the ashes and notes for Marcus and Beau behind...REMEMBER...DOG is GOD spelled backwards for a reason... :-)

We hope you will come and meet Quincy (and us) if you are looking for a little getaway and some pampering.
Keep tuned to our web site for updates on Quincy and his life at the Inn!