When operating a Bed and Breakfast, one is always in the subtle process of acquiring new skills.  You may not even realize these skills are developing until one day they emerge, fully formed.

Such a case happened this week. We were preparing a batch of blueberry buttermilk pancakes for Thursday morning breakfast’s main course.  The challenge with pancakes is always the quest to achieve a perfect golden brown on the outside of the cake, while the inside batter is fluffy, completely cooked but not overcooked.  A fine balance indeed!  That skill has thus far eluded me, but Claudine has mastered it quite well. Thursday I discovered why.

I was getting the coffee carafe ready for a round of refills, and Claudine was at the griddle, pouring the batter on.  As she was tending to the pancakes, at the critical point, I saw her lean over and speak to them!  She was talking to them in a low voice, saying “Come on guys, you can do it!”.  She nurtured and coddled those hotcakes with a little vocal coaching until they were just right and transferred them to the plate.  They were ready to be served.

And now I know the truth–my wife is a Pancake Whisperer!  That just might be what makes the Carriage House Inn pancakes so special.  I only hope to follow in her footsteps to be a worthy whisperer myself.

To those who might debunk the whole idea of “Pancake Whispering”– and there are those who do–I offer the following photographic evidence along with this report.  You can draw your own conclusions.  As for me, well, you had to be there.