Your Hosts, Rick and Ann Harmer — and Silas
Rick and Ann Harmer give Silas (their Canine Concierge) full credit for leading them to the decision to relocate to the Sunshine Coast. He was still a puppy in the summer of 2003 when the couple took him on a camping trip to nearby Katherine Lake. Silas had so much fun learning to swim, and the Harmers found the area so quiet and peaceful, they decided it was time to leave the city and open a dog-friendly bed and breakfast.
They found the ideal spot and set about creating the perfect retreat for dogs and their owners.
Rick is a talented gourmet cook, having taken numerous cooking courses over the years — he prepares the sumptuous breakfasts served to our guests. He is also an artisan, producing striking fountains of polished concrete in his basement studio, as well as innovative outdoor water features and "garden faces." He recently spearheaded the acquisition of a dragonboat in Pender Harbour, and he's helping coach a team of enthusiastic new paddlers.
Ann is a freelance writer and editor. She's enjoying the challenge of learning to share her garden space with the area's wildlife and delights in growing fresh herbs and vegetables for the table. She is developing her skills as an amateur brewer and winemaker and also takes great pleasure in spinning and knitting fibres (including dog hair, or chiengora). She is now combining her passions for fibre and mushrooms, having recently attended an international symposium devoted to exploring the possibilities of dyeing fibre and making paper with mushrooms.
Rick taught scuba diving 30 years ago in the Pender Harbour area (and says things haven't changed all that much since then). Ann has completed a pet first-aid course offered by St John's Ambulance.
The Harmers welcome visitors to Bluff Hollow and take pleasure in sharing with them the attractions of the Sunshine Coast.