Bob’s Hillbilly Zoo – A
visit with the “Squirrel Man”
Hilton’s Bluff Bed and Breakfast Inn
Article and Photos
By David Frost at The Tennessee Star Journal, Pigeon
Forge, TN
Tucked in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, yet less than a mile away
from the heart of Pigeon Forge Entertainment, Hilton’s Bluff Bed and Breakfast
Inn offers a romantic getaway with all rooms opening onto private balconies or
covered decks.
Bob Quandt, Innkeeper of Hilton’s Bluff Inn, not only keep the charming
two-story country inn immaculate, they will provide you with one of the best
Southern Breakfasts around. In
addition, they will not only make you feel welcome; you will feel like you’re
at home, only better!
Enough
about this outstanding Inn, what Bob really wanted this article to be about was
his “Hillbilly Zoo”. Located
just off the back covered deck, nestled in a peaceful wooded setting, he has
created a unique feeder system for wildlife.
“My artificial knee makes walking difficult so I had to devise some
ingenious methods of feeding,” Bob says.
A
Rube Goldberg invention of epic proportions would be a better description.
With various ropes, pulleys, pipes, chains, and an assortment of unusual
hardware, Bob has devised a fun, entertaining, and efficient feeding system for
wildlife right in the inn’s own backyard.
And somewhere along the way, he decided to take a political stance on a
few of his interesting feeders.
Creating
feeders such as the “Bush-Spinner”, the “Kerry Flip-Flopper, and the
“Nader-unsafe at any speed”, Bob decided to let the animals “vote” for
who should run our country for the next 4 years.
So, a few weeks before the election, Bob gathered his wildlife together
and explained that they were to “vote” for the president of choice, and
whichever candidate lost, that feeder would have to stay empty for a few weeks
as a consequence.
Not
unlike the rest of the “pole” results, the feeders were emptying out on a
fairly 50/50 rate, until the morning of the election.
When Bob looked out, the results looked clear – the “Kerry
Flip-Flopper” was almost completely empty while the “Bush-Spinner” had
hardly been touched. He naturally
thought that Kerry had pulled the election off somehow.
After
the final results were in, Bush won by the way, Bob thought about what had
happened and why. “I
misinterpreted the results completely by thinking they were voting for the
candidate of choice”, he stated. “Being
intelligent animals, what they were doing is stocking up on food knowing their
feeder would be empty for a while,” he adds.
Bob’s
obvious love for wildlife, and his sinister side, that enjoys watching the
antics of wildlife will continue to provide many hours of enjoyment.
It is fascinating to watch “RedBelly” crawl along a rope to get to a
continually rocking feeder. It is
also amazing to watch these intelligent animals figure out ways to gather food
in somewhat difficult, and sometimes near impossible conditions.
One
of Bob’s favorites is the Tufted Titmouse, a bird that has taken thievery to
an all-new level! Within minutes of loading his peanut feeder, these beautiful
little birds fly down, look around like they are casing the joint, and quickly
get in and back out with their prize. “They really do act like it is their own
7/11 and they are robbing it,” Bob states.
The
Hilton’s Bluff Bed and Breakfast Inn offers ten enchanting guest rooms
including three honeymoon/special occasion rooms with heart-shaped whirlpool
tubs; two executive rooms with two-person Jacuzzis and five deluxe rooms with
private baths. You may choose from
king or queen size beds or a king waterbed.
In
addition, the inn offers a mini-library, a den with a beautiful stone fireplace,
and a recreation room that provides friendly competition in bumper pool, darts,
cards and table games. There are
excellent facilities for corporate meetings, church retreats, weddings,
receptions, and rehearsal dinners.
Most
importantly, the inn offers the innkeepers.
To find out more, visit their website at www.hiltonsbluff.com,
email them at info@hiltonsbluff.com, or call them at
428-9765 or toll-free 1-800-441-4188
And
don’t forget to check out Bob’s “Hillbilly Zoo”.