Monday-Friday 02.25 - 03.01.2013

Another quiet week at Ramsay as we hopefully have some of the last, cold winter days--some with bitter, driving rain (Tuesday)--others with burst of sunshine intermingled with snow showers! (Thursday) But the calendar says there are three more weeks of winter, and March can bring late winter surprises with little warning!



Routine activities:
Property checks, livestock feeding, lights on/off- & lock downs, receiving & unpacking deliveries (much less activity this week!) post office runs, materials runs for painters and plumbers, emails, texts, phone conversations, etc.

Sherry has been on site daily this week.
Zach Williams, our farrier, was out on Monday to trim the horses feet. (They were way past due!)
SY's cell phone problems (since last Thursday) were finally resolved with a replacement phone from Verizon on Wednesday.
SY almost rolled the tractor returning from the brush pile!!

Guesthouses sent word of a reschedule for clients for the week of July 4th to the week of July 14th
Jeff Potter--upholsterer via Susan L.--picked up the living room sofa on Wednesday.
J&A painting crew has been on site since Wednesday bringing new life to the interior of the Studio.
Plumbers out for much of the day (Thursday) repairing the water line and float valve to the water trough at the barn.

SY ongoing prep for meeting at Department of Historic Resources on Friday morning.
Ground crews are being scheduled for early spring preparations

Monday-Friday 02.18-22

As it is the dead of winter--with colder than average temps according to weather authorities--it has been a relatively quiet week at Ramsay.

Routine:

Livestock feeding
Property checks
FEDEX and UPS deliveries almost daily

Regulars on site:

Sherry - M,W,Th,F
Jim & Dean - M-F, AV and sound systems
Mick - T-F, Studio addition
SY - general oversight and assistance

Others on site:

Dean Sarnelle- clock technician Sunday morning
Patsy Wallenborn's landscaping crew here on Wednesday, Main house perimeter
Rusty Lilly, Arty and Kyle (masons) on Wednesday re: walks and garden renovation
Tate Oliver - tree specialist on Wednesday
Word from Guesthouses of booking for Guest Cottage 1st week of July
Don Wright and Alan - clearing creek bed
Reae and Betty Sargeant arrive Wednesday afternoon
Ron Bush - irrigation specialist on Thursday - checking on fish in temp. quarters

Rusty and Ron Bush returning this morning (Fri.) at 11am re: irrigation on grounds

Saturday 02.16.13

Morning routines on a later schedule for the weekend.
Cold 23 degrees and a blustery, overcast, beautiful winter day.
An unusually quiet day at Ramsay... very nice.

Jim and Neal put in a long day with the AV/sound work they're doing. Jim's knee is mending slowly.

The guys lined up by Rusty to clean the fish pond--who were supposed to be here yesterday and never showed up--DID show up unannounced this morning while SY was off grounds for a few hours. (SY will have a word with Rusty about protocol.)

Nevertheless, they did a good job.

Afternoon feeding and evening lights and lock down at 5pm.

Lights out and final lock down at 9pm

Thursday-Friday 02.14-15.13

Regular morning routines

Guest Cottage:

This was an extremely busy and productive week, as we enlisted  a number of crews and helpers to assist us in preparing the Guest Cottage for rental on relatively short notice. As it turns out, the guests never officially committed and we learned on Thursday that no one would be coming this weekend.Even so, we made all the necessary preparations including:

Extensive yard work:
--Patsy Wallenborn's landscaping/gardening crew: Patsy, Jessica, Stephen (Daniels) and Abbott
Interior painting: Guest bedroom and family room
--J&A Painting contractors: David, Hector, Alexandro, and Pedro
Whole house cleaning
--Sherry
Driveway grading and new gravel
--Stephen

Studio

Rockfish Roofers: David Snyder and two able journeymen completed the metal roof installation

Main House

Jim Bailey and Neal Williamson--up from SC-- continued with Jim's installation of extensive and sophisticated electronics/AV throughout the house.Jim banged up his knee pretty badly on Thursday, but soldiered on today (Friday) with a few extra breaks to elevate his knee with an ice-pack application.
Rusty Lilly (landscape architect) and Mark Schuyler (lighting specialist) were on site Thursday afternoon
plotting the best ways to bring Tom's visions into reality!
Sherry continued with regular cleaning, un-packing deliveries, etc.

Routine evening lock down and lights out.

Wednesday 02.13.13

7:45am-Morning Property Check and feeding
Chilly 31 degrees, partly cloudy; rain forecast for afternoon maybe changing to light snow
Morning

On site:
     Patsy Wallenborn and crew for gardening/landscaping at Cottage

     J&A Painters at Cottage

     C&G paving crew spreading gravel on driveways (Compare with pic on 02.11.13)

Afternoon

Morning crews continue
Plumbers on site at Studio
SY office
SY materials run to BRBS and Post Office run
Jim Bailey & Dean Willimas arrive
5pm feeding, lock down and evening prep

Evening

ca 9pm Lock down and lights our








 
Studio roofers postpone until tomorrow because of

Tuesday 02.12.13

7:30am-Morning property check and feeding
Mild 39 degrees and clear
New paddock for horses working very well--feeding is easier. No more Gator trips over the lawn!!

Morning

Sherry on site all day today-- review Cottage work with SY
J&A Painting (John) on site re: Cottage bedroom and Studio exterior. Cottage scheduled for tomorrow a.m.
Harris Teeter run for Sherry & BRBS for SY & Post Office run
Large UPS delivery
Tele:
    Timmy S. re: yard work. Recommends Patsy Wallenborn
    Mick re: soap stone slab for Studio shower
    Shelton Sprouse (mason) re: soap stone
    Paul (plumber) re: Studio-will begin rough-in this p.m. or tomorrow a.m.
    Clayton & Son re: load of mulch
    Erik Knudsen (Victor Security) re: house alarm system

Afternoon

Patsy Wallenborn on site at Cottage re: landscaping work to prep for weekend. (Great find!-thanks to Timmy!) Will have everything done by 2pm on Friday.
SY replaces wall plate in Cottage MBR

SY bank trip
Firewood delivered
Mulch delivered
SY tractor york rake work on gravel driveways (Cottage lane and Farm House lane)
Sherry here late--does evening lights and lock down at 5pm.

Evening

ca9:pm - lights out and lock down

Monday 02.11.13

7:15am tele from Mick re: today's schedule and review of meeting with TS on Sunday
7:30am-Meet with Mick at Cottage & Studio then material run to BRBS for Mick
8:30am-Morning property check and feeding
Mild temps and overcast

Morning

Mick, Scott, and Sherry all on site
David Snyder on site re: Studio roof
Paul Vencil on site re: Studio & cottage plumbing
Charlie Gray on site re: gravel for washed out and muddy driveway sections

Don Wright and helper on site clearing creek bed brush
Treadmill delivery for Reae

Tele:
     TS re: change in plans for weekend rental
     J&A re: painting (cottage bedroom and Studio exterior)
     Timmy Scarbrough re: grounds keeping work this week
     Jeff Swanson re: Cottage chimneys
     Chuck Kennedy re: electrical service plans for entrance
     Kevin re: tile & soap stone for Studio
     Joyce re: Cottage rental

Afternoon

SY and Sherry meet with Mick at Cottage for review of prep for rentals
Mick and Scott depart for SC
Jeff Swanson on site to clean Cottage chimneys
SY office 1:30-3:00pm
SY run to hardware store and Post Office
Afternoon feeding and lock down

Evening

SY office 7:45-8:30pm
9pm lock down and lights out

Thursday 02.07.13

7:15am-Morning Property check and feeding
Mild 34 degrees!  heavy overcast but no forecast of precipitation.
Stephen & Susan away to Richmond 10am-7pm

Morning

Sherry, Mick, Scott all on site
Henry Smith's carpenters--Nathan and Frank--continue exterior siding & trim work at Studio
SY BRBS run for  materials for Mick
Carl from Curtis Htg. & HVAC gets barn water trough working

Afternoon

All morning activities continue
SY fields calls and texts while in Richmond: (at his direction)
         Mick-Studio
         Rusty-fish pond, etc.
         Kevin-soap stone & tile
         Reae-treadmill delivery next week
         Sheldon-soapstone delivery Sat.
         Carl-water trough & HVAC for Studio
         Mike-fence
         Page Turner-horses, etc.
Sheldon Sprouse meets with Mick at Studio re: soapstone samples
Mike Herring and crew do clean-up work along new fence line in west pasture

Mick does Main House lock down and lights

Evening

Stephen & Susan return 7:20pm --all is well!--(in time to watch UVA kick Clemson's butt in BB)
9pm lock down and lights out

Wednesday 02.06.13

7:30am-Morning Property check and feeding
24 degrees and clear

Morning

Sherry, Mick, Scott on site all day
Henry Smith's crew re: Studio siding
SY office 8-11am, then BRB run for carpenters

Afternoon

Carl-Curtis Htg. on site re: water trough at barn
Mike Herring and Ronnie re: cross fence details
Kevin re: tile work in Studio meets with Mick
SY run to Augusta Coop for supplies
David Roberts on site re: Cottage roof with SY and Mick
Afternoon feeding

Evening

8:45pm lock down/lights

Tuesday 02.05.13

7:30am-Morning property check and feeding
Cold and clear

Morning

Special delivery - grandfather clock
Henry Smith's crew on site re: siding and exterior trim on Studio
Mike herring's crew on site re: cross fence in west pasture
BRB run for supplies
Post Office run
SY paint mud room entrance steps

Afternoon

Morning crews continue
UPS delivery
SY installs padlock on basement door
Mick arrives
Tele David Snyder re: Studio roof
Tele Sheldon Sprouse re: soap stone for Studio
Disc. with carpenters at Studio
Afternoon feeding
5pm lock down and evening lights

Evening lock down & lights out at 9pm

Monday 02.04.13

7:30am-Morning Property check and feeding
Tom, Reae, Mary Katherine, Robert still on site--departing this morning

Morning

Trash pick up
SY-office8-11am: email, bills, tele
Mike Herring crew begin fence installation for paddock - west pasture, Rt 250 to barn

Afternoon

Henry Smith on site re: siding/trim on studio- will begin tomorrow
Fence work continues
UPS delivery
Bank transfer (C'ville) for Jim Bailey
Post Office run
Return cottage screen porch furniture from fireside
Afternoon livestock feeding

Evening
8:45pm lights out and lock down

Friday 02.01.13

6:30am-Property check and feeding

Bitterly cold—14 degrees—and windy; high today -- 28 degrees

7:15am-SY departs for Richmond

Morning

Sherry on site

SY mtg. with Department of Historic Resources in Richmond - 9:00am

New mattress/box spring for master bedroom delivered

Tele- David Snyder re: Studio metal roof – 3K turn-key job

 – located hard-to-find tin to match existing roof

Don Wright delivers hay

Afternoon

SY meets on site with John F. (J&A Painting) and Matt (?) Duron rep., re: paint on metal roof

SY installs new step at mud room porch entrance

Assist Sherry with house and cottage prep and packages

Afternoon feeding

Tele- Sheldon Sprouse – mason- has found matching soap stone for Studio-will bring samples next week

Bank run C’ville

Reae arrives late afternoon—TS follows shortly

Family and guests expected for the weekend

Thursday 01.31.13

7:45am-Morning Property check and feeding

High winds forecast for all day and steadily dropping temperatures

Extremely heavy rain and wind last evening—no major storm damage. Some minor water leaks in

main house and cottage.

4+” of rain water in the feed buckets this morning

Morning

Mick departs

Sherry on site

Winds too high to set up tent at fireside

SY delivers finished DHR application to Kinkos, and runs a number of errands in C’ville for Ramsay

Post office run

Afternoon

Chuck Kennedy – electrician-on site at main entrance to discuss Dom VA Power details for setting

new meter at Rt. 250 property line to supply lighting

SY puts finish coat on mud room stair tread—moves to house basement to finish drying

Afternoon feeding

5:45 lock down

Evening

8:45pm-lights out and lock down