It's quiet and restful here in the Winter!
 |
| The sun peaks over the trees during early morning rounds |
 |
| This late December dusting is the only snow so far this winter at Ramsay |
A local tree company has been waiting for colder ground temperatures to do some clearing we had requested. They were on site recently and accomplished their mission without any troubles or damage to the lawns and pastures. We took down some fairly mature cherry trees that we will have sawed into lumber that we can use for furniture and craft projects here at the estate.
We rent the Guest Cottage and Carriage House here at Ramsay all during the year. I (Stephen) love playing Inn Keeper and meeting delightful and, at times, fascinating people from all over the country. We've had a few international guests as well. We have a number of repeat guests, who in some cases have made reservations a year in advance to secure their favorite place.
Without exception, the guests are overwhelmed by the beauty and restful setting here at the estate. They love learning about the history of Ramsay and the Greenwood community, and many begin following us here on the blog. In total, we had over one hundred guests this past year. Pictured here are Olivia and Sebastiani, two amazing and extremely bright children who spent New Year's week with us, along with their parents and grandparents who are native (and current) residents of Italy. They spoke no English, but let me know--through their daughter-in-law's translation--that they thought places like Ramsay only existed in the movies!!
 | |||
| Olivia and Sebastiani |
The relatively mild weather so far has yielded a bit more pasture grass for the grazing livestock, but we still need to supplement with hay routinely. Here, we're moving hay from our new "Little Barn" storage area to the wood shed across the driveway.
Just this week, we had new awnings installed at the Main House and at The Farm House. The crew did an excellent job, and we look forward to enjoying the benefits of these "shade producers", particularly during the hot summer months. Some of the best awnings made--SunSetters-- these offer a special feature that will automatically retract the awnings if the winds get too high!!
Recently, we had guests who wanted to enjoy the outside fireplace--a favorite gathering place here at Ramsay. Even in the cold temperatures, the roaring fire and supplemental gas heaters provide a very comfortable setting. A little wine, a few good stories--- and the night goes on and on!!
