Sunday, July 26, 2015

All the signs of mid to late summer are upon

us here at Ramsay as we endure the heat and humidity,

while praying constantly for rain--which passes to the

north and south--routinely avoiding us!

Even so, we enjoy beautiful scenes from Mother Nature

as well as from the hands of all the good folk who help

us take care of this beautiful, historic estate.

Magnificent cloud patterns over the Carriage Turnaround

The hay fields were overrun with clover this summer, prompting a second cut a bit earlier than usual. Cutting hay and maintaining the fields are routine activities on a country estate, but it did make us  a little sad to see the clover disappear, taking myriad butterflies and other fluttering creatures away at the same time.

While mowing the pastures, we enjoy views that many never see.

Patsy and her diligent crew are working tirelessl,y upgrading the flower gardens, shrubs, and landscapes. The grounds around the Carriage House serve as a staging area for new plants.

We have several pathway and staging  areas at the estate where we use what is locally called "Monticello Dust" -- an upscale mixture of sand and crushed  pebbles. The crew from Grelen Nursery in Orange, Virginia came out earlier this week to freshen up several designated areas. This scene is at the old greenhouse site along Farm House Lane.

Some time ago, the owners suggested building a bench around the large Siberian Elm just north of the Grigg Barn. Having a difficult time finding an available--and affordable--carpenter to take on the task, Stephen broke out his tools and took up the challenge a few weeks ago.

A welcomed addition to the Milton Grigg Barn Yard

The setting here at Ramsay--so close to the mountains--provides an on-going slide show of Mother Nature's handiwork. Sunrise, sunsets, storms, clouds, verdant landscapes--the tapestry is ever-changing and wonderful.

Thursday evening of this week, we were treated to a magnificent sunset!

First thing Saturday morning, the sky was cloudless and a  beautiful, summer blue! Then

 around 9:30 am, a dramatic eruption of cotton balls rose up behind the southwest mountains.

And of course, Mother Nature is pleased to accept that mankind has
 made some memorable contributions to the setting as well!

Saturday, July 4, 2015

Happy 4th of July 
from Ramsay

The rush of Spring to Summer has kept us quite busy!

A mildly wet Spring gave us an early first cut of hay this year.

1st cut of Spring 2015

"Make hay while the sun shines!"

We got started on the garden in plenty of time..

Early June...

Early July

With the addition of restrooms to the Old Grigg Barn, we needed
to increase our water supply and installed a new well last fall and 
added a reserve tank system this spring to provide adequate supply.

The green house garden brings back old favorites each spring and
 this year produced a new explosion of Larkspur!!

The usual abundance of blackberries around the
 pastures came in right according to schedule this spring.

Last Fall we graded two flat areas west of the Grigg barn to
accommodate large tents for functions here at the estate. There was
 some concern that the upper pad may not be uniformly level,so back
 in May, we brought in a laser tripod to check the grade. Thankfully,
 we found less than 1 inch variance over the length of the pad!

After a quiet winter with only a few guests staying at the estate, May and June
brought some delightful folks--see the recent post about UVA Graduation-- and this
great couple  who stayed here recently at the Carriage House. In part, as a result of their
 visit at Ramsay, they are seriously considering relocating to this area!

The days grow long, and the work seems never-ending at times. We are
 extremely fortunate to have such good help here at the estate. Even so, Stephen
 sometimes can't remember where he left his hat!

We'll sign off with this picture as a tribute to the
 UVA Baseball National Championship
         
GO HOOS!!!!