Tuesday & Wednesday 05.14,15.2013

Major cell phone issues yesterday prohibited picture transfers and adequate time to post!

Tuesday morning: 33-34 degrees and sporadic frost ...Wednesday afternoon, 92 degrees. Go figure!!

Two typical Spring days at the Ramsay Estate, with lots of activities and diligent workers!

Sherry - the usual; SY - the usual

Artists-in-residence M-Th this week! (Karen Blair's art workshop field trip)

C&G Paving finally able to remove broken-down equipment from Farm House Lane

Josh and Greg - continuing in the main house attic, and attending to odd jobs as needed.

Jim Bailey - made whirlwind trip(Tues.) from SC to oversee installation of a new Cat 5 cable from the Main House to the Guest Cottage.

Grelen Nusery workers continue planting/transplanting

Dave, Ramone, and Burton press on diligently with the Guest Cottage Roof.

Kevin Wagett - placing tile as fast as possible at the Studio

Piedmont Landscapers mowed the grounds Wed. afternoon 

Patsy Wallenborn and Jessica pruned the boxwood all around the Guest Cottage

Rusty Lilly on-site checking on Grelen, etc.

Bessie - looking good!

              New caps & finials were placed on posts around the estate...

                           

New transplanted boxwood - North Portico

 

The random-width tiles look really great!

                     

Monday 05.13.2013

After a delightful Mother's Day Weekend, with only the Cottage roofers on site, Monday greeted us with temps in the upper 30's!!--just a reminder from Mother Nature that she is still in charge.

On site today:

Sherry - the usual; SY - mostly usual!! office, errands, tele., ring-master, etc.
Josh and Greg in the Main House attic - asking for another 100 bags to haul off the old insulation!
Kevin Wagget tiling at the Studio
Verizon technician quickly resolved the dead telephone line issue!
Rusty Lilly reviewing transplanting with Grelen and SY

The copper details look great!

Dave, Burton, and Ramone  (our roofers) pressing hard on the Cottage Roof work to be ready for guests this weekend!

                       
    Four guest art students attending an on-site             workshop instructed by Karen Blair who         
                    once lived at the Farm House for a year.

                        
          





Grelen Nursery workers planting, transplanting, etc.

Periwinle magically appeared today!

One of our hardest working crews

Lights out (in just a few minutes) .. the close of a wonderful day at Ramsay!

Friday 05.10.2013

Early morning sunshine got us off to a good start with another busy day at Ramsay.

Onsite today:

Sherry - Main House, Prive bath, errands for SY
SY - office, errands, directing the storm. Had a little 'tractor therapy' late in the afternoon!
Tim Scarborough - the mowing crew hit the turf at 7am
Josh and Greg - continuing to clean insulation from the attic of the Main House. When the heat in the attic got to be too much in the early afternoon, they helped with some chores around the estate. A Big Help!!
Dave, Ramone and Burton - roofing at the Guest Cottage
Kevin Wagget -  tiling at the Studio
John Davis (PROLINK) -  troubleshooting the internet issues at the Guest Cottage. Jim Bailey is planning to come up next Tuesday to lend the Master's Touch to the problem. We must have internet access at the Guest Cottage for guests coming in for UVA Graduation next weekend!
Brian Greenfield - turf expert, meeting with SY and Rachel Lilly re: Garden Lawn
Mike Herring - and Ronnie installing two small sections of old fence at Cottage Lane entrance.

We have some new residents--just born yesterday-- down by the Weeping Willow Pond in the south pasture: (You may need to enlarge for a closer view)

And then there were six!!

 ...and Mother Nature continues to add flourishing touches...

Thursday 05.09.2013

The clouds moved out over night and the morning brought us a few hours of blue sky and sunshine before clouding up again for a while... but NO RAIN!!! The afternoon was glorious!!

Beautiful from every angle

Like the countryside of England!

Taken while mowing the pasture

On site today:
Josh and Greg continuing in the main house attic
Dave and Ramone continuing on the roof at the cottage
Davis Appliance repairman at the Farm House re: refrigerator ice maker
Joyce (Guesthouses) taking photos

Wednesday 05.08.2013

The constant downpours continued through the night and well into the morning. We did have a break from the rain--even a few streaks of blue sky around 5pm--but the forecast still calls for showers well into tomorrow afternoon.

On site today:
Sherry - the usual
SY -the usual: office, errands to BRBS, Post Office, Lowes, Ford dealership in Waynesboro. They were " ...not able to reproduce the problem!" Telephone discussions and trouble-shooting with Jim Bailey re: no internet at the Guest Cottage. PROLINK technician coming out tomorrow afternoon.

                                               Did a little research on post caps and finials:






Josh Frazier and Greg Wood - continuing to clean out the attic. Clay found a source--someone wanting to insulate a mountain cabin-- to recycle a good bit of the insulation we've removed from the attic so far.
Kevin Wagget - continues tiling the Studio shower walls.Tedious work when all is not square and plumb!
Dave and Ramone (roofers) did manage to run between the raindrops late morning to start the shingles up the main center portion of the cottage roof.

Starting to look really good!

Don Wright came by to check on Bessie (our aging Belted Galloway) who has been lying down more than usual recently. "She seems OK." Don reports, "...maybe she's just tired of carrying around all that wet hair from all this rain!"
Rachel Lilly re: measuring for additional metal edging along the Farm House Lane and repositioning a maple tree in the Barn Yard.

Tuesday 05.07.2013

The rain began Sunday evening and has continued--quite heavily at times--through this evening. We were treated to some of our first thunder and lightning here at Ramsay earlier tonight! We have received 2"+ of rain at this point, with predictions of an additional 1"-3" before the front moves out Thursday.

On site today:
 
Sherry - the ususal
Josh Frazier and Greg Wood - cleaning out the attic
Kevin Wagget - tiling the Studio shower walls

Primarily because of the weather, the major renovation work on the formal garden and walkways will be delayed.

Soaking up the rain!

             
In just a few weeks, this beauty near the
rose garden will most likely be relocated!

"We've only just begun!"

 

Josh Frazier --assisted by Greg Wood to move things along--is making good progress removing old insulation and "who knows what?" from the attic of the Main House. This pile of trash is only the beginning...



With the heavy rain and low clouds dampening our view the last few days, it's good to remind ourselves what it looks like here in the bright sunshine!!!

Ramsay in the Spring!

Lights out and lock down at 9:15pm... all is well...and WET!!

Monday May 6, 2013

Weekend Report -- A nice quiet weekend with TS here overnight Friday.

We did manage to get a little work done as well, as Dave, Burton, and Ramone from Goodloe & Roberts Roofers started applying the new faux slate.

The random width tiles look great!

And Kevin Kennedy--our free lance carpenter--replaced some water damaged facia and crown molding on the north side...

The new copper drip edge is a nice touch.

The work went much better under the                                         
supervision of our Three Amigos, and...               Spring has arrived on Cottage Lane!

Obie, Buster and Laddie

An explosion of Spirea!!

 

Monday April 6, 2013

Sherry on site. 
John Davis from PROLINK, C'ville repaired a damaged CAT 5 underground cable
Kevin begins the wall tile at the Studio,

The long, tedious prep work is done...

9:30pm lock down and all is well on another beautiful, rain-filled day at Ramsay.