Wednesday 10.30.2013

This is my (SY) 61st Fall in Albemarle County...

(one in California that hardly counted!)

...and this is the latest in the season that I can recall

  the leaves not yet in full glorious color!

We mustn't give up hope though...

and in the meantime, what is on 

display  'ain't bad at all.'

Ellipse north of the Parterre Garden

 Patsy's handiwork continues to dazzle us!!

On site today:

Sherry

SY

Kevin Kennedy - redeeming the Mud Room porch steps

Chris & Todd - electricians, finishing details at the Carriage House

Henry Smith,  GC re: beginning major work on the exterior of the Main House

Tuesday 10.29.2013

Although the brilliant fall colors we love to see are still about a week away, 

 the general hue of the landscape is decidedly fall like .

View from the north lawn

If the schedule comes together, we will soon have

scaffolding set up along the south side of the Main House

as we undertake a major facelift of the residence.

In the meantime, Kevin is replacing the treads, risers,

and fascia board on the Mud Room porch

 

Taking away the old...

...and priming the new!

 

 

 

Thursday 10.24.2013

Overnight temperatures have been flirting with

the mid-thirties--and are forecast to drop below freezing

overnight for the first time this fall.

Frost advisory for 3am-10am tomorrow morning.

The cold front moving through this afternoon made quite a 

contrast from noontime sun and bright clouds...

Guest Cottage (Post card contender!)

...to dramatic early winter cloud patterns and dropping temperatures!

Looking east...

...and south.

J&A Painters sprucing up the south pasture fences.

Lewis--Patsy's able and good-natured gardening assistant--came to

work this morning sporting a "new doo" that we had to share with you!!

Lewis & Patsy

On site today:

Guests at the Cottage

SY

Kevin Kennedy

Richard King

Lewis & Patsy

Jessica Beverage - assessing the winter prep for the fish pond.

Piedmont mowing crew

Monday 10.21.13

The good rain we received two weeks ago 

was a shot in the arm to the lawns and shrubs that

were going brown prematurely.

Walkway to Guest Cottage

New lawn north of the Parterre Garden

Fresh cut today before fertilizer application

Late afternoon soaking after fertilizing

North Portico 09.23.13

North Portico 10.21.13

Kevin's custom copper work for deck column caps

On site today:

Sherry & Stephen

Kevin Kennedy

Richard King

Chris & Todd-electricians

Guest Cottage guests from Atlanta here for the week!

Tuesday & Wednesday 10.15,16.2013

The temperatures are still quite mild,

but the unmistakable signs of fall surround us.

Cottage Lane

Most likely our last mowing, earlier today (W)

The Farm House porch

2-day mushrooms!! (A little wet last week!)

Obie - checking out the herb garden!

Kevin & Richard - finishing touches on the CH deck

Monday 10.14.2013

Today marked six consecutive days of mist, rain and showers
  that have temporarily restored the beautiful Ramsay grounds.

This morning we awoke to gray skies once again....

Ramsay's Star grazing, and Tiverton cattle on yonder hill...

The Guest Cottage at dusk Saturday evening...

 

 

 

  Over the weekend, we had

 guests from California & Texas

 staying at the Guest Cottage...

 

 

Snuggy space on a rainy weekend!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And a young couple from Richmond

celebrating their first wedding anniversary 

staying in the new Carriage House 

guest quarters...

Friday 10.11.2013

We had a number of major projects that required

the better part of the summer to complete.

Primary among them was the renovation of the

brick walkways around the Main House, the
Parterre Garden, and the path to the Guest Cottage.

These pictures tell the story of the path

from the ellipse to the Guest Cottage...

(1) Removing old brick - mid June

(2) Modifying old ellipse/rose garden - late June

(3) Establishing new ellipse - early/mid July

(4) Establishing new path - early August

(5) Laying new walk to Cottage - mid/late August

(6) Spreading new top soil - early September

(7) Placing new sod - early September

(8) Grass seed begins to sprout - late September

(9) 6pm this evening!!! 10.11.2013

Thursday 10.10.2013

Today is best summed up in the following

2,000 words!!

This shot is postcard worthy for sure...

View from the Farm House deck window...

Sherry and SY holding down the misty fort today. 

 In addition to guests at the  Cottage this weekend, we will 

host our first guests in the new Carriage House apartment.

 It's a bit sparse on furnishings at the moment, but the 

charm and setting will provide adequate distraction!!

This is the view from the Carriage House deck!!

Wednesday 10.09.2013

Tuesday afternoon...

The last vestiges of Summer linger over the landscape northeast of the Main House. Much needed rain is falling again this evening (8:30pm as I write) and is forecast to continue through to the weekend. Although the leaves have just begun to turn, the afternoon light and cooler temps announce and celebrate the arrival of Fall!!

View from north portico of the Main House

Kevin Kennedy, our master carpenter and Richard King  our loyal handy man held forth on the Carriage House deck today while Sherry continued prepping the Guest Cottage for guests coming in this weekend.

Snap shot from early September...

Our new neighbors, John and Brenda Plantz paid a visit this afternoon with relatives from out of state, and enjoyed a tour of the grounds. And a good friend came out to exercise the horses late in the day. 

"What's that, Dad?.... Go to the barn?"

"OK Dad, whatever you say!"

Monday 10.07.2013

Susan greets the lapping waves at VA Beach!

The weekend found Susan and Stephen enjoying a brief dash

to VA Beach--a well-deserved little break after the crush of

activity in August & September! A small world found them

greeting some good friends from Crozet, staying in the same

beach-side hotel and having breakfast at the same time in

 the hotel Diner on Saturday morning!

Upon returning late Sunday afternoon, we found Bessie & Beulah 

hard at work being the "Ramsay Cows"acting as though nothing of 

any import had happened during our absence.

This morning (Monday) brought us some long-needed rain--

not nearly as much as forecast, but enough to take the edge

off the dry grounds and gardens, keep our workers away
 for the day, and begin driving the leaves from the trees.
 Fall is knocking at the door!

The view from our Farm House deck

Sunday evening sunset

.

Thursday 10.03.2013

Last week, Monday - Saturday, we had a cumulative

 total of over 100 people working at the estate--and the resulting  

Farm Dinner on Saturday evening was spectacular!

 

This week (including tomorrow) the cumulative total will be twenty!

The pace of "business-as-usual" is nice and genuinely welcome.

(But the "buzz" of last week was pretty cool!)

 

This week there was actually some time to

 welcome the morning...

 behold some of our handiwork...

...and consider offering some equine counseling for Monty and Star 

who have apparently chosen to go their separate ways!