Monday, January 19, 2015

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!!

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Happy New Year

From all of us at the Ramsay Estate in Greenwood

2015

Ramsay - January 1, 2015

Milton Barn Group - January 1, 2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Farm House - January 1, 2015

 

 

Farm House - Christmas Morning 2014

Haley Ann visiting Nana & Grandpa - Christmas '14

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Merry Christmas
from
Ramsay

Estate House view from Cottage Lane entrance

Things are relatively quiet here for the holidays. We have guests visiting from California 

staying in the Guest Cottage. They think they've died and gone to Heaven!

We haven't had any snow yet this season, so what follows is a selection

 of photos from previous winter seasons here at the estate..

Feeding time on a wintry afternoon

Driveway cleared--ready for traffic

Christmas card prospect!

View from the Farm House

"Hey! We could use a little bird seed out here!"

First snowfall 2012

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Winter is right around the corner...

Mother Nature - lot's of bark, no bite the last two weeks.

Typical early-winter weather in Central Virginia has teased us with temps in the high 60's and ice on the pond--all within less than 32 hours last week. Threatening skies like those pictured above have been the norm the last week-ten days, but we've had very little precipitation. The long range forecast for this coming Saturday mentions the "S" word, but we'll believe it when we see it!

The dawn's early light...

Following a very busy summer and fall, the winter months find activity slowing down a bit on the estate--a blessed relief! But there are still some good projects in the works, and the Grigg Barn project continues to progress nicely. The new septic field has been installed..

.

... and the former "milking room" of the barn is being converted to bathrooms where the new plumbing rough-in is 90% complete.

Another project just completed prior to the hard winter freeze sets in, was the installation of new sod at the main entrance to the estate. We maintain the grounds outside the front entrance, but technically, the land  is a right-of-way for the state. Heavy utility vehicles accessing the utility lines along the southern perimeter of the property have damaged the lawn over time. Ramsay has a beautiful entrance, and we wanted to spruce things up a bit. The great folks from Grelen Nursery (Orange, VA) were on site yesterday and worked their magic.

1- Tilling the soil

2- Grading, applying fertilizer and topsoil

3- Rolls of sod

4- One row at a time

5- Like stitching together a quilt

6- Almost done

7- Finishing touches

Most afternoons this time of the year, Mother Nature outdoes herself with displays of color and intensity at sunset. Along with a number of our Greenwood and Valley neighbors, we share glorious sunset pictures like these on Facebook--a small but poignant expression of the joy and company of good neighbors!

Dana - Our New Beltie!

Our most recent news post reported the death of Bessie--of one our Belted Galloways. Since that time, we have loaned Star and Toby to the main south pasture to keep Beulah company. (See previous post) All of our Greenwood neighbors know and love the "Ramsay Cows" or the "Oreo Cows" as the children call them, and many have asked about the missing cow the last two weeks.

Now, we're pleased to announce the arrival of Dana--

a registered BG from Gladstone, Virginia who joined us right after lunch today.

Our first glimpse of Dana!

The day Bessie died, I (Stephen) was in Crozet having coffee with a friend who we hadn't seen in several years. She was not up to date on my position here at Ramsay. At one point, I had to take a call on my cell. After a brief conversation, I hung up and said, "Sorry, I'm going to have to go. One of our cows just died!" She laughed and said, "Wow, your life really has changed, hasn't it!?" Little does she know...

That's Dana on the left

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

R.  I.  P.

Bessie - the cow

Bessie (foreground)--one of our Belted Galloways--went to that big green pasture in the sky today around lunchtime. I'm mostly a horse-guy, but had gotten pretty attached to these two girls the past two years. Many of our Greenwood neighbors will remember the time these two got loose overnight and wandered 2 miles down Rt. 250 to Lebanon Church (apparently they heard there was a prayer meeting!) The circus-like parade we formed two days later when we "ran" them back up Rt. 250 to Ramsay was the major topic at the Post Office for a week! 

For those who pass by frequently, and are acquainted with "The Ramsay Cows" or the "Oreo Cows" as some call them, please know that we hope to have another BG on site soon. In the meantime, Beulah, the one remaining, will have Toby and Star to keep her company.

Sunday, November 30, 2014

All the leaves are gone...

The famous Ramsay view NW - November 30, 2014

Thanksgiving Week is often the time that Mother Nature begins the transition from Fall to Winter in this part of the world. This past week was textbook!  Early in the week, the weather people called for the first major winter storm to blast the east coast from the mid-Atlantic to New England. Our local forecast called for 2"-4" on Wednesday, but once again, the Blue Ridge Mountains proved a formidable barrier. We had no snow at Ramsay at all, but could see it falling on the mountains to the west and north. This was the view on Thanksgiving morning. 

First snow on the Skyline Drive

I (Stephen) zipped over the mountain late Wednesday to see what our friends on Facebook were saying about snow in the Valley. They did receive about 4" of snow there.

Heading east down Afton Mountain -- Wednesday afternoon

All the livestock are demanding additional food now that the pastures are fading for the winter. At the first sign of human movement early in the morning, the horses whinny and the cows bellow just to make sure we haven't forgotten them! Good thing we have chickens and no roosters!

"Can't you see we can't pose right now! We're eating, please!"

The major project underway up at the Grigg Barn continues to move along well. (See earlier post) The excavators have completed grading the second pad, and seed and straw matting are in place for the winter. There may be enough warm days for the seed to germinate before the serious cold weather sets in. But even so, some blankets of snow during the winter will work wonders on the seed over the winter, resulting in an explosion of green in early Spring.

The installation of restrooms in the Grigg Barn has required quite a bit of ground work for the plumbers and electricians. We rushed to get most of that work completed before Thanksgiving. 

New water line to the Grigg Barn

Chuck, Todd, and Matt

A procession of earth movers

New power line to the leveled pads

Preparing for pipes

New sewer system coming to life

There are numerous tasks involved in preparing the estate--the grounds in particular--for the oncoming winter weather with its challenges and surprises! Too numerous to mention them all, but here are just a few: Care of the animals with food, water, and shelter is paramount. There are four residences that require constant attention to the heating systems, and a number of places that require supplemental heat sources to prevent water pipes from freezing. Back-up generators are maintained and monitored constantly.  Farm equipment must be kept in good operating order, ready for bad weather and snow removal. Keeping the main house, guest cottage, and outdoor fireplace well-stocked with firewood seems never-ending. With no fish to sustain for this winter, we drained the small fish pond and plan to restock a fresh crew next spring. A protective cover is being custom-made.

We have enlisted Stefanie Newman-- http://artrestorationinva.blogspot.com/ --an artist who specializes in restoration work (see earlier post), to restore the beautiful painting that hangs over the fireplace in the library in the Estate House. Early last week, Stephen painstakingly removed the painting from the larger frame to deliver it to Stefanie so she can begin her magic!

Stefanie testing the canvas

Have Painting--Will Travel!

The early winter sky produces some magnificent sunsets that enhance the already 

wonderful views here at Ramsay. We leave you with these three.