Cover Story

Adapted by Keswick Life

HISTORY

In 1901, William duPont purchased the Montpelier estate, located four miles west of the Town of Orange, in Virginia’s Piedmont Region. It was the lifelong home of James Madison, the fourth President of the United States, and his wife Dolley. William and his wife Annie, made substantial changes to the house, enlarging it, renovating the formal garden, and adding many outbuildings and stables. Mr. duPont’s daughter, Marion duPont Scott, an accomplished horsewoman, inherited the property from her parents and resided at Montpelier until her death in 1983, at which time the duPont family transferred the property to the National Trust For Historic Preservation. Montpelier was declared a National Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. It was included in the Madison-Barbour Rural Historic District in 1991. The National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) has owned and operated the estate since 1984. In 2000, The Montpelier Foundation formed with the goal of transforming James Madison’s historic estate into a dynamic cultural institution. From 2003–2008 the NTHP carried out a major restoration, in part to return the mansion to its original size of 22 rooms as it was during the years when it was occupied by James and Dolley Madison. Extensive interior and exterior work was done during the restoration.Recently, archeological investigations have revealed new information about African-American life at the plantation. Thanks to a generous gift from philanthropist David Rubenstein, Montpelier is restoring the slave quarters in the South Yard, and finalizing a groundbreaking exhibition on slavery, The Mere Distinction of Colour, opening Spring 2017.

Mrs. Scott with the help of her brother, William duPont, Jr., transformed Montpelier into a first class Thoroughbred breeding and racing facility, building a state of the art steeplechase course and a flat training track. In 1929, Marion duPont Scott started The Montpelier Hunt Races on the front lawn of James Madison’s home. As an owner, Mrs. Scott bred a series of winners from excellent Thoroughbred bloodlines. In 1932, her horse Trouble Maker won the Maryland Hunt Cup, regarded as America’s most challenging timber race, and in 1938, her horse Battleship, a son of Man o’ War, became the first American bred and owned horse to win the British Grand National Steeplechase. Other winners campaigned under her French blue, old rose and silver colors were Mongo, Accra and Annapolis, another son of Man o’ War.
Regarded by many as America’s First Lady of Racing, Marion duPont Scott generously supported the equine industry throughout her life. She donated funds to construct Virginia’s leading equine medical center in Leesburg, which is named in her honor. Her legacy continues with the running of the Montpelier Races, a premier event on the National Steeplechase Association’s circuit, which is always held on the first Saturday in November.

RACES TODAY

Montpelier Hunt Races hosts seven races. The hurdle course features the only live brush jumps in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The first race post time is 12:30 PM and the last race usually begins around 4:30PM. Two races are on the flat and five are over fences. The premier race is the sixth race and is run over Montpelier’s signature live brush fences. Most races are over 2 miles and the horses make over two turns around the course. Viewing is available right at the rail and is exhilarating beyond belief.

Watching the horses being saddled and walked in the paddock is also popular with spectators. A traditional presentation is made in the Winner’s Circle below the Race Tower for the winning horse, jockey and trainer.

Jockey’s silks distinguish the owners and are described in your race program. Other information about the horses, their recent race record, th Eweight they will be carrying, their color, sex and breeding are also included in the Race Program.

Many other events happen during the race day. Jack Russell Terrier Races – near the flat track at 10:30 AM. Stick Horse Races For children 2-11, on the Racecourse in front of the Race Tower.

A Tailgate Contest has no entry fee, just let the office know prior to race day that you would like to be judged, we need your. Great prizes and lots of fun ! The Hat Contest is always a big hit and right after the second race on the racecourse in front of the Race Tower. Judged on elegance, or best race theme, even a group prize! Sponsored by Dubarry of Ireland.

More information can be found on our Race Day Information page and Facebook. 540-672-0014 or email [email protected]

By Keswick Life Staff

Paul Wilson was born in South Shields (near Newcastle) in the northeast of England, his wife Yvonne was born in a small town some 40 miles north in the small town of Ashington (close to the Scottish border) and last but not least, Giacomo, who was born in Rome, Italy. Paul always had Terriers and Sighthounds from an early age. Most weekends, and when not at school, were spent with the dogs and ferrets hunting rabbits and rats and any other critters they could find. He also loves to fish, being brought up on the coast of the North Sea. Fishing since a child and more recently learning to fly fish. When not doing that, Paul enjoys photography and also likes to draw (less so in recent years, much to his wife’s chagrin).

His Border Terriers and Whippets have been successful in the show ring, having achieved Best Puppy in Show at the prestigious Purina National (the Canadian equivalent of Westminster). The same dog has gone on to be a multiple Best In Show winner. Paul and Yvonne ship terriers all around the world, most recently, two dogs that went to Finland have done very well showing.

Yvonne and Giacomo are both crazy about Eventing. Yvonne has worked for some of the top Eventing Yards in the UK and has also worked for the Aga Khan in his breeding facility when we lived in Ireland. She has competed to Intermediate level and is a very good natural horsewoman, Whipping-in to Paul for the last 17 years — she loves her hunting! Giacomo also loves to event and has competed at lower levels on a paint horse he made himself and also his mother’s old horse, Bebe. He too loves to hunt and is a good little rider.

Paul whipped-in for several packs as a younger man learning his trade, starting with the East Devon Hunt and then the Modbury Harriers, from the southwest to the northwest to the Vale of Lune Harriers. They hunt hares in the Lake District and Lancashire. Great little active hounds and beautiful stone wall country. From the Harriers, then Whipped-in to the most northerly registered pack of Foxhounds, the Fife where he learned a lot from the Huntsman Marc Dradge who went on to be Ben Hardaway’s Huntsman at Midland. Then Ireland next, to the Kildare. The country was very challenging to cross, lots of double banks and ditches!
In Rome , Paul had his first Huntsman’s position which was a fantastic life experience. The country was varied and trappy, you needed a good horse to get you about the Campagna Romana. The hounds in Rome were “unconventional” in that they weren’t English hounds. They had some English but also, had some Bloodhound/Foxhound crosses, as well as Anglo-Francais. Paul loved the Anglo-Francais, they remind me very much of the American Foxhound — fabulous cry, and accurate noses.

From Rome, he went to North America where he had a brief spell in Pennsylvania, followed by two great seasons at the Hamilton Hunt, and ending up in London where he has been for ten seasons, having some of the best hunting he has ever had. However, as much fun as hunting coyotes has been in big, open, arable countryside, Paul yearned to hunt foxes back on grass, which has now come to fruition.

By Keswick Life

On July 17th, 2017, for the first time in 55 years, the southbound Amtrak train from Washington, DC to Charlottesville, stopped at the former Keswick Station, actually Hunt Club Road. Two of Keswick Hall & Golf Club’s repeat guests “de-trained” and were greeted by staff, friends and Keswickians Mr. Donald Skinner, a 37 year employee with Amtrak arranged the historic stop.

He was recently described by Dave Harris, retired Amtrak, as “not only dedicated, but tenacious, detail oriented whole never forgetting to take his eye’s off the “big picture” concerning his responsibilities of the position entrusted to him”. He continued, “Don is definately on of my best [Amtrak Heros]”.

Mr. Skinner told friends and Keswick staff if he was going to end his 37 years with Amtrak, he wanted to end it here with us. Mr. Skinner and friends have been frequent guests of Keswick Hall and Golf Club for over 16 years.

The Keswick Hall & Golf Club team decided to capture this special moment for Mr. Skinner and presented the video at his departure. We thought you might enjoy as well.

Looking Back at Keswick Station

The building Little Keswick School uses as a dining hall was once the Keswick train station. The train tracks used to pass close to it and curve around like the highway does. You can see the old track bed on Vicky Collins’ property. You can see the foundation of the old bridge across the creek, across from David Ordel’s. I believe they straightened out the tracks to their present line shortly after WWII. In the movie Giant, shot in the mid 1950s, the train stopped at the “new” depot, the cinderblock building across from Springdale.

Charlotte Rafferty told me, and I’ve also read in newspaper articles, that the train would stop next to the lower ring (the upper ring wasn’t built until the 1950s) to pick up and drop off spectators in the show’s early days.

– Barclay Rives

Mary Barbin called Peggy Augustus’ mother and told her she would be passing by Keswick on the train  and would like to see the horse that they had for sale. As the train slowed, Mary Barbin was standing on the rail of the back car, and after catching a glimpse of the horse “Captain Lawton”, she called to Peggy’s mother “Ill take him”.   Another time, Peggy remember a group of Texans had rented a train car and when the train passed the Keswick Horse showgrounds (which at that time was only located at the lower ring ) , the  Texans saw the horse show  and made the train stop to go see horse show.

– Peggy Augustus

By Keswick Life Staff

We hope you’re in the midst of enjoying the first month of summer, now that we’ve put a pesky and sometimes rainy spring firmly in the rearview mirror. Summer’s officially here and time to crank up the grill, gather our friends, and spend the whole day outside. And though hamburgers will always have a special place in our grilling-obsessed hearts, we’re declaring this summer the perfect time for hot dog parties.

In 1987, the city of Frankfurt celebrated the 500th birthday of the hot dog in that city.

It’s said that the frankfurter was developed there in 1487, five years before Christopher Columbus set sail for the new world. The people of Vienna, (Wien), Austria, point to the term “wiener” to prove their claim as the birthplace of the hot dog. As it turns out, it is likely that the North American hot dog comes from a wide-spread common European sausage brought here by butchers of several nationalities. Also in doubt is who first served the dachshund sausage with a roll. One report says a German immigrant sold them, along with milk rolls and sauerkraut, from a push cart in New York City’s Bowery during the 1860’s. In 1871, Charles Feltman, a German baker, opened up the first Coney Island hot dog stand selling 3,684dachshund sausages in a milk roll during his first year in business.

The year 1893 was an important date in hot dog history.

In Chicago that year, the Colombian Exposition brought hordes of visitors who consumed large quantities of sausages sold by vendors. People liked this food that was easy to eat, convenient and inexpensive. Hot dog historian Bruce Kraig, Ph.D., retired professor emeritus at Roosevelt University, says the Germans always at the dachshund sausages with bread. Since the sausage culture is German, it is likely that Germans introduced the practice of eating the dachshund sausages, which we today know as the hot dog, nestled in a bun.

Standard fare at horse shows. 

Also in 1904, hot dogs became the standard fare at the Keswick Horse Show. This tradition is believe to have been started by Keswickians, and others ,who had a love for a good wiener.

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• 1 lb. hot dog
• 8 brioche hot dog buns

Turkey Chili

• 1 cup red onion
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 1/4 pounds ground turkey

Split each hot dog lengthwise, and arrange split-side up in shallow pan. Lightly butter inside of bun and heat in pan.

Arrange hot dogs in buns, spoon chili and celery relish over top. Enjoy summer!

By Winkie Motley

The beginning of Historic Garden Week dates to 1927, when a flower show organized by the Garden Club of Virginia raised an impressive $7,000 to save trees planted by Thomas Jefferson on the lawn at Monticello.

The Garden Club of Virginia operates as a non-profit organization comprised of 47 member clubs and 3,400 volunteers. Proceeds from Historic Garden Week fund the restoration and preservation of Virginia’s historic public gardens, provide graduate level research fellowships and a Garden Club of Virginia Centennial project with Virginia State Parks.

Since the first statewide tour, over $17 million has been contributed to these worthwhile causes. Coming originally from England, early Virginians brought with them an inherent love of the land. They created splendid plantations with noble homes and handsome gardens. Without organized protection of this irreplaceable inheritance, the Garden Club of Virginia foresaw its inevitable destruction. Starting in 1929, they made it their most important work to preserve our state’s historic public gardens. From Monticello, Mount Vernon, Bacon’s Castle, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, to the State Arboretum in Winchester, to name just a few – a full diversity of gardens is represented in our projects.

Since 1920 the Garden Club of Virginia has grown from eight founding clubs to 47 clubs with over 3,300 members. It is the coordinated efforts of these talented volunteers, along with the generosity of over 200 private home owners across our Commonwealth, who make Historic Garden Week possible. The Garden Club of Virginia’s horticultural programming and flower shows inspire one of Historic Garden Week’s greatest attractions, the world-class floral arrangements created by club members featured in every home on tour. We estimate over 2,300 will be created especially for Historic Garden Week this spring.

Historic Garden Week in

Orange – “Antebellum Orange”

Saturday April 22nd, ticket Information (Ticket includes admission to all 5 properties.)Tickets: $35 pp. Available tour day only at Market at Grelen, 15091 Yager Road, Gordonsville. Advance Tickets: $30 pp at www.vagardenweek.org. Available locally until noon on April 21 at Elmwood at Sparks and The Arts Center of Orange in Orange and at the Laurie Holladay Shop and Colonial Florist in Gordonsville. By mail through April 10. Checks payable to DMGC with a stamped, self-addressed, legal-sized envelope to: Jacque Johnson, 22386 Village Road, Unionville, VA 22567. $15 pp bag lunches from The Market at Grelen at www.themarketatgrelen.com. Orders required by April 17. Pick up between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. (540) 672-7268. This is a driving tour. Parking is available at The Market at Grelen, Monteith, Edgewood and Merriwood. Spotswood Lodge is only accessible by shuttle. Pick up at The Market at Grelen from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and drop off from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Market at Grelen is located at 15091 Yager Road, Gordonsville, 22942. Directions to Headquarters (The Market at Grelen), Maps will be available as part of the local brochure posted online at www.dolleymadisongardenclub.org. Also via a link at www.vagardenweek.org.

Monteith:

18454 Monteith Farm Road, Gordonsville, 22942

The house, a two-story building over an English basement with a hipped roof, is thought to have been built by the local master builder Major William A. Jennings (c.1844). Built on an L-shaped plan, the brick structure retains most of the original Greek Revival woodwork including the marbleized mantels. Painted to resemble real stone, this technique was popular in the mid-1800s. Noteworthy is the “maiden staircase” which prevented slaves from entering the front of the house; they had to enter through a door that led to the roof. False windows, apparent from the exterior, are placed to maintain symmetry. The property includes a slave cemetery and a civil war encampment. The current owners have worked to restore the landscape and create a wildlife and pollinator habitat through reforestation. Twenty acres of fallow fields were converted to wildflower and native, warm-season grass meadows. The surrounding area includes a peony and herbaceous border, a secret fountain garden, a formal boxwood-walled herb and tea garden, plus a Greek Revival chicken coop with vegetable and cutting gardens. The Passarellos are committed to preserving local native plant and vegetable varieties as well as keeping rare and North American Heritage breed chickens. Carla and Kevin Passarello, owners.

Edgewood Miller Farm:

5291 Scuffletown Road, Barboursville, 22923

Built by William F. Brooking in 1852 and constructed by Jennings, this brick house is two stories over an English basement with two large rooms on each floor.  There is a hall and stairs running inside the front of the house. Closed shutters on the west side are false windows. This is similar to the design of Monteith in nearby Gordonsville and used to balance to the exterior. A front porch and frame expansion to the back of the home are 20th- and 21st-century additions. The kitchen was added by previous owners and renovated in 2011. The Millers added a high-tech media room in the English basement and updated many of the outbuildings on the property, including a guest house with an indoor/outdoor stone fireplace, a sunken garden and a garage with an office above it designed in the French Country style. They designed and constructed the chicken palace, too. A state-of-the-art horse barn is home to sport horses that are boarded and trained, as well as three thoroughbred rescue horses. Outside the main house is a brick oval patio surrounded by raised beds. Up the hill to the left is a deer-proof, raised-bed garden. Everything from from tomatoes, lettuces, raspberries, blackberries and beans are grown there organically. To the right is the field garden, which contains even more vegetables. The 243-acre property is in conservation easement and contains a new greenhouse. Barbara and David Miller, owners.

Merriwood:

A 12384 Merriewood Drive , Somerset

The original section is a brick house built in 1856 by Major William A. Jennings, who built many houses in the area. In this elegant structure, his own residence, Jennings constructed a commanding version of the Greek Revival style. Restored to his original floor plan, the rooms in this section are just as they were in the 19th century. Doors, glass, window molding and decorative carvings are intact. Of interest is the Jennings family graveyard located on the property. In 1998 the current owners commissioned William Ryall, a New York architect, to design a frame addition. The new wing is light-filled and airy, and complements the original house. Furnishings include family pieces, as well as a mix of English and American antiques. In the music room is a noteworthy Sheraton secretary that belonged to Mrs. Collins’ great-great-grandfather and a Steinway grand piano from the Manhattan townhouse of Mr. Collins’ great-grandfather, which was a Christmas present to his daughter in 1888. A portrait of Mrs. Collins’ great-great-great-grandmother hangs above the mantel in the dining room; three portraits of Mrs. Collins’ great-aunt show her as a child, as an 18-year-old, and as a Red Cross nurse in World War I. A charming playhouse on the grounds is furnished as a child’s kitchen. Charles J. Stick designed the garden viewed from the first-floor addition. James Collins and Virginia Donelson Collins, owners.

Spotswood Lodge:

16280 Blue Ridge Turnpike. Gordonsville, 22942

Set on an 11-acre property with a pond in front, the traditionally styled main house has been added onto multiple times but the exact date of construction is unknown. The original one-over-one (the current dining room and one of the upstairs bedrooms) is the oldest part of the house and probably dates to the late 1700s. The main house and cottage has eight bedrooms, seven full baths and numerous living spaces. Originally a single-family home, and later a B&B, the property was purchased by the owners of The Market At Grelen and renovated to be a farm rental for Grelen brides and others visiting the area. The interiors were re-designed by Leslie Gregg, co-owner of The Market. New bluestone and brick paving and natural fieldstone walls were added to enhance the yard. Overgrown boxwood around the foundation have been replaced with trees and shrubs to soften the house while not blocking its view from the road. The acer triflorum, or “Three-Flower Maple,” in front of house to left of front porch displays beautiful color in autumn. Dan and Leslie Gregg, owners.

“Views of the Blue Ridge: Country Homes & Gardens”:

Sunday, April 23, 2017 Tour 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. features five properties northwest of Charlottesville along Ridge and Garth Roads:  Southfield, Choill Mhor, Midway, The Laing House and Fox Ridge Farm.  There are a variety of architectural styles, gardens and landscape designs that all take advantage of the back-drop of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Southfield:

TheGarden Only The gardens on Southfield’s twenty acres offer a plethora of unique trees, shrubs and perennials. The original one-story home was designed by Thomas Craven in 1982, and patterned after an English manor house. The current owners, who moved here in 1999, have added the outbuildings, the hardscaping, the gardens and the infinity-edged pool. The gardens extend in all directions from the buildings into the largely wooded property, save for the open, pastoral south-facing view to the Blue Ridge in the distance. They were integrated, bed by bed, over the past 17 years into the hardwood and understory trees and azaleas that surround the original house. The owner, a self-proclaimed plant collector, has large collections of unusual native and non-native woodland plants, winter flowering shrubs, flowering trees, Japanese maples and spring flowering bulbs. Paths meander through the woods, and around the house, where whimsical statuary and water features appear at various turns. The extensive informal woodland gardens are augmented by a formal walled parterre garden and innumerable pots and tropicals that extend summer interest. Cathy and Chris Kramer, owners.

Choill Mhor:

Named “great woods” in Gaelic, this English Country Manor home, set on fifty acres just off Garth Road, was built in 2005. The current owners purchased the property in 2014, and immediately set to work on creating gardens and adding dozens of native trees. A new driveway and new bluestone walk up to the front entrance welcome you to the home with a fabulous view of the Blue Ridge mountains from the front door straight through to the back of the house. Perennial gardens were created within the existing brick structure incorporating a traditional boxwood parterre design. Native perennials add year-round interest, and include hellebores, Virginia bluebells, amsonia ,19 peonies in the spring, and baptisia, brunnera, leucanthemum, nepeta, calamintha and a variety of hydranga for continued bloom through the summer and fall. The driveway leading up to the red brick and slate roof house is lined with garden beds added to attract birds, bees and butterflies. Hellebores, plumbago, sweet woodruff, and fringe trees were planted. Dozens of new dogwoods and redbuds supplement the landscape graced by white and red oaks, tulip poplars and magnolias, as well as thousands of daffodils, narcissus and camissia. The formal entry and living room take advantage of natural light streaming in the many windows and french doors. The classic British conservatory serves as a dining room and opens the view to the grand allee through woods to the pond and mountains in the distance. The living room terrace and kitchen terrace provide outdoor entertaining areas and an opportunity to enjoy the gardens in the back of the house. A shade garden filled with ferns and spring ephemerals and many varieties of Bleeding Hearts flourishes under an old oak tree while a pollinator garden blooms all summer under the large oak to the west. While the owners left many acres of the hardwood forest untouched, they added several footpaths to enjoy the great woods at Choill Mhor. Midway An Albemarle county property with extensive Blue Ridge Mountain views, Midway features a farmhouse that dates back to the early 19th century. After receiving a land grant of 715 acres from George II, John Rodes came to Albemarle County in 1749 and the Rodes family remained on the property, adding on to the original farmhouse, well into the 1800s. At the time, Midway was a prosperous hemp, flax and tobacco plantation. Interesting architectural features of the house, dominated by a long two-story gallery, include Flemish-bond brickwork on the façade of the east wing, the mouse-tooth cornice and stepped parapets with corbeled shoulders. The present kitchen wing was added around 1930, replacing what may have been the original 18th century portion of the house. In 1936, a formal garden was laid out based on a design by Charles Gillette. By the late 1980s, the garden had matured beyond its prime and the property’s new owners replanted it according to Gillette’s original plans. One highlight is the roses, which bloom in a continuum of intense to pale color, as recorded in the original blueprint. Mr. and Mrs. Edward J. Kelly, owners

The Laing House:

Located down a wooded drive off Ridge Road, this debut property is a Georgian-influenced “American Country Home.” Custom built in 2007, the painted grey brick house with shake shingle roof overlooks the Moorman’s River. Each light-filled room takes full advantage of the extensive western views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, as do the swimming pool and surrounding gardens. Inside the home, visitors are drawn through the central hallway into the living room and toward the mountain views beyond the blue slate terrace. Artifacts and furnishings collected by the owners during their many years of living in Asia and England include Asian antique furnishings and objets d’art, as well as some of the owner’s own Oriental brushwork paintings. Informal gardens surround the home and wider landscape with many seasonal flowering varieties. The owners have added continually to the gardens over the past nine years, while also salvaging and replanting some of the original material from the previous owner’s gardens, including Japanese maples and azaleas. Springs bulbs such as daffodils, tulips, lilies and crocus add splashes of color to the boxwood and other greenery. A double-blossom dogwood can be found amid the property’s 30 acres, many of which are wooded. A new stable and barn were added in 2010. Mr. and Mrs. Donald Laing, III, owners.

Fox Ridge:

Set on 280 acres with extensive Blue Ridge Mountain views, Fox Ridge is an active equestrian farm, which visitors will notice immediately upon arrival. There are cross-country horse jumps in the front field, a Hunter riding ring, and a 20-stall working barn with close to a dozen horses in residence. The property, like others in the area, is part of the Farmington Hunt Club territory. Further along the tree-lined driveway is Quaker Cottage, the central portion of which is a log cabin that dates back to the 1800s. Next to the cottage, which is currently used as a guest house, is a small cemetery with two graves from 1797, nine unmarked graves, and a Williamsburg-inspired garden. The driveway winds past a small apple orchard and around a very large oak to the main house, a Neo-Georgian red brick home with slate roof. Built in 1945 and remodeled in 2015, the home is decorated with local art. One highlight in the dining room is the Venetian plaster walls installed by a local craftsman. Gardens on the property include a boxwood parterre garden, a vegetable garden, and a boxwood allee with flowering bulbs and shrubs. Planters surround the pool and lower terrace. Hellebores, hostas, daffodils, and lily of the valley line the side driveway.

By Winkie Motley

The weatherman said the other night that we said goodbye to meteorological winter, marking the last of the three coldest months of the year, once the calendars rolled over to March. We’re still a bit away from the official first day of spring and some days still feels very much like winter.

However, Keswick has had a record heat in February with 9 days of temperatures over 70!

Then last week a strong storm blew through Keswick, bringing with it strong winds and heavy rains that downed trees and knocked out power. The storm was part of a line of super-cell thunderstorms that slammed the Midwest Tuesday , spawned tornadoes and destroyed more than 100 homes. Central Virginians enjoyed a second day of record-high temperatures on Wednesday, but that was expected to change overnight as a cold front pushed its way into the region, offering a chance of rain with snow farther north in Pennsylvania.

National Weather Service meteorologists said Wednesday’s temperature hit 71 degrees. That was cooler than Tuesday’s record of 75 degrees, but still 9 degrees higher than the record high of 62 for February 8 that was recorded in 1991. The average high for February in Keswick is about 48 degrees. Meteorologists say they expect a cold front that began to move into the region and cause rain and snow across the Mid-Atlantic into Thursday.

Soon enough it will be time to spring forward!

The first day of Spring is March 20th. At 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 12 Daylight Saving Time will start and last for about eight months this year  you’ll lose an hour of sleep, but the good news is it means there are more hours of daylight every day. Now Daylight saving time is just days away, when clocks will spring forward an hour despite the fact that we’re still in the midst of the winter season.. The Energy Policy Act of 2005, which came into effect two years later, stretched DST from four weeks to five, changing its start date from the first Sunday of April to the second Sunday of March. The rule also changed the end of DST, moving that date from the last Sunday in October to the first Sunday in November, Mass Live noted.Though DST means you’ll be losing an hour of sleep, on the bright side it means that you’ll see the sun shining from the sky for an extra hour, WXYZ noted. Past theories suggest that DST was implemented so that farmers could benefit from more sunlight.

Other theories suggest that a desire to save more energy was one of the main reasons why the time change was originally made.Those are theories that have been passed down from generations, and might not mean as much to millennials. We live in a time where most of us don’t have to worry about setting our clocks forward or backward unless we’re setting an alarm for ourselves. Smartphones, computers and even some automobiles have the ability to change the clocks accordingly all on their own, and that will be the case when DST starts March 12. Soon days will be longer and weather will stay warmer.

Enjoy Spring in Keswick! Go Steeplechasing !

By Colin J. Dougherty

January

As is the tradition, on the cover, was an excellent review of where we have been in 2016! As we began the New Year we wanted readers to take a moment to look back, so we’d pulled together the best from 2016 and put them all in one place. We wished everyone a new year that’s quite simply the best. Key parts of each month’s issue for 2016 were summarized with the highlights to bring it all back to the time or place that has gone too soon or perhaps not soon enough. Most importantly, we took the journey together, as Keswickians.

As Keswickians, we celebrated the life of Hugh Motley, with special contributor Leonard Shapiro writing of the man who loved life, and in turn was loved by so many, truly a character with great spirit right to the very end. The article featured comments and thoughts from many beloved friends and family members that gave a unique insight into this local hero. Shapiro reminded us that, “Yes, he loved horse racing. Most of all, he loved Winkie, his beloved wife of 40 years, and his daughter, Sheila, the gorgeous and multi-talented mom of his precious grandson, Collins. He loved his friends; he loved his family, he loved a party, riding in the hunt, driving an open-top convertible, making birdies and reading a good book, usually with a cold Budweiser nearby.”

Sporting Life, we took a trip with Sandy Rives, Keswick local and special contributor, with Keswickian Hugh Motley of more than 25 years ago, and hundreds of foxhunts since then, but they remember it like it was yesterday. Barclay Rives, Bruce Eckert, Hugh Motley and Sandy Rives loaded up in Hugh Motley’s Imperatore box Horse Van and hit the road!

Life Happens, Mary Morony opened her monthly column with the thought that “there isn’t a man or woman alive today who doesn’t feel the angst of a world operating with little virtue.” We joined the conversation and jotted down our thoughts.

Travel regular columnist, Joe Sheilds took us on a traveling tale to Mossy Creek, near Bridgewater, for some brown trout fishing. But as is often the case the trip takes on a turn in another direction – where life, learning and talking to cows all cross paths with rod and reel.

February

It’s February, Punxsutawney Phil, the Pennsylvania groundhog renowned for his ability to forecast the onset of spring did not see his shadow after emerging from his burrow on that fateful Tuesday morning, predicting an early spring. Phil’s prediction came at about 7:25 a.m. and was met with cheers from a crowd of thousands who participated under a clear sky and 21-degree Fahrenheit (-6.1 Celsius) temperatures in the folk tradition that have been embraced by winter-weary Americans for more than a century. According to legend, if Phil sees his shadow on Groundhog Day, February 2, the cold weather will not loosen its grip on North America for six weeks. But if the morning is cloudy, and no shadow appears, spring-like weather is supposedly around the corner.

We nestled up next to a cozy fire, grabbed our copy of Keswick Life and filled up with the warmth of the latest issue, packed with the practical, hysterical, informative and of course, the ‘Overheard’.  When we dug out, we reported in and told it to Keswick Life.

Life Happens, Mary Morony’s column, says who needs an unreliable groundhog or a top hat sporting member of the Ground Hog Club to foretell the coming of an early spring? Mary Morony sits you down at the kitchen table with her warm and authentic writing style, captures your attention with this funny, witty and telling the tale of change ahead!

Keswickian, Mary Jane Timmerman takes us to a gathering of Keswickians at their Farm, Round Hill, in honor of The Wildlife Center of Virginia and its past and present donors. We all know what a natural treasure Central Virginia is, for us and for the native species that share their habitat with us. Get the details on this particular night of honor and awareness – get involved!

Keswick Scene, see all the goings on in Keswick and the environs with this month’s photo journals on the Keswick Scene – we visited the 2016 Keswick Hunt Ball, the hunt at Mt. Sharon in Horsin Around plus the Keswick Hunt Club’s annual Beer and Bingo night with winner Larry Tharpe!  If you see something happening, be sure to write in and tell Keswick Life!

March

The cover, Spring Has Sprung, each spring visitors are welcomed to over 250 of Virginia’s most beautiful gardens, homes and historical landmarks during “America’s Largest Open House.”

This 8-day statewide event provides visitors a unique opportunity to see unforgettable gardens at the peak of Virginia’s springtime color, as well as beautiful houses sparkling with over 2,000 flower arrangements created by Garden Club of Virginia members. Get all the details for tours in our area by reading our comprehensive guide to the Garden Week!

Only in Keswick, Tony Vanderwarker takes us on a humorous tale of life in Keswick “according to Tony” – Can Westminster Canterbury Be That Far Away?  Growing old isn’t for sissies!

On Stage, the Dave Matthews Band turns 25! On May 11, 1991, the Dave Matthews Band played its first official gig at a warehouse on South Street in downtown Charlottesville. On May 7, the band, which has sold more than 30 million records worldwide in the quarter-century since that first show, will celebrate its silver anniversary in a much larger venue just a few miles away – read all about it in Keswick Life’s On Stage column.

Community, the University of Virginia and the Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello will present their highest honors, the Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medals in Architecture, Law, Citizen Leadership, and Global Innovation during their joint Founder’s Day activities. Read all about it in Keswick Life’s Community section.

Mary Morony’s March column opens with “Spring is positively ripe with metaphor and more so than ever this election year.  I write this in an attempt to sort out my feelings on the political season while delving into spring’s metaphors. I always look forward to spring—likely the season I anticipate most.” Read her unique and warm outlook on her life in “Life Happens.”  Join Mary in the journey!

April

On the cover, It’s Showtime, the 112th Annual Keswick Horse is coming to town. Get Out and enjoy the competition at the historic showgrounds in Keswick and remember the Keswick Horse Show food stand will be serving their fabulous food- breakfast, lunch, and dinner! Get the details of the big event, get out and enjoy and be sure to tell it to Keswick Life!

Keswick Scene, the 82nd Annual Garden Club of Virginia Daffodil Show was on March 30th and March 31st held at the Hampton Roads Convention Center and hosted by the Huntington Garden Club – the results are in along with those from the Keswick Flower Show held at Grace Church, Keswick, Va.

What’s Cooking, Sam Johnson is no stranger to keeping it cool under pressure. He works hunt club events, caters with the best in Charlottesville and pours over the details of elegant Palm Beach weddings all keeping his cool and with a big warm smile. We suspect the culinary interests are inspired by his Mother; Sam has always learned from the best – here is his go to Salmon dish!

Bookworm, mornings are still a bit chilly so it is the perfect time to curl up in bed on my days off with a cup of tea and a few good books to start the day – says Suzanne Nash our book reviewer.  Don’t miss her great reads and tips to keep your appetite high for great books!

Featured Property, Old Manse was built in 1868 by Reverend Dr. Isaac W. K. Handy in his role as Pastor of Orange Presbyterian Church. Of frame construction over a brick foundation capped with a standing seam metal roof, this is a lovely center hall colonial situated on 46 acres inside the town boundaries. Get all the details in our Featured Property section this month!

May

On the cover, Beyond the Gates, the Insiders Guide to the Grace Church Historic Farm Tour! Grace Church Celebrates Seventh Annual “beyond the gates” Farm Tour and Country Fair, Saturday, June 11, 2016, What’s better than a day in the country exploring some of Virginia’s fabulous historic farms? On Saturday, June 11, 2016, visitors are invited “beyond the gates” here they may view the lands and agrarian lifestyles known to some of the nation’s founders and alike! We received a railside preview of Keswick’s Grace Church Farm Tour! Keswick Life’s coverage is the only resource you will need to get all the information you need before you go!

Life Happens, regular columnist Mary Morony shared updates with her devoted readers on the status of Hagar, the Great Dane, on his road to recovery after Wobblers and Cruciate Degeneration Disorder.

Keswickian, Fritz Kundrun running the London Marathon to raise awareness for Brooke USA. Photo courtesy of the London Marathon – the full story in Keswick Scene!

What’s Cooking,  Ann Coles and Norma Ballheim give us a taste of what’s inside the Keswick Garden Club’s 2016 cookbook – take a look and buy a copy!

Community, Summer Camp Guide 2016 in the Keswick area is ready to kick off! It is not too late to get in on the action and give the kiddos something fun and enriching to do for a few hours while you run around town!

June

On the Cover, Two Blind Brothers – One Bold Vision, Keswick ‘sons’ and UVA grads Bradford and Bryan Manning have launched a company with a charitable aim: curing the disease that is robbing them of their sight. We’re very excited about the potential for growth and impact of Two Blind Brothers,” added co-founder Bryan Manning. “We’ve received an outpouring of support from social media and are striving to create a community around the fight for a cure. We have 50,000 hits and counting on a video we recently released on Facebook and have already sold out of popular styles. We’re happy to be producing in New York, creating ethical luxury products that look and feel great.”

Keswick Scene, Farm Tour 2016 – the stage is set, and guests started to arrive, feather banners naming the sponsors billowed in the breeze as cars pulled into the circle at Airslie for valet parking. The night was electric, no really a massive storm was being predicted, and our hope was just to get all those arriving safe inside. Get all the details of the kickoff party, the big day, and the many thank yous to volunteers and sponsors alike!

What’s Cooking, Arnold and Ernest, on the Keswick scene, after sitting down with these two gentlemen it is obvious to see their passion for not only the drinks they create but the people they create them for. They can do it some ways, as the saying goes – straight up, neat on the rocks or if you’re flexible with a twist!

July

On the cover, Butcher, Chef and Partisan! Nate Anda takes his meat seriously: a combination of classic culinary training, immersion in the art of charcuterie, and an unshakable commitment to the tradition of butchery has shaped every aspect of his work.  Read the story of this local son in Keswick Life!

Horsin’ Around, has all the details on our local Keswickians headed to the Olympics, the US Saddle Seat World Cup results, Fitch’s Corner event and so much more! Get all the details of the events, results, and hopes and dreams realized!

Keswickian Ashley Sieg Williams and Chef Brice Cunningham have joined forces to launch Absolute Cuisine, an upscale catering company that is ready to wow you and your guests with innovative, Michelin Star-worthy dishes. Get all the details in this month’s ‘What’s Cooking”, plan a party and tell all about it in Keswick Life!

Bookwork, so if you are in the mood for literary indulgence take a trip to the library and grab a selection of titles to tempt you into some late night reading – Suzanne Nash brings us through some great books for those end of the summer moments!

Life Happens, Mary Morony, a favorite and regular columnist at Keswick Life, with a new book out and touring – still takes the times to write for us! She tempts us in a ‘make a wish’ piece that is sure to entertain!

Weddings, Christopher Dammann, son of Ralph and Charlotte Dammann of Keswick and Mia Magruder daughter of Mark and Ella Magruder tie the knot!

August

On the cover, Retail Revival – the shops at 205 Main Street in Gordonsville!

A new door opened in Gordonsville and beyond lies a treasure-house full of imagination, experience, and magic! European antiques, stuffed toy animals, ladies’ beautiful accessories, Belgium crystal, French chandeliers and a Kangaroo Rocker are certain to capture your attention.

Horsin’ Around has all the details on over 100 horses and riders that came from throughout central Virginia to participate in an old-fashioned summer horse show at the historic Keswick hunt club show grounds.

What’s Cooking, Rick O’Connell, chef, and proprietor of the Inn at Little Washington will be a keynote speaker for the exciting preview event for the Heritage Harvest Festival which is hosted at the Paramount Theater – read all about the event right here in Keswick Life!

On Exhibit, the National Sporting Library & Museum presents ‘The Chronicle of the Horse in Art’ – a major exhibition that gathers a sampling of forty-six American, British, and Continental oil paintings, watercolors, and sculptures.  The exhibit highlights a variety of material that was placed in front of readers, on the covers of the Chronicle of the Horse, a national equestrian magazine, for almost seventy years.

Life, Make It Happen, Morony changes up the column with a revised name and theme – Life, Make It Happen!, Make A Wish. Take A Chance. Make A Change.

September

On the cover, Keswickian, Tony Vanderwarker has just released his new book.  The title, “I’m Not From the South But I Got Down Here As Fast As I Could – How a Connecticut Yankee Learned To Love Grits and Fried Green Tomatoes And Lived To Tell About It.”  Keswick Life’s Colin Dougherty caught up with Tony to get an inside look at the author, his writing process, the new book and life in general. Tony has published three books, Writing With the Master, Sleeping Dogs, and Ads For God. He has four grown children and now lives on a farm in Keswick with his wife, four dogs, a horse and a Sicilian donkey named Jethro.

Horsin’ Around has all the details on the handlers, owners, and breeders that showcased their top hunter prospects this past week at the 2016 Sallie B. Wheeler/US Hunter Breeding National Championship. Get all the details on the winners and the competition in Keswick Life’s Horsin’ Around.

Life, Make It Happen columnist Mary Morony writes from a modified column title this month with here latest work titled Laughing at Fears and Uncertainty. She begins with reminding us “there is an extreme amount of uncertainty for us to fear currently.  There’s the presidential election, enough said.  There’s also climate change, international, economic and political uncertainty all around us.” Put your fears aside and read on, Mary will ‘make it happen”.

Business Insider, takes us to Mason Insurance which turns 125 this year – the company’s history surrounds them daily—pictures of their ancestors who worked at the same company adorn the walls. A photo of Mason as a child hangs in his office. In it, there’s a telegram telling his mother that a desk had already been picked out for the youngest family member.

On Exhibit, masterworks from one of the world’s great private libraries devoted to the plant world, Redouté to Warhol: Bunny Mellon’s Botanical Art will be on view at the LuEsther Mertz Library at The New York Botanical Garden beginning October 8, 2016.

October

On the cover, Foxhunting Etiquette – Traditions That Harken Back Hundreds of Years to the Very Beginning of Foxhunting. This year 2016/17 being the 120th season of the Keswick Hunt Club, we often need to refresh the traditions and etiquette of this age old sport. Foxhunting is meant to be a fun sport, after all, most fox hunters have risen early, cleaned a horse, tack, clothes, etc. shipped to the meet and then are expecting a fun morning in the sport. Our Editor, Winkie Motley, takes us on a refresher of traditions that matter for hundreds of years, since the very beginning – with thanks to Norman Fine’s “Foxhunting Life.”

Horsin’ Around, has all the details on Stellar Wind, a chestnut filly with a white blaze bred in Virginia by Keswick Stables & Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings. Read all about it in Keswick Life!

Community, our Editor, Winkie Motley, reached out to follow up on an invitation to an event held in support of the Town of Gordonsville.  Lauren Bauk, of PBM Capital Group in Charlottesville, filled us in on the goings-on in the Town, a possible new use for some vacant buildings and a new program at the University of Virginia.

Bookworm, Suzanne Nash sits in retreat, writing her reviews on a porch in beautiful Orkney Springs, enjoying the smell of wood burning in the fireplace and the company of good friends.

Travel, Charles Thacher, a first-time contributor, enjoys fishing in two ponds on his property and on surrounding farms. Catching a large bass or catfish, or even a good brim, on a fly rod is exciting. But, the allure of traveling to far-flung locations to experience the joys of fly fishing while immersed in an entirely different culture continues to be addictive – get set for a tale in Bhutan as Charlie takes you on an incredible journey.

November

On the cover, Virginia Field Hunter Championship. Shortly after World War II, a group of Virginia Foxhunters wanted to hold a hunter trial for horses that had been hunted regularly for the past hunting season from each hunt within the State of Virginia. The masters from each hunt were to nominate two horses to represent their hunt in a class which they called the Virginia Field Hunter Championship. Get some of the history and the story of this year’s winner, our very own Will Coleman, Sr.

Keswick Scene, the 82nd running of the Montpelier Hunt Races, an annual celebration of steeplechase racing and Virginia Piedmont hospitality, was held on Saturday, November 5, at James Madison’s Montpelier. Keswick Life has covered it, and the photo journal takes you right there!

Travel, Joe Shields is back and brings us to Peanut Island! The Island, created in 1918 with excavation debris from the construction of the Palm Beach Inlet.  It was formerly called Inlet Island, but the name changed after plans were made to use the island for a peanut-shipping operation.  The venture never happened, but the name stuck.

Weddings,  Keswickian Katie Manning, tied the knot with Chris Henry on September 17 in Keswick, Virginia, at Grace Episcopal Church. Get all the details of the celebration with Friends and family gathered in the property’s restored 1903 cattle barn – don’t miss this story full of surprises and special touches, congratulations!

Photo Journal, George Payne, a frequent contributor, with an amazing eye and ability to get the shot!

December

Seems like just yesterday, but five years ago, Keswickians shared their intimate Christmas thoughts, decorations, gift giving and traditions with Keswick Life. Have a merry and the happiest for the New Year from Keswick Life!

Keswick Scene, the photos are in – check out Keswickians as they celebrate this glorious time of the year at various events in and around Keswick. Get out and celebrate or lift someone’s spirits with a Christmas visit filled with cheer – and be sure to tell it to Keswick Life!

Bookworm, Suzanne Nash gives us multiple good books to light your way in the New Year!  She goes local, with Keswick’s very own Fred Shackelford upon the release of his new novel The Ticket. It’s a great way to start your year off right. Catch Suzanne’s review on page 18 and write into Keswick Life with your letters and comments!

Life, Make It Happen columnist Mary Morony’s latest, Forgiveness Starts With Me, recounts an experience last month where she learned where forgiveness must originate for it to be real. A lesson with this much value requires sharing. Giving yourself a break, besides making a lot of sense has benefits galore. So, grab a cup of tea, a cozy blanket and warm up with Mary and be sure to take some time to reflect and comment!

Travel, Charlie Thacher takes us to Tasmania! He recounts his travel there, the scenery and the wildlife. For the intrepid angler, he speaks of hundreds of rivers that are virtually unfished, where those eight-pound monsters could be lurking. Oh, and one might encounter a deadly snake, a platypus or even the devil. Get all the details of their family adventure here in Keswick Life!