Ivy, VA

The big day is right around the corner! (Sunday Sept 28th, 2008)

This "Family Day"at Foxfield Race Track (about a mile from my home) in Western Albemarle is an event not to be missed! There is of course the Steeple Jump Races of these fine horses. This is the main draw of the event but there is a lot more going on. Big hats, proper attire and even some fancy tailgating!

If you read my blog, you know that my wife and I walk everyday in our area. It is not uncommon for us to hear a bugle and then the dogs run through the woods followed by the majestic horses with their riders in dress!

There is also (one of the kids and mine favorites) the Jack Russell Terrier Race If you have never seen one, it is amazing! Jack Russell Terrier Races are almost as popular as horse racing. The dogs race on a 150 foot straight course with several hurdles to leap over! A lure (rabbit tail) is attached to a piece of string which entices the dogs to run full speed down the course. This is so exciting that I have even gotten involved pulling the line!

A quote from a local magazine says "With a little imagination, the Jack Russell Terriers Race at noon, will whisk spectators back to England and Ireland to partake in the hunt, so to speak"

This years designated beneficiary is the Charlottesville-Albemarle Kid Pan Alley

Please consider taking the Family out to the races! these are the times that make memories!!!

On Monday, September 8, U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings named 320 schools nationwide as 2008 No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon Schools. Among them is Virginia L. Murray Elementary School, one of just seven public schools in the Commonwealth and eleven total schools, public and private, in Virginia to earn this distinction.

Our Superintendent, Dr. Pam Moran said that, “We are proud of Murray Elementary's consistent achievement for all of its students, not only on standardized assessments, but also on developing critical thinking, digital literacy, and other 21st century skills. For a school to achieve at this highest possible level, takes a dedicated community of parents, students, faculty and people who value education and make it a priority that all children succeed.”

As a Murray parent, I am doubly proud of this great accomplishment and I know how grateful I am for the education my daughters receive at Murray Elementary! Congratulations to Murray's excellent staff and faculty!!! This is a real achievement.

If you are thinking of relocating to our community, you can find a great list of resources on Charlottesville and Albemarle schools on my website, along with lots of Charlottesville Community information.

Excellent Schools: another reason why Charlottesville, Virginia is a great place to live!

Amy Bender Webb
Real Estate III
Charlottesville, Virginia
visit me online at A Home in Charlottesville
Licensed to sell real estate in Virginia

Framing!

We are off to a great start and step 3 is Framing. I am amazed at how fast this step is going. We are using micro-lam to span the 20 foot face of the room to preserve the view. The beams will be wrapped between 10-12 inches and we are still deciding on the roof and ceiling materials.

Here is another photo of the open front where the micro-lam is spanning 20 feet!

Here is a link to Part 1 and Part 2:

http://activerain.com/blogsview/649222/Step-1-and-2

Stay tuned for more photos!!!

We have started a new project (building an outdoor room), using a local builder, and just like with building a home in Charlottesville, there are many steps....

Part 1 is a plan. I started by looking at many of the homes in our market, taking photos, selecting materials and even drawing up the plans myself.

Well we are off to the races and the progress is going along nicely.

THE DECK PRIOR TO STARTING

Part 2 is "Demolition" you see our old deck was made of pressure treated material and stained several times. Now it looked ok, but I was tired of the work and since we decided to add an outdoor room. Now was the time for a change.

So demotition begins:

THE FIRST BOARDS ARE REMOVED...

THE BUILDER HAS THE PLAN!!! (and a watchful eye)

This step really only took a couple of hours and the deck was removed and we had a clean slate. Now the real work begins, we start to work on the structure....

Stay Tuned!!!

Today my family and I took a hike at Ivy Creek Natural Area. Located minutes from downtown Charlottesville, this wondurful area boosts over 6 miles of walking trails.

We took off early with water and "bug spray". This is in the woods and there are bugs!

But there is a lot more than bugs, we saw rabbits and signs of other animals too!

Then we saw a Giant Mushroom!!! No sign of anyone living under it!!!

The trails are well marked and weave near the local reservoir. Trails are marked by color (we did the RED TRAIL) and the hiking perfect for a family quick trip! This trail is the center of all the other trails and is about a mile and a half.

There is a fine creek that runs near the center of the area and a perfect place to take a little break.

I hope you get a chance to visit Ivy Creek Natural Area, it is worth the trip!