One of a kind railings.

I came up with different patterns on each balcony while still sticking to the basic layout that is common in the Swiss Alps where we hiked.  I used cedar, as it is fairly durable out in the weather. 

 We went and found a few leaves from the nearby trees, in this case it is from a black oak and a tulip poplar.  One of the more interesting things about any art involving nature, is that it forces you to look at things closer.  Each leaf, even from the same branch of a tree can vary quite a bit.  Often the leaf, if held up to the light, will reveal the same branch pattern as the tree, a small fractal version of the tree encoded in each leaf.   This is the railing on the private deck for the Hummingbird room.  It leads to a small rose garden with view over Three Ridges Mountain and the George Washington National Forest.

 The cantilevered balcony on the Poplar Room overlooking Main Street.  The poplar leaf is in the center, the top row is sassafras and a row of white oak leaves below.

 Below is a Italian inspired railing on the deck behind the Bakery.  It is a perfect place to greet the morning with a cup of coffee and listen to the birds sing. Above in the distance is Wintergreen.  The ski slopes are on the other side of this ridge.

 Below is the railing from the front porch.  It is in a more classical French medieval style with fur-d-leis and diamonds. 

 Finally, a Dutch inspired fields of tulips railing.

Town Clock

Well it is about time, we finally installed the clock in the tower.  After looking at hundreds of clock designs, we went with the German theme of the Zodiac symbols and a metallic sky blue finish that changes from light blue to dark blue depending on the light.  If you note the Roman numerals on the clock faces in Europe usually have an error, at least according to the Roman numbering rules.

If you look closely you can find the number four is done as IIII and not the standard IV.  There are a dozen or so reported reasons for this, but the one I go with has to do with casting the numbers.  If you count out the number of X and V and I, there are even numbers this way, 4 X and 4 V and then 10 of the I.  It could be a casting of half this used, where as the other way would create odd numbers of V and I and require a single larger casting.  Another theory is of various kings preferring this way,  though it could be simply to make the numbers more readable as they flip upside down.  While we take time for granted now, the idea of everyone in a town being more or less on the same schedule was rather a big deal in Medieval times.  Still each town figured its own time for noon, making the town clock the important place for town unity.  It was not until the rail roads made time from one town to the next important for train schedules, that the idea of a national time with time zones was developed.

 

At night the clock is back lit from the town room through the clock face and the Zodiac symbols.  The clock reflects in these two windows if you stand in just the right spot. 

 From inside the tower room, the clock is actually a window.  The clock faces West and in the Winter time the setting sun will cast the clock image on to the opposite wall.  The setting sun will cast unusual shadows down the entire Main Street.  At night, the lights on the street create a number of funny shadows and reflections.

The Dragon's den at Fenton Inn.

A bay window looking out on the peaceful Main Street. But who knows what might be around the corner on the other side of the moat.

  Here is another example of copper work on the bakery window, through which you can barely see the leg of a handmade table. Below we see a pair of grey squirrels snacking on an acorn.

On the side portion of the Inn we find a dragon attempting to escape from it's underground lair.
 

There are several arched doorways in the building, including the dragons den. Beside it, there is an archway with a drawbridge gate held up by chains. It's images like this that blend the local trees and wildlife with the mythology and style of old world Europe.

Maybe there are crocodiles hiding in that moat?

We are finishing up the massage room this week. Here is a sneak peak at the floor mural.

 

 

Local wildlife on our hand made doors.

It looks like it's going to be a beautiful week here in Nelson County Virginia.  The temperatures are in the upper 70's and 80's, and it's easy to imagine guests staying at the six rooms of the Fenton Inn, ready to begin a wonderful vacation. 

    Last week you all got a sneak peak at the "street" in front of the bakery.  You could barely see one of the copper doors at  the end of the shot.  Here is a closer look at the bear door.  I get a lot of questions on how it was made, but really getting the bear to stand still was most of the trouble.  We have had a few real bear prints around the project during construction, and if you hike in the woods, you can often see stones that have been flipped over as they look for ants.

 

The Blue Ridge Mountains are home to only one type of bear- the black bear. They occasionally leave foot prints in their search for ants and berries.

    Last year some friends came down to visit from New York City. They pitched a tent and listened to the owls at night.  The next morning they walked around and saw this new born fawn in the grass.  It was probably born that night.  Until they showed us the exact spot, we never would have seen it.  Sometimes when you live here, you don't look around as closely. 

                                       

    If you are a fan of bird watching, the area is a great place to whip out those binoculars and look for some of the large and small residents of the local tree tops.  At the inn we have had a few bald eagle sightings, as well as the occasional golden eagle.  This area has updrafts along the Blue Ridge Mountains that make it an easy migratory route for large birds.  Often they can soar for miles effortlessly.  Each spring a nesting pair of red tail hawks return to the sky over head and calls in the spring with a loud shreek.  Other birds, like the cardinals, barred owls and the awkward flying pileated woodpecker never leave the property. If you haven't seen one of these woodpeckers, you might be in for a surprise at how loud and large they are.  The average pileated woodpecker can grow to up to 19 inches in length, and fly more like some prehistoric bird with an over sized head.

   During the night you might hear the gentle hooting of an owl out of your window.There is an owl watching over the street from above.  

 

The first look at the new Fenton Inn

 
       There are a lot of projects still left to go, but there are enough beautiful and exciting things that we can start updating you on the progress as the weeks go by.  So, lets take a tour and get to know the Fenton Inn.


       The roof of the front porch has gotten its banner and is ready to greet guests.  All of the wood in the building is unstained so you can appreciate its natural beauty.  A lot of the unique wood was harvested from the building site, the more character the better.  There are a lot of areas where we utilized the raw edge of the wood as well, which you will see in some of the other rooms.

       As soon as you walk into the front door, you are greeted with a taste of the beautiful woodworking that permeates the rest of the inn.

         Most of the floors and doors are finished now, and we've moved on to finishing windows and installing the clock that will overlook the main street.  It has astrological symbols carved into the face and had to be hoisted up a ladder along with an equally large piece of glass. 

       Here is a sneak peak of of the street that separates the two sides of the Fenton Inn.

    

 Lilia Fenton just planted all of these lovely hibiscus along the road in gorgeous copper pots.  They really set off the little hand made copper shingles along the tops of the windows.  You can barely see it, but there are copper plates in the first door that have bear claw prints embossed in them.  Doesn't it make you feel like you've just stepped into an old European town? 

       Come back next week and we'll take a look at a few of the exterior doors. Maybe the rain will hold off and we'll be able to finish more of the street and work on a  winding bench that will curl around the back end of the street.

Hello, my name is Will and welcome to the Fenton Inn.  We are currently under construction and hope to be open in late 2015.  We are located in Nelson County, Virginia on rt 664 just a half mile off the Blue Ridge Parkway near mile post 13 and about 200 yards up from the Wintergreen entrance gate house.  Nelson County has a lot to do, over a dozen wineries, several breweries, restaurants and countless music festivals.  There are bike races, endurance races, golf tournaments and skiing events for those needing a challenge, or for those wanting to unwind, a nature walk on the Appalachian trail, a swim at Sherando lake or a lazy afternoon looking out at the view of thousands of acres of National Forest.   We enjoy the area and hope you will too.