I spent my day at Graycliff today doing tours and thought it was time for an update on what is happening. The bridge to the tower is still there, but it is hoped to have it removed this week if the weather is cooperative. The pond has all the concrete work finished; there is an inner ring to the pond that will allow water, plants, and rocks to mix at the edge of the pond and this second wall keeps the main part of the water separate from this area so it is able to be kept clean and clear.
More of the forms for the circular driveway have been placed and it is hoped to pour this tinted concrete with the yellow aggregate topping by the end of the week, again, if weather allows it. Plant material has arrived on site and has been placed along the connecting wall and against the garage in the circle area, including firs, birches and shrubs.
The front of the house, to include the circle, is off limit for tours. I found the best way to do tours is to go to the area of new concrete by the garage doors, talk about the front of the house from there, walk the sidewalk behind the Foster House to the Servants' Courtyard, walk through that to the rear of the esplanade, present that area and then go into the house, walk through the living room to the foyer and proceed as normal for the rest of the tour except the outside has already been done. When leaving the kitchen and talking about the courtyard, the sidewalk to the rear of the Foster House must again be used as there currently is no way to leave the servants courtyard and exit to the front of the house other than this. This route worked well for the three tours I lead today and I had only a bare minimum of interference in terms of running into other concurrent tours. It also did not seem to add any extra time to a tour proceeding in this manner.
I strongly urge all docents to arrive early and check the condition of the tour route ahead of your scheduled tours so that you are comfortable with what you find and to determine your alternate tour route
Invite guests to come back in two to three weeks and see the finished project as that is when it is scheduled to be complete. Let them know that Graycliff will not be in "torn earth" setting the whole season. Let them know how exciting it is to have the chance of seeing actual historic renovation in progress. Treat it as a positive, not a negative. Encourage return trips this season to view the changes. So, that is about it.
However, in the vein of knowing that we can always learn something from our guests, I would like to further share something that occurred today. I was doing a tour and was in the dining room talking about the Devon cup and saucer on the dining room table and explaining that Mrs. Martin was fond of fresh colorful flowers and that this may be why she chose this pattern, because even with such poor eyesight possibly she could see bright colors a little better. A woman on the tour who admitted to working with sight impaired people earlier in her life told me that is not the reason why Mrs. Martin chose this pattern. I asked her what she meant and she asked me to pick the cup up and asked me what I felt. Then it hit me what she meant; the pattern of the flowers is embossed in relief on the china. Mrs. Martin might not have been able to see the pretty flowers on her china, but she could feel them with her fingertips. My guest explained to me that sight impaired individuals often chose things that they use in this manner; by how they feel. Is it true for Mrs. Martin, we don't know for sure, but it sure seems like a strong possibility. Something to consider and possibly pass on. That's it for today, George.
