As a large farm and home owner not only must I look after all my animals and gardens, but I also have to maintain the safety and upkeep of every house and structure on the property.
I have several buildings here at Cantitoe Corners, and the one I use the most is called the Winter House where I live. This year, it was time to change and update the carpeting in some of the rooms, so I called on my friends at Westport Carpet and Rugs in Westport, Connecticut - they've been taking care of my carpeting needs for many years. The process was quick and everything was done neatly and efficiently.
Here are some photos.
The first room to be addressed is my Winter House Sunken Green Parlor. It is a large room, which I often use for entertaining. Recently, I noticed the carpeting was in need of replacing, so it was cleaned and emptied of all the furniture.
Here is a view from the other side. The life expectancy of a sisal rug depends on where it’s used and the carpet’s exposure to traffic, spills or damage.
The brass floor register grilles were also removed for the project.
The team from Westport Carpet & Rugs arrived right on time with padding and my new sisal carpets.
The padding was rolled out carefully over the floor. There are many types of carpet padding for different areas of the home. Carpet padding serves as the foundation for the carpet. It provides cushioning underfoot but also provides stability, insulation, and noise reduction. The best carpet padding will protect the backing on the bottom of the carpet and keep it from breaking down, thus prolonging the life of the carpet.
Here, Dave carefully cuts the padding to fit around the stairs into the parlor.
Because this room is large, two pieces of new padding are needed to secure the carpet. This padding is very durable and long lasting.
Tape is used to connect the two pieces together, but don’t worry, the tape never touches the floor.
Then the carpet is slowly rolled over the padding and the floor. Every effort is made to roll it out as straight as possible, so adjustments are minimal.
The cut outs for the fireplace surround are done on site. Dave measures and marks the strip to be cut.
And then uses a very sharp knife to cut through the sisal precisely.
He does the same for the area around the stairs.
And uses a scrap piece of carpeting underneath, so the floor is completely protected.
Because the carpet is cut slightly smaller than the space to expose the wood floors, the area between the carpet edges and the walls must be measured several times. This carpet is about four-and-a-half inches from the wall along every side.
Any padding excess is also removed carefully with a sharp knife.
This is a carpet edge serger machine, or carpet-binding machine. It is used to quickly and easily sew a border around the perimeter of a carpet.
The matching colored yarns are placed on spools and the machine wraps the threads over the edges.
The machine is equipped with little wheels so Donald can be pull it along as it surges, making a very neat edge.
Here is a finished serged edge. The serged corners and edges look neat and tidy.
Pieces are cut to accommodate the registers.
And then the brass grilles are returned – no screws needed.
Here is an area done around the stairs.
Although it is exactly the same as the previous rug, once it is down it totally freshens the space and gives it a nice, clean look. Now to put back the furniture.
Outdoor winter chores continue at my farm with the grooming of six standard weeping hornbeams.
Even though there's still snow on the ground, the mild weather is allowing us to get lots of outdoor work completed. The team from The Arborist, Inc. in nearby Bedford Hills, New York took on the task of lightly pruning and grooming my rare weeping hornbeams, Carpinus betulus 'pendula,' that grow on one side of my "party lawn." I keep a close eye on my hornbeams - it’s crucial that they be pruned regularly, so they never look too overgrown and unruly.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
In the area between my orchard and my long pergola are six matched standard weeping hornbeams, Carpinus betulus ‘Pendula’. These are very precious trees and I am so happy they continue to grow well here.
Here they are lush green with foliage in summer. Carpinus betulus ‘Pendula’ is a dense tree with a strong center, a shapely form and gracefully arching branches.
The leaves are a vibrant green color in the spring and summer. Each leaf has a sharply double serrated edge and a top that tapers to a point.
These are the seed catkins hanging from the branches, holding about 10 to 30 seeds each.
Because they are deciduous, they lose their leaves in winter, leaving them bare – except for these few leaves which have held strong through the season.
Healthy buds can be see on on the branches now.
I asked these expert pruners to do some light grooming on these trees to keep them looking their best.
The tree experts at The Arborist specialize in pruning and have done excellent work on many of my trees already.
Ray starts from the bottom, removing any branches that are touching the wood fence nearby.
The team also focuses on the Ds of pruning – removing any dead, diseased, damaged, defective, or deranged branches.
They cut branches that are rubbing or crisscrossing each other, preventing any healthy new growth. Basically, the goal is to create a tree with well spaced lateral branches. Any branches which interfere with the tree’s shape or create a dense framework should be removed. Hornbeams are very dependable cultivars and don’t need much pruning except when necessary for shaping or for removing dieback.
Cuts are always made clean and should be made fairly flush to the branch from which it grew. The idea is to leave slight stubs. By removing any more, the remaining branch has too much of an opening for disease to enter.
And cuts should be clean and straight – something that can only be done with good, sharp tools.
With all the snow on the ground, it is also necessary to shovel a path, so the crew can work on each tree and safely set up their ladders. We’ve had a very snowy season.
While Ray works from the ground…
… Rudy attaches an extension to his pole saw, so he can work from the top.
The extensions allow them to reach high branches from below.
Ray periodically steps back to look at the work done from afar. He assesses where trimming is still needed to create the best shape.
Sometimes a ladder is still necessary. Here, Ray reaches branches at the very top center of the tree.
And whenever someone is on the ladder, someone else is at its base ensuring the ladder is stable and safe.
Branches are neatly gathered and piled so they can be easily transported to the wood chipper.
Under ideal conditions, weeping hornbeams can live up to 120-years or more. I am so pleased these trees are thriving here at my farm – they are among my favorites.
A visit to Italy should include a stop in Milan - a beautiful metropolis in the country’s northern Lombardy region.
Last month, we all enjoyed watching more than 3500 athletes from 93 different countries compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan And Cortina d'Ampezzo. I had the honor of attending the Games and serving as commentator for the Women's Figure Skating Short Program with my friend, Snoop Dogg. In between television appearances, video tapings, and interviews, I also had the opportunity to tour the hosting city. I, along with my team, visited various shops, ate at delicious restaurants, walked through the Milan Cathedral, stood inside the grand opera house La Scala, and saw The Last Supper, the famous mural painting by Leonardo da Vinci. It was a most exciting and productive trip.
Enjoy these photos.
Here I am with my team in front of Castello Sforzesco, the Sforza Castle. This medieval fortification was built in the 15th century and later enlarged in the 16th and 17th centuries.
This is one of two round towers of the castle from where soldiers could patrol the grounds.
Today, the castle is home to eight different museums including the Museum of the Pietà Rondanini which houses Michelangelo’s last unfinished sculpture.
We drove through Milan’s Porta Nuova district where we saw Bosco Verticale, a pair of residential skyscrapers covered with more than 20-thousand plants on cantilevered balconies that were built specifically to support the green facade and provide natural filters to sunlight, dust, and other pollutants.
And then there was La Scala, officially known as Teatro alla Scala, the historic opera house. It is renowned for hosting some of the most famous operas and performances in the world.
La Scala has a horseshoe shaped auditorium with 2800 seats facing the stage.
The Milan Cathedral or Duomo di Milano is the cathedral church of Milan. It took nearly six centuries to complete.
The grand bronze doors of the cathedral are masterpieces of Gothic and Renaissance art. These front doors depict the “Joys and Sorrows of the Virgin Mary” and were made by Ludovico Pogliaghi in 1906.
This is the largest Gothic cathedral in Italy. Here is the main sanctuary of the church with its extraordinary stain glass windows.
The cathedral’s architecture includes pointed arches and hundreds of flying buttresses with more than 130 spires on its decorated rooftop.
The roof is adorned with gargoyles and marble statues and stunning views of the city.
And from the top of the cathedral, we could see the snow-capped peaks of the Alps, including Monte Rosa, the highest mountain in the city.
I also noticed this on floor – Leo, my zodiac sign. The zodiac signs are black on white marble and run along a brass strip set in the floor.
We also visited Peck in Milan – one of the largest food and wine shops in the world. Here is just one section of meat display. There are dozens of prosciutto and salami choices.
And platters of delicacies in the glass cases. On top is a platter of mushrooms in olive oil.
The meats are cured specially by Peck. Here are some hanging in the back kitchen.
There is also a cheese cave, this aisle set to the perfect temperature for storing parmigiano reggiano cheese.
These cheese rounds are ready to be cut and sold.
And here it is, The Last Supper, painted by Leonardo da Vinci. It is located in the refectory of the Santa Maria delle Grazie convent in Milan. The painting was done between 1494 and 1498. It is a wall fresco that depicts the final meal of Jesus with his desciples.
Can’t leave Italy without a proper cappuccino. Thanks, Milan – it was a great Olympics and a great visit. See you again soon!
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