a weekend in the country

I hardly know where to start - I uploaded photos from my camera today and they spanned subjects from insects to haircuts to the Amish to horses to cow eyeballs to old friends and back to insects....really, it's just a jumble. So. I guess I'll start with our weekend and work my way forward...

 The girls and I drove north to Holmes County this weekend to an open house at a farm where Eliza is going to attend camp this summer. (Camp! Sleep-away camp! On a farm!).  Dear old friends of ours have brought their daughter there for the past four years, and that in itself spoke so highly of this place that E. was sold sight-unseen.  

This weekend was about seeing the farm, but really,  it was about reconnecting with our friends.  We see them only once a year, if even that, but they hold a place in our hearts that is unchanging.  My girls adore Rosalie, who handles the adoration with grace and patience and so much kindness.  

Her mama and I go waaaaaay back (and her Papa went to high school with my sister!), and it is something special to have our kids enjoy each other.

The inn we stayed at has horses, and unbelievably, they roam free after their work (of trail rides) is done.  Amazing!!

The horses were kept in check by the male swan who patrolled the pond, protecting his partner who nested on the island in its middle.

 There was a farm dog who was sent down to round the horse up when it was time to head back to the stable, and this dog really seemed to enjoy taunting this poor stressed-out swan! He'd jump in the pond, and the swan would pump its way over to him, wings held menacingly aloft, and the dog would pop back out and trot along, only to plunge back in and out again a few feet away.  It was kind of hilarious, but I wouldn't want to take on that swan!

 Holmes County is "deep Amish country", and the beautiful hills are scattered with impeccable Amish farms.

 It was so beautiful, and a little like being in another country.  We had dinner on Saturday night in a home that offers a meal to the guests at the Inn; familiar, midwestern fare (meatloaf, chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes, and taco salad! Three kinds of pie!) and the talk in the kitchen sounded like a cross between German and Dutch.  Another guest (from Germany) said it sounded like German Swiss.

The farm where the camp is held is far even from the small town, and while not Amish, was tidy and well-cared-for like the other farms we passed.  E. got a great feeling from being there with the animals and the beautiful surrounding fields.

It was a great trip! We're looking forward to the drop off this summer and for more time in the country with our friends...twice in a year? That might be a record.