Sunday, August 17, 2014

The Moon over Merry Mount

Ahh, 'twas the perfect weekend to escape to Merry Mount for a much-needed "farm fix"! It's been a trying summer, and Rett and Pat welcomed me down to the farm for an unbelievably beautiful weekend, where I got to see all the progress, changes and additions at the little farm in Madison County! Best of all, that night there was a "super moon" that was so bright (see pic above, though you can't take a photo of a moon that does it justice) that we blew out the torches after dinner and turned out all of the lights and it seemed almost like daylight. Moon shadows were everywhere!

But back to the beautiful daytime.

The boy goats were enjoying their time in their new pasture. 

 

The colorful flock of chickens, when not giving me the evil eye, were starting to lay their eggs! Hooray for Eloise!

The adorable barn kittens were stalking prey (bugs?) in the soybean field.

And I met the new members of the "herd" -- Clara and Ella!
They are absolutely adorable and are hanging around in their barn stall before getting comfy enough to head out to the pasture (separated by a double fence from the dudes). A little skittish in their new digs, Rett was pleased to see that Clara let me pet her for a little while.

I also got a chance to check out the beautiful flowers Rett has been tending.

 Have a cocktail on a country afternoon.
 And take a mosey through the garden for gobs of luscious produce.

 We watched a glorious sunset over the soybean field.
And their brand-new patio was the perfect spot for a lovely dinner of summer pasta, home-made ice cream, and Ohio blueberry sauce (dessert recipes below).
I always feel super welcome at Merry Mount!
 Slept in the "girlfriend" room full of photos of our gal pals from the past, oh,
16 years or so.
All in all, a perfect summer weekend at Merry Mount, just past Rett and Pat's one-year anniversary at the farm!

Check out the easy recipes for home-made ice cream and Ohio blueberry sauce.
 
Easy Vanilla Ice Cream

2 cups whipping cream, chilled
1 cup milk (may be low fat)
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Place all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix with a hand mixer. Pour into the freezer bowl of an electric ice cream maker, turn on the machine and let it mix until thickened, about 20-25 minutes. Transfer to a container. Place in freezer until firm.

Ohio Blueberry Sauce

One pint basket of fresh, Ohio blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all in a medium saucepan, over medium heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Simmer until reduced and slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Let cool. Store in fridge; warm up to serve over the ice cream.


Always miss my Rio when I go to Merry Mount; she loved the farm as much as I do. But next time I go, I will have a new travelin' pal to bring along -- my just-rescued collie, 3 year old Piper:

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