By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

A rural Marion bed and breakfast brings guests back again and again for fishing as close as a 19-acre lake behind the house.

Country Dreams Bed and Breakfast, three miles north of K-150 on Clover Rd., is operated by Alice Richmond along with her daughter, Brenda Soyez, and Brenda’s grandchildren, Devin and Mickelly Soyez.

Guests come from as far away as New Mexico and Maryland.

“Some of the better fishing is in the spring and early summer,” Devin Soyez said. “We have nine-pound bass.”

Country Dreams has two boats guests can use on the lake.

Devin Soyez took a boat onto the lake Thursday and caught a fish in the first five minutes.

Alice Richmond started Country Dreams with her husband, Kent, after retirement. Their inspiration came from a trip to Australia.

“They call them farm stays,” she said. “They were so much fun. It was better than hotels. We talked about living in the country for a long time, so when we retired, we built a house and share it with other people.”

Alice said the house was her “retirement project” and would be handed down to her family.

The house has five guest rooms, each with a private bath.

It stays busy year-round, with January and February being slower months.

A pair of bulletin boards on the lower level is covered with photos of guests proudly holding fish.

A mural on a retaining wall along the side of a patio depicts a fisherman at a lake.

Country Dreams also offers a place for hunters to stay, boating, hiking, bird watching, and quiet sunsets.

Its quiet location is another thing guests appreciate, Alice said.

“We’ve had a lot of class reunions this year,” Brenda said. “People are finally getting back together.”

Two buffalo used to live at the bed and breakfast, Alice said.