“Idaho. My family has a potato farm there. I haven’t lived there for years though,” I tell him.
“Ah. You at least havesomeidea about what needs to be done around the place then?”
“Sure do. I’m looking forward to it.”
He studies me for a moment. “You’re gonna fit right in here, Blair.”
Deep in my heart, I think I already know I made the right choice choosing Cooper Ranch. Friendly people, a nice cabin for me to call my own, and a new challenge to sink my teeth into when I start work on Monday.
When I lay my head down to sleep later that night with a full belly and a clear mind, I’m out before my head even hits the pillow. It’s been years since that’s happened.
Maybe thereissomething to Starchild’s reading. I guess I’ve got six months on this mountain to find out.
Chapter 2
Sutton
Iwake up like a man on a mission.
I don’t know why I’m especially energized today but for the first time in forever, I’m up before my alarm goes off which means I beat everyone else in the house to the coffee machine and get to sit outside on my porch swing and enjoy my morning caffeine fix in peace.
It’s so peaceful and calm, I almost considernotgoing to my newly constructed Zen Garden.Almost, but not quite. It’s part of my morning routine so I’m not about to disrupt things now.
An hour later when the rest of my family are only just starting their day, I make myself a breakfast smoothie and take the scenic route away from where our guest cabins are, not wanting to disturb our new guest who arrived yesterday.
Case was home to meet her and show her the one renovated cabin we have ready so far. The rest of us all planned our days around being here for a ‘meet the ranch’ lunch later today.
In the month since we got Blair’s booking, I’ve tried to find out what she’ll be doing at the hospital and where she’ll be working. So far, I’ve resisted the urge to look her up online though. I don’t like doing that to people when I can just as easily get to know her when she arrives.
Besides, it's likely we’ll see a lot of each other either way considering she’s going to be working at the same place as me.
It’s a small facility but it can cope with most emergencies. If there are patients requiring specialized care or surgery, they have to be transferred to Palmer or Anchorage.
That generally doesn’t affect me though as I work as a psychologist, running group therapy sessions as well as one-on-one appointments. I also do outpatient work for patients who have issues coming to the hospital. That’s a personal thing though and not something that anyone else offers.
It’s a lot different from when I had my own practice in Boston but I’m finding the work I’m doing here in town is more rewarding because I’m helping people who may not have access to the right treatment otherwise.
But as has always been the way since I dedicated myself to helping others, I have to look after myself first.
Carefully walking through the cold-hardy bamboo that encloses the garden, I step inside the sanctuary I’ve created–and something I’m most proud of on the ranch–and take a slow, deep breath.
As well as the bamboo, there are also two Oak trees that first drew me to this space on the mountain. They act as anchors for the garden, stalwarts standing tall and merging the old and the new.
Our youngest brother Jude helped me pick out the right plants, a mix of natives and small trees that will grow thicker and bigger. The hope is that in a few more years the whole space will be fully enclosed, creating an oasis where we can escape when we need to.
There’s also a small man-made pond with a commissioned volcanic stone and driftwood water feature in the middle. I saw another sculpture like it in the town’s farmer’s market on weekend. After talking to its creator, I asked him to make onethat would be perfect for a Zen Garden tucked high on the mountain.
That’s how I ended up with two entwined stone salmon in mid-leap, positioned over a big chunk of rock. The best part is that recycled water slowly trickles from their mouths, providing relaxing ambient sound in the background.
Standing here looking over the whole garden, I smile. It truly is like slipping into another world–a quiet one where it feels like the noise and weight of life can’t reach you.
In here it’s just you, the mountain air, and a safe space to breathe.
When my brothers and I sat down and discussed our plans for the ranch. I wanted something just like this to be my personal project.
We each have one. Will has the cabin renovations along with our ranch hand, Wyatt. Case has his Christmas tree farm which he planted a few months ago, and Jude—the landscape architect of the family–is in charge of the greenhouse and plans for supplementing the ranch’s future income by selling produce and plants at the farmer’s market.
But the Zen Garden, that’s all me. Because of that, I make sure to visit daily.
