THE BEGINNING

For the past few years, I had been thinking about buying a ranch as my own getaway—a place to rest. I was always looking and at one time was considering a ranch in Montana but didn’t have time to fly up to look at it. Then in the fall of 2014, while hunting elk, I was told about an elk ranch in Tabiona that had been repossessed by the bank and had been sitting empty for about five years.

“I became curious and felt a bit of excitement, and I decided to take a look. Mary and I flew to Duchesne, where we were picked up by the real estate agent. It was beautiful and serene, and the rugged mountain terrain and gentle sloping valleys were so engaging. I felt a peacefulness as if going back in time.

“It seemed strange, but as we came closer, I was amazed at the majestic construction set back against the mountain overlooking the valley. I could see that the lodge had not been taken care of and was in a rather deplorable state. The grounds were full of weeds, and tons of rocks had been pushed up against the windows, completely blocking the natural light.

“It was supposed to be an elk ranch, but the elk were skinny and were all bulls, which presented a slight problem that I would have to solve. The land was wide open and flat—perfect for farming perfect for many things. If this were mine, I would have my safe haven away from people and the cement city, and I could create and build as I desired.

The excitement of the newness reminded me of how I felt when I signed the papers for my section of land in Canada that was part of the homestead act, but the circumstances were very different. “When we walked through the doors into the huge kitchen, we found our eyes following the immense stonework of the fireplace up toward the ceiling.

Around the corner on the other side of the stone wall was yet another huge fireplace, built to warm the spacious living room that had a wonderful, alluring energy. Massive logs spanned the ceiling that was about 25 feet high, and beautiful handcrafted scenes of the great outdoors and the animals that ruled were eloquently carved in the walls.

“The original owners built it as a hunting lodge but never finished it for financial reasons. Drawers were missing handles, tile work was not finished, and many cabinets had not been installed. But the possibilities were enormous for me and for Young Living, and the ideas were spinning in my head.