May 9

May 9 Jackknife Creek Ranch

Lindsey Johnson

Living

Those who have not seen a morning in the country don’t know what a good morning is.

Jackknife Creek connecting to the Salt River

We’ve just begun to feel settled in our new home, a place we call Jackknife Creek Ranch, 25 acres resting on the Salt River in Freedom, Wyoming. Population 219.

It’s a cold, damp morning in Freedom, Wyoming, not quite what you’d expect in the start of May. A thick blanket of fog is covering the ground, painting the rolling hills in the distance as a hazy blur, like a special effect you’d see in an old western film. It’s quiet here. A kind of quiet that’s new to me. A kind of quiet I’ve been searching for.

I’m feeling a tad under the weather, as I pour myself a cup of hot coffee, and prepare peanut butter toast for Soren, his favorite breakfast. It’s just him and me, today, which is how he prefers it, getting all of Mommy’s attention. Looking out the kitchen window, I see Jane, one of our cats, stalking the fields, on the hunt for her breakfast. The outside world is serene, with a mystical morning light adding a vibrant, rich layer of color and texture to the landscape. It’s the perfect time for photos.

Soren and I bundle up, put on our rain boots, and grab my camera. He loves being my assistant, telling me where to go and how to approach our animals calmly and respectfully, a lesson we’ve instilled upon him that he likes to think he’s taught us. And speaking of animals, we have some new additions.

My favorite horse grazing in our pasture

Joining the ranch are 3 goats, 2 bunnies, a cow and calf, and a pasture of horses. Being we have plenty of room, it only seemed reasonable to fill it with new friends. Not to mention, having a ranch full of animals has been our family dream since we left California. Walking through these fields and trees, hearing the river run wild, it seems surreal we made our dream come true. Here we are.

We’re overwhelmed with the possibilities of this land. We talk and envision daily of how we can make it our own. We’ve realized our dream has grown bigger. We have much to learn and experience, and we have a lot of work to do. But one thing is for certain, we are truly blessed to call this piece of heaven, in the Wild West, home.