Country

View From Our Place

The best parts of life in the country are the people who enjoy it with you.

- BY LISA FIX Ridgefield, Washington

Good neighbors are as beautiful as the vista at the Flying F Ranch in Washington.

Many changes have come to the Flying F Ranch— different owners, different crops and different livestock. But one thing has remained constant—the amazing views of majestic Mount St. Helens to the northeast and Mount Hood to the southeast.

These often snow-covered peaks can be hidden during the rainy winter months only to reappear on a clear blue day to remind us how truly blessed we are. And sometimes a rainbow or two will accompany them.

This scenery became mine in April 2000 when I bought this 10-acre farm outside of Ridgefield. I work full time as a director of customer service, and I also raise beef cattle. I have a menagerie of animals that includes chickens, horses and a crazy dog named Lambeau (a Green Bay Packers flag flies proudly in front of my house).

Around the Flying F there are charming farms and an area of boarding stables for horses. Three local wineries are about a half-mile away (we’re known for our pinot noir around here). This is my slice of heaven.

DREAM COME TRUE

The view is a constant reminder that my dream came true. As a child growing up in Green Bay, Wisconsin, I drew this place and colored it with crayons. I loved horses, wanted horses and had toy Breyer horses, but I lived in the city and having my favorite animal was not possible. One of our neighbors

about six blocks away had a little barn with horses. I rode my bike there all the time to see and pet them. I packed a lunch, sat by the fence and just watched. I dreamed of owning a ranch with horses of my own someday and living in an old farmhouse. After 30 years, my wish finally came true.

The mountains definitely make this place magnificen­t, but so does the gift of being close to the land, helping friends and family, or celebratin­g with the community. Working on the ranch gives me an inner peace as nothing else can. Even when I am out gardening, bringing in hay or cleaning stalls, the place is magical to me. These simple tasks, so repetitive in nature, continuall­y remind me to live and to appreciate all my blessings in life.

Each season has its own kind of beauty. In spring, often rain is falling one minute and the sun is shining the next. Everything grows like crazy with all that water, creating much greenery and abundance.

Summer is my favorite time of the year because the sun shines constantly and the days are long. My boyfriend, John, and I can

enjoy riding horses after work or being in the garden for hours.

Autumn is fantastic, too. The changing of the seasons brings pumpkins and a copious amount of color. And lastly, the rainy winter brings with it a time to slow down on the outdoor chores and relax during the holidays with friends and family. This is also the time of year to plan for upcoming projects on the ranch—how many cattle we will have, what vegetables we should plant and who is coming to visit.

GOOD NEIGHBORS

I didn’t find just horses and the farm; I also found the amazing people in my small community.

With my entire family still back in Wisconsin, this city girl had to learn a lot from her neighbors and friends. I have the most incredible support system in the world. When my husband and I divorced, people pitched in to help me run the farm. They came and did everything, from taking down a tree to helping me buy cows (they also taught me to sort them).

On Dec. 5, 2005, the old barn burned down. The animals were safe, but I lost all the Christmas ornaments I had stored there. Word got out to my son’s day care, and boxes of ornaments began showing up on my doorstep. Sometimes it is hard to believe that I’m here, surrounded by so many gracious and kind people.

Maybe what I’ve learned is that it’s not about a place, after all, but about being a part of something bigger. When you appreciate your community and the people in it, you have an opportunit­y to be special to each other—to be vulnerable when needing help, to show up to help when not asked and to love people where they are in the moment. My heart is full.

With my entire family back in Wisconsin, this city girl had to learn a lot from her neighbors.

 ??  ?? Clockwise from left: Lisa leads her step-grandson Jaedon and his dad, Andrew, on a pony ride; horses near the barn; Lambeau just wants this calf to play.
Clockwise from left: Lisa leads her step-grandson Jaedon and his dad, Andrew, on a pony ride; horses near the barn; Lambeau just wants this calf to play.
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 ??  ?? Fall brings a change of season and lots of pumpkins to the ranch (above). Lisa’s grandson Armour (left).
Fall brings a change of season and lots of pumpkins to the ranch (above). Lisa’s grandson Armour (left).
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