We are here today in the picturesque city of Ephraim, Utah. Ephraim sits in the Sanpete Valley, one of the longest and widest valleys in the world completely surrounded by mountains. You either fly over them or drive thru a pass to enter this valley.
At an elevation of nearly 6000 feet. The nights are brisk year round. These mountains around the valley have summits ranging from 9500 to 13000 feet!
It is nearly 40 miles from Ephraim to the nearest interstate highway, so this is really a rural area! We are here today to meet with Jay Zabriskie, a local success story.
Jay was actually born in this valley a long time ago. He jokes that he was born in a “log hospital”. Though not quite “log” the hospital certainly was different that what you would see in a populous city, especially now, but even then it was close to “a log hospital”. No full time doctors, just the local country doctors taking a shift or two a week in cooperation with each other.
Sanpete Valley boasts a population of around 30,000. That is probably when the local junior college, Snow College, is in session, which nearly doubles the population of Ephraim City during the school months.
We are here with Jay, at his “AZ Sanctuary”. Sitting on the patio outside one of the homes within this compound. The landscaping is breathtaking. there are paths through beautiful landscaping to rival well manicured palaces. Over to one side is a lifesized chessboard. There is a blue rectangular pillar, a red globe, a yellow cube, and a green pyramid prominently displayed near the chessboard.
So, Jay, what is an AZ Sanctuary?