The Canaan Valley Ranch is called “The Valley Above the Clouds,” and for good reason.  The majestic mountain property is adjoined on two sides by the Chattahoochee National Forest and isn’t far from the Appalachian Trail. The views of the lakes, trout streams, and apple orchards in the valley below the Canaan Valley Ranch are as picturesque as anywhere. You see nothing but nature: rolling hills thick with trees and vegetation.

I spoke with John Pace about my vision to open a healing retreat center at a place like Canaan Valley Ranch, where people from all over the country could come to take a break from life, take a break from eating crummy foods, take time to rid their bodies of toxins, and take time to heal. Canaan Valley was a great example of what such a center would look like.

Earlier today, the Perfect Weight America film crew followed me along a meadow, which, in its verdant glory, looked like it could be the set for the next “Chronicles of Narnia” movie. (As an aside, I can’t wait to view the next “Narnia” movie, “Prince Caspian,” which releases Friday, May 16. I loved the fantasy and symbolism behind “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” when it came out in late 2005.)

Back to my story at Canaan Valley. So there I was, walking through the meadow with the apple trees in full blossom, wondering if I had been transported to a fantasy land far, far away. Not really, but you get my point. We did a cool thing when I recited Psalm 23 as the cameras whirred. Naturally, I lay down for a moment in the green meadow when I said, “He makes me lie down in green pastures.” I walked beside a bubbling, pristine creek when I said, “He leads me besides quiet waters,” and I trod along an equestrian path for the line, “He guides me in paths of righteousness.”

You’ll be able to see how the filming came out when we air this segment later in the year on my TV show. In the afternoon, we turned one of the Paces’ “green pastures” into a football field. This was the third time I’ve played in the Suches Bowl, as we call this touch football game. The PWA team was pitted against a Canaan Valley squad consisting of John and some of ranch hands, which included one ringer, I might add. We took off our shoes and got to work. I quarterbacked the PWA team, and we made some great plays to keep the game close. Jason Yarborough, one of my teammates, made a couple of awesome diving catches, but it was hard to get footing since we were all clad in bare feet. The bad news is that we lost, five touchdowns to four touchdowns, making me 0-3 in Suches Bowl games, but what a blast. There were a few scrapes and bruises, but no injuries.

The game was interrupted when a couple of Canaan Valley horses walked onto the field of play, and one horse ate the goal line, which was a long string of tape. But in case you’re wondering, none of the horses left any deposits on the field of play.

We broke for lunch and refreshment, and then John took us out to some of the higher peaks on his gorgeous property, which was refreshing. Then we dropped by the stables, where Joshua and I got to ride Fiona, who had given birth to a yearling also named Fiona. The yearling was so friendly, and she came up to my son and me and kept nuzzling us like a puppy. We then took a ride on Mama Fiona since the yearling wasn’t ready for riders just yet.

The camera crew followed us as Joshua and I loped around the pasture with Fiona. One time I looked into the camera and said something like, “And be sure to ride on to better health,” which we’ll use to open or close the TV show with. This was the first time Joshua had ever been on a horse, although he did ride a camel once. We didn’t gallop or go very fast, of course.

Later this afternoon, we hit the zip line. John Pace had built a zip line next to his house, constructed between two trees. I’m afraid of heights, so I was a bit hesitant, but I couldn’t resist the speed trip. They cinched Joshua and me on the line the first time and sent us down the line. Just before we pushed off, I looked into the camera and did a promo for the Perfect Weight America website, saying something silly like, “Zip on over to PerfectWeightAmerica.com to change your life, change your diet, and change your world.” And off we went, hauling down the zip line as Joshua screamed, “Geronimo!”

Joshua loved it so much that I asked him if he wanted to try the zip line himself. He’s not super adventurous, but he gave it a go, and after that, we couldn’t keep him off the thing. He must have gone down the zip line ten times.

We finished the fun with a bonfire and a picnic of sandwiches made with organic meat. There were a lot of people there, and the fire looked great, which made for some wonderful memories.