Each time I come here to post updates its no secret that Im floored, simply floored by the speed and grace of the development of the 'project'.If you are unfamiliar with this, here it is in a nut shell. We are planning on moving family (dogs and humans) to 40 acres of virgin forest to start all over with a new home, new kennel and to expand the Sled Dog Sanctuary to be available to visits from thousands of tourists all over the globe all summer long. Just a little project, no?
Some times I sit and am frankly overwhelmed, my knees get weak, my mind wanders and questions after questions run through my mind... how can we do this, is it possible, how did that happen, where did that come from, and how, how, how is all of this possible!?!?
I have been told I am living proof of a dream realized but I can only speak from my experience, my husband and our ever hard working handler (who has become so much like family) James Langston. All our dreams are coming true and I would like to say it is for the dogs as well but you would have to ask them yourself, they arent talking much at the moment since they literally have no idea where we are headed and how grand the journey will be! Do I dare tell them? Nah, I would rather they find out little by little as we break ground this summer and they get their first chance to visit the new place...
Yes, I did say THIS summer... it is already here, the plans are in place and incredibly the heavy equipment has materialized...
I know, I know... heavy equipment? I said the same thing... but James pulled out all the stops yet again and wheeled and dealed in the only way he knows how to secure us two big pieces of dirt moving equipment that will be delivered here shortly. Rental fee? Nah... Payments? Nah... that is how James works. He is a walking miracle as a friend of a friend found deals and offers he couldn't refuse to take hold of and make our dream possible.
A lot of it will be hard work, something we are actually looking forward to, but it will be our hard work, all ours!! There are a few very good friends who will be stepping up from time to time to help but mostly it will us working away and carving out a little, no a BIG, slice of heaven for ourselves and for those visitors we have yet to meet down the road who will be drawn to our little Sanctuary.
I could say that this winter is going to be hard to wait through but I think it will only be hard for James who doesnt thrive on winter like James L and I do. We will literally be flying through it on the back of our dog sleds, silently keeping the secret from our loving dogs but all the while giggling to ourselves with anticipation knowing what freedom awaits in their new home.
Just last week we took a day trip down to the property for a visit and to give James L his first look within the magic. He was more than excited as we ventured deep, deep within the property. It was wonderful to see another person connect to our vision with the exact same enthusiasm.
And on each visit I find new things that I hadnt seen before. This time I found a patch of spruce trees so rare in our parcel since most of the land is covered with beautiful straight birch. This patch was so special to me, smelled exactly the same and looked the same as our old dog yard we will soon leave behind. It will be nice to keep that connection to 'old ways' as we forge ahead to start new ones.
This new space may be home to a spirit cabin, a tiny retreat away from the main house for meditation and peace... time will tell...
While we were exploring the back of the property and walking along the railroad tracks that run right through the back of our parcel the train actually came by! This is pretty amazing since it only runs about twice a day and in all our brief visits we have never been there when it passed, much less having already hiked to the back of our fourty acres to be right there as it went by. It was a pretty monumental event for us and even more special that James L was there to experience it too.
With a little more searching we noticed that our little stream was still running and looking healthy, found two of the front property markers and realized that our parcel intersects more of the land than we previously realized! There is more to be found as we set up a day and time for the official survey crew to come in and cut our property lines. This is not required by law but it will be nice to know what is legally ours as we start pushing a road in and felling trees.
So much more to say but so little time to write at the moment. Ive been up to my ears with work all in good ways and am carried on the winds of all this excitement like never before. It is incredible, just incredible...
And dont forget to stop by the new Sled Dog Sanctuary site at www.SledDogSanctuary.com to see our updated pages and new layout. That was just one of the many projects that was wrapped up last month as we move on to many more things! :)
The Alaska Railroad caboose passing by
James L standing by one of the many old birches on the property
Myself and James standing by one of the front property markers. It looked pretty ancient, may be from the old homestead days when the land was parceled off to residents for next to nothing. 
My small patch of spiritual spruce forest. What memories, inspirations and dreams will be discovered here in the years to come? 
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