Tales Of A Housesitter: Huskies & Snow | Cozy Bedtime Story For Sleep

[00:00:10] Hello and welcome back to Sleep Wave. I'm your host, Karissa. Let's settle in, shall we? Tonight I've got a sweet, sleepy story to whisk us off to rest. This is our weekly free episode. If you've been enjoying the show, please consider becoming a subscriber. Not only will you get every episode totally ad-free, you'll also unlock two bonus episodes every month. Details below your podcast player.

[00:00:39] Tonight, we join Penny the Housesitter as she takes off for her new location, the snowy, isolated plains of Greenland, where she has a pack of huskies to attend to. If you've been listening for a while, you'll be familiar with our Tales Of A Housesitter series. You know its dreamy visuals and soothing vibes are the perfect thing to listen to before sleep.

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[00:05:10] Kenny leaned back into the striped deck chair and sighed, contented. It was her last day in Bali after a full three months on the island. She stretched her legs out, reveling in the lack of aches and pains. A massage almost every day since she had arrived meant she felt as if she was floating on air.

[00:05:35] Penny was determined to enjoy this final sunset and, more importantly, this final feeling of warmth. Shorts, t-shirts, summer dresses, and flip-flops had taken over her wardrobe since she first house-sat in Hawaii and then in Bali. But tomorrow, she was giving all that up.

[00:06:02] Tomorrow, she had decided to go somewhere quite different. Friends from New York still asked when she was coming back home, but the questions were less frequent now. Perhaps they realized that Penny had found a new way of living and they were leaving her in peace.

[00:06:24] She was sure some thought she'd made a mistake and would soon come to realize that her old apartment and old job back in the heart of Manhattan were far more valuable than a life where there was time to lie back and look at the stars. The thought made Penny chuckle as she realized just how few stars can ever be seen in the skies above New York.

[00:06:52] Over in Hawaii, she could almost read by starlight. Here in Bali, the black of the night was also dotted by millions of bright sparkles of silver and gold. She had learned the new constellations, her first time in the southern hemisphere.

[00:07:13] And now she could find the southern cross and Sagittarius and the jewel box with barely a thought. They were familiar friends. But tomorrow, she would leave all this behind. She thought with some excitement of the packages that had arrived in the post over the recent weeks. She had unwrapped each one, keen to see what was inside.

[00:07:44] Pulling out heavy mittens and warm jumpers and thick socks. Trying them all on for a moment. Then diving back into her bikini in the pool. Penny had bought an extra bag for all the stuff. It turned out packing for the winter took up a lot more room than packing for an eternal summer. And she was headed into serious winter.

[00:08:13] She had stuck with her idea that she wanted to be on islands. Although the one she was headed to was actually the largest in the world. She never would have thought of going to Greenland if it wasn't for the house-sitting website she used. Scrolling idly through the images on there one day. She caught herself staring into the bright blue eyes of a husky.

[00:08:41] A background of pure white snow. The husky was one of six. Five of them with bright blue eyes. And one that had a single blue eye. And a single shining brown eye. Their faces were white.

[00:09:09] Topped with a frame of black. And black tipped ears. With black noses. And pink tongues pointing forwards. Penny had contacted the couple. Mark and Allison. And put herself forward for the assignment. They'd replied quickly. Saying they were looking for two people really. Because of the number of dogs. And Penny had felt crestfallen for a few days.

[00:09:39] Suddenly, the thing she couldn't have. That she hadn't known about 48 hours ago. Was the only thing she wanted. But then, her phone had pinged early one morning. Just as the roosters were starting to crow. And she was sliding out of sleep. And it was a message from Mark. They'd considered her application. And held it up alongside the others they'd received.

[00:10:10] And actually, they would like a chat after all. Suddenly awake and alert. Penny did the sums quickly. She was nine hours ahead of Greenland. And they arranged to speak later that day. Her evening. Their morning. It was a day that dragged. And the usual distractions didn't work.

[00:10:37] She watched the monkeys leaping in the trees. The dogs playing with the husk of a coconut. The wind dancing in the fronds of the palms. But her eye kept getting drawn back to her watch. And time ticking slowly by. Finally, they spoke. And Mark and Allison grinned at her.

[00:11:05] Surrounded by their six huskies. Who looked curiously into the camera. And then disappeared into the background. Leaping about with all manner of toys and balls flying through the air. They chatted about practicalities. And how Penny would cope being there by herself. And whether she could endure the solitude.

[00:11:35] Penny privately thought she would revel in it rather than endure it. And then, the important thing. Whether or not she believed she would be able to control a dog sled. Penny thought back to how she had confidently told Sarah that of course she could ride a scooter before she went to Bali. And how easy that had fortunately turned out to be.

[00:12:04] But even she knew a dog sled was another thing entirely. Mark and Allison promised to overlap with her arrival and their departure. They would give her three days to become accustomed to the house and the sled. And then they would go. They all agreed this should be enough time. The conversation ended.

[00:12:33] And Penny said aloud. To nobody at all. Well, goodness. It looks as though I'm going to Greenland. It took four flights to get from Bali to Greenland. At the end of which, Penny had no idea whether it was morning. Or evening. Or somewhere in between. She barely knew what day of the week it must be.

[00:13:03] There was a thin, wintry sunshine. The sort that gives a bright blue sky and even brighter, wider snow. But then rapidly becomes just a series of stretched shadows and darkening skies. She knew that as she arrived, the days would barely be seven hours long.

[00:13:28] And that, at their shortest, the sun would rise for just three hours. The final leg of the journey was by helicopter to Selak. Penny was the only passenger. And she peered down at the snow-covered mountains and the gray sea dotted with ice flows.

[00:13:51] It couldn't have been more different from Bali, which was all bright green jungle and turquoise seas. Here, the color was provided by the houses. The colorful blue, red, and yellow cubes of painted wood with slanted rooftops and chimneys that poured out promises of warmth.

[00:14:19] Mark met her with the snowmobile, and they strapped her bags onto the sled it pulled. Penny climbed on behind him, shivering despite her thick layers that left just the smallest gap for her eyes.

[00:14:39] Eyes that peered out from behind the sunglasses that, just a few days before, had protected her from the glare of sun in the Indonesian sky. They dashed away from the landing pad, and Mark kept shouting back to her, pointing out the houses and naming the occupants.

[00:15:07] She was the only one that was the most beautiful, the most beautiful, the most beautiful, the most beautiful, the most beautiful, and the most beautiful, and the most beautiful. She tried to take it all in, but the world whipped past her. And in the end, she gave up, wrapping her arms tight around his waist, leaning her head against his back, and closing her eyes.

[00:15:38] She was so tired, she could have fallen asleep right there, rushing across the snow-covered slopes, lulled by the rhythmic roar of the engine, and the gentle sliding, gliding motion as they weaved around homes and trees.

[00:16:02] Allison, of course, laughed at Mark when they arrived, saying she knew that he would overload the poor woman with information, and she must rest, she must be tired, guiding her to a warm chair by the wood burner, and pushing huskies out of the way as she went.

[00:16:28] Penny tried to keep track of which was which, seeing the flash on the chest of Dasher, and the different colored eyes of Dancer, the way Prancer held his tail a little higher, and Vixen stayed in the background. Comet and Cupid, she couldn't tell apart, until Mark showed the small flash of black on Comet's front paw,

[00:16:57] and Penny tried to stow away that information so she might remember. A bowl of pumpkin soup was pressed into her hands, a steaming mug of cocoa placed on the table beside her, and Penny sat and nodded and listened and tried to add to the conversation,

[00:17:23] but was soon glad when Allison showed her to her bedroom. It was all soft blues and warm greens and bare wood walls, huge windows and doors that led to the snowy outside world,

[00:17:44] with heavy curtains that fell together and pressed the darkness outside and the warmth inside. Penny stood in the shower and washed away the last remnants of Bali, watching as the final grains of sand that had been trapped between her toes disappeared down the plughole.

[00:18:12] This was her world now, one where she pulled on thick tartan pajamas and long blue bed socks and gratefully discovered a hot water bottle waiting for her beneath the blankets that Allison must have slipped in while Penny was in the shower.

[00:18:35] A few quick turns of her head on the soft pillows and she was fast asleep, no longer knowing or caring the day or the time or what might be expected of her when she woke. She drifted to sleep, aware of the pitter-patter of paws on wooden floors and the occasional howl from a dog,

[00:19:05] quickly shushed by Mark and Allison. Her phone told her it was 10 a.m. on a Friday when she finally awoke. Penny pulled back the heavy curtains and saw the sun, low in the sky, casting a thin gray light across the snowscape that stretched endlessly before her,

[00:19:32] down to a slate gray sea. She dressed quickly, pulling on layers, although she realized the house was warm, so cozy and warm that even a t-shirt would be fine here. She held her hand to the wooden wall and it was warm to the touch, a soft, gentle promise

[00:20:00] that she would be kept safe in here. Mark and Allison greeted her warmly, pulling back a chair at the kitchen table and passing her a bowl of porridge covered in blackberries. Penny remembered the porridge of her childhood and shuddered slightly, but determined to be polite.

[00:20:28] But this that she'd been given was like nothing she had tasted before. It was thick and warm and smooth and creamy all at once, with a delicious tang of blueberries bursting onto her tongue. As if reading her mind, Allison slipped a piece of paper onto the table beside Penny,

[00:20:58] the recipe for the porridge. The dogs kept coming in and out, occasionally letting out a howl as if they were speaking and wanted to be a part of the conversation. And each time, Mark and Allison patiently told them, no, not yet. Penny tried to name them, only stumbling over Comet and Cupid

[00:21:27] before remembering the black foot. And the huskies each came to her in turn, as she called. They sat and waited expectantly in front of her, heads on one side, blue eyes bright and eager to please. If Penny was being honest, she was a little intimidated all of a sudden by the six dogs

[00:21:53] and the need to look after so many all at once. And the fact was, they seemed to know something of her. They looked as if they understood that she was there now and they would soon be answering to her. And they wanted an instruction, anything to reinforce that in their minds. So, Penny asked them to sit

[00:22:22] or lie down or turn around or roll over. And the huskies all followed her commands without a hint of pause. They were trained so well, Allison explained, or they would tear the house apart. These were smart dogs, intelligent dogs, and they needed stimulation

[00:22:51] and exercise, both mental and physical. That was why Penny would need to learn to use the sled. It was the only way to exercise the dogs as much as they needed in the few hours of daylight she would be afforded. And it was by far the most practical way to reach the few stores in town.

[00:23:19] Mike and Allison did just as they said, teaching Penny all she needed to know and then leaving three days later, waving cheerfully as they disappeared down what Penny supposed would be a long driveway in the summer, when the snow melted away to reveal grass and roads. Allison had arranged for Penny to meet her friend Joanne

[00:23:49] just two hours after they'd gone, and Penny realized this was an early challenge and an early way of ensuring she didn't suddenly lose all confidence in the sled she had learned to ride and drive. She took the harnesses one by one from the hooks, and the dogs crowded around, tails alert, eyes bright,

[00:24:19] knowing what was to come. Dasher was in red and Dancer in orange, Prancer in yellow, and alongside him would be Vixen in green. Finally, at the back and closest to the sled would be Comet and Cupid in blue and purple harnesses. The huskies didn't need to be told where to stand as they rushed out into the snow,

[00:24:49] taking their positions as they did almost every day of their lives, waiting to be hooked up to the long lines, waiting for Penny to lean down and remove the anchor, and then slowly, ever so slowly, gently transfer her weight from the brake to the runners. The huskies pulled and pulled, keen to get going,

[00:25:19] and Penny steeled herself. This was the first time she would go into town alone, the first time she would be all by herself if the sled tipped or a dog stumbled. She quietly talked to herself, thinking about everything she had done in the last six months of her life, the way she had learned to live fearlessly,

[00:25:48] guided by the signs the universe gave her, and a belief in herself she had never known back in Manhattan. Finally, with a determined, oh, here goes nothing, thrown out into the silent world, she slowly took her left leg and placed it on the runner. The dogs pulled and the sled moved forward, Penny holding tight.

[00:26:18] Had she been able to see her knuckles, she knew they would be as white as the snow. The dogs knew the way, so she barely had to steer, but she leaned to the right as they swept out past the fence that showed the border of the property, a few inches of wood poking up through the few feet of snow that buried the fence for the most part. And as they approached the open country,

[00:26:48] she slowly eased her right foot off the brake too, daring to stand them both on the runners and letting the dogs haul her swiftly across the snow. This was the time they would be silent, just running and running, paws flying over the whiteness, breath coming out in six white puffs of clouds as they ran together,

[00:27:19] racing past trees and blue houses and red houses. It was a full half an hour to get into the town if you were Mike or Allison, but with Penny being more tentative on the brakes, it took her the best part of 50 minutes that first time. The dogs seemed to feel her caution and they didn't dash quite as hard

[00:27:48] as they might. And every now and then, Cupid would glance back at her for a moment, a sort of reassurance. They found the cafe easily enough, the only one in the tiny town that was barely a town at all. And Joanne waved from inside and smiled across at Penny, holding up a huge piece of cake on a plate and beckoning for her

[00:28:18] to get into the warmth. The dogs came to, piling into the tiny cafe and weaving to and fro with dozens of other huskies that had brought their owners to the place. The hot chocolate was so thick, it was as if bars had just been melted and then poured into the mug. And the marshmallows reminded Penny of the ice flows

[00:28:46] just meters away in that slight gray sea. She found a kindred spirit in Joanne, someone else who had once lived the city life, London for her, but who had escaped nearly ten years ago now, traveling the world until she had somehow stumbled upon this little community and felt her heart at rest.

[00:29:15] They talked about books and promised to share their favorites over the next few months while Penny was around. Joanne would show Penny how to knit, a peaceful and practical way long, dark winter days, and Penny would teach her the piano. It was a quick promise with more daring behind it than the suggestion that she could, of course, ride a scooter,

[00:29:45] because she hadn't played for years and she knew her fingers would be slow and stiff before they remembered how to dance across the keys. but Joanne had a piano and she longed to learn and Penny thought she could at least do something for this new friend she had found. She had been worried that she wouldn't be able to find her own huskies when it came time to leave,

[00:30:14] but the six of them leapt to attention as she stood up from the table and only her six, the others waiting for their people to finish their cakes and conversations before they too could once more be lashed to a sled and set free to run across the snow. Once more, the six stood in their rightful places, Dasher and Dancer

[00:30:43] pawing at the ground at the front of the line, Prancer and Vixen standing patiently behind them, and Comet and Cupid rushing to the rear, trying to pull at the lines with their teeth as if they could somehow lash themselves to the shed. Going back was easier because Penny was distracted by the conversation she had just had

[00:31:11] and the promises it held, and she knew that this time she didn't need to focus on where they were going. The huskies knew the way and would guide her home, racing along the familiar routes and turning where they needed to turn. Penny began to feel at one with the sled, her body moving easily up and down and side to side

[00:31:40] as the sled rose and fell and turned. And at one point, she let herself throw her head back and laugh out loud into the wind that streamed past and whisked her voice far away to the distant mountains. Each day was shorter than the last, but each was somehow

[00:32:10] more filled than the one before. while Penny's fingers had fumbled with the rainbow of harnesses on the first day. Now, they were quick and nimble. They knew the routine and the dogs knew her. She knew what the different howls meant from each dog. whether they were bored

[00:32:39] or tired or hungry or wanted to climb up next to her on the vast and lean into the warmth of the wood burner. She spent hours buried beneath blankets, the orange glow from the flames flickering softly against the wood of the walls. her hands

[00:33:09] dancing quicker and quicker as they learned the knitting that Joanne taught her. The days when she visited Joanne were perhaps some of the best, Penny thought, when her own slow fingers learned to rush once more across the black and white keys of the piano, Joanne shadowing behind,

[00:33:37] tapping tentatively at first and then striding confidently from one note to the next. each morning, Penny made the same thick, creamy porridge that Allison had given her that first day. She sat in the safe coziness of the kitchen, looking out

[00:34:07] at the world that was just shapes draped in heavy layers of white. She would call the huskies and they would race through the world, daring to wave as she went past new friends, almost forgetting that she had ever lived in a city and known a different life. In the evenings, she would sit by the fire,

[00:34:36] with music playing softly in the background and a pile of books waiting to fill any mood. She now knew the six dogs apart at a glance, knew which had followed her into another room, knew the call of Dancer when Prancer had taken away her ball, knew the sound of Vixen when she chased Dasher from her favorite bed.

[00:35:06] And at night, Penny would bury herself under the covers, more often than not leaving the heavy curtains open so that she could see outside to an eternal blackness that was dotted with stars. Sometimes, she waited in the heavy silence to see a single satellite working its way across the sky,

[00:35:35] the only reminder that the rest of the world still existed. And then, she would settle back with a contented sigh into the pillows, disappearing into dreams where she flew across mountains covered in snow and danced with the rippling colors of light that streamed through the skies and the rest of the night. of the night.