Away up north in the tiny town of St. Johnsbury, VT, lived a wonderful, whimsical artist named Stephen Huneck. Stephen Huneck loved dogs and dogs (and dog-lovers) loved Stephen. Stephen and his wife, Gwendolyn, built their home on a hill and they called that hill Dog Mountain. Near the top of Dog Mountain, Stephen built The Dog Chapel.All dogs and their people are invited to visit the Mountain any time, free of charge. There are ponds for dogs to swim in; miles of trails to wander. There are wildflower meadows and even dog parties that take place at various times during the year. If Dog Mountain is a celebration of the life of dogs, The Dog Chapel is a place to revere our bond with them and grieve the loss of beloved companions.
When Stephen Huneck built The Dog Chapel, he labelled one wall 'The Remembrance Wall' thinking perhaps visitors might want to leave a picture or a note in memory of their cherished pets. I wonder if he could have ever imagined the entire Chapel would eventually be covered in Post-It Notes, color photos, copies, Polaroids, hand-written note cards and computer generated love-letters. Only the woodwork remains free of paper memories.
I have been a fan of Stephen Huneck's artwork for many years. I love the whimsy, the humor and the perfect perspective of dogs he captured in his pieces. When I first heard about Dog Mountain and subsequently The Dog Chapel, I knew someday I would have to go. I had hoped, at the time, to bring my beautiful Lab boy, Beau. Beau was a happy and confident dog, perfect for mingling with the various dogs that come to visit Dog Mountain. Unfortunately, I always seemed to be "too busy", foolishly believing his life would last forever and I lost my beloved boy just days before I had planned to finally bring him there to visit. As I sat by his side in his final hours that morning, I promised him I would bring him there in spirit.
Last Sunday, I kept that promise.
When you walk into The Dog Chapel, you can't help but feel a profound sense of loss and love. But there is also an indescribable feeling of acceptance knowing you are in the company of those deeply loved. I felt finally "understood". Beau's picture now hangs with the thousands of other beloved and mourned dogs, cats and other pets that adorn the walls of Dog Chapel. It gave me a tremendous sense of peace to honor him this way and I will take comfort now in thinking of him up on the Mountain. I imagine Rainbow Bridge might look a little something like Dog Mountain.
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Stephen Huneck understood the wonder and wisdom dogs bring in to our lives and he has given us a unique treasure. Sadly, he ended his life in 2010. His legacy endures. Economic hardship, however, has put the Mountain at risk. While a deal has been brokered with the town of St. Johnsbury at this time, please consider visiting the online shop and purchasing a piece of Stephen's artwork to help keep Dog Mountain open. Better still, pack a lunch and your 4-legged friends and go spend an afternoon on the Mountain. Don't wait until it's too late.
What a wonderful tribute to dogs and legacy for Stephen Huneck. Thank you for sharing this (and thank you for your caring comments on my blog). I'd love to be able to put some photos of my dogs that I have loved on lost there.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sue. I hope you're heart is healing
ReplyDeleteUnless you're planning a visit to the States any time soon, I thought I'd mention if you ever wanted to mail some photos of your dogs to the Mountain, folks there would put them up for you. It really is a lovely 'resting place' for memories.
Oh, I've seen his books. That's good you got to go there. I've always wanted to go, as I grew up in Vermont. You're right, I have to make time to do so.
ReplyDeleteI had never heard of this man or this place before. Now I want to visit. It sounds like one of the most spiritual places on earth.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful place, and what a wonderful man. Thank you so much for bringing it to our attention. We would love to go there one day too. Your words have inspired My Vickie to quite Waiting for the perfect time.
ReplyDeleteBert
I have never heard of dog mountain, but we own land about 20 minutes from St. Jay. Thank you for this beautiful post.
ReplyDeleteThanks Leslie. Yes, the heart is coming along. Josh would rather I celebrate his life, not mourn his death:)
ReplyDeleteVisiting the US is on my Bucket List ... but I don't think I could leave my dogs, lol! So I might just investigate mailing some photos. What a wonderful concept:)
That's so cool - the place and that you got to go there. :) Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHi Peggy, Thanks for stopping by. If you do find yourself back in VT for a stay, I would highly recommend visiting. For just a nice day out with the pup if nothing else.
ReplyDelete"It sounds like one of the most spiritual places on earth." For a dog lover, it just may be.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy to have introduced you to his work. Hope you're feeling better.
Thank you for visiting, Bert. (For a minute there I was impressed that my mom had figured out how to comment on my blog - same name. ;)
ReplyDeleteI am happy to highlight Stephen's work - I thought everybody knew him so if I have introduced a few new people to him and his mission, well, I just couldn't be happier. :)
Thank you. Maybe next time you're up that way, you'll have a chance to stop in and look around. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
ReplyDeleteThanks. And thank you for visiting.
ReplyDeleteYou captured the feeling beautifully. I find it's sometimes tough to convey the feeling of a place within the limits of words - you did a great job.
ReplyDeleteThis is really amazing. Thanks so much for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThis chapel is just so great. The energy inside the chapel must be really amazing.
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