When I heard recently about NASA’s Artemis program, it made me think about a few things. I adopted a puppy back in 1997 that I named Artemis. It was a beautiful, silky, black Labrador retriever puppy that appeared on my doorstep in the middle of a very cold winter in southern Vermont.

I was renting a large apartment on a farm on the top of a mountain because I wanted to experience daily rural country life. It was definitely an experiment for me as it was isolated and at times could be quite lonely. It was a big change from being very social in a suburban college setting. However, I got a lot out of that experience looking back. I made a lifelong friend as well.

It was a very cold night and one of the farm hands knocked on my door and pointed at a little black puppy right on my doorstep. I was surprised and said, “What?” He just shrugged his shoulders and headed out to his truck. There were snow flurries and the temperature was dropping fast. This little puppy with large brown eyes just stared at me. I was wearing a silk cotton mesh thermal long sleeve top after skiing and shorts and just went out the door barefoot and scooped up the little puppy in my arms and brought it inside.

I brought the puppy by the fire. It was really cozy by the fire where I had been reading a book and lying on a sheepskin rug. The puppy shook its butt and then stretched and started wagging its tail and came over and started sniffing me and then licked me on the face. I started laughing and we bonded. I realized the dog was hungry and looking at it, that it was a little female puppy. She followed me obediently to the fridge where we both stared at what I had in there. There was some leftover salmon salad and some fried chicken that a neighbor had dropped by along with a large apple pie. I did not eat meat at the time other than seafood (a pescatarian) and had been considering giving the chicken to one of the farm guys as I did not want to hurt the neighbor’s feelings.

But now I had a little friend who was eager to eat that chicken! I took out the dish from the fridge and warmed up some of the chicken. The little doggie went to town on it. That was awesome to watch. I was a little worried if she would get sick since it was fried so I fed her slowly. She ate it all up and looked at me hopefully and then just put her head on my lap. It felt amazing.

I pet her for a bit and then got up and went to the window, made myself some hot chocolate and wondered what I should name her and what to do with her. The sky had been cloudy all day and just starting to clear up. I saw some beautiful stars in a formation and wondered what constellation it was. Then I thought, I could name her after a star or a constellation! The name Artemis popped in my head. So I turned to the puppy and said, “Artemis.” She looked at me hopefully. I said, “Art,” and she came running to me.

The next day, a bunch of the farm hands stopped outside my little apartment to see our new friend and they all petted her and commented on how silky her fur was. Her fur was beautiful. Apparently there was a second puppy too that a neighbor found wandering down the old dirt mountain road and he had promptly taken home. One of the farm guys said, “Must have been a guy who left them here on purpose,” and shook his head in disappointment.

Another guy said, “What if you hadn’t seen them? They would have frozen to death!”

Artemis appropriately looked alarmed. I felt the same way.

Brian, one of the farm guys I had talked to before, came up to me. He had taught me how to feed a lamb just a few days back, which I had really enjoyed doing. He was about thirty-five or forty years old at the time with a receding hair line and a very honest face. He had two beautiful little girls and his wife was pregnant with their third kid. He pulled his wool hat off his head and held it in his gloved hands politely and bent his head a bit and asked me, “So what are you going to name the little fellow, Miss Jan?”

I said, “Well first off, it’s a girl.”

Brian said, “Okay then,” and smiled.

I said well, “I don’t know if I can keep her, but if it works out, well then, I thought I would name her Artemis, like the constellation.”

Brian shook his head solemnly and said, “That’s a fine name for such a beautiful dog, Miss Jan.”

I beamed at him and scooped up Artemis in my arms. He pet her for a bit and said, “She’s lucky to have you. It’s good. You shouldn’t be out here all by yourself. You can only ski and read books so much.”

I just smiled.

Back then, I worked part-time at a ski resort for three to four days a week depending on my schedule. The rest of the time I had off and I would go skiing, snowshoeing, and on very long walks exploring the area for hours on end. I loved the light on the snow and just disappearing in the woods. It was a fantastic workout and I could just walk out my door and do it.

If any of you reading this lived in New England at the time, you will remember this was the “ice storm of ‘97.” It was such an intense snow and ice season that the entire city of Burlington was closed for three weeks. Further south and up higher in the mountains where I was though, it was a winter wonderland! The snow was so thick and deep that your boots would sink into the soft fluffiness and it felt endless. I loved wandering through the woods and skiing backcountry. It was incredible. Waking up in the morning, I would rush to see how much snow had accumulated and head on out to explore after having some coffee. I still remember the sun shining on beautiful icicles on the trees. It was breathtakingly beautiful and peaceful.

Yes, living on a mountain top with only two neighbors miles apart, was definitely lonely at times, but it was also amazing. I look back at that time with fondness, especially the long hikes I went on.

After the landlord said that I could keep her — I convinced her by offering to pay more rent — I took Artemis out with me every day on long walks. She had so much energy and was lithe, fast and beautiful. Her coat was super silky. She would run next to me while I skied to the general store. Vermont has the best general stores. You can find anything and everything there from delicious freshly made sandwiches with local cheeses and wines, to everything practical too. The clerk at the store always had a fresh biscuit for Artemis so she would put her paws up on the countertop and get one when we stopped by.

When it started to warm up by mid March, I took Artemis on this long walk where water was flowing through this stream and we could even see a few fish. She jumped in and grabbed one! I was amazed at how fast she was and a natural. One of the farm guys was clearing debris nearby and he was very impressed, saying he had been training his Irish setter for years on end and never got his dog to be that quick. I guess she had it in her naturally.

She had this wonderful playfulness and joy for life. When I think of her, I remember her energy and how fast she ran. Truly a hunter!

Artemis was never comfortable with being left at home when I went to work. She would scratch the door, which I had to get replaced eventually to soothe my landlord, and she would rip all my favorite clothes because they smelled like me. I pulled long hours on the shifts I did and I felt bad about leaving her for so long. It was too far of a drive for me to go up the mountain to her and then back to work on a break. I knew it was not sustainable especially since I was going to move out when the spring started.

I called up my dad’s best friend in Texas for advice. He told me to come on down and he would help me find a new home for Artemis. I went down there and we took Art to a beautiful large Texas ranch and farm. She bounded out the car door when we arrived, fitting in naturally. The last time I saw her, she was running off to play with other dogs on this large gorgeous property. It was better than I could offer at 21 years of age. I loved the experience we had together though. She was my first dog on my own as an “adult” and we were outdoor pals. I loved how she would put her head in my lap when I was reading and just fall asleep.

What does this have to do with NASA? Not much, I suppose. However, I love space exploration and the stars. I have named quite a few things after stars. :) It has inspired me though when I think of a residence I intend to build and the property itself. I would like to build a little observatory on my property to enjoy a great view of the night sky. I just read this article also about the 12-inch bronze Nebra sky disk inlaid in gold discovered in 2003 that has an “ancient vision of the cosmos” and is one of the oldest human representations of the heavens, connecting us with sky watchers from eons ago. Who knows? I might have a few dogs, cats, foxes, lynxes, birds and other friends on that property too who will come and star gaze with me too. :)

Ideas and Experiments in Designing a Life

I Love Being a Woman

Artemis