Berkeley's Place, RR2 Site 4 Box 65, Edmonton, AB (2026)

10/19/2026

THE BELL OF RELEASE — LET IT OUT, LET IT GO, LET THE WIND CARRY IT
Let's talk about grief for a minute, shall we?

Not the tidy kind. Not the kind that fits neatly into a sympathy card or comes with a box of tissues and a gentle pat on the shoulder.
I'm talking about the snot-bubble, mascara-running, can't-catch-your-breath kind of grief.

The kind where you want to scream because they should still be here.

The kind where you get angry at the universe, cry in the shower, talk to an empty room, or find yourself sobbing over a toy, a photograph, or a spot on the floor where your beloved companion used to sleep.

The kind where someone says, "At least you gave them a good life," and you want to lovingly invite them to shut the hell up for five minutes. (You know what I mean.)

Because grief isn't always quiet.
Sometimes it needs to cry.
Sometimes it needs to yell.
Sometimes it needs to stomp its feet, shake its fists at the sky, and ask WHY.
And sometimes, we just need somewhere safe to let it all OUT.

Welcome to the Bell of Release.

Deep in our forest, beside the trails we're creating for the Rainbow Bridge Memorial Garden, there will be a bell waiting for you.

Come as you are. Bring the tears you've been holding back because everyone else thinks you should be doing better by now.
Bring the anger, the guilt, the questions, the heartbreak, and all the feelings you've been trying to keep tucked away so you don't make anyone uncomfortable.

You don't have to hold it together here.
You can cry.
You can yell.
You can scream into the trees.
You can sit on the ground and let the tears fall.
You can simply stand there and breathe.
And when you're ready… Ring the bell. 🔔

Let its chimes travel through the forest. Let the sound roll through the trees and out into the open air. Imagine the wind gathering up the heaviness you've been carrying and scattering it gently into the world beyond you.

Not because the bell magically erases your grief.

Not because you have to let go of the love, the memories, or the connection you will always carry.

But because sometimes we need a moment to say:
I cannot carry all of this at once.
I am allowed to feel this.
I am allowed to release what is hurting me, even if only for today.

And perhaps, as the final chime fades into the trees, you might feel just a little more room inside your heart to breathe.

You don't have to leave your grief behind when you walk out of the forest.

You don't have to be healed. You don't have to be fixed. You don't even have to feel better.

You just deserve a place where you can put some of it down for a little while.

A place where no one will tell you that it's been long enough.

A place where loving deeply and grieving deeply are both welcome.

Because here at Berkeley's Place, we understand something important:

The goal isn't to stop missing them. The goal is to learn how to carry the love without having to carry all the pain, all the time.

The Bell of Release.
Coming to our Rainbow Bridge Reflection Space and forest trails — Spring 2027.

Come cry. Come breathe. Come ring the bell. You are welcome here. Exactly as you are.

Thank you to the Loutan Flock for sponsoring our Bell of Release in loving memory of their feathered flock Jack Frost, Rusty, Pepsi, Copper, Mia, Maya, Dovie and Nikon.

10/19/2026

LETTERS TO HEAVEN — A LITTLE PLACE FOR THE WORDS LEFT UNSAID

Have you ever wished you could send one more letter to someone you love who has crossed the Rainbow Bridge?

One more I love you.
One more I miss you.
One more you'll never believe what happened today.
One more story about the mischief they used to get into, the memories that still make you smile, or the ache that sometimes catches you completely off guard.

Maybe there are things you never got to say.
Maybe there are things you say to them every single day.

Or maybe, just maybe, your heart is holding a whole conversation that the rest of the world can't hear.

We're creating a special little place in the forest beside our Rainbow Bridge Memorial Garden for all those words.

Letters to Heaven.

A mailbox where you can write a letter to your beloved companion animal or loved one who has passed. Pour your heart onto paper. Share your memories. Tell them what's happening in your world.
Tell them how much you miss them. Tell them whatever your heart needs to say.

There is no right way to grieve. No timeline. No perfect words.
Just you, your memories, and a little space to let it all out and here's where the magic happens.

When the mailbox is full, Grandmother Dances in the Night Skies and I will gather the letters and hold a ceremony to release your thoughts, memories, and messages to the heavens. A moment to honour the love behind every letter and send those words onward with intention, reverence, and love.

You don't need to believe in magic for your words to matter. You don't need to know what happens after we say goodbye.
You just need a heart that has loved.

Because love doesn't simply disappear when a heartbeat stops. It lives in the stories we tell, the paw prints left on our souls, the memories that sneak up on us, and all the things we still wish we could share.

Sometimes, writing it down is its own kind of healing.
And sometimes, we just need somewhere to put the words.

🌿 Coming to the Rainbow Bridge Reflection Space — Spring 2027.

Until then, if there's a letter sitting quietly in your heart, perhaps it's time to start writing.

Your words are welcome here. Your grief is welcome here. Your love will always have a place here. 🌈🐾❤️

Some messages are too important to leave unsent. 💌

Thank you Sara C. for sponsoring Letters to Heaven. We absolutely cannot wait for spring to begin placing these elements on the trail.

10/18/2026

BEHIND THE SCENES SUNDAY | A New Chapter Begins

Some projects begin with a plan. Others begin with a feeling that lives in your heart for years, quietly waiting for the right time and place to come to life.

This is one of those projects.

As many of you know, in March of this year, we said goodbye to our beloved Benny. For the first time in 23 years, our home was void of animals. After a lifetime of sharing our home with the paws, personalities, chaos, and unconditional love of our animal companions, the silence was something we had never experienced before.

It was also a turning point.

We decided it was time to take a huge leap of faith. We left behind our family, our beloved friends, and the neighbourhood we had called home for so many years to follow our hearts and find a place of our own.

Since the inception of Berkeley’s Place, we have dreamed of having a space where we could bring our vision to life. After a rather stressful house listing and sale, and with literally weeks to go before we could have found ourselves with nowhere to live, we stumbled upon what we now call home.

And somehow, it just felt right.

We have only been here since July, but so much has already happened. While we continue to explore how Berkeley’s Place will grow and evolve in this next chapter, there has always been one idea that has remained close to our hearts.

A place for people to come when their hearts are broken by the loss of a beloved animal.

A place to pause when the world keeps moving, but your heart isn't ready to catch up.

A place for reflection, contemplation, remembrance, and quiet connection. A place where you can sit with your grief, honour the love you shared, remember the little things that made your companion so wonderfully them, and simply be.

Because the loss of an animal is so much more than saying goodbye. It is learning to navigate a world that looks a little different without them in it.

And sometimes, we just need somewhere to breathe.

Our new property came with existing trails, long overgrown and waiting to be rediscovered. This month, work began on reclaiming those trails, uncovering old cut lines deep in the forest, and taking the time to listen to what the land has to offer and somewhere along the way, we found it.

A quiet little clearing tucked among the trees. A place that felt just right for something we have carried in our hearts for so many years.

Our Rainbow Bridge Reflection Space.

Over the coming week, we will be sharing little insights, behind-the-scenes moments, and tidbits about what we are creating here. From the vision behind the space to some of the special touches we hope will make it meaningful, we want to bring you along as this dream slowly takes shape.

This isn't about rushing to build something beautiful. It's about creating something meaningful. A space rooted in love, remembrance, compassion, and the understanding that the bonds we share with our animals don't simply disappear when they leave this world.

Coming Spring 2027: The Rainbow Bridge Reflection Space.

10/18/2026

LOOK WHAT YOUR KINDNESS DID!

Okay friends…

Remember that little donation sitting in the bin? The $5 kindness? The bag of food you tossed in while you were already shopping? The treats you picked up? The litter? The cleaning supplies? The thing you weren't even sure would make a difference?

IT DID. 🧡

Because kindness is sneaky like that. It starts small. One person puts something in a bin. Another person does the same. Someone else says, “Oh! I can help with that.”

A volunteer empties the bin.
Someone sorts it.
Someone loads it into a vehicle.
Someone drives it across town.
Someone unloads it.
And eventually an animal gets fed.

A foster home gets supplies.
A rescue doesn't have to make one more emergency purchase.
A pet parent gets a little help keeping their animal at home.
A volunteer gets to say: “Okay. We've got what we need.”

And THAT is what community looks like.

Not one superhero swooping in to save everybody.
Just ordinary people doing little things.
Over and over.
Until those little things become something pretty extraordinary.

One bag becomes a shelf.
One donation becomes a meal.
One volunteer becomes a delivery.
One $5 kindness becomes part of something much bigger.

And here's the part we love most:

You don't always get to see where your kindness ends up.
You may never know which animal ate the food you donated.
You may never meet the foster who used the supplies.
You may never know the name of the volunteer who hauled that bag.
But somewhere along the way, your kindness moved.

It travelled from your hands to the donation bin to another person's hands and eventually to an animal who needed it. That's pretty darn cool. 🧡

So today we're not asking you for anything.

We're just saying:

THANK YOU.

Thank you for the $5.
Thank you for the can of food.
Thank you for the bag of litter.
Thank you for the share.
Thank you for the volunteer hours.
Thank you for the person who said, “I'll grab one while I'm there.”
Thank you for remembering that animals need care every day, not just when there's a crisis.

Thank you for proving something we believe very strongly at Berkeley's Place:

Small acts of kindness aren't small when a community does them together. Look what your kindness did. You helped make sure someone got dinner. And honestly?
That's a pretty good day!

10/17/2026

THE $5 KINDNESS

We need to have a little chat about small donations because somewhere along the way, we've convinced ourselves that if we can't give $50, $100 or $500 we shouldn't bother giving anything.

WRONG! Let's talk about the $5 kindness. Five dollars might not feel like much.
It might be the change in your wallet. The money you would have spent on a fancy coffee. The thing you almost added to your online shopping cart. The couple of dollars left after grabbing your own pet's supplies.

But here's the thing:
Five dollars by itself is small.
Five dollars from 10 people is $50.
Five dollars from 100 people is $500.
Five dollars from 1,000 people is $5,000.

Suddenly that “little” donation isn't looking so little. That's how community works.
Not everybody can give the same amount. Not everybody has the same resources and frankly, nobody should have to put themselves in financial difficulty to prove that they care about animals. Giving should not hurt you.

If $5 is comfortable for you, give $5.
If you can give a bag of food, give a bag of food.
If you can give your time, give your time.
If all you can do today is share a post so someone else sees an animal who needs help that's something too. There are a thousand ways to participate in kindness.

Here's the really important part - Never underestimate what happens when ordinary people each do one small thing.

One can of food.
One bag of treats.
One package of litter.
Five dollars.
Ten minutes.
One shared post.
One conversation.
One “Hey, I saw this and thought you might be able to help.”
None of those things looks particularly heroic.

But put enough of them together and suddenly:

Shelves get stocked.
Animals get fed.
Supplies get delivered.
Foster homes get supported.
People feel less alone and somebody who was wondering how they were going to make it through another week gets a little breathing room. That's not insignificant.
That's community.

So if you've ever looked at a fundraiser and thought: “I wish I could help, but I can't afford much…”

We want you to hear this: You don't have to give a lot to be part of something good.

Give what you can.
Give when you can and don't apologize for the size of your kindness.

Because $5 may not change the entire world but it can change one small piece of it and when enough people each change one small piece? Well that's how we change the world.

10/16/2026

Thank you Pet Valu Fort Saskatchewan for your generosity this month! We were able to send this donation of canned and dry puppy food off to our friends at Hope Lives Here Animal Rescue Society.

10/16/2026

Another big round of thank yous going out to Pet Valu Fort Saskatchewan for Thanks for Giving Month! We picked up a wonderful load of canned food, dry food, pet bed and more! Thank you thank you!!

10/16/2026

THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE BIN

The donation doesn't magically grow legs and walk itself to a rescue.

You've bought the food.
You've dropped it in the bin.
You've done your good deed.
And then what?

Someone has to deal with that bin and those people don't get nearly enough attention.

Behind every full donation bin are people who:

📦 Empty it.
📦 Sort it.
📦 Check it.
📦 Organize it.
📦 Lift it.
📦 Haul it.
📦 Store it.
📦 Load vehicles.
📦 Drive it somewhere.
📦 Unload it.
📦 And eventually get it into the hands of the people caring for the animals.

Sometimes that means volunteers spending an evening sorting mountains of food and supplies. Sometimes it means loading a vehicle until there's barely room for the driver. Sometimes it means someone making a trip across town after work because a rescue desperately needs something. Sometimes it means carrying 40-pound bags of food when your back has very politely suggested that perhaps this was not the best career choice and sometimes it means sorting through donations that can't actually be used.

Which is why yesterday's post mattered. Because when you donate something clean, safe, appropriate and actually needed you aren't just helping an animal. You're helping the person standing behind that animal too. You're saving them time. You're saving them storage space. You're saving them a disposal problem. You're making their job just a tiny bit easier and that matters because rescue and animal welfare aren't powered by magic. They're powered by people. People who answer messages. People who clean. People who transport. People who foster.
People who fundraise. People who do laundry. People who make phone calls.
People who pick up food. People who deliver supplies. People who quietly do the jobs nobody sees and yes people who empty the donation bin.

So the next time you put something in one, take a second to think about the person who will eventually pick it up. You may never know their name. You may never meet them but your donation is going to pass through their hands before it reaches an animal and that makes them part of the story too.

So here's today's Thanks for Giving challenge:

If you see someone working behind the scenes— thank them.

The volunteer.
The store employee.
The rescue coordinator.
The driver.
The foster.
The person hauling the bags.
The person sorting the supplies.
The person who has somehow managed to turn the back seat of their vehicle into a mobile pet-supply warehouse.

Tell them you see them.

Because sometimes the people who keep everything moving are the very people nobody notices.

And at Berkeley's Place, we think they deserve a little gratitude too. 🧡

The animals are the reason.
The community is the how.
And the people behind the bins are part of what makes it all possible.

10/15/2026

THE RESCUE DONATION BIN PSA NOBODY ASKED FOR

Please don't donate this. We love you. We really do.

We've talked about what rescues do need. So today, let's talk about the things that seem like a good donation but aren't necessarily helping anyone and before anyone feels bad, we know your heart is in the right place.

Most questionable donations come from someone thinking: “Surely somebody can use this!”

Sometimes they can and sometimes No. No, Brenda. They cannot. 😂[No offence to the Brenda's on our page!]

🚫 GROSSLY EXPIRED FOOD

If the best-before date was three presidents ago - No.

We appreciate the enthusiasm but animals deserve safe food too.

Please check those dates before donating.

🚫 DAMAGED, MOLDY OR QUESTIONABLE FOOD

If you wouldn't feed it to your own animal please don't donate it to somebody else's.

Bent packaging isn't always a problem, but leaking, swollen, torn-open, contaminated or visibly damaged food should stay out of the donation bin (mold, bugs - you get the drift).

🚫 HALF-USED MEDICATIONS

This one is especially important.

Please don't drop leftover prescription medications into a rescue donation bin unless you've specifically been asked to donate them through an appropriate veterinary program.

Medications need proper handling, storage and identification.

“I found these in the cupboard and they're probably for dogs” is not a medical protocol.

🚫 USED TOYS THAT HAVE SEEN THINGS

That beloved squeaky toy that has been chewed, de-stuffed, re-chewed,
buried, rescued from the yard, and possibly involved in a minor crime might have sentimental value. It may not have much structural integrity left.

Used toys can absolutely be useful if they're clean and safe, but if they're ripped, sharp, falling apart or harbouring an ecosystem of their own…

Let it go.

🚫 DIRTY BEDDING

Blankets and towels can be fantastic donations but please don't donate bedding that is heavily soiled, moldy, wet or contaminated with p*e, p**p, vomit, blood etc. Rescues already have enough laundry. They do not need to receive your contribution and immediately think: “Excellent. A new biohazard project.” 😂

🚫 HUMAN FOOD… UNLESS THEY ASK

That giant box of something your family didn't like? Before putting it in a donation bin, check first. Animal diets can be complicated, and not everything humans eat is appropriate for every animal.

🚫 YOUR ENTIRE BASEMENT

We love your generosity. We really do but before arriving with three truckloads of mystery pet supplies from 1998 please ask what the organization actually needs. Storage space is precious. A rescue doesn't need 14 different brands of something they'll never use.

HERE'S THE REAL MESSAGE:

Please don't feel embarrassed if you have something you're unsure about. Ask.
“Can you use this?” is one of the best questions you can ask a rescue. Because the goal isn't to give away stuff. The goal is to provide something useful. Sometimes that means food. Sometimes litter. Sometimes cleaning supplies. Sometimes treats. Sometimes absolutely nothing because the organization is already stocked up and that's okay too.

Good intentions are wonderful. Useful intentions are even better.

So before you toss something into that donation bin, take ten seconds and ask:

🐾 Is it safe?
🐾 Is it clean?
🐾 Is it unexpired?
🐾 Is it unopened, if that's required?
🐾 And most importantly… do they actually need it?

Because the kindest donation isn't the thing you don't want anymore. It's the thing that someone else can actually use. And if the answer is no? That's okay. You haven't failed at kindness. You just saved a rescue from having to figure out what to do with it or how to dispose of it. That's a win too.

10/14/2026

IT HAS BEGUN!!

The trails are being cleared, the Rainbow Bridge Memorial Garden is taking shape, and friends… we are BEYOND excited!

Yesterday brought so much progress, and today the clearing of our sacred spaces continues. Little by little, this dream is becoming something we can actually see, walk through, and feel. Of course, Squirrelock Holmes has had PLENTY to say about the whole operation this morning.

We aren't entirely sure if he's concerned about what's happening in his forest or if he's simply thrilled that we've built him a brand-new freeway. Either way, the local wildlife has opinions, and apparently, none of them have been shy about sharing them. But in between the squirrel commentary, there's a whole lot of magic unfolding here.

Imagine…

Sitting beneath the only spruce tree on the entire property, settled onto a wraparound bench, surrounded by the quiet embrace of Mother Nature. A place to breathe, to remember, to cry if you need to, or simply to be.

Imagine sitting in the garden, looking up at the trees as they reach toward the heavens, holding space for you while you wait for that little sign from the Bridge. The one that makes you smile through your tears and whisper, “I knew you were still here.”

Imagine walking a peaceful trail, carrying the love of someone you miss, knowing that grief doesn't need to be fixed, hurried, or tucked away. Sometimes, it just needs a little room to breathe.

Imagine a place where love remains, memories are honoured, and the bond we share with the animals who change our lives is never measured by how long they stayed.

That is what we're growing here. ❤️

Not just a garden. Not just a trail.

A place to remember. A place to reconnect. A place to feel held when the world feels a little too heavy.

And we're only at the beginning!

The Rainbow Bridge Memorial Garden and trails are coming to life, with the garden build planned for SPRING 2027!

Stay tuned, beautiful people. The roots of this dream are going in, the forest is getting a makeover, Squirrelock Holmes is apparently running the neighbourhood watch… and we cannot WAIT to share this journey with you!

One tree. One trail. One memory. One little bit of magic at a time.

Berkeley's Place

10/19/2026

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