Ok, guys – a little departure from the norm here but I think we can have some fun with this. Let’s have a sleigh sighting contest!

I have it on good authority that the test flights of Santa’s sleigh are headed back to Sector 5 maybe as soon as this up coming weekend. They will evidently be over Mexico, the USA and Canada for a week to ten days.

Also – and this is likely getting a little ahead of the news yet to be published at SantaUpdate.com – it appears that Santa is also in Sector 5 somewhere and HE’S IN A SLEIGH. You’ll be hearing more about that soon, I’m sure. I can’t say any more right now.

Anyway – here’s what I propose:

If you’re lucky enough to have clear skies – and even remotely see what you think is a flying sleigh, by all means, grab your phone and snap a photo or video of it. Upload it via a Sleigh Sighting Report.

I will collect these reports between right now and, say, September 7th. For each report you send in your name gets tossed into a hat. On September 8th, I will pull three names out. Those three names will win our first-ever prizes: a nifty SantaTrackers.net magnet.

You see, I’ve got a connection over in the properties department at Public Relations at the North Pole. They’ve been experimenting with some product development ideas and this is one product they have put together. I’ve got a small collection of these things – magnets, coasters, mugs, keychains, stickers – small stuff. None of it is available yet online but I’ve got samples that they are letting me use for prizes. You game?

I am! Let’s have some fun with this!

Disclaimer: this is for elves in Sector 5. And no, I don’t think any of the other Elf Supervisors are doing this (yet). That’s why you should move to Sector 5, because I’m the best.

Fellow elves of Sector 5, awaken and arise! I send you greetings from our brand new Regional Tracking Center here in Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada.

Cold Lake is indeed a cold lake. We’re kind of far north for the first time in many years. But I’m enjoy the mild summer they have here and, in contrast to other parts of Canada, I’m pleased to report there are no large forest fires in this area. It is pretty and fresh here right now.

Our center is fully staffed, more than 200 elves are here with me getting ready for the season ahead.

Yes, it is still very early in the tracking of Santa 2023 but we’ve got work to do. Santa takes off in a little more than 130 days. Between now and the end of October, there is much we can do to get ready for that big day.

Let’s take it step by step. Over the course of the next few weeks I will be outlining for you the things you need to be doing from your location.

Our steps will begin with very “big picture” type steps. You will be sending in weather, geographical and structural information of a general sort. If you did these reports with us last year then you’ll be just updating information that you sent in before. This means the work will be fairly easy and fast for you to do.

We will also be focusing on two personal elements of Santa’s flight over the next several weeks: your personal home tracking center and, if you choose to do it, a landing zone at your home for Santa and his sleigh.

I’m also contemplating sending out a few prizes in the early going this year. No, I don’t have details of that yet but I wanted to throw it out there that I’m thinking about it. I think it would be fun to have a little contest or two and send out small treasures from the North Pole as souvenirs and thank-you’s for elves who work so hard all year.

What do you think of that idea?

Mrs. Claus has taken charge in the absence of Santa Claus while he goes on walkabout. News of Santa’s travels broke at SantaUpdate.com yesterday.

As noted at North Pole Flight Command this morning, Mrs. Claus has set up office at Santa’s Workshop and chosen Elf Trixie to be her Chief of Staff while Santa is gone.

For the Elf Community at SantaTrackers.net, Elf Trixie says that Mrs. Claus will be meeting with Elf Roger Star this next week for an update on the various projects already in progress for the tracker elf community.

As for Elf Trixie, I am her boss in her regular duties, and while serving Mrs. Claus as Chief of Staff I have been told that Trixie will continue in her regular reporting duties for North Pole News and here at SantaTrackers.net.

We have all been told that even though Santa will be absent for a while we can expect things to carry on normally.