petsitting – Sues Wanderings

Housesitting and Incline Village sit.

July 19, 2018July 20, 2018 by Sue, posted in house sitting

For about 2 years now I have been full-time house sitting . Some of the places I have house sat at are Lake Tahoe Ca., Truckee Ca. , Edmonds Washington, Vancouver Washington, Portland Oregon, Fort Bragg Ca. , Nevada city Ca., San Miguel De Allende Mexico.

Edmonds

Truckee

Edmonds

Nevada city

San Miguel de allende

Fort Bragg

It has been a whirlwind and taken off like I never thought it would. I have become increasingly in demand. There is a big demand for house sitters out there. I get my house sits around my hometown Truckee, Ca. and Lake Tahoe area by word of mouth. Some of the out of town sits are also by word of mouth. Some thru websites . I have taken care of Chickens, Rabbits, Dogs, Cats and fish.

One of my current house sits last month was at Incline Village , an upscale town on Lake Tahoe, Nevada . Very beautiful area but then anyplace on Lake Tahoe is beautiful. Incline just happens to be one of the more expensive towns on the lake to buy a house. In fact there is a home for sale right now in the area for 70 Million dollars. Yes, that is right. Wow!!

In Incline Village I watched Noble the Golden Retriever and Rascal the Bunny. In fact I am going back at end of July for another 2 weeks at the same house. Both sweet pets. Lovely home with great views.

Here are some photos of my house sit up on a hill in Incline Village overlooking the lake . Taking care of Noble the Cream Golden Retriever and Rascal the bunny .

view from front entrance.

Side of house view

Noble

Swinging chairs inside house to look at views

Rascal

Lake Tahoe most always has amazing sunsets.

fireworks from the house on 4th of July

Did some beautiful hiking while there in Incline off of Mt. Rose Highway. Mostly along the Tahoe Rim Trail.

The Tahoe Rim Trail as a 165 mile thru hike or can be enjoyed as multiple day hikes with amazing vistas, high alpine lakes, meadows and peaks along the way that always make for a rewarding experience. These are some photos taken along the Tahoe Rim trail.

Will post soon about some of the pets I have taken care of and other house sits.

House sitting in Truckee and Lake Tahoe for most of the summer.

May 17, 2018May 17, 2018 by Sue, posted in Uncategorized

It looks like I will be house sitting in Truckee and Tahoe all summer. Have a few lined up thru most of August with a few days off here and there.

This is fine with me. Truckee ,Ca. is my hometown and I was gone all last summer house sitting in Washington and Oregon. Then I was house sitting for 2 months this winter in San Miguel De Allende, Mexico. . I missed Truckee in the summer. Did not miss it so much in winter. It is one of the best places to be in summer. Beautiful weather with a lot of outdoor activities . There are Lakes, rivers, hiking , swimming , and tons of free music in the summer. I may do a post on just the music that goes on here and several on hiking trails in the area. Of course if you are big into skiing or boarding then it is also a great place in winter !! Winter is beautiful , however I am finding a break from the snow to be very nice !!

Truckee is a small town in the high Sierras at an elevation of 5800 with a population of around 16,000. Here is an article about Truckee being named coolest ski town. https://www.truckeesun.com/news/sports/truckee-named-no-1-coolest-ski-town-in-north-america/.

Here are some photos of the beauty that surrounds Truckee.

Great white pelicans often stop off at one of the smaller lakes

squaw valley in spring

weber falls

Donner lake

sage hen creek

One of many lakes to hike to. Loch Leven lakes

Squaw valley

Glenshire pond in Truckee.

Lake Tahoe is just a short 12 miles from Truckee. Lake Tahoe in photos below .

So yeah ! House sitting in Tahoe and Truckee cant be to bad. Can it !

Here are just some of the pets I take care of in Truckee and Tahoe.

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Pet sitting in Fort Bragg, Ca.

April 20, 2018April 20, 2018 by Sue, posted in California coastline

I just recently got done with a 16 day house and pet sit in Fort Bragg, CA.

Years ago when I traveled to the east coast I would tell people that I was from California and some would say Oh, Los Angeles? or isn’t it all city and desert there ?? So, many folks who have never been to California don’t seem to realize that Northern Ca. is so diffferent and in fact are amazed when I tell them that where I come from is snow and some years, tons of it. I am from Truckee, CA. in the high sierras.

So, Fort Bragg is on the northern Ca. coast which is pristine, dramatic, beautiful and not at all like the more crowded Southern Ca. coastline. A lot of very small towns scattered along the Northern Ca. coast. , redwoods, and dramatic cliffside windy drives that you better pay attention to while driving. Fort Bragg is one of these small seaside towns

The house I stayed was in the woods. The dogs where Nelly and Dougall.

Anyone who knows border collies knows they are dogs that need exercise. Both dogs have competed in agility competition. They where both sweet and we did a daily 2 hours walk sometimes at the beach and sometimes around the neighborhood. Nelly is obsessed with chasing other critters and there are a LOT of deer around there! I had heard that there was also a mountain lion sighting as well as a fox sighting. So, one day she was totally obsessed with something out in the yard and managed to dig a hole under the fence and get out. Her colar was also hooked to the fence so no tags on her. Ughh. The owner had warned me that she has gotten out at times but they didn’t think she would. Needless to say, I was beside myself for the 4 hours she was gone. I could sometimes hear her barking down below what was a steep embankment behind the house. When she did show up she was a filthy mess with all kinds of debris stuck to her beautiful plume of a tail and full of stinky and mud. It had just rained a couple inches. So glad to have her back !! She got a bath and looked spanking clean. I also patched up the fence and kept an eye on her when in the yard.

Losing someones dog while house sitting is my worst nightmare for this job. Here are the dogs. Dougall sitting up. Nelly the smaller whiter one.

Some photos of the beautiful coastline along the Mendocino county coast.

In Fort Bragg there is a waterfront area called Noyo Harbor with a few restaurants, fishing boats, whale watching trips ,etc.. I went there a couple times , once for dinner at the Wharf restaurant and one day for lunch to a place call Jangles Rough bar that has some nice music on sat. and Sunday afternoons. I have to say that I was lucky to have the nice weather while I was there. Often times the northern coastline is foggy for a good part of the day. It was sunny most of the times with 2 days of heavy rain.

Noyo Harbor

I have a friend named Sue who lives about 30 miles from Fort Bragg in a town called Willits and she came over a couple times . We went to the botanical gardens which is lovely and right on the coast and also dog friendly. We also went for a hike to the pygmy forest in Jug Handle state park. Really, everything in this area is amazingly beautiful!

thick forest in Jug handle reserve state park.

lighthouse

With Sue and her daughter Paula at botanical gardens

Beautiful cedar tree in botanical gardens.

I was told by a few people not to miss the Pacific star winery which they said has the most beautiful view along this coastline and great for grabbing a glass or bottle of wine, bringing a picnic and just hang out in one of their many Adirondack chairs overlooking the coastline. If you are lucky you will see some whales !

They where right . I would have hated to miss this spot. So beautiful !!!!

I will end this post with some photos of the grounds of the Pacific star winery.

a rental they have on the property. Pretty cool place with hot tub and the whole place all to yourself after 5:30

Some new friends

Me on the big bench

The wine tasting room

House sitting. San Miguel de Allende.

April 13, 2018April 12, 2018 by Sue, posted in San Miguel de allende, Mexico

I had been house sitting for about a year when some Ladies named Andrea and Marianne, who I knew thru a friend in Truckee reached out to me about coming to house sit in Mexico. They had moved to San Miguel De Allende , Mexico, a couple years back. They said, Do you want to come here for 2 months and watch our dogs and house? Well, I had just read that San Miguel De Allende was voted in Travel and Leisure magazine as best city to travel to. Here is that article. http://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/city-vacations/san-miguel-de-allende-photos .

So, I said sure thing !!

Lovely house at Malanquin golf club about 2.8 miles from el Centro which is the heart of San Miguel De Allende. I would be taking care of a little Doxie named Enrique and little white fluffy Mexico poodle named Miguel. Here are some photos of where I stayed for most of the 2 months. And my little dogs. Enrique a sweet , cuddly little long haired Dachshund who was rescued from a early life of abuse and Miguel a little San Miguel De Allende street dog who lucked out and was taken off the street. There is an innteresting story about the Rebellious nuns who used to raise poodles to make money. Here is an excerpt from the book called “The Rebellious nuns”

Today the nuns make their money (every order, cloistered or not, must support itself as money doesn’t come from the Church) with their tamales (yummy) and cookies (dry). At one point the order raised white purebred poodles to make money. (There is an order of friars in New England well compensated for raising German Sheppards.) One day a new bishop came to town and demanded the nuns stop raising poodles so they opened the doors and let them free. That’s why San Miguel’s street dog population has that unique white poodle mix running through them.

The reason I posted this is because Miguel must be an offspring of these dogs. And because around every corner you see them in SMA , these white fluffy dogs. They are all over but of course mostly owned by people. In fact I saw very few street dogs in SMA.

View from Bedroom and back deck .

The doggies.

Enrique.

The house sit.

Miguel

I did not have a car in SMA however it was easy enough to get around. Once in awhile I would walk to El Centro and take the bus back. In fact I spent a lot of time walking as there are so many little neighborhoods to see. The bus cost 7 pesos to go as far as you want . 7 pesos is about 30 cents . Calling for a ride from Malanquin to town cost about 70 pesos. $3.00. There was a large store about a quarter mile down the road from the house and a couple restaurants across from that. I actually enjoyed just walking to the center of town a lot as then I would pass all the shops, restaurants, etc.. and see something new each time. Taking a taxi or bus back.

Over all I very much enjoyed the house sit and hope to go back. The dogs are both sweet, the house lovely, and so much to see and do in and around SMA . There is talk of me coming back next winter. The girls I house sat for travel a lot each year.

Here is my first view of El Centro and the Parroquia which is the famous Church of San Miguel de Allende and happens to look like a pink cake. The Parroquia as one article says is a Grand, neo-Gothic 17th-century church known for its soaring pink spires & lofty, ornate sanctuary.

San Miguel De Allende has a lot going on . Music, plays, art, amazing architecture, Mariachis nightly in El Centro. And did you know it is an Unesco world heritage site

San Miguel de Allende, UNESCO World Heritage Site

On July 8, 2008, San Miguel de Allende was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. A remarkable example of 16th-century Spanish Colonial Baroque architecture, as well as a place of vital importance during the Mexican War of Independence, San Miguel de Allende was added to the UNESCO Cultural Heritage list under the Historical City category. The city’s colonial authenticity and cultural integrity, and the excellent condition of its historic downtown (Centro Historico,) were key elements that contributed to the UNESCO designation.

It is also one of Mexico’s “Magic towns”. Read about that here:

It is also one of Mexicos “Magic towns “

When I first go to SMA I thought wow, it is crowded and it is on weekends. Many Mexicans from Mexico City and Guadalajara come to town. But it all just adds to the excitement of the whole place . Lots of mariachis, music, weddings, parades, celebrations going on all the time Never boring. In fact I am going to do a whole post about all the activity in El Centro.

SMA is made up of many beautiful little neighborhoods, such as Guadalupe with the Murals I wrote about it here , Guadalupe Murals , a neighborhood in San Miguel de allende, Mexico. botanical gardens that I posted about here El Charco del Ingenio Botanical gardens in San Miguel de allende at night. and here El Charco del ingenio , A botanical gardens in San Miguel de allende, Mexico.

There are hot springs, and ruins to go to as well as other towns of interest within an hour or 2 drive. A few I made it to but still some I did not see. Which is reason to go back.

I only made it to one of the several hotsprings called “La Gruta “. I really enjoyed it. Nice place to relax for the day. Complete with lounge chairs, shade, restaurant and bar and the cave.

Here are some photos of La Gruta.

Beautiful grounds

Entrance to the cave

I have already written a few posts on San Miguel De Allende but I experienced so much while there that I will be writing a few more in the future as well. Still have a lot to share from this beautiful city.

Here is an earlier post I did San Miguel de Allende ,Mexico.

Another about our trip to see the Monarchs. Right here Monarchs el Rosario, Mexico

I had some time off from the house sit ( 10days ) and had friends who came to visit so did a lot of things when they where there.

Here are some parting shots for now

San Miguel de allende

I will re visit SMA in some future posts but my next post will be about the beautiful Northern California coast where I am just ending a 2 week house sit with 2 sweet border collies. Had great weather so it was truly lovely.

Coming soon. Fort Bragg, California.

House sitting

December 4, 2017April 16, 2018 by Sue, posted in house sitting

When I started this journey in June I had thought about getting an RV and traveling that way. Then I got on Trusted house sitters.com Sorry, But I am trying to learn to add links with no success. If you want info on this site message me. I can send you a link. In fact if you want to sign up then please do let me send you a link as I get some free months if you sign up.

I had already been taking care of people’s pets in my own hometown and I added these references onto my profile on Trusted housesitters and immediately I secured 2 house sits in Washington. While there I picked up 2 more. Most of the house sits I do here in my local community are paid sits. But, to travel and house sit there are several websites with listings that are based on trade. The listings on some are worldwide so nice way to find a house sit in a new local. You watch the house and you get to travel to a new area and have a place to stay for free. Of course the price for that is usually watching some pets.

I must say I enjoyed all the house sits I got from Trusted House sitters. And , now I am back in Truckee for awhile doing some house sits here. You see, I need to also make some money so can not do all year round free sits. But, it is a nice way to see a new area once in awhile.

My first sit was in Edmonds , Washington for 3 weeks. Lovely family , beautiful location and sweet pets. I took care of 2 cats, 2 rabbits, and 9 chickens. Realy enjoyed it there. Edmonds although a suburb of Seattle is quite quaint and lovely. Walking along the shoreline and watching the boats and ferries is great. From there , after a week camping at Olympic National park Olympic National park. Washington I had a week long sit in Monroe , Washington. This was with Shift the 4 month old cat who looked like an adult cat. Maine coon. This sit was interesting in that it was in an RV . Very nice RV about 40 feet in length. Parked in a nice park along a river with pool and hot tub. Not bad at all.

From there I took a bit over 3 weeks off and went camping in Montana Glacier National park. Loved it ! Also went to Polson Montana is my kind of town. Loved that area as well. The problem I had a lot this last summer was that so many places where smokey due to the terrible amount of forest fires in the Western United States.

So, after getting tired of camping in smokey areas I decided to see if I could pick up a short sit on my way to a 5 week house sit in Vancouver , Washington with Hermione. I got a 4 night sit in Portland with 2 dogs, a cat and 2 chickens.

From there I went to my longest sit of the summer which was 5 weeks in Vancouver , Washington with Hermione , a little Corgi dog. I loved it here. Close to Portland which is a fantastic city , yet far enough away to be a bit quieter. The house was an old , large house with a fantastic garden !!! So much food in the garden. A perk of that job. Hermione was little corgi girl and such a doll. Really enjoyed taking care of her.

All in all it was a great summer. I saw a lot . I stayed in some lovely homes. Took care of some awesome pets. All of which I become attached to !! At the end of each house sit I would feel kind of sad to be leaving my new little furry friends.

Now I am in Truckee, California ( my hometown !) doing various house and pet sitting jobs . Have been here since mid October and will stay till January 24th.

I did go to Nevada city , California for a 2 week sit. Another lovely area !! Realy liked it , the house and the kitty ! In fact I may do my next post about it.

January 24th I take off to do a 2 month house sit in San Miguel De Allende, Mexico ! Yea!!! I got this one thru a friend. So, excited to see that part of the world.

Over all , I really like this house sitting business. I do still think about getting a small RV or camper van so that when I just want time on my own I have a home. Tenting is okay but a camper would be preferable. And allthough house sitting is a nice way to travel , you are taking care of pets and so it is not all free time. I want the camper or RV so that I can take free time when I want . Overall , I think it would be a great mix to house sit some and RV travel some.

Below are some photos of my various pets I took care of and places I stayed from this last year . Hover your mouse on any photo for a description. If you want to see any photo larger then click on it.

Edmonds