Hamptom Roads; Our First Housesit

As the time to leave for Northern Ireland comes closer, we find ourselves remembering past house sits, which I will share over the next few posts.

The first position we found through Housecarers.com, was for Janice and Erik, in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. We stayed in their beautiful house with their three cats, Mayday, Tasha, and Guinness, while J & E wandered the globe for nearly six months.

Pulling up in front of their house, Bill and I heaved a sigh of relief; it looked just like the pictures.




Janice and Erik must have been standing in the hallway, for when we rang the doorbell, it immediately opened. For a brief moment, we stared at one another, then we all seemed to speak at once. A Big Case of Nerves. This was the first time they had used a house sitter, as well as our first time house sitting for complete strangers. We had arrived two days before they were scheduled to leave. By then we had all calmed a bit. One thing which helped was discovering Bill and I knew Erik's aunt and uncle in Shingletown, CA! It really is a small world!



We dropped them off at the airport, ready for their big adventure. Then back to the house, to start ours! Time to get aquainted with the cats!
Mayday was the social kitty. She was getting on in years, loved to eat, both her own food as well any that Tasha and Guinness might leave, something we had to watch out for. Mayday was also, absolutely positive that everyone wanted he in their lap anytime one was seated. She was a Sweetheart! I haven't been able to find our pictures of Mayday, so will keep looking.
Tasha aka Zoomer, for her speed of light runs through the entire house, was the BOSS. If she wanted the sunny spot, she got the sunny spot. Back of the sofa? Hers! Top of the cat tree? Hers! Top of the computer monitor? Hers! Guess when you are gorgeous, with big blue eyes, the world is Yours!


Guinness was the lone male. He was shy, a picky eater, and at times didn't seem to know what to do with the two gals in his life. He made up for any problems by being loving, and almost apologetic when he had an accident. He was always happy to see us first thing in the morning, even if he wasn't interested in his food. Guinness also had the most beautiful markings we had ever seen. He was the color of a pint of Guinness with the most beautiful green eyes.