Friday, April 11, 2014

A Perfect Walking Partner

While looking at housesits that are available, I saw that the couple in Alderholt are looking for someone for this year.  I really wish we could go back.  Their dog; Trevor, an English Bull Terrier, is my perfect speed walking partner.  His pace and my pace are the same;  plus he is very good looking!  So, here's to Trevor, his cat friend Friday and their wonderful owners; hope you find a great housesitter.



Tuesday, April 01, 2014

Maybe Next Year

We belong to two housesitting sites;  Housecarers and Mindmyhouse.  Both have sent us on interesting stays.  The way is works is simple.  We have an ad, with pictures and information.  The homeowners post ads with when and who they are need to housesit.  We answer the ads and sometime, Viola!, we have a housesit.

Then there is the other way around.  A homeowner contacts us, directly, with an offer.  Sometimes it works, as with two sits last summer.  More often than not, it doesn't.  Not because we don't want to go, but usually because it doesn't fit our schedule or budget.

We have had to turn down two sits so far this summer.  One on Cape Cod, which came about from a recommendation of friends in Nice, because of a schedule conflict.  The other was just this week; a month in The Netherlands.  We checked flights. We checked our budget.  We checked our airmiles.  We considered hitchhiking.  Ok, just kidding about that last one. The bottom line; we just could not swing it.  So, a note back to the homeowners, thanking them for the offer, perhaps a different time.

It always leaves us a little down when this happens.  All the missed possibilites; new animals, new places, new friends.  Ah, well, maybe next year.

Blackness Castle and Linlithgow Palace

Two castle built during the same period, but for completely different uses.  Blackness Castle was a military fort on the Forth of Firth, whi...