House Sitting

We have been members of housecarers.com since 2006. (You can visit their website by clicking the link in the sidebar.)  My sister sent an article on house sitting  from AARP. It sounded like fun, and as we were without house, we decided to give it a try before settling down.  Even though we have now settled down, we are still house sitting.  It is a good way to see the world without the expense of hotels.

When we joined housecarers, we were a bit hesitant to apply for sits.  Silly us.  There are those looming questions.  What if we don't like the place when we arrive? What if it's not as represented?  What if their pets don't like us?  What if?  What if?   We finally decided to just chuck the What ifs? and go for it.  After all, we were just house sitting, not buying the place!

So far, we have not been disappointed.  Sometimes, it's different than our expectations, such as the Ireland sit where the homeowner never left.  But the houses and the pets have all been good!  Don't know why we worried about the animals not liking us, it has never happened.

To apply for a house sit, we send a reply to an ad, telling how we would fit their needs.  We have always had animals to care for, so they are the focus of our reply.  Most people wouldn't worry about leaving their houses, but their pets are an entirely different matter!

When we hear back from an interested homeowner, the negotiations start.   We send references, they send pictures.  Sometimes, we communicate over the telephone, but most of the time, it's by email.  Is this overly trusting?  Maybe, but Bill and I always go with our gut instincts, which have not failed us yet!

For our first housecarers sit, we paid a security deposit into a joint savings account, as well as paying the utilities.  We got back the deposit, with interest.  Since then, we haven't paid a deposit, and probably won't again.  We have only paid utilities one other time and it was a long term sit, which we felt was fair, plus we had the use of a car.  It balances out.

So if you want to spend quality time in one place,  stay long enough to get to know the area, shop like a local, and see things not in the guide books, give house sitting a try!

Places Not to Be Missed in Northern Ireland



The Giant's Causeway

Mount Stewart House and Gardens



Johnnie Joe's in Cushendall



Braghemore Stones

Springhill House

The Dalls

The Crown Pub, Belfast

Any of the still functioning mills. 

The Old City Walls, Derry

Country Fairs

Navan Hill

Carrick A Reed Rope Bridge

Bushmills Distillery

There are many more sights to see in Northern Ireland.  These are just a few which left an impression on us.

You'd Never Know Until You Go!

The Red Hand of Ulster Flag in the rain at Carrickfergus Castle.

There is rain most everyday, sometime during the 24 hours.

There is a wide assortment of flies.

 They will park anywhere they wish, even in the middle of the highway, by a bridge, so they can fish.  You should calmly drive around them.

 People will show up at the house at 10pm without calling first.  Sometimes, you don't even know them, but they heard from a friend you had something for sale.

 There is regular time and then there is Irish time. 

  Five of the 6 sides offered in a restaurant are potatos.

  Chips (french fries) are served with everything, even spaghetti.

  With all those assorted fried potatos, ketchup is only offered in tiny little packets.

  Any old stone building with at least one wall standing is a castle.

  70 degree days are "blistering hot"!

Some Good Things About Ireland

1. The sun stays up until 11 in the summer.

View out the front, 11pm, July 1.

2. Guinness on tap everywhere.

3. Friendly people.

4. Live music in most every pub.

Johnnie Joe's in Cushendall

5. Reasonably priced B&Bs.

6.  Every thing is sooooo green.

7. Not having to read the labels on food for high fructose corn syrup.  They don't use it.

8. There are beautiful flowers everywhere.

Botanic Garden, Belfast

9.  There aren't any mosquitoes.

10.  Accordians in the marching bands.

Orangemen parade, Portrush

Santa Sightings

For several years now, Bill has been mistaken for Santa, Pere Noel, Santa Claus.  Different countries, different names.

Maybe it's the twinkle in his eye that makes them Believe!

The first that was really memorable, was at the kick off party for the Leukemia Cup in New Orleans.  The honored patient was just barely 3 years old.  When she spotted Bill, during one of the speeches, she pointed at him and shouted, "Ho! Ho!"   At the after regatta party, she was again there, but this time much deminished by chemo.  She was in her Daddy's arms, when she spied Bill.  She reached out to gently touch his beard, and softly said, "Oh, Ho! Ho!"  Everyone nearby had tears in their eyes.

Visiting the Eiffel Tower, March 2008

In France, shortly after Christmas, we met a very small girl walking down the sidewalk in front of her parents.  She saw Bill and immediately started speedtalking in French.  The only words we could clearly understand were Pere Noel.  The parents were aghast!  until Bill leaned down and said, "Bonjour, Mademoiselle!  Joyeux Noel!"

The same day, we were followed by a group of boys, about 8 years old, around the market place.  Finally one of them summunded the courage to ask, "Ete vous Pere Noel?"      Bill smiled and replied, "C'est possible."  Brave boy ran back to his pack, excited explaining what has happened.  They all stared, eyes wide, then stood up straight and looked on their best behavior.  Better to be on the nice list than the naughty one.

Sometimes he's just Uncle Bill explaining how the camera works.

The response in Ireland was a little different. It was the parents who noticed Santa! Shopping at Tesco in Ballymoney, a man with 2 little ones in the shopping cart, pointed at Bill as they passed, "Look, even Santa has to shop for groceries."  Wide eyed wonder!

Even Santa enjoys a pint.

In the large pedestrian area of Belfast, we past a father and son seated at an outdoor cafe.  The little boy spied Bill, then looked at his father, who said, "Look, it's Santa."  At this point he caught my eye, I smiled and mouthed, "Yes", with a thumbs up.  The little boy was so very excited, looking between his father and me.  The father, who was behind his son, mouthed, "Thank you!".  Bill never noticed all of this as he was busy window shopping.  Getting ready for next Christmas?

Then there were the 20-something men on the street in Dublin.  One commented as we walked by, "Hey old man, do you know you look like Santa?"  My response?  "Better watch it guys, you may end up on the Naughty list."  Even as adults, there was that look of "Oh, NO!"

Yes, it's fun hanging out with Santa.  Does that make me Mrs. Claus?

Every Girl Needs Some Black and Tan

An old gate where the horse drawn wagons left with loads of Guinness.

Guinness and Dublin.  Can there be one without the other?  Arthur Guinness was a very forward thinking businessman.  He signed a 9000 year lease on the property where he built the brewery.  That's correct: a 9 followed by 3 zeros.  Having been a business owner, I can appreciate his positive attitude.

One of the copies of the lease.  It's under glass in the middle of the floor where the tours start.

A waterfall inside the building.  The water is from the mountains, where the same water they use to brew comes from.

 When the company changed the way it stored the grains and hops, it turned the old storehouse into one of the best visitor's center I have ever seen.  Modern, interactive, but with displays that tie you to the place and product.   The middle of the storehouse has been opened up, lined with glass panels and now is "the largest pint for Guinness in the World."

Guinness even owned it's own vessels to ship their product.

Where it is still enjoyed today.  Right John?

The tour ended at the top of the building with a round bar with glass exterior walls.  Everyone had their choice of a pint of Guinness or, if non drinkers or underage, a soft drink.  The views were spectacular out over Dublin.

Everyone seemed to be having a good time.

After spending a bit of cash at the gift shop, we exited through pints filling with Guinness.  Mirrors on the walls made you feel as though you were surrounded by giant pints.  What fun!

There was even the sound of pints filling.

Old and New

Thoroughly modern bridge with the Convention center in the background.

The glass enclosure is shaped like a beer barrel.

Dublin is a city both old and new, mixed together in a giant blender, so there is no section that is just one or the other.
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The National Museum of Ireland in a Classical style building.

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A cannon on the front porch of The Bank of Ireland.  Robbers Beware!

Woman playing an Irish Harp. 

Dublin

Carroll's is THE place to buy all things Irish.  The inside has more shades of green than a crayon box!

We arrived in Dublin Saturday afternoon.  Weather is beautiful, with sunny intervals.  The guest house we picked on the internet is just fine.  Our room is big enough for all the luggage and has 14 foot ceilings with a 12 foot window.  We have acquired another smaller carryon suitcase, planning to check the completely stuffed tote bag, even though it will cost $50.  Still cheaper than mailing boxes back to Tucson.

You just never know where  you will find sand sculptures.  These were in the courtyard of Dublin Castle.

Dublin is a vibrant city.  Good pubs, good music, friendly people!  Haven't heard this much Polish being spoken since we left Krakow!  The Poles are the working poor in Ireland.  As with most recent immigrants into any country, a lot of the problems are unjustly blamed on them.

The guys playing at O'Neill's Pub.  Their cd came with a money back guarantee, so we bought it.  I told them they would have to deliver my refund to Arizona if I didn't like it.  Then we got into a conversation of "would their music be accepted in Tucson."  Oh, Yes!

We are doing our usual walk everywhere tour.  The more we walk, the more Guinness we can drink.  That's our motto.

We could have taken the bus, but that would have meant less Guinness!

Rathlin Island

Rathlin Island Harbor

Off the north coast of Ireland is Rathlin Island, an L shaped bit of rock.  You can only get there by ferry and only when the weather is good.  Folks have been known to be stranded on the island for several days when a storm blows up unexpectedly. 

We had a bit of rain early in the day, then it settled into clouds with intermittent sunshine.  A beautiful day for walking and looking or even sitting on a beach watching the seals sunning themselves.  The cliffs on the northeast of the island are a bird sanctuary.  We arrived too late to see their nestlings; the puffins had left 4 days earlier.

At the right time of year, these cliffs are covered with nesting birds.

Robert the Bruce spent a year on Rathlin living in a cave.  After that experience, he thought it was better to take his chances fighting the English for Scottish independence.

Beautiful day to sit at the beach, but not so good for sunbathing.

The island was once inhabited by 1500 people, but during the Famine, over 1000 left.  Now it is a summer holiday spot.  The school has 8 students.

Both sides of the road are covered in wild fuschias.