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Santa Rosa Suburb #2 | 6 Days

What a difference 4 months makes! Since I last sat here in July, a shocking amount of progress has been made on the rebuilding of this community that was mostly destroyed by the Tubbs Fire last year. Everywhere you look there is a flurry of construction activity. Sadly, everywhere you look there is also a thick layer of smoke.

The smoke is from the Camp Fire, a few hours away to the North-East. The smoke started pouring into the area the day the fire began and hasn’t let up since. Even though the fire is a distance away, the smoke is a constant reminder that a fire can start up anytime and anywhere without warning. It’s a disconcerting feeling – especially when you are alone and in charge of caring for someone’s home and pet(s). I often find myself crossing my fingers and hoping there are no fires, earthquakes, floods, etc. during my sits. But having experienced an evacuation due to fire during a housesit last year, I feel a bit more prepared should disaster strike again.

Due to the smoke-induced poor air quality, most of this sit consisted of hanging out indoors with my feline pal. She’d sleep next to me while I watched movies in bed and play at my feet while I cooked in the kitchen. She was even my supportive audience while I practiced line dancing in the living room 🙂 Oh how I miss having a kitty companion!

Duties:
– Care for 1 cat
– Water plants and bonsai trees
– Gather mail and be present for delivery of multiple packages

Unexpected Benefits and/or Realizations:

– Not that I am a fan of declawing cats, but I have to admit I enjoy playing “cat and mouse” games and not have my hand torn to shreds.

Unexpected Events and/or Challenges:

– The thick layer of smoke from the NorCal Camp Fire has caused the air quality in this area to be named (currently) the worst in the world. Because of this, I decided to keep my feline friend indoors for most of the sit… and she was not happy about it. But she was already sneezing quite a bit (kitty sneezes are so cute!) as was I, so I felt it best to be safe than sorry.

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Respite in Rural Napa #2 | 3 Days

As an ’80s kid, one of my favorite movies was Benji. I thought that brave little dog was the best thing since… well, since Old Yeller! Needless to say, I was terribly excited for this housesit to begin as it meant I got to care for a smaller, more adorable female version of my most favorite canine actor!

The last time I house-sat here, the owners took their sweet pooch with them so I only had the plants and wild animals to keep me company. But this time I got my puppy playmate – and she was constantly by my side 🙂

Even though she is accustomed to an early-to-bed-early-to-rise routine, she tolerated my late-to-bed-late-to-rise habits. In the morning, she patiently waited until I was awake before she made any commotion. And then she patiently waited for me to pour myself a cup of coffee before we went on our morning walk. We loved our morning walks around the property – around the meadow and along the creek. So many things to see and sniff!

In the evenings she would curl up on my lap as we watched TV, just waiting for me to say the magic words, “time for bed”; at which time she would run into my bedroom and curl up on her blanket I placed at the foot of the bed.

Needless to say, I can’t wait to come back and hang out with this sweet girl again.

Duties:

– Care for 1 dog
– Collect mail

Unexpected Benefits and/or Realizations:

– I grew up in a rural area, but have lived most my adult life within city limits. Staying here, in “the country”, I am reminded of how much I love (and miss) dark skies filled with stars, the smell of dried leaves and grass, and SILENCE!

Unexpected Events and/or Challenges:

– Dogs can do some odd things sometimes. Fifteen minutes after standing at the open door and encouraging her to go outside to “go potty” (and her refusing), she went and urinated in her bed, right in front of me. It wasn’t a big deal as it was easy enough to rinse her bed outside but was just unexpected and rather confusing.