Posts tagged ‘pet sitting’
I am the richest person in the world!
As I sit here looking out the window at the wood duck taking her early morning dip in the pond, the finches grabbing their breakfast from the bird feeder and singing their cheery songs, the antics of the chipmunks and squirrels, all the while the pups snuggled on their blankets taking a snooze I realize what a wonderfully rich life I have.
I start reflecting on the choices I’ve made in my life. When I was 15 years old I worked at a little café named the Jolly Boy. The owner was my mentor and he taught me so much during the time I worked for him. He always talked about when he retired him and his wife were going to buy a motor home and travel all over the United States. Just months after he retired his wife had a stroke and they never got to follow his dream of seeing the country. That always stuck with me. I just couldn’t imagine waiting my entire life to do what I really wanted to do and then not being able to do it.
I decided that making a huge amount of money was not going to be my motivation in life. Don’t get me wrong, I have always been a hard worker. I believe that you do the absolute best job that you can to earn a living, pay your bills, and feed your family. But spending time with my children and family, traveling, and enjoying life were always my priority and I did just that. Throughout my life my family went camping, went on vacations, and had many, many family gatherings as we still do.
Ten years ago my children were raised and gone from home. I had a wonderful job but felt that time was ticking away and I needed more time to do the things I enjoyed doing. So I quit my job, rented out my house and went to Alaska and started my new life of travel and adventure. I met new friends and had great adventures while I worked there.
After working in Alaska for several seasons my path eventually led me to pet sitting. This was the perfect fit for me. I absolutely love animals and I get to spend every day loving and caring for them while having the freedom to travel when I want to.
I also figured out how to travel inexpensively. This meant traveling all over Alaska sleeping in a VW van, spending New Year’s Eve in Times Square while staying in a hostel in Harlem, backpacking throughout Panama and Mexico, taking a three-month road trip around the entire United States and parts of Canada in my little 8-year-old Toyota Corolla as well as many, many other trips I have taken on a shoestring throughout the years. Here are some of the many places I’ve visited over the years.

I took an eco tour in Laguna San Ignacio and had a close encounter with a huge but beautiful mama and baby grey whale
Just recently I was fortunate enough to be able to spend a year taking care of my two youngest grandsons. Being a part of their lives in such an intimate way was such a gift and since I don’t live as a traditional Grandma does, I was able to form a bond with them that I wouldn’t have been able to otherwise. I will cherish that time with them for the rest of my life.
I have now returned to pet sitting. I am so blessed that I get to stay in so many different locations like the home where I’m staying right now, meeting wonderful people who have become an extension of my family and caring for all the different dogs and cats that I have fallen head over heels in love with. Here are just a few that I get to spend my time with.
And I look forward to where the next 10 years are going to take me.
So as I look out at the pond again and down at the sweet sleeping pups I think about how I, someone who in this society is considered poor, am the richest person in the world!
Officially babysitting
Starting on the first of February I officially put my pet-sitting on hold and started babysitting my two grandsons LJ and Declan. What a wonderful decision this was!!!
It is so much fun doing crafts and activities with LJ! Here are some of the fun things we’ve been doing…
LJ is so proud of his little flower garden. He waters it every day.
He also LOVES to play with Play-Doh. Now you might think these are carrots in the garden, but no. They are pancakes with honey bottles and cinnamon shakers 🙂
And he plays with his color wheel.
We made caterpillars out of egg cartons,
And every week we make LJ’s favorite. Oatmeal muffins!!!
Making shapes with popsicle sticks,
I also get to make him fun things to eat, like these banana palm trees!
And he shares my Dr. Oz green drink with me.
It’s also such a joy to watch his little brother Declan grow and develop. I can’t believe he’s already almost six months old!
I had one last pet-sitting engagement. So for a week the other Grandma and Grandpa came up from Portland to watch the boys while I watched Brody & Calla. We had a couple of nice sunny days when the pups could enjoy being outside.
What a beautiful place this is!
But most of the time the pups prefer to snuggle in their blankets on the couch.
LJ was in pre-school but I was able to bring Declan to stay with me for one afternoon. It was nice to have him. I had really started missing the little guy!
Calla was fascinated with him!
So for the next year or so, I’ll be posting more about my grandsons and my life away from pet-sitting. Of course I’ll be sure to include a few pet related posts as well. I hope you’ll bear with this proud grandma, and enjoy these posts as much as I enjoy writing them!
New Years Eve 2013
I have been spending the last several New Years Eve’s in Portland, Oregon pet sitting two adorable Italian Greyhounds, Luna and Reilly.
I love these two little ones so much and enjoy each and every minute I spend with them. Luna has had a bit of a decline this year and is now blind and deaf. Along with her having prosthetics on her two front legs, you might think she would be having such a hard time. But not Luna! She has managed to learn how to navigate around the house and yard, and she even still enjoys playing with her treat toys with Reilly.
This year my sister Kathy came down from Washington state to spend a few days with me and the pups. She immediately bonded with Reilly and they were pretty much inseparable during her stay.
Reilly is just the sweetest little boy. He loves to cuddle with me, but he also loves to cuddle with and groom Luna. Is this the sweetest picture ever?
On New Years Eve Kathy and I went out to see the Christmas lights on Peacock Lane. This is a tradition for Kathy and I. We’ve gone out to look at lights for many years. Some years with the kids, then with the grandkids, some years just the two of us. We even went out one year in our PJ’s! Peacock Lane is an entire block with every house adorned with lights and decorations for Christmas. It was really beautiful!
Then we went out to dinner at a local family restaurant. The waiter was a nice young man looking forward to finishing his shift and going out with his friends. When we were ready to leave, Kathy decided to leave him a $50 tip! She put the tip on the table and we left. From the parking lot we were able to see him pick up the tip and all excitedly show it to the hostess. What a fun, unexpected treat for him. That’s my sister for you. You just never know when she is going to do something crazy and wonderful!
A couple of days later we took a drive to Stevenson, WA and to the Scamania Lodge for lunch. A friend of ours had told us about it so we decided to take advantage of being in the area.
What an absolutely beautiful place! We sat in the lobby and enjoyed the fireplace and mountain atmosphere.
We had a delicious lunch while enjoying the beautiful view of the mountains and the Columbia Gorge.
Next we crossed the Bridge of the Gods back into Cascade Locks.
Kathy had read the book ‘Wild’, the story of Cheryl Strayeds’ journey of walking the Pacific Crest Trail and was really touched by it. She was thrilled that we were right at the trailhead so she had to get a picture next to the trailhead sign.
A movie is being made of her incredible story and it was actually being filmed here in November. Reese Witherspoon is playing Cheryl in the movie.
Cheryl ended her hike at the Bridge of the Gods, walked down to the East Wind Drive-In to get an ice cream cone and reflect on her journey.
So of course Kathy wanted to experience having one of the huge, delicious chocolate and vanilla ice cream swirl cones to finalize her bonding with this amazing story. Well, needless to say, she didn’t get quite the serene experience that Cheryl did. As soon as Kathy was handed the huge cone, it ended up on her lap!
She rescued the cone and dumped it in a cup. As we drove away in laughter she ate her cone with a spoon and decided this was probably as close as she would ever get to experiencing the life of Cheryl Strayed.
Pet Sitting Oscar
When Oscar and I aren’t at the dog park or taking our walks around the beautiful Queen Anne neighborhood…
we are hanging around the Condo overlooking the beautiful view of Seattle and Elliott Bay. I enjoy watching planes of all different shapes and sizes circling over the city on their way to SeaTac. I have even seen a couple of unique aircraft.
Barges and ferries are constantly coming in and out of Elliott Bay.
Since I’ve been here there has been all kinds of weather. We’ve had a wind storm with gusts of over 50 mph. The big planters on the deck blew over and there were fallen branches and debris all over on our walk. For over a week the city was covered with an unusual fog bank. And we’ve had cloudy and sunny days. Every day is beautiful in its own way. Here are some shots I’ve gotten of the beautiful view.

On Oct. 26th the Space Needle was lit in Husky Purple as a tribute to UW football coach Don James. The fog cover made it look Absolutely awesome!
Oscar isn’t too interested in the view. When I’m not rubbing his belly or playing tug of war with him, he’s pretty content hanging out on his bed.
When I’m not enjoying the sights of the Bay and City, I’m watching the birds coming onto the deck and getting their breakfast. I put out peanuts every morning for them.
And the hummingbirds come to get their nectar. There are two that I see. I think it’s a male and female. They’re so sweet and delicate.
Soon I’ll be leaving Oscar and this wonderful place, but I’m looking forward to going to the Phinney Ridge neighborhood to pet sit for a couple of pups I’ve watched before with a new little 4 month old Yorkie addition.
Walking Oscar on Beautiful Queen Anne
If you’ve been reading my blogs you will know how important I believe it is to walk your dogs. I’ve been staying in the lower Queen Anne neighborhood with Oscar for the last couple of weeks and taking him for walks every day.
Every other day I take Oscar to Magnuson Dog Park so he can have the freedom to run and play with other dogs. He absolutely LOVES it! And so do I. It gives me so much pleasure to watch him socialize and run and play in the water.
But on the days I don’t go to Magnuson, we walk up and down the hills of beautiful Queen Anne. There are SO many things to see on our walk including many historic homes. Here are just a few that we pass by along the way.
The Chappell House is a French Gothic style home built in 1906. Chappell was one of the first men at the gold strike in Eldorado Creek in Alaska. He came back, founded Rainier Heat & Power Co. and built this beautiful home. The home is currently home of the Japanese Consul.
This massive home was built in 1931. To the left is a separate bungalow with a garage underneath and formal gardens. To the right is a view of Seattle and below is a second large underneath garage. The picture doesn’t do it justice.
The Treat House is a Gable House built in 1905. Originally the lowest floor had a ballroom, mens gambling room and stage. It was the largest home on the hill at the time. For many years it was used as apartments but now has been purchased and restored to its former splendor. The stained glass windows is what sets this home apart. Beautiful!
This gorgeous Georgian Revival style home was built in 1901. It now houses six luxury apartments averaging 1200 sq. ft. each.
There are several beautiful historic apartments along our walk too. Here are just a couple of them.
The Narada Apartments were built in 1926. The buildings unique features are its extensive and ornate use of terra-cotta. The projecting window bays are clad entirely of it. It’s striking!
The Tudor Revival style apartments are built of red brick and terra-cotta. It occupies an entire block. The U-shaped building surrounds a vast terraced lawn which allows residents to not only have views of the city and Elliott Bay but to have a garden view from virtually every window.
Not only do we pass by beautiful homes and buildings, but there are several stairways tucked throughout the area.
And of course since Autumn is my favorite time of year, I have to include the wonderful colors I see along the way.
During the first week I was here I passed an older Korean lady standing underneath a huge tree. It was littered with spiny pods underneath. She told me she was gathering chestnuts. She said Koreans LOVE chestnuts and they’re very expensive so she comes every year to gather them. I got my first lesson on the difference between horse chestnuts and edible sweet chestnuts, otherwise known as the American, European, or Asian chestnut. I had no idea that all the horse chestnuts I had been seeing were not edible, in fact could actually be poisonous.
The walks up and down the hills of Queen Anne have really taken a toll on my ankles. They are aching and swollen. I’m not used to walking such steep hills. But it’s been worth every ache and pain!
On my next post I’ll share the views from the condo that I’m staying in with Oscar. Every day I look out onto Elliott Bay and the city it looks different. Ahh, what a wonderful life I have!
Walking the dog
I know that I’ve talked about the importance of walking your dog before. Honey has reminded me of how much dogs love their daily walks.
She is the BEST dog to walk! She checks out EVERYTHING! There are lots of squirrels and cats in the neighborhood and she has to find them all :-). It’s so much fun watching her snooping around.
And there are three spots along our walk where Honey loves to roll in the grass. She’s very particular where she rolls. The grass has to be soft, silky and cool. It’s pure joy for her!
As I walk along, I love looking at all the different kinds of architecture and landscaping. Each yard is so unique. There’s the one with the flamingos…
The landscaping varies from perfectly manicured
To au natural
One of the houses that I am amazed at along our walk is the one pictured below. It has the most unusual fence.
Then I noticed that it has a globe tucked behind the tree
And then for the grand finale, there’s a palm tree in the yard!
Amazing, right? I wonder what I’ll find in the next neighborhood I’ll be walking in!
The Grandma Theory
My daughter will be delivering her second son any day now. When she returns to work after her maternity leave I’ve decided to take an extended break from my pet sitting to watch her two sons.
This was a really hard decision for me because I LOVE all the pets that I watch and will miss them terribly. But on the other hand I know that these little boys won’t be little for long and I’m so thankful that I’m able to be with them during their young lives.
I read an article in the Readers Digest the other day and had to share.
It’s call The Grandma Theory.
We will always remember how Grandma gave us cookies, great birthday presents, and…longevity? According to a new study published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, humans developed longer life spans because grandmothers began looking after their grandchildren millions of years ago. With grandmas helping out at home (or, more appropriately, around the cave), prehistoric mothers were able to have larger families, according to study author Kristen Hawkes. The result: Grandmothering set into motion evolutionary changes, like bigger brain size and long-term monogamous bonding between individuals – all because Nana wanted to play tea party with the kids and read the occasional bedtime story.
Well, I plan on doing my part, just like my mother did with my children 🙂
Mothers Day
What a great week I’ve had pet sitting in Snohomish this past week. I absolutely adore the two pups that I’ve been watching. Brody is such a gentleman who loves to snuggle and Calla has the biggest personality all wrapped up in a tiny 8 lb. body! It’s so much fun watching her play with her squeaky toys and when I open the door for her and Brody to go outside, she shoots out like a rocket, barking and chasing away any rabbits, squirrels or birds that dare come into the yard.
Speaking of the yard, what a beautiful time of year it is with all the trees and bushes in bloom!
My daughter Heather lives fairly close by so on Saturday we decided to meet at the Country Village just down the road in Bothell. What a cool place! It was such a beautiful, sunny day! A perfect day for LJ to get to run around and play, and a time for Heather and I to catch up.
He had so much fun playing on all the playground toys including a Pirate’s Ship, swings, merry-go-round, etc. He also got to watch the ducks and chickens that were walking around. There’s a cute pond and stream going along the back and there’s even a little train to take a ride on.
After taking a break at The Village Bean, where there was another little activity area for LJ to spend some energy, LJ and Heather took a ride on the train and then poured into the car and went home for a good nap :-).
On Sunday, Heather invited me out to lunch. She had a bloody mary waiting for me when I arrived! Oh how she knows her mamma!
We had a really nice visit and some snacks! I was so glad I got to spend Mothers Day with my daughter. I haven’t been close enough for several years to do that. It was especially nice because Heather’s expecting her second child so it was a special day for her too! My son lives in Wenatchee so I wasn’t able to see him but I did hear from him so it completed my day!
Thanks Heather for creating the collages for me!
Sammamish, Bella & Peep
I’m in beautiful Sammamish taking care of a canary named Peep. I have had such a good time watching him. It brings me back to my childhood and my moms canary named Sugar Foot. Peep has been taking baths in the morning when I bring him his fresh water. He splashes all over the place and fluffs his feathers enjoying every minute of his bath time!
Every morning while I’m on my computer I turn on Pandora and listen to music. Peep LOVES the music! He sings along and makes beautiful music. I think he likes Country music the best :-). It’s a really nice way to spend my mornings!
I’m also watching a sweet little Italian Greyhound named Bella. She’s had some issues with her hind legs and has recently had surgery so is a little weak. Like all Italian Greyhounds, she loves cuddling and burrowing deep in the covers.
We take a slow walk every day and she’s doing great! You can never say that Bella doesn’t like to stop and smell the roses…and everything else. She loves exploring everything!
And we have the most beautiful path to walk on just outside the back door. It’s been so nice and sunny lately so the walks have been wonderful!
I wake up to this beautiful view every morning with the sound of birds singing and I get to spend my days with sweet little pets like Bella and Peep.
Every day I have to remind myself how lucky I am to have this wonderful job! A big thank-you to all of my clients who put your trust in me to watch over your sweet little pups, cats, birds, etc.! I’m so thankful to all of you!
Three Chihuahuas and Two Cats
What a fun and exciting week I’ve had in Bothell this week with these three adorable Chihuahuas
And two cats.
Wow, what a house full! When the weather was cold and raining so we couldn’t spend very much time in the back yard or take walks (these pups don’t like the rain :-)) they were either playing with their toys, all piled on top of me cuddled up or laying around keeping warm by the fire.
Joe thinks he’s one of the dogs and likes to hang out with them. He is a very verbal cat so is constantly “talking” to me.
Peppers, on the other hand, doesn’t like the dogs and definitely doesn’t like hanging out with them. She prefers to hang out by herself in her basket or on her cat tree away from all the activity and noise.
One day when the sun was shining and we were all in the yard, I realized that Peppers hadn’t come around for a while. I started calling her and could hear her but couldn’t see her. I began to worry that she was stuck somewhere or hurt and couldn’t get back.
Well, guess where I finally found her? Yep, Peppers had hopped onto the roof and now couldn’t get down. I’m assuming she was frightened by the dogs. Now what do I do? Well, I finally found an upstairs window that opened and she came right in. Apparently this wasn’t the first time she had done this because she knew exactly where to go.
Suri is a sweet little girl who, when I’m talking to her cocks her head asking “What?” She’s the first one on my lap when I sit down and is constantly playing with her toys. I absolutely LOVE her ears 🙂
Lola is the quietest of the three dogs. She stands back and stares at me if she wants on my lap or wants some more petting. She sticks more to herself and sometimes I find her laying in her crate. Oh how I wish I knew what these little ones were thinking at times.
Max is a very interesting little guy. He was adopted, as were all the rest of the little ones in this house (Yay to their mom!) and doesn’t trust touch. So I was warned not to put my hand on him or stare at him so he wouldn’t get threatened and bite me. A really hard thing for someone like me who loves nothing more than loving and pamper these little guys.
One day I was on my computer at the counter and Suri (I thought) came up to me wanting some attention. I leaned down and gave her some good petting and lifted her into my arms and was cradling her while I was looking at the computer screen. All of the sudden I looked down and realized it was Max I was holding instead of Suri! What to do now? I think Max realized what he had allowed me to do about the same time and started to panic. I quickly put him down but was overwhelmed with happiness that I got to hold him, even if just for a short time. After that he was much more comfortable with me. Hopping onto my lap, licking my face and he actually let me pet him a couple more times. What a sweet little boy! Yes Max, you can trust me!