That was our life for 6 days in
Portland, Oregon early October 2016. Throw in a storm for some different
excitement and we ended up with a tiring but oh so fulfilling house sit, culminating in a new friendship.
Looking for an excuse to visit family in Portland, our first choice for house sitting was somewhere close by. How perfect to eventually find one so close.
Portland is darned wet in the fall as we soon discovered. Note to self - Bring better rain gear next visit. The first morning a storm hit the Oregon coast and the Portland area. Resulting high winds and rain caused parts (not us, thank goodness) to flood and branches to be blown off trees.
Portland is darned wet in the fall as we soon discovered. Note to self - Bring better rain gear next visit. The first morning a storm hit the Oregon coast and the Portland area. Resulting high winds and rain caused parts (not us, thank goodness) to flood and branches to be blown off trees.
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| Shauna in Heaven with Charlie and Penny |
At the house, between full storm drains and problematic plumbing Don is now mopping, and mopping some more. To heck
with that, now the wet vac is put into operation. Finally, after
figuring out that we can't use the washer, and are frugal with the kitchen sink
water, we manage to keep the laundry room dry.
On a positive note, I have never been surrounded by so
many lovable puppies and of course, indifferent cats, in my life.
Spike, the 21-month old Miniature Pinscher, is our dog. I was worried he wouldn't fit in after not being
impressed with the puppy on our last sit. Not to worry, because he and his new pals absolutely hit it off.
Charlie was the youngest at 5 months. Still puppy cute, but large enough to bowl you over if you weren't paying attention. A Boston Terrier that loved cuddles and would crawl on my lap whenever he could.
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| Mickey's exclusive nap spot |
Next is Penny, 6 months old and the cutest Toy Poodle you can imagine.She is all of four pounds and full of spunk. Her teething was definitely
painful, so I moistened her kibble to mimic canned food so she would
eat.
Mickey, the 21 month old Boston Terrier, is the protector. When Spike is being manhandled by Charlie, Mickey bounds in to save the day.
One time I had Spike, Penny, and Charlie ensconced on my lap for evening TV watching while Mickey enjoyed Don's lap. HEAVEN!
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| Sawat distracted by hummingbirds |
Then there were the two cats. Mit Mit, the indoor part
Persian cat, had a perch in the office to observe her domain, and Sawat, the outside cat, only showed
his face when he expected his dinner on the front porch. Both struggled to get to
their litter box or kibble during the day and usually just waited to sneak by
at night after the puppies were kenneled. Mit Mit allowed me to pet her and to David's amazement let Don give her a quick brush.
David and Gay are incredible hosts. They
definitely suit each other with their various talents. David is the carpenter and loved showing off his newest
build, the 'cottage', a small suite built behind the house including a living roof. Gay is an artist. Her paintings reflecting
her travels are framed and all over the house.
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| Mit Mit basking in a rare sunbeam |
Gay is also the gardener, a gal
after my own heart. She planted and now maintains the roof and grounds. As they
are in Portland, the growing conditions are superb, and she takes advantage
with style and skill. I was able to clip peppermint for tea, and chop fresh
rosemary from her bush(!) for the focaccia bread I made for their welcome home lunch. They introduced us to some fabulous restaurants. The
night before they left, they treated us to a seafood restaurant close by. Here
we found out how much we had in common. When they returned, they once again
treated us to dinner out. We all had a blast!
Thank you for trusting us with
your babies.
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| Living roof over our suite |
Accomplishments:
With the moist Portland air, moss and plant material
quickly make outdoor wood surfaces incredibly slippery. Our suite and the
grassy area was down a flight of stairs off the deck. Don ensured it was
scrubbed clean prior to their return home so they wouldn't slip on the steps.
I believe we also made good headway with the potty
training. Every hour or two we were convincing the crew to go outside to do
their business, rain or shine. At first they tried to evade our corralling, but
in the end, knew we wouldn't let it slide so out they went. Each dog was
monitored and not allowed back in until 'sightings' were confirmed.
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| Recharge time for Penny and Charlie |
Always Learning:
Keep up to date with the local news and weather before and during your stay.
To all you house sitters out there, keep safe and enjoy
life.
