I'm in Puppy Heaven

4 Dogs and 2 Cats.

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. 

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.

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!

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. 

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.

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.

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.