My husband and I are looking for a house and animal sitter for the last two weeks in January, 2023. We have two cats, a horse, a goat and 5 chickens that will need to be fed twice each day, morning and evening, although no particular time is required. The horse/goat corral will need to be cleared every other day and the mail brought in daily. No gardening work will be necessary, the gardens are watered automatically and self sustaining. The cats will need petting and attention and general spoiling. If the chickens are still laying during your stay, you are welcome to eat any and all of their eggs.
This sit would be ideal for someone who wants a quiet rereat where thay can relax and enjoy nature. The Santa Ynez Valley is beautiful and semi-rural, with a booming wine industry. There are nearby shops for groceries and coffee, but you would need a car or bicycle to explore the entire area. (I can lend you our bicycles.) There is local bus service to the nearby towns of Solvang, Buellton, and Los Olivos, and some local taxis. Uber and Lyft are sometimes avialable. If you do have a car, our home is a 30 minute drive north of Santa Barbara, and a 1 hour drive south of San Luis Obispo.
People who visit this area enjoy the outdoors, hiking, bicycling, bird watching, visiting the beach, horseback riding, wine tasting, or visiting the shops in nearby Solvang, a small Danish town.
You would be staying in a private bedroom in our home with a queen-sized bed and a bathroom next to the bedroom. You are welcome to enjoy any room on the ground floor of the house. We also have a shaded arbor for relaxing and a hot tub in the back garden.
There will be clean sheets on the bed, towels and soap. You are welcome to use our washing machine and dryer to wash your clothes. The home has central heating and there is a portable electric space heater. We have Wifi but no television and no landline . Please bring your own mobile .
Sorry, but you cannot bring your own pet along with you. We prefer that you do not smoke at all, but if you do smoke, please only do so outside.
Our trip begins on Friday January 20th, but we would prefer to have you settle in and meet the animals a day or two ahead of time.