My home is in Vieques, Puerto Rico, a beautiful, somewhat wild, island in the Caribbean, population roughly 9,000. I need someone to look after my everything when I go away for six months.
This will be my longest time away in 15 years, so I will be asking for significant maintenance of house, yard and car. The toughest job is using a battery powered trimmer, loppers, pruning saw, etc. to keep the yard from turning into a jungle. The house does have water, electricity and internet, none of which is entirely dependable, especially during hurricane season. The house is fairly well set up for off-the-grid living, at least for a while: 400 gallon cistern, solar lights, propane gas for cooking. I do not have, nor do I want, a generator. I do have a Vitamix and a washing machine, but not a dryer. To keep bugs out of the house and grease off kitchen surfaces, I ask that any cooking of meat be done outside on the grill.
There are nine cats on the property, only 2-3 of which are really tame. They stay outside and are fed twice a day, all together. Sasha, the one dog, is older; she's deaf and has trouble standing but she still gets excited and playful around meal time. She does not need to be walked except around the property if she's up to it. She gets doggie ibuprofin every day and is really sweet and beautiful. Anyone familiar with me or my property will wonder about my other dog: Mutshie is coming with me for this journey, where I will get knee surgery in the spring and help my family in West Virginia in the fall. The other big change is, no chickens!
The house is a "work in progress", with plenty of space and all of the basic amenities. It has a comfy, rustic Caribbean ambiance,with the sound of frogs at night and the rustle of palms in the breeze. That said, there are neighbors close by, and their geese and roosters can make a lot of noise, especially at dawn.
Well, thanks for reading this. I look forward to hearing from you!