LOCATION:
Our home is located in the country, just a half hour from Durham NC. Durham is a friendly and progressive city with lots to do. There are great dining, shopping, and entertainment opportunities. Hillsborough, a charming small historical town, is also a half hour away. Chapel Hill and Ralleigh are 40 minutes away. All essential services and shopping are within 20 minutes.
We are members of an adult cohousing community that has 25 members. To learn more about the community, Google Elderberry cohousing community. The members are very friendly and are willing to provide care for our two cats while we are away, but we would rather have someone staying here to give them loving attention more often.
The community is situated next to 100 acres of woods, which we see from our living room windows. There are creeks and marked trails through out. In this community, there are lots of opportunities for interaction as well as solitude.
HOUSE:
Our home has just 1200 square feet of living space, but is very comfortable. It was designed to have all the living space on the main floor, but we chose to put our bedroom in the large loft upstairs, where we also have space for yoga and exercise equipment. We use the downstairs bedroom as a combination office and guestroom.
We have a large screen TV in the living room, but we do not have regular TV service. We have WiFi and stream movies and programs through Netlix and Amazon Prime, or we play DVDs. We have very comfortable furniture, including a "Perfect Chair," that provides zero gravity comfort.
The kitchen is small but very convenient. It has a window over the sink that looks out into the common area, a grove of trees with garden beds, and the Common House for community activities. The kitchen, living room, and Master bedroom upstairs are wired for music. The Master bedroom has a split king, an electric bed with Tempurpedic mattresses. The guestroom bed is a foam pull out that is very comforatable. The laundry room is in the Common House.
We ask there be no smoking, drugs, or outside shoes in the house. Our 2001 Subaru Forester, bike rack, and bikes, are available for use.
HOME AND PET CARE:
We have 2 very loving cats, not so much with each other, but very responsive to people. One is very outgoing, friendly, and purrs loudly; the other is a bit shy, purrs very quietly, but loves brushing and belly rubbing.
We keep a fresh bowl of water and dry food out all the time, and we feed them wet food 2-3 times a day. They use outside sand beds during the day and an indoor litter boxe at night. They have their own little door to the outside, but we close them in at night. They do ocassionally bring in a mouse. Toby will eat mice, but Sadie won't.
We have no indoor plants, but there are some shrubs and wild flowers in the small yard that may need watering if there is no rain.
REVIEW:
Here is what one of our house sitters said about her experience at our home:
"It was a real pleasure to house-sit at Meg and Jon's home with Toby and Sadie. These cats have the perfect life but are the most undemanding but appreciative kitties ever! Meg and Jon showed such kindness in their preparation for my brother and me. They left a detailed orientation which enabled me to seamlessly care for their home and kitties as best I could without actually being them. We absolutely loved this house-sit."