I need a dog- and house-sitter from around Dec. 14, 2017 to the end of April 2018.
My two 12 year old dogs need two meals a day, a couple of hours of just-hanging-around-with and snuggling, and two slow, short off-leash walks a day. You need to be a dedicated dog lover to qualify. I'm not talking dog tolerator, I'm talking dog lover. Louie gets a few pills mixed in with his breakfast. Apart from that, they are low maintenance geriatrics and go into a bit of hibernation mode with lots of naps by the woodstove. They are friendly and easy to be with.
We live in an old but newly renovated farmhouse on an island in Maine--2 stores, no restaurants, one Community Center with a cafe and gym/classes. You mostly make your own entertainment at potlucks with the friendly locals and revel in the beautiful natural vistas and nature hikes. The 20 minute ride ferry runs all year: Camden and Belfast are the nearest towns for groceries, restaurants, movies, etc. A passenger boat runs a couple nights a week if you want to get off for a dinner and a movie.
You need to be able to handle isolation and be capable of tending to problems as they arise, as we'll be far away, tho the 600 neighbors on this island are ever-so helpful and supportive and will come to your aid in a heartbeat.
You need to be knowledgeable in the tending of wood stoves. There's a furnace and two gas fireplaces, but the main heat will be from the wood stove to keep expenses to a minimum. The ability to layer clothing and to air-dry laundry is also appreciated. There is a generator to keep you in lights, hot water and wifi for the occasional times each winter when the power goes out.
You'd live downstairs only (LR, DR, eat-in kitchen downstairs, bedroom, full bath) to conserve heat. Driveway (house is right off/on main road) is plowed by someone else, but you need to not be scared of ice and snow and shovels!
A couple is preferred, as it’s a long winter with a lot of wood to haul in. No children please, as you're essentially living in a one bedroom apartment downstairs.There is no TV and no satellite reception. WIFI can be slow at times, but the island is getting fiber optic broadband within the next few months, likely by January. Until then, we have internet, just not super-fast internet.
Employment opportunities are sparse here, so this position would be best suited to someone who wants to spend a winter writing, reading, cross-country skiing, or living off their grandmother's inheritance, or all of the above. There IS work to be found--substitute teaching, carpentry--but it's piecemeal and not guaranteed. It's a breathtakingly beautiful part of the world, with the ocean around every bend in the road.