A Few New Folks
First off, we are thrilled to have house sitters! Frank and Kerstin Regel are from Germany. About a year ago, looking for a life change, they sold their home and purchased a small RV to travel around Europe and see the sights. After a few months, they decided it might be nice to be rooted in one place from time to time, so they took a house sit. After a bit longer, they opted to sell the RV! House sitting and traveling seem to be what lights their fires these days.
They answered our ad placed last August, and said they were interested in sitting for us! We felt our listing was a bit unusual, asking for a 6 to 7 month commitment, yet we had many offers of sitters. Frank and Kerstin fit our desired model: no children (we have an in-ground pool and had also been in the middle of rehabbing the house); able-bodied enough to manage our house, pools, and grounds; and a couple, since we feel our house is really a lot to look after, and having a buddy on board makes life a little nicer when things go wrong, and what’s not to go wrong with an aging house?
Frank and Kerstin arrived last Wednesday, a day late due to Mother Nature’s most recent dump of 20 inches of snow that shut down even the Dartmouth Coach from Boston Logan to our area. When they arrived, they got to meet Lyla first thing. She gave a whole-hearted approval, so we figured they had to stay.
In the days that we have had Frank and Kerstin with us, they have bonded with Lyla in a way that is beyond my wildest dreams. And they are so smart about how to keep her happy. The morning we drove away from home, she was already on her leash, and Kerstin took her for a long walk to take her (Lyla’s) mind off our leaving. The photos they have sent daily let me know that Lyla is settled and happy enough being at home in her place, and getting plenty of love and attention.
They are also caring for our cat, Minnie Mouser, who may or may not be having a kidney issue. They are making sure she is getting nightly meds, and then will be taking a urine sample to the vet in a few weeks. Per Frank, the kitty is still wary of them and skittish, but then they see her sauntering through the house like she owns the place (which she does) and haughtily lets them know that she is the employer and they are the employees. Sounds about normal to me!
That’s what we left at home—two awesome people who are making it possible for us to pursue this dream!
This morning, we met another awesome couple of people. Actually, yesterday was when we first became aware of a couple of ladies who are here in Asheville for a long-time friendship reunion. This morning, we stopped to chat, and learned that they have been friends since they were about 6 years old! Carleen lives in Tennessee, and Marlo lives in Virginia.
When they heard that we are setting out to hike the AT, Marlo gave us her business card (she’s a Realtor), and has offered to pick us up from the trail when we are in her area, give us a home-cooked meal, a shower, and a bed!
That’s more of what this adventure is about—meeting people!