Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
28 May 2024
Reply rate
91.7 %
Usually responds within 1 day
Feedback
68
Email verified
Badges (2)
Details
Description
I am an older woman, living on five mostly undeveloped acres just outside Roswell, N.M. (yes, THAT Roswell) who needs help, mostly outside. I have two llamas, three goats, a mini donkey, three ducks and two dozen or so chickens, along with four cats. I also have plants to water, gardens to plant, weed and harvest, and am trying to make my property self-sustainable. My water comes from a windmill-pumped well, and I've just had solar panels installed which is very exciting! This makes the house comfortable with all functioning amenities (full kitchen, ceiling fans, plus great Wi-Fi that reaches way outside too). The help is nice, but just meeting interesting folks (which is what I've done a lot of over the years) is the best part. If you've heard of him, Ben Fogle visited to film an episode for his new series earlier this year! I'm also a font of knowledge about what there is to do in New Mexico (aside from Roswell aliens) and would give you lots of time to explore.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Help with Eco Projects
Elderly Companionship
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
I discovered this site through another website, and quickly discovered I love meeting folks from all over the globe. There have been times when folks from countries all around the world have been at my house at once, sharing stories and experiences. Folks can learn other languages, improve their English and get to try meals from all different cultures as we all share in the cooking, and experiments are welcome.
I'm learning to live with the land, plants and wildlife as I go, so trying new things around the property is always fun! New Mexico itself is a multicultural state, and so you can check out the ethnic and historic aspects of that as well.
Help
I am recovering from both a broken leg and hip, so my basic need is someone who can care for the animals (about an hour a day) and help me with things like laundry (I've just started doing that, yeah!), cleaning and cooking. They are easy tasks, and you’re welcome to spend the rest of your day doing what you’d like.
Thanks to some marvelous Helpers in the past, the major (read: really hard) work is done, so now I need folks who can help maintain and develop. I lived overseas for four years and came back to a home that wasn't taken care of well by my caretaker, so I had a big cleanup on my return. But there is still reorganizing and getting everything back ship-shape. (If you're into completely going through my shed and helping plan a garage sale, I'm up for that!)
And if you ride/repair motorcycles (and have an MC license), my bikes were also mistreated during my absence and injuries, so could use someone to ride/repair them.
My preference is for longer-term helpers (two or more weeks) but I will consider anyone. This is NOT structured (i.e. 9-5) help. The animals have a daily routine but it’s short and simple, and as the growing season progresses, there’s daily work in the yard and garden. But other than that, what you decide to do is up to you. Much of the building/repair is done with scavenged materials and what’s on hand, so inventiveness is definitely encouraged. I love folks who come up with creative new ideas for my property!
You are welcome to work as many or as few hours a day as you'd like. (But you will be asked to help with the animals and related chores in order to stay.) I give everyone lots of free time, but if I ask you to do something, I do expect you to respect me enough to get it done. If you are new to this, and don't think you can handle this type of environment, please do not apply. I'd rather not disappoint you.
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: BeginnerThis host offers a language exchange
I've taught English overseas, and it's my native language, so I can help you there. I studied Spanish for seven years, but never used it, so would like to become more fluent.
Accommodation
Depending on how many folks are here, you'd get a private room (shared bath) in my home, pull-out couch in the living room, or there is also a travel trailer! The trailer is currently in need of a lot of TLC, but it is a private functional space that could be wonderful if someone wanted to take it on as a project!
There's one indoor bathroom with tub and shower (I would love to also build a solar shower outdoors and a composting toilet if you're up for the challenge!).
The house is filled with things to do (books, vinyl records, games) so you won’t be lacking for entertainment. I have good wifi and a truck you can borrow if need be for chores (manual transmission.)
As long as you don’t eat me out of house and home I will provide food, and there’s always eggs and the bounty of the garden, in season.
Because I've had some recent flakes, I want to make clear this is a rural, dusty, oft times dirty environment. It is NOT the Ritz, and Roswell is a small town. I'm on the outskirts, with no public transportation, but you are more than welcome to ride with me on my regular visits into town to explore and pick up anything you may need.
What else ...
Besides the alien stuff (museums, gift shops, etc.), Roswell has the Roswell Museum and Art Center, Anderson Museum of Contemporary Art, NMMI Museum, Southwest History Museum, Spring River Zoo, Bottomless Lakes State Park and BItter Lakes Wildlife Refuge.
Roswell has a small airport, a Greyhound station, and is three hours from three big cities: Albuquerque, NM; El Paso, TX; and Lubbock TX. Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Mountains National Parks are two hours south; Cloudcroft and Ruidoso (mountain communities) just to the west; White Sands National Monument two hours to the west; and Lincoln State Monument (Billy the Kid), Ft. Stanton and Capitan an hour west.
If you'd like to see a fun video several of my WorkAwayers made about my place, let me know and I'll send you the link.
*****COVID note: I am 70 years old, so I’m going to try to be very, very careful re: infection. I need people who are vaccinated and boosted. No ifs, ands or buts.******
***Another note: No guns, drugs or dogs. The dog thing is strict because both my animals and I have had bad experiences with domestic dogs in the past. Sorry, dog lovers!***
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
I have solid internet and my place is quiet, so if you're looking for a safe place to stay, consider my home. I have a reference from a house sitter who has been working from my home for a year.
Space for parking camper vans
I have five acres, and can park a van or motorhome and connect it to electricity. The wifi also works outdoors.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
4 hours a day 5 days a week
Feedback (37)
She got along easily with my other (much younger) helpers, and was even willing to take them on an adventure in my… read more
She got along great with my other helpers (even two who were slight PIAs); enjoyed learning about American… read more
Photos
Feedback
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Accuracy of profile:
(4.9)
Cultural exchange:
(4.9)
Communication:
(4.9)
She got along easily with my other (much younger) helpers, and was even willing to take them on an adventure in my… read more
She got along great with my other helpers (even two who were slight PIAs); enjoyed learning about American… read more
He was supposed to stay through Thanksgiving, but realized he didn't have enough time to see everything he wanted in the US so could only stay a week.
And that was sad, because he was wonderful.
He had no problem sleeping on the couch; helped my other workers… read more
I hope in the future to come back and say hi to Karen and all the animals!!!
But most of all, she was a great animal whisperer, helping socialize my chickens and… read more
Thanks for the visit Tez.
Since Karen is currently away, I was happily and promptly greeted by Gary, the caretaker of Karen's land and home. Communication was clear and timely.
There wasn't a whole lot of work to be done around the house since the garden is no longer fruitful. I did, however,… read more
His social side fit right in with many of our guests, however I think he got an eye full of… read more
I'm very grateful to have had this experience. And it's so good to know that there are people as generous as Karen and Gary out there. Thank you both so… read more
This stay was the perfect respite during a busy summer. We were relaxed there, with very light chores. We had plenty of… read more
Other than feeding the animals there's currently not a huge amount of work to do so you to… read more
Thanks to Karen and Gary for these moments. It feels really good in this house and animals are very attractive.
Karen and Gary are very generous and friendly.
really, Thank you so much, we will come back ! ;)
ps : Gary is a very, very good cook (But it remains between us)
She also did a wonderful job in the garden and around the house and got along great with everyone else who was passing through.
I… read more
Karen is brilliant - she's very easy going, happy and fun to be around. And alongside the menagerie of animals there are lots of interesting people coming amd going, whether it's other Workawayers or CouchSurfers stopping by… read more
She was amazing about keeping in touch leading up to her arrival (even as she was traveling all over) and once she got here, there was nothing she wouldn't do. She worked with all the animals; cooked; cleaned — inside and out; helped in the garden; and was a… read more
I had several wonderful weeks outside of Roswell living with Karen and her 26 lovely animals. I know everyone loves Traveller, the world's friendliest cat, and so do i. But honestly, i got the most joy out of observing the two adorable ducks. And the goats are very funny and entertaining and the Llamas are so sensitive… read more
and a final night around the fire place for discover an american specialty : sandwich of marshmallow, chocolate and biscuit. delicious.
Karen is nice and I met a lot of other visistors during my stay, it was great hanging out together and play games (and enjoy the fireplace) !
Karen got a nice place with all the animals and a beautiful vegetable garden.
Working hours were cool.
They fed the animals, both domestic and wild — especially important when I was working late — planted, weeded and built a (hopefully) chicken-proof fence around the garden, cooked, and, most importantly, played host to couch surfers that arrived when I was tied up at work.
They were a fun couple to have,… read more
They fed the animals, both domestic and wild — especially important when I was working late — planted, weeded and built a (hopefully) chicken-proof fence around the garden, cooked, and, most importantly, played host to couch surfers that arrived when I was tied up at work.
They were a fun couple to have,… read more
Roswell is a cute city with alien street lights and the… read more
Michael is a really cool guy with very good skills (carpentry in particular) and I still tell folks about the work (and the baking) he did while at my house.
I certainly hope you can get back to the US and back to my house. (You'd LOVE the new cat that decided it wanted to live here.)
Karen
I like the place the nature,the Cats,All animals, and the Aliens :)..Maybe not spider :P
We have so much fun together and learn another helpers too..
Hope see usa again Karen
greats Michael
He's very skilled in everything from electricity to plumbing to fencing and everything in between, and he's a self starter. If he found something that needed to be fixed, he fixed it. We were in the process of putting up an electric… read more
I was happy to have then stay and would definitely host them again.
They had no problems doing whatever I asked of them, and for me, it was interesting to see their reactions to everything new they experienced in the U.S. They were so excited about exploring and learning that it was like… read more
She kept all of us fed and the kitchen spotless, and while she's not up to heavy lifting (that's why I have young helpers), she helped pull weeds, unload trucks full of lumber, feed and care for the animals and was up… read more
Anne is an excellent helper, and it was so nice to have a group of <ahem> older women all at the same time. That led to some wonderful conversations.
Anne did whatever was asked of her and even what wasn't, which including trying to… read more
I hope you guys had fun!
They worked very hard while they were here and cooked very good food, and Sébastien… read more
However Karen was so nice with us. She guest us at a bascketball game, we were able to use her car and she drive us in Albuquerque.
The wooden house is very… read more
Thanks, Phurious, and I hope you made it to someplace warm. (You missed the biggest Roswell snowstorm in history!)
And I shouldn't forget the wonderful… read more
My friend and I stayed in one of her two spare rooms (a good queen bed). Karen is kind enough to offer food supplies to guests (and happily ate the vegetarian food we cooked:). She really loves having company... she'll often have couchsurfers staying over and there is a high… read more
While there, I enjoyed visiting White Sands Natl. Monument and Carlsbad Caverns.
We managed to convince her to put her baking experience to good use, and she baked several… read more
