Help with gardening while exploring beaches and trails in Wheeler, USA

Details

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  Description

  Edith and Jill are a mother and daughter family. We are both retired, and live relaxed and simple lives. Edith works in the garden, draws and paints, and studies Spanish. Jill cooks, plans her travels, organizes home and work exchanges, and connects with family and friends. We both walk, read, and occasionally watch movies. We enjoy learning about the world and have been focusing on anti-racism and environmental reading and films. We would love to hear about your life experiences and share our own. Wishing you all marvelous adventures!

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Language practice

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Enjoy the beauty of the Oregon Coast while connecting with two generations (mother/daughter) of women who love to travel the world, learn languages, and share cultural experiences. Our house is 103 years old and has a lovely view of the Nehalem River and Neahkahnie Mountain. We would love to exchange languages and/or life experiences over meals and work in the garden or house. Enjoy long walks along the tidal river on rarely-used railroad tracks, or up through logging roads above this tiny American West historic town. Beautiful Pacific Ocean beaches are minutes away by car or bus, with walking, hiking, surfing, skim boarding and other fun activities nearby.

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  Help

  We are particularly interested in native Spanish speakers willing to help us with our conversational Spanish skills while helping with gardening and landscaping: weeding (including removing bindweed, ivy and other invasive plants), preparing and planting the vegetable and flower gardens, and maintaining our 1/3 acre yard/garden. On rainy days you might assist with indoor projects or cleaning. We heat with wood, and there is often firewood to stack and sometimes split. If you speak Spanish, Edith would love to speak mostly Spanish during your visit. Help schedule is flexible, with about 20 hours per week expected.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Spanish: Intermediate
  Chinese (Mandarin): Intermediate

  This host offers a language exchange
  We are both looking for Spanish language conversation practice, particularly with native Spanish speakers. Jill is looking for Mandarin Chinese language conversation practice, particularly with native Mandarin speakers.
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  Accommodation

  Our home is comfortable, filled with art and natural treasures. Your private space is a large bedroom with queen-size bed, internet television, small desk, and room for yoga or stretching. You would share the two bathrooms and other living space. We have room for only one workaway guest at a time.
  
  Groceries for three meals per day are provided whenever you are at the house. We are a bit casual about mealtimes. You will cook a lot of your own food, though we may cook and eat together often as well. We usually eat our main meal mid-day, often including chicken or fish, though we are happy to provide vegetarian or vegan groceries and meals. Jill does much of the cooking and loves company in the kitchen. Breakfast is usually homemade muesli cooked or cold, often with fresh berries, homemade yogurt, or cottage cheese. You are encouraged to cook your own breakfast. Jill makes hearty soups, salads with protein, fish or chicken with vegetables and whole grains, or spaghetti sauce rich with vegetables and meat. If you have a sweet tooth, fresh cookies or muffins are a treat. We love to learn foods from other countries or cultures. Evening meal is usually leftovers, soup or a sandwich, eaten at your convenience.
  
  We do not drink alcohol or use drugs, and we ask that you not have alcohol or drugs at our home. There are places in the community to enjoy local wine and beer.

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  What else ...

  From our home you can easily walk to the nearest (tiny) town where you can rent a kayak or canoe, enjoy 3 local restaurants and two bakeries, walk out on the fishing pier, explore two antique stores and a gift store. If you do not have a car, we are often available to drive you to a nearby beach, hiking trail, or town (Manzanita, Nehalem, Seaside, Tillamook, Cannon Beach), where you can join us for a walk or hike, or explore on your own. There is a public bus that stops in town 6 times per day. Jill travels up to Seattle once a month by car to visit family, and may be available to take you to the Seattle area or anywhere on the way if it fits her schedule. Some workaway guests may split their time between Wheeler, Oregon and Newcastle, Washington, since Jill may be able to arrange housing, food and work with her Seattle-area family when she is there visiting. If you do travel to Washington with Jill, the outdoor work will be using a hydraulic splitter to split firewood, and stacking it to season and dry. Indoor work is housecleaning.
  
  Wheeler is not near any major airport. If it fits our schedules, one of us will be happy to pick you up at the Portland (PDX) or Seattle (SEA) airport, or a bus station or other meeting place.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  One

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  Hours expected

  Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week

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