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Description
Off-Grid Awesome with Spectacular Views Near Santa Fe and Albuquerque, NM! Experience the Land of Enchantment with Two Relaxed Livestock Guardian Dogs and One Delightful Cat!
Sitters needed:
* 21 - 30 Oct 26
* 14 - 30 Nov 26
* 19 - 29 Dec 26
Have you ever dreamed of kicking loose from it all and finding yourself a stunning, quiet retreat somewhere? This is your chance to make that happen! Seeking eco-minded, conscientious non-smoker(s), comfortable in a place without streetlights or neighbors. Come kick back on 70 acres with our two (usually) low-maintenance, friendly dogs, one affectionate cat, expansive views and stunning night skies.
Our comfortable home is off-grid and solar-powered. What that means is that we are out by ourselves, three miles from pavement, without a landline, utility electric, city water or sewers. Our home runs on regular (120v) power that we generate ourselves with our own solar electric system. The house is made of adobe brick and is primarily heated by sunlight, thanks to its passive solar design. If needed (rarely) we also have supplemental wood stoves. We live in the high desert and do not have a well; all of our household and irrigation water comes from the sky and is captured in our rain catchment system. This means we are thoughtful and frugal with our water use (think Navy showers). Grey water (that is, all used water except the toilet) drains out to our small orchard to keep the tree roots watered.
While all that may sound rustic, it's really not. Our systems are largely self-sufficient, requiring some monitoring but very rarely any maintenance. We have great internet, decent cell coverage, a nice library in our guest studio, and most of the appliances and amenities you'd expect.Except a television, which we ditched 25 years ago - although we do have a smart projector if you want to stream movies in the evening.
The partially covered patio keeps us comfortable three and a half seasons a year. There you'll find a pizza oven, a gas grill and a summer kitchen with an awesome 1930's/40's era Chambers stove. We also have a solar oven that lets you cook with nothing but sunlight, if you'd like to try your hand at something different -- how cool is that? There's also a very comfortable futon, if you feel the urge to sleep under the stars. Even in the dead of winter, we often have a warm, sunny lunch on the south patio. You never have to be stuck indoors if you don't want to be.
Honestly, if being remote and immersed in your environment is your thing (like it is ours), this is the gig for you. The only drawback to where we live is that we're three rough dirt road miles from pavement, which means that frequent in/out trips are impractical.
We're conveniently located about 45 minutes south of Santa Fe, with its fabulous restaurants, arts and culture, and about an hour north of Albuquerque, off the Turquoise Trail Scenic Byway. We're located just outside of the fun and funky town of Madrid, NM, with its vibrant alternative, artistic community, galleries, shops and restaurants. And Christmas is a very big deal in Madrid, so if you're lucky enough to be here in December, you'll see the town in full holiday regalia.
Just a few miles up the road is the town of Los Cerrillos, where you'll find the post office, community center, local medical clinic, the Cerrillos Hills State Park, the Blackbird Saloon, and Cerrillos Station, which has a little bit of everything, offering a seasonal farmer's market, a few groceries, art, jewelry, yoga, dance, massage and more.
We think this place is ideal, but please think carefully about whether you're comfortable being off on your own like this. It takes someone with an independent attitude and the ability to address unexpected situations on their own. Resourceful, resilient, adaptable, conscientious, and kind are the adjectives that describe our perfect sitters.
You'll need to be thoughtful about your water and power use. And you'll also need to be present and aware of your surroundings when you're outdoors. Although it's rare to see, we do have wildlife out here. We certainly have our share of bunnies and jackrabbits, but we've also got spiders, snakes and packrats. And we live in the desert, so virtually every plant is ready and eager to puncture you. If any of that freaks you out, this is probably not the right sit for you. But if the idea of being that immersed in and connected to your world excites you, please reach out -- we'd love to learn more about your situation and experiences.
Our Pets and Responsibilities:
Our two rescued livestock guardian dogs washed out as working dogs and are now playful, easy-going (but independent-minded) pets. Since we have no livestock, they watch over their humans. Our eldest, Brady, is a ten-year-old Akbash Dog/Great Pyrenees mix. Macie is a six-year-old Akbash Dog/Anatolian mix. They sleep indoors at night and roam free during the day. They are low energy breeds, relaxing and snoozing during the day close to home punctuated by occasionally running off a coyote. We keep tabs on them with Garmin GPS collars, so sitters need to be comfortable using and managing electronic devices.
Rocky (the cat) came to us from the animal shelter's barn cat program. He turned out to be anything but a feral barn cat. He's more a furry shadow who will likely follow you around like a puppy while trying to convince you to rub his head and fix him a snack :-)
We'll need you to be here with them most of the time so they can keep their normal schedules (active outside in the morning and evenings, mostly sleeping midday). If you occasionally need to go out on your own, it's ok to leave them home midday for four to six hours or so. They are all pretty low maintenance but everyone needs to be fed in the mornings and early evening and you'll need to make sure their water bowls are full. -
Types of help and learning opportunities
Light gardening
House & pet sitting
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Interests
Culture
Politics / Social justice
Sustainability
Pets
Music
Books
Gardening
Cooking & food
Astronomy
Animals
Art & design
Nature -
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Learn about off-grid solar electric, passive solar design, solar cooking, water catchment and grey water systems. And get to know what quirky community is all about in Madrid, NM!
Aside from that, there is a garden to water, wild birds to keep fed, no-touch mouse zappers to empty (keeps the car wiring from being chewed), and mail to collect out at the highway once or twice a week. We measure and record rainfall/snowfall daily. Plenty of time for hiking (and lots of space to do that in) and for just having a chance to take the time to just BE. -
Help
Couples preferred but singles with off-grid or livestock guardian dog experience will certainly be considered. We're open to folks traveling with friendly dogs and we usually have a day or more +/- flexibility on either end of our travel dates, so we can talk about that if you need to. And if you'd like to spend a few extra days exploring the area after your sit, we can make our guest studio available to you.
If you'll be flying in, we're happy to pick you up at the airport and make a car available for you to use during your stay.
Please note that posted the sit dates include overlap time at either end so we can familiarize you with our home beforehand and get a debrief on our return. Also, we have both interior and exterior cameras on site. All interior cameras in and exterior cameras in the immediate vicinity of the house will be inactive for the duration of your sit. If you have particular concerns about cameras, please let us know. -
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: IntermediateThis host offers a language exchange
This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
You can contact them directly for more information. -
Accommodation
For the duration of the housesit, you will have the entire house to yourself (and the fur kids). During the overlap/training days, we will stay in a separate casita. If we agree for you to stay on for a few days outside the sit period, we will switch and you will stay in the casita.
We'll provide meals during the overlap period and you'll provide your own after that, although you will be free to supplement with whatever food is in our fridge and pantry. -
What else ...
The work hours shown are the workaway limits but, given that this would be a housesit with pets that need to be cared for, it's really more of a 24/7 thing for the duration of the sit.
The actual labor hours involved are minimal -- aside from pet care, maybe an hour or so of hand watering the garden during the summer and fall, and perhaps a little time pumping water from our overflow catchment tank into our irrigation tanks during monsoon season. -
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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Can host digital nomads
Our internet is provided via a fixed wireless network run by a local non-profit, mostly volunteer cooperative. Our uptime is about 99%
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Space for parking camper vans
No hookups but we have plenty of space
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Can possibly accept pets
ONLY friendly dogs who are great with cats.
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How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
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My animals / pets
Rocky
Barn-cat-turned-lap-potato. Does his business outdoors but is in at night with the dogs.
Macie (6 years)
Anatolian Shepherd/Akbash Dog mix. Lots of intelligence wrapped into 110 lbs. of determined muscle.
Brady (10 years)
Ten-year-old Great Pyrenees/Akbash Dog mix. 105 lbs of good-natured old soul.
