Housesitting and cat watching in a cute historic house near the Rapid City center, USA

Details

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  Description

  LAST MINUTE REQUEST! We're looking for volunteers willing to house-sit for us between Sept 25th and October 26th (though we have some flexibility in dates, depending on your schedule). If you're interested in caring for our house, garden, and fluffy cat Luna, read on!
  
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  We hosted volunteers for almost ten years at the Victorian bed-and-breakfast we ran in Deadwood, but we sold it a few years ago and relocated 50 miles south to Rapid City's historic West Boulevard district. Now we do remote freelance work from home, and we travel whenever we can make the time.
  
  That's where you come in!
  
  We'd love to find volunteers who can keep an eye on our place while we're gone. We have a black cat who needs some cuddly human time - and, of course, regular feedings - and we don't want to leave her for long on her own. She *thinks* she's wily and independent, but she forgets that she really likes to have someone around to scratch her ears. It's better for everyone if a sitter stays in the house and spends time with her while we're away. Depending on the time of the year and your skillset, we might ask for a little help with a project or two, but mostly we just want someone who will stay overnight at the house and take care of our houseplants and cats. It would be an ideal setup for digital nomads and freelancers looking for a little escape. (Also: Dustin is a photographer and Laura is a writer, so if you have some editing or modeling experience, let us know! We might draft you into one of our projects.)
  
  We'd arrange to meet you in person for at least a couple of days to show you around, but depending on our travel schedules, we may not have too much time together. But we're happy to answer questions and help you get to know the area as much as we can! We're entrepreneurs in our early forties, no kids, and we love to travel and hike outside. We've explored a lot of the Black Hills, and we can help you find some good trails and places to see in the area.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Art Projects

  Light gardening

  Animal Care

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  Light maintenance

  House & pet sitting
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  Interests

  

  Pets

  

  Culture

  

  Plant care

  

  Performing arts

  

  Architecture

  

  Books

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Gardening

  

  Photography

  

  Animals

  

  Nature

  

  Camping

  

  Mountain

  

  Outdoor activities

  

  Hiking
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Although our house is in a fairly urban neighborhood, Rapid City is relatively small with just 80,000 residents. Overall, we're in a pretty rural outdoorsy setting, on the edge of a forest in a small mountain chain, which makes us a fun way to see some of the wild lands of America away from the cities. In fact, even though our house is in walking distance to lots of stores, restaurants, and shops, you can also walk a few blocks to the west and start hiking up a forested hillside into a designated wilderness area. It's a region and subculture in the United States that most visitors don't ever get to see!

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  Help

  We bought the house in September 2020, and while it was in really good shape for a house built in 1937, it needed a little work. We've taken care of most of the big items, but there's always a project in an older house. Depending on your skillset and timing, we might ask for a little help with light maintenance projects, but really we're just interested in housesitting!
  
  The house is only about 1,800 square feet, and it has a fairly small yard, so the work should be pretty lowkey. Here's a list of likely tasks:
  
  *Cat Watching. Mostly we're just after someone who can keep our cat alive and happy! We currently just have one: Luna is scared of everything, but she starts demanding cuddles once she gets to know you. And frequent feedings, of course!
  
  *Plant Watering. Laura loves plants, so we have lots of them. For the most part, they just need water once a week.
  
  *Lawn Mowing or Snow Shoveling. In the summer, we'll probably want someone to mow the lawn once a week or so, and probably water some flowers and vegetables. (There's a sprinkler system that covers the grass.) In winter, we'd like someone to keep the sidewalk clear of ice and snow.
  
  And that's pretty much it! Aside from cat maintenance, it's all pretty normal everyday chores. We’re a pretty progressive and easygoing couple, and just want a little extra help, so no slave-driving. If you can put in a little time to keep the house standing and the cat alive, we'll be happy! Altogether, you probably won't spend more than an hour or two everyday to keep the cat and plants happy.
  
  In exchange, you'll have your run of the house while we're away. You're welcome to use our kitchen staples, but you'll be on your own for most other food. There are several restaurants and a supermarket within walking distance, so it's pretty easy to get grub.

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  Languages spoken

  English: Fluent
  French: Intermediate
  Spanish: Beginner

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  Accommodation

  We have a quiet guest bedroom with a queen bed on the first floor. It's also pretty dark, since the windows there face north and west. There's a bathroom just around the corner through the hallway that would be all yours during your stay.
  
  Also on the first floor: Laura's office, the living room, the dining room, and our kitchen. In the basement you'll find our bedroom and bathroom, laundry, Dustin's office, and a quiet family room with a home theater setup and fireplace. There's a small fenced backyard with a quiet patio and some lawn.
  
  The neighborhood is super cute and incredibly walkable. It's the only historic district in Rapid City, and it's filled with really pretty late Victorian and early 20th century architecture. There's a tree-lined boulevard perfect for walks about a block over. Wilson Park, which has tennis courts and a gazebo, is just across the street. Downtown is less than a mile away, so we walk there all the time to hit the shops and restaurants (there are several with outdoor seating). The house is also just a block off Mount Rushmore Road, which is a major artery that connects the central Black Hills with Rapid City, so there are several great shops (including a pizza place, a liquor store, Starbucks, a pharmacy, and a grocery store) within three blocks.
  
  And the surrounding area is incredibly beautiful. Rapid City is on the center-east slope of the Black Hills, a mountain range about 195 km long and 100 km wide. It’s probably most famous for Mount Rushmore National Memorial, the mountain sculpture of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt, which is about 30 minutes from our house. There’s also Badlands National Park, Wind Cave National Park (the fourth-longest cave in the world) and Jewel Cave National Monument (the second-longest cave in the world). As far as wildlife goes, we have bison, elk, coyotes, mountain lions and wild turkey. Summer is great for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding. Winter is a good time for snowshoeing, snowmobiling and skiing, and there are two moderate-level ski areas about 70 minutes from our house.

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  What else ...

  Did I mention that we're easy-going? We are. We'd love to take advantage of any skills you have to offer, but really, all we'd like is someone to keep an eye on our house and cats!

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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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  Can host digital nomads

  There's high-speed 200Mbps wireless internet throughout the house. There's a table in the guest apartment that's a suitable private workspace, but you're generally welcome to work elsewhere in the house (or at an outside table, if the weather is good).

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  Space for parking camper vans

  We have a driveway that's suitable for a campervan or an RV up to 24 feet long.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  My animals / pets

  

  Luna

  Luna is a shy, fluffy black rescue cat. We've had her for about 13 years, and we figure she's probably about 14 or 15 years old.

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