PDXFox

United States
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Profile information

Travel information
We are currently
At home
Our next destination:
Argentina - from Dec 2025 until Apr 2026
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Description
We've returned from a 2-month stay in Europe, mainly France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland. We had a great deal of fun visiting and helping out friends we've made over the years when hosting them here in the US and doing a workaway ourselves.

During the past several years we have hosted many helpers via HelpX and Workaway. And during the summer of 2016, spring of 2018, winter of 2019, fall of 2022 and fall of 2024 we were helpers ourselves. Our experiences have all been enjoyable and some have even introduced us to life-long friends. We hope to continue bringing our skills in home restoration, general maintenance, gardening, retail sales, communications, and hosting to others who are seeking help.

We are independent travelers and very clean, respectful guests. We don't have to be asked to help out with those day to day tasks everyone has -cooking, dish washing (and we actually do get the dishes clean), garbage removal, picking up around the house, putting tools away, etc. We are pretty laid back though, and will follow your cues. We hope to enjoy time with our host, sharing meals and getting to know one another over a cup of tea.

And we want to help you get your projects done. We are independent workers with a great deal of experience around homes and small businesses. We have restored two homes, an 1884 farm house and a 1923 bungalow. We are now working on restoring an 1890 Victorian cottage. Our Helpx and Workaway host profiles (PDXFox in each case) will detail a bit about these projects. We maintain a lovely garden at home and Kim and our two sons own a retail liquor store.

In our free time we like to walk around an area, talk to whomever might be around, generally take in the sights, sounds and people around us. We aren't big on a lot of the glitzy touristy things. But show us a little farmers market, a fair or an out-of-the-way place to hike, and you've got what we like to do.
Interests
Photography
Architecture
Yoga / Wellness
Vegetarian or vegan
Technology
Sustainability
Politics / Social justice
Plant care
Performing arts
Outdoor activities
Nature
Movies & TV
Mountain
History
Hiking
Gardening
Fitness
Culture
Cycling
Cooking & food
Carpentry
Camping
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
More details about my language interests
We are happy to help others learn English.
Find a language buddy
Skills and knowledge we'd like to share or learn
Some knowledge of:
Life at a Farmstay
Hospitality/Tourism
Languages
Teaching
Able to teach about:
Gardening
DIY and building projects
General Maintenance
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Helping around the house
More details about your skills
Having restored and maintained 2 homes (working on a third), raised two children to adulthood, and had successful careers in retail and electric energy, we bring a number of skills to any project you might have. Among those skills are:

general carpentry and woodworking
power and hand tool use
electrical and plumbing work
window glazing
wood finishing (stain, varnish, paint, etc)
wall papering
gardening (flower and vegetable)
communications (verbal and writing, but English only)
Microsoft Office products
retail business management
house cleaning and organization
Age
72 & 73
What else ...
We had a great time being helpers during 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2022 and are sold as hosts and helpers. You can get a general sense of us by looking at our Workaway reviews as hosts: https://www.workaway.info/486427337617-en.html
We work well as a team but are also very good working separately. If one of us doesn't know how to do something, we can figure it out together!
Some more information
- Smoker
- Driver's licence
- Allergies
  No
- Special dietary requirements
  none

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12 Mar 2023

Left by host (Help us cultivate our home's ...) for Workawayer ()

Dear Kim and Roy,
sorry for our belated feedback, it might have something to do with our swissness style of communication :-) Thank you so much for ur beautiful help in autumn...of course you did enough and in a charming way. Even weeks later Juri was talking about you. Welcome any time back, if you visit Europe again. Warm hug from cold… read more

(Excellent )

9 Dec 2022

Left by Workawayer () for host (Help us cultivate our home's ...)

Well, they may not be a "typical" Swiss family but they sure have a Swissness to them that we enjoyed. Our time with Yvonne, Peter, Juri, Edelweiss and Charlie was much too short. But we were thankful that Yvonne and Peter were willing to host us. We helped out a bit around the garden, tidying things up for winter, and helped Peter complete an… read more

(Excellent )

31 May 2019

Left by Workawayer () for host (Come and share our tranquil ...)

Staying in the beautiful Derwent River valley with Anne and Robert was quite the adventure. They placed a great deal of trust in Kim and me to convert an old chicken coop into a mini garden cabin for others to sleep in. We worked long hours, but we got to work with another couple so we could accomplish quite a lot. Robert was always making sure we… read more

(Very good )

12 Mar 2019

Left by host (Come and share our tranquil ...) for Workawayer ()

ROY AND KIM stayed with us for week and left us with the beginnings of an amazing gift, the conversion of our old chook shed into a super - insulated large cabin for 2 to 3 people.
Roy took everything in his stride, and is clearly a great organiser. He and his small team demolished the old exterior, meticulously insulated under the new floor and… read more

(Excellent )

24 Apr 2019

Left by host (Garden in the beautiful ...) for Workawayer ()

It was delightful to have Roy and Kim stay for a few days. They were genuinely interested in learning about the local area and culture, and getting to know my daughter and me.

Roy and Kim have much experience in home renovations so would be invaluable as workawayers for anyone undertaking any home renovations from small through to large or even… read more

(Excellent )

2 Apr 2019

Left by Workawayer () for host (Garden in the beautiful ...)

Anna agreed to host us on very short notice and for just a few days. We had a great time helping out around her house. The location is beautiful in the Adelaide Hills. Her home is wonderfully kept and the accommodations were very nice with our own bedroom and bath. We shared meals and easily accommodated both vegan and non-vegan diets.

Because of… read more

(Excellent )

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12 Mar 2023

Left by host (Help us cultivate our home's ...) for Workawayer ()

(Excellent)

9 Dec 2022

Left by Workawayer () for host (Help us cultivate our home's ...)

(Excellent)

31 May 2019

Left by Workawayer () for host (Come and share our tranquil ...)

(Very good)

12 Mar 2019

Left by host (Come and share our tranquil ...) for Workawayer ()

(Excellent)

24 Apr 2019

Left by host (Garden in the beautiful ...) for Workawayer ()

(Excellent)

2 Apr 2019

Left by Workawayer () for host (Garden in the beautiful ...)

(Excellent)

1 Apr 2019

Left by Workawayer () for host (Gardening and landscaping ...)

Our last workaway in Australia could not have been better. We were going to spend just a very few days but the hospitality of Jackie and Robert made a compelling case for staying longer. So we did!

Tamborine Mountain is a beautiful location outside Brisbane. Beautiful in its own right, it’s also a wonderful gateway to Brisbane proper and the Gold… read more

(Excellent)

27 Mar 2019

Left by host for Workawayer ()

When Roy & Kim Fox came to our Happy Half Acre, it took very little time for the Workaway Host & Helper relationship to evolve into a ‘forever-after’ friendship. In terms of the work, their skill set, experience and enthusiasm were incredibly helpful with the building of a pathway along the front of our house measuring some 28 metres long with an… read more

(Excellent)

10 Mar 2019

Left by Workawayer () for host (Join us in the outdoors in ...)

What an educational and cultural experience staying with Steve was. If you’ve ever wondered how cattle are raised, water is managed, pastures rotated, pivot irrigation systems work, solar systems constructed and more, then you’ll want to stay with Steve. And if you want to hear many stories, most with a humorous twist, about life in and around… read more

(Excellent)

27 Feb 2019

Left by host (Join us in the outdoors in ...) for Workawayer ()

Roy and Kim were an absolute pleasure to have staying with us
They are bright and cheerful and bring a sense of quiet competence to any jobs they are given (Which in our case are many and varied)
We got to enjoy some home cooked Oregon recipes and had many hours of chats and if only we had had one more day I think we could have solved all the… read more

(Excellent)

21 Feb 2019

Left by Workawayer () for host (Small, welcoming family needs ...)

To say that Polly, Andy and Sylvie are musical is a major understatement. To say that they will welcome you into their family is another understatement. We had a very enjoyable time staying with these three very talent and welcoming people. Whether it was Polly sharing her understanding of the aboriginal people, Andy sharing his knowledge of harps… read more

(Excellent)

19 Feb 2019

Left by host (Small, welcoming family needs ...) for Workawayer ()

Roy and Kim have just stayed with us for a week and been the best workaway couple. They worked incredibly hard and have transformed our back garden. They are both genuinely interested in Australian culture and in between gardening, taking stuff to the tip, making a wood rack, they were able to see some of our local area. Great, energetic generous… read more

(Excellent)

18 Sep 2018

Left by Workawayer () for host (Teach English on a Beautiful ...)

I spent a most rewarding month in Colombia, all of it with Hernando Ramirez, his family and friends, the workers on the farm and0 the teachers and students at the local school. Everyone was amazingly friendly and helpful. Knowing no Spanish, I was a little unsure of just how this would work out.

Well, on the teaching side, maybe my lack of… read more Spanish language skills was even a positive attribute. Every morning after walking from the farm to the school, the children would greet me with Teacher! Teacher!, hugs all around, hand shakes, and fist bumps. They'd teach me a bit of Spanish and we'd all laughed together at my struggles. I think that gave them permission to struggle a bit harder as I taught them basic English. And then we'd say Practice, practice practice! The teachers, especially teacher Lina, went our of their way to welcome me to the community. Let me just say, at the end of my time there, we celebrated with cupcakes, hugs and a few tears.

At the finca,the welcome was even more heartwarming. There wasn’t a person who wasn’t willing to help me with my limited Spanish, who wouldn’t spend time to show me the entire coffee production cycle, who wouldn’t just enjoy a gorgeous sunset, lovely flower or beautiful bird with me. There were only two students on the farm, the daughters of the farm manager. Being older and more skilled in English than the children at the public school, their needs were a bit different. We’d meet in the late afternoon to increase their vocabulary, comprehension and improve their pronunciation.

The family, friends, and help know no end to hospitality. I arrived during Holy Week which brought much of the family to the finca. I was truly honored to be part of the gathering. Hernando is a living legend with amazing stories, which often end with a humorous twist. And rather than being left out of conversations, Hernando would take time to explain to me the gist of what was being talked about. I learned so much from him about life, business, coffee, and Colombian politics. The household help, besides doing all the cooking, also helped me struggled with my Spanish, in humorous and helpful ways. Mauricio, one of Hernando’s sons and who lives with Hernando on the finca, introduced me to La Voz Kids Colombia - I never did pick a winner - and indulged my desire to go on a tour of a model home and explore a home center.

The accommodations are separate from the hacienda, very clean and with lots of hot water. Meals are taken at the hacienda with the family. The only issue with the food is trying not to eat too much, it's so good. Meal time is very important in this family. Everyone catches up on the day, talks about current events, shares a story and generally enjoys the time together. I was always made to feel a part of this special time.

It is not possible to leave and not feel that your life has been made richer for the experience. I know mine has.

(Excellent)

9 Jul 2016

Left by Workawayer () for host (Trying to get our vegetable ...)

After hosting many helpers this past 2.5 years, we decided it was time to be helpers ourselves. And we were fortunate to have Judith, Paul, Ben and David be our first hosts. They are a warm and welcoming family, full of lively discussion on all kinds of topics. Dinner time was one of our favorite times with them as there was always great food… read more

(Excellent)

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