Tiny house and cat refuge project on Vis Island, Croatia

Infos

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  Description

  FOOD IS NOT INCLUDED
  AND YOU WON’T HAVE A REFRIGERATOR
  
  LGBTQ+ fam welcome!
  
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  CURRENT STATUS: need help from 15 March, all of April and until mid-May.
  
  THIS WORKAWAY IS ALL ABOUT TAKING CARE OF CATS.
  
  In winter if we have several days in a row without sun, which happens occasionally, the solar power in the tiny house doesn't work. I have a big energy bank and work lights to get around that, though, so you won't be sitting in the dark. By March, the worst of this should be over.
  
  The toilet is outside, just so you know.
  
  Also, I feel that a refresher on basic manners is needed, because a lot of people on here think that ghosting is acceptable. It's not: it's rude, immature, and shows bad character.
  
  If we communicate about you coming to my workaway but you change your mind and decide to accept another offer, don't just ghost me! "Thank you, but I've accepted another offer" isn't hard to type: you can do it!
  
  Politeness matters.
  
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  FALL / WINTER / SPRING WORKAWAY : MONTHLY FROM OCTOBER THROUGH MAY EVERY YEAR FOR TWO CAT-LOVING PEOPLE AT A TIME
  
  This is a somewhat extreme Workaway because the living conditions are rough: princesses need not apply.
  
  If you're independent people who love cats, hiking, living off-grid surrounded by nature and you think you could handle doing all that with minimal (but decent) shelter even during stormy weather when it gets dark at 4pm, read on.
  
  YOU MUST LOVE CATS!
  
  I live in town from October through May, feed a colony of cats on the other side of the bay every two days, and going up to the land every day to feed the land cats is difficult for me. I need people living on the land to take care of the cats during the eight months when I live in town, and to help me with light land maintenance.
  
  I prefer hosting TWO PEOPLE at a time because unless you're a hardcore introvert, you’ll need each other for company. Vis is desolate in winter, and you’ll be almost alone on the land. My neighbors will be there occasionally too, but they have their own lives and you won’t have much interaction with them unless it happens organically.
  
  IT’S ALL ABOUT THEM CATS!
  
  I would like each team to stay for at least one month if possible. Ultimately I want people to settle in and stay for longer periods, if I find people who are the right fit both for them and me.
  
  CATS, CATS, CATS : YOU GOTTA LOVE ‘EM!
  
  This offer will be available every year from October through May. Check my calendar to see which periods have already been booked.
  
  Loving and being attuned to cats is the NUMBER ONE qualification for this offer. Everything else is secondary.
  
  
  THE LIVING CONDITIONS
  
  My land is about a 40-minute hike uphill from the port of Vis. It's a nice walk uphill to the edge of town, then along a relatively flat dirt road with a great view of the bay, then uphill again on a footpath winding through a forest, then finally along the crest of the hill on a very rocky footpath that slopes gently into the valley along the edges of fields.
  
  The Earth Garden consists of the tiny house, its backyard, a couple small fields and a tiny forest. It sits on the edge of a small valley where my neighbors have a family farm. They also have a big, loud generator they run occasionally. If you're lucky, the wind will blow the sound away from you. If not, you should be able to escape it once you're inside, or on the other side of the structure. And if you listen to or play music it might not even be a problem, since your music will be closer. Some people haven't been bothered by the generator, but for those who are super sensitive to noise, I have to mention it.
  
  A small solar panel provides minimal electricity (light and plugs), and you can get a signal for mobile data, but sometimes it can be glitchy. There's always free wifi in town, though. I have work lights and a backup power supply for when there hasn't ben sun for a few days in a row and the solar power cuts off. This is only a winter problem, but with the backup work lights and power bank, you won't be left in the dark or unable to charge your phone.
  
  There's no fridge, but there are large and small gas-powered cookers, as well as a small cast iron wood stove for winter heating and cooking. I'll provide kitchen equipment and drinking water, but you'll need to provide your own food.
  
  There are two single beds, bunk-bed style, with bedding.
  
  The composting toilet is outside in the bushes, and there's a rainwater cistern where you'll get water for bathing. You can come to my house once a week for a hot shower and to do laundry too.
  
  The most beautiful part of my land is the Sea Garden, where you can go to enjoy a view across the sea to Hvar, Brač and the mainland mountains in the distance. There’s also a rough-cut walking path nearby that can get you down to the water (the bay of Rogačić) in 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how athletic you are.
  
  I'll be living in town and available to help you out with any glitches you may encounter while living on the land.
  
  
  THE HELP NEEDED
  
  Your main reason for being there is to provide a human presence for the cats, to feed them every day and to give them some attention. I'll provide cat food, of course.
  
  The cat work is most important to me, but it’s probably also the easiest. You'll just need to walk over to the nearby Sky Garden every day, where I camp from June through September. I like the cats to eat in the morning and again in the evening. The 20 cats who call that place home may not all be there at the same time, but that’s how many come there to eat. I’m hoping that you'll also enjoy spending time with them and giving them some attention. Some of them will visit you in the Earth Garden and I don’t mind if you give them treats there too, but I'd like to keep the main feeding spot in its established place.
  
  There’s always a bit of land and path maintenance to do as well (weeding / trimming / processing dried branches and leaves), and from November through April we can have outdoor fires to burn some of what’s been cut throughout the year – that's always fun!
  
  I'll come up to work with you for a few hours at least one day each week and will give you easy tasks you can do while I’m not there, too. I can't imagine we'll ever be doing 12 hours of actual work each week, but that would be the max.
  
  
  THE WEATHER


  
  Fall, winter and spring on Vis have many sunny, mild and beautiful days, but there are also dark, cold, windy, stormy, rainy and occasionally even snowy days too. I've camped on the land in a festival tent through the end of November and again in early spring, so I know what I'm asking people to deal with. The tiny house is the best thing I've ever had, shelter-wise: you'll be in relative luxury compared to my crazy adventures.
  
  
  THINGS TO DO ON VIS IN WINTER
  
  If you love hiking, you’ll be in heaven here. Vis has many hiking trails through hills and valleys, often with stunning sea views along the way.
  
  Exploring the island by bicycle or scooter is also fun. The tourist agencies will probably be closed, so we’ll have to try and find someone to rent to you off-season, but I think that’s possible. 


  
  Walking all around the bay of Vis is nice at any time of year, and there’s a bus to and from Komiza every morning and evening, so you could go to the other side of the island and walk around there too.


  
  
  HOW TO APPLY
  
  I prefer a minimum stay of one month starting on the first day of the month and ending on the last day, if possible. If you've read this far and are interested in any time period, reply with YES, PLEASE! in the subject line.
  
  Thanx!

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  Types d'aide et opportunités d'apprendre

  Jardinage

  Bricolage et projets de construction

  S’occuper des animaux

  Entretien général
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  Echange culturel et opportunités d'apprendre

  This workaway is about getting back in touch with nature, so the only person you'll be dealing with directly is me. I'm an introvert, so I don't hang out much outside of work, but there's an island full of Croatian people for you to go out and meet, if you're into that sort of thing. Download a language app, learn a few words and phrases then go out out and practice! People always love when you try to speak their language.

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  Aide

  Cat caretaking and general land maintenance

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  Langues parlées

  Anglais: Courant
  Français: Courant
  Espagnol: Intermédiaire

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  Hébergement

  A stone shed converted into a rudimentary tiny house with bunk beds and a small cooking space

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  Autres infos...

  The island of Vis is a nature-lover's delight.

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  Informations complémentaires

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    Accès Internet

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    Accès Internet limité

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    Nous avons des animaux

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    Nous sommes fumeurs

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    Familles bienvenues

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  Combien de volontaires pouvez-vous accueillir ?

  Deux

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  Nombre d'heures attendues

  12 max, probably less

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