Pet Sitters in Magnolia Heights, WA

Richard

This is a long review, but for us, since this was a long housesit where we spent one-third of the year, we felt compelled to go into detail. Babette & Rich were warm hosts who sent us all the information we needed to know well in advance about Snickers and the house, so we felt very prepared upon our arrival for our 4-month sit the day before they left for their trip. They came to get us from the airport (about 1.5-2 hours each way) and took us out to eat when we got there, which we appreciated very much after a long flight from the mainland. Snickers is a very sweet pup who is quite used to getting a lot of love, attention and play throughout the day. She will be your best friend during your stay, and will happily rest her head in your lap on the couch each evening. She is very good at letting you know when it's time to go outside, and when she spots a mongoose scurry by in the yard as she's keeping watch :) Her multiple daily walks were nice exercise around the golf course community that Babette & Rich live in. It's not a retirement community per se, though most of the residents we met do seem to be of retirement age. Snickers does well on- and off-leash, and since she really prefers to run ahead of you, keeping her closeby within sight and ear-shot requires consistent attention while you're out there with her on the golf course. Although she can be quite willful at times out on the walks (especially when she's on the sniff trail of something), she is trained on a whistle to return, which came in handy on quite a few occasions. Being outside on walks and sniffing things is Snickers' absolute favorite activity, so this sit is probably not right for those who are not very mobile, or people hoping to spend a lot of time away from the house (though we were able to occasionally leave her alone for about 6 hours). She was playful both with us (in the backyard) and with other neighborhood dogs who we'd encounter regularly out on our walks. If she had it her way (which she often does), she could play with some of the other dogs all day and never get tired of it. As much as she likes to play though, she is not a high-energy dog all the time, and still likes to get her daily sun-naps inside or outside. There was a healthy amount of yard work to take care of each day, which is accompanied by a marvelous view of the coastline and mountains. This part of the Big Island is not on the windward side, so while there is some rain, there are still a number of plants, trees and yard areas that needed regular watering and weeding throughout the week. The location of the house (the Ka'u District) is in a fairly remote part of the Big Island about 90 minutes each way from both Kona & Hilo. We personally prefer more rural settings compared to cities, which was a nice aspect of this sit for us. We mention this to give a sense of setting, which we think is important for future sitters to understand about this house's location. Babette & Rich made it very clear as to where the house is located in advance so we weren't thinking something else. There is a weekly farmers market right there in Na'alehu (5 mins drive from th home) where we'd get all of our produce for the week, which was a really nice resource to tap into! The local farmers are so friendly, and we came across all sorts of veggies and fruits we'd never heard of before. The local supermarkets (20 mins away) are decent, but larger more specialized shopping trips (for those interested in more organic options, buying in bulk, etc.) would probably need to be done in Kona or Hilo. This worked out though since Babette & Rich leave their cars for sitters to use during the duration of the sit. On the topic of food, the fresh fruits in Hawaii are out of this world amazing, and we were always fully-stocked since the local community is loaded with papaya, guava, coconut trees and much more. It really was a treat to have such wonderful fruits and coffee from right there in the neighborhood (Ka'u is recognized to have some of the best coffee in the world at global competitions). In terms of activities nearby, although you can see the ocean right from the house, the closest beach to visit is about 25 minutes away from the house by car (Punalu'u Black Sand Beach). That being said, the lower half of the island has so much to do for short day trips within a 90-minute radius of the house. From hiking across a dormant lava field that leads to a pristine beach (Pohue Bay), to world-class snorkeling (Ho'okena & 'Two-Step'), to visiting organic coffee and orchid farms just down the road, to cliff jumping 40 feet into the bluest water (South Point) and the list goes on and on. Our housesit came a strange time on the Big Island: the volcano Kilauea began erupting the week we arrived and lasted for 3 straight months, which of course no one would have predicted when we confirmed the sit 6-months prior to that. Important to note: Kilauea was very far from us (60+ miles) and there was ZERO danger that we or the house were in from this eruption. Life went on as normal. At that same time, we felt a number of rattling earthquakes from the volcanic activity, a couple of hurricanes/tropical storms passed by the island over the summer and consistently high-gas/vog levels drifting from the eruption were a regular occurrence, so we were contending with a lot of mother nature during these 4-months. This was never something that hampered our experience though, and is obviously out of human control, but is something we think future sitters should know is absolutely possible during their stay to some degree. It's just a part of what comes with staying on a growing island in the Pacific. The only thing all of this really 'inhibited' was that Volcanoes Natl. Park was closed down at the time (where Kilauea is located), but with so much else to do, it wasn't a hindrance at all. We were in consistent contact with Babette & Rich during all these occurrences, and they were helpful in giving us advice on how to handle certain things (e.g. hurricane prep for their house, volcano community updates, etc.) Their communication throughout the entire sit was solid. Speaking of communication, the WiFi at the house is pretty reliable, and could typically handle streaming speeds... In general, the only other important thing to note is that since this is a tropical/windy environment at a house with many windows and sliding glass doors that can be opened, sitters just need to be diligent about moisture levels in the home. Molds, mildews, etc. had a tendency to grow rather quickly before we started understanding more fully how to get a handle on them. Once we developed a regular routine with this, it became second nature, but we think it is important to know about. If you want to enjoy the Hawaiian breezes (this place gets a lot of constant wind), then be prepared to keep the home is consistently good shape, but as sitters we'd of course do this regardless. We'd recommend this sit, and sitters should know that while it won't be a vacation because of your responsibilities, it can be very rewarding by enjoying the company of Snickers and getting to know the Hawaiian culture/landscape.

Gaile

If you get a chance to offer your time to do this house sit then we would recommend you taking it! 
David and Gaile were so warm, welcoming, easy to get along with and just lovely people. We are gald that we got to meet them both. 
Oreo is the by far the friendliest and easiest cat to care for. He loves his routine but as long as he gets his breakfast and evening cuddle on the sofa he goes in and out as he pleases and is so easy and such a good boy.
Once he gets to know you he will follow you around round the house and sit with you if you are working from home.
He also goes off out and about and is very self sufficient.
We did get a few presents but he lets you easily catch them and return them to the great outdoors.
The house is beautiful, comfortable and cozy and in such a quiet and scenic area. You can walk or cycle straight from the house. 
 The garden is a little sun trap and easy to care for, with fresh tomatoes during our stay. 
There is lots of time to explore and lots of things to do in the local area. David and Gaile gave us lots of suggestions. As mentioned on the listing a car is a must. 
We will definitely stay in touch and thank you for choosing us to care for your home and the wonderful Oreo!