Tucson Arizona

If you need a refuge for reading, writing, making art, or contemplating, my quiet home is the place. Tucson in May is getting pretty warm, but the cool mornings and evenings make it worthwhile.

I'm looking for a nonsmoking* sitter for my home, dog, and plants, from May 20-28.

Gilda is a five-year-old Golden Retriever mix. She only weighs 45 pounds and is a very sweet dog. She can be reactive toward other dogs we meet on the street. I can show you some strategies to use that the trainer has taught us.

She is housebroken, uses a doggie door, loves to ride in the car–especially if the destination is the park–and can be left alone without a problem. She will do her best to entice you into a game of tug-of-war and loves to tease with her squeaky toys.

It would be helpful to arrive the day before my departure to become familiar with the house and Gilda’s routine. There will be a detailed information packet with all sorts of resources, plus an easy to follow day-by-day To Do list.

A car of your own is a must.

The air-conditioned house is on the corner of two dead end streets in midtown Tucson. The neighborhood is very quiet but within a five-minute drive to Trader Joe's, Starbucks, Costco, and local restaurants. It is a 15 minute drive to Sabino Canyon, and 45 minutes to Mt. Lemmon, where temps are 25-30 degrees cooler. Tucson is a very bike-friendly city with over 100 miles of shared paths alongside the river banks surrounding the city.

The guest room is small but comfortable with two twin Posturepedic beds, bedside table, luggage racks, and closet. There is a small studio next to the guest room with a drafting table, table easel, taboret, and writing table for your creative activities. The guest bath is just down the hall and has a full tub and ShowerMassage unit.

The house is furnished with an eclectic mix of Southern antiques, trash pile finds, and objects from many countries. The bamboo flooring in the bedrooms and slate floors in the rest of the house make for a very low-maintenance house. There is a garage with automatic door for your car. A front-loading washing machine is in the garage; my dryer is a clothesline, also in the garage. There is wifi throughout the house, but no TV. An old-school stereo system with lots of CDs and even vinyl might keep you entertained.

The property is landscaped with native plants and is virtually no-maintenance. Potted plants inside and out will need watering. Enjoy your morning coffee or tea outside on a seating wall or in the comfortable patio chairs, serenaded by many species of birds.

The kitchen is equipped for a cook. It has everything you might need except a microwave--I cook real food! Pots of herbs growing outside will brighten up your meals.

* "non-smoking" means no smoking/vaping--anything--inside or outside the house.