Crossing The Strait

At first we decided it would be best to go and house-sit in Tasmania next January (2018). It seemed like the perfect time.

The logic was quite simple - by then there was a greater chance that I’d have got used to being apart from our girls. After all let’s face it, I’ve only just got used to them both having grown up and gone off into the world to be adults - let alone adjusted to them living in different states!

But, as is often the case with plans, the universe seems to having had a different idea on how things should go.

I think it was around March this year that the bookings for 2018 started to come in and… to be honest… each one sounded fun and I simply couldn’t say ‘No.’ Then in the last few weeks there have been a few more… and, well, now… we’re basically booked up until then end of July!

Can you believe that, we’re so popular, we only have a handful of weeks within the next 12 months that aren’t booked? I remember looking at the bookings of other house-sitters before we started this adventure and being impressed if they were booked out for the next three months, and here we are with a year! The wonderful thing to is that most of our bookings are ‘rebooks’ or referrals. But, although we know we’re putting out lots of households, we still want to go to Tassie - sorry.

Our plan now though is to go house-sitting across the Bass Strait in late July/August 2018, not January.

As to how long we intend to stay there, well, we don’t really know. In other words, if we have fun and get lots of bookings (and I don’t get too cold) we could stay for ages, or we might travel on and sit somewhere else, or we might even come back to WA, who knows. Either way I just wanted to give you a heads up on the changes - even though they’re a fair way off.

The weeks that we’re free next year - and in WA - aren’t definite yet but you can find out when they are by checking the regularly updated calendar on the ‘Where We Are Now’ page of our website.

As to bookings in Tassie… we’re not yet in a position to take any but we would love to hear from anybody over there who thinks we might be able to assist them in having a restful holiday.

What's That Sound?

How well do you know the night-time noises of your home? The water heater that turns on at six? The slamming of the neighbour’s car door half an hour later as she leaves for work? The individual snoring patterns of your home’s inhabitants?

I recently woke up in the middle of the night unsettled by the sounds around me. Lying there silently, surrounded by the darkness, I tried to define one from another.

(Of course, before I did that I really needed to be sure of which house I was sleeping in, the pets we were sharing it with, where they were sleeping, what surrounded the house… You know the stuff that gets a little confusing and befuddled when you can’t see it and it changes from one month to the next!)

The main thing that confused me, though, was the fact that I was listening to three different kinds of snoring - even though I knew it was only Steve and me in the house! And let’s face it, I knew I wasn’t snoring! After all, I’m way too gentile and ladylike for that - besides I’ve never heard it so how could one of them be me! Which left two unaccounted for…

At this point I did consider getting up and sneaking around the house trying to find the cause of the extra sound, but what if it was somebody who’d snuck into the house… maybe a big burly burglar who’d fallen asleep, or a relative of the homeowner who had a front door key, or even the homeowners returning early?

Hmmm? No, it seemed wiser to stay, silent and still, in bed trying to remember where I was.

But then, without warning, the three snoring became one. Instantly followed by a scuffle in the hallway, hurried feet racing towards me and a sudden kerflumpf that vibrated through the room, announcing extra weight on the bed. A second later I felt the familiar series of pressure points as two small animals walked up and over my body, rotated a couple of times then snuggled against my body. A little while on, the one snoring became three again and the world returned to normal.

I never knew dogs snored. Did you?

Ahoy, There Me Hearty!

As you’ve probably noticed (or assumed, or taken for granted), Steve and I consider ourselves Digital Nomads. Which means that while we’re having fun travelling around helping people out with their holidays, we’re also having fun with our websites.

Now I know people across the world have all kinds of websites for all kinds of reasons - some of them logical, some illogical, and some just plain, well, strange. But a friend’s question last week got me wondering… why do we have a site about pirates? Do you know? I mean the house-sitting, writing and photography ones are obvious considering our career choices, but pirates? We’ve had it for years too and had a great time with it, but what started us off in that direction I haven’t the darnedest idea. Literally, no idea!

It’s not as if we’d had boys who loved pretending to sail the high seas, or a house full of swashbuckling toys, or even enjoyed sailing. Looking back we can find no possible reason, other than (perhaps) this humorous play Steve and girls concocted (I guess, maybe) ten years ago. And having just rewatched it, I had to share it with you.

Go on… I dare you to watch it without laughing!

The website itself (www.the-pirate-ship.com) has been through a variety of transitions. The latest one of which has included a selection of additions - including a Facebook page (AllAboardMeHearty just on the off chance ye want to come and join in the fun, me hearty.)

You could even come and join us just to find out who’s who and what’s what, or discover some jokes, or what about improving your pirate lingo all in time for the Talk Like A Pirate Day on 19th September!

So go on, have another chuckle at the addled sea dogs in the video above, or share it with your mates so ye can all have a snigger. Then come and follow The Pirate Ship Facebook page as we grow, expand and go on an adventure together.