Lesson #8 learned by this pet sitter: Since fall is approaching yards are going to be aerated. The grassy area where I walk Sam and Buddy was done yesterday. If it is dawn, it is very hard to tell the poop from the plugs dug up from the aeration.
Also, be aware of Sam and Buddy digging after they've pooped. It is not good when I am leaning over the scoop poop, they start digging and the dirt starts flying on me :(
Lesson #7 learned by this pet sitter: spiders are very busy at night Sam and Buddy usually get walked pretty early in the morning, a lot of times when the sun is just rising. It is my favorite time of day: walking with the dogs, the sunrise and not a lot of traffic. There just aren't a lot of people out at all except for a few neighbors of mine who also walk their dog and the occasional cyclist.
What I have learned from these early morning walks is that spiders are very busy overnight. I frequently walk through spider webs and end up spending the next few minutes trying to brush them off of me. When Don and I first moved back to Charlotte, we lived in an apartment complex with walking trails. I could always tell if we were the first ones to walk in the morning. One morning I had my glasses on and I ended up with the spider web on the lense of my glasses. It had perfectly covered the lense, I was amazed.
Now when this happens, I don't let myself think about where the spider is. Surely if the spider was on the web, I'd see him and not walk through it, right? Surely the spider doesn't end up on me, only his web does, right? That's what I'm telling myself anyway.
Lesson #6 If I am meeting with a new client, I should ask questions about any advice given. For example, if I am going to be leaving their house for the last time (i.e. I have left their keys inside their house, locked the door and am leaving through the gate in the backyard), and the client mentions that the gate can stick, I should inquire further. I distinctly remember the client mentioning that the outside gate could stick. She did.
Next time this happens, I will walk over to the gate and ask the client to show me how to open it. Needless to say, I was stuck outside this afternoon and it was hot in a side yard with no easy way out. I finally figured it out but I was sweating by the time I left and aggravated at myself because I let it happen. Geez!!
I must say though if this is as bad as it gets, I'm in good shape :)
Lesson #5: You'll end up with wet feet when you walk through wet grass with flip flops on.
Today, the siamese was sitting on the steps when I walked up. Nas was up on the deck and starting meowing (see picture) when he saw me. I put a little extra food in the bowl since I knew I was feeding two this morning!
Note to self: do not walk through the grass to get the mail when I have on flip flops. My feet got all wet. Your lawn is going to need to be mowed when you get home :(
Lesson #4 What I've learned in 3 months of pet sitting that no one told me:
Lesson # 3. Don't forget the bug spray when you live in the south and it is summer time. We had a nice visit tonight. It feels so much better outside but I noticed I did come back with a mosquito bite :( I forgot to put on bug spray which is something else I didn't realize about pet sitting. During the summer months, I will either (a) have bug bites or (b) will constantly smell like bug spray.
Sweet Pea enjoyed the walk and she did quite a bit of sniffing. She played a lot inside too. A gave her a few treats and said said "time for bed" and she walked right into her crate. She's a very good girl!