Caretaker Extraordinaire

 

Competent and trustworthy house-sitter with impeccable references looking for rural country home, farm, or ranch stay value-exchange opportunity. Urban city condos, apartments, or vacation homes also considered.

“The master in the art of living makes little distinction between work and play, his labor or his leisure, his education or his recreation, his love or his religion. To him, he can hardly tell which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence, leaving others to decide what he is doing. To him, he is always doing both at the same time.” James Michener

Howdy!

I’m Greg, but I also go by Gregory, Gregorio, or even Goyo, for those of you que se habla Espanol, like me. Allow me to introduce myself!

For the past two years, I’ve been fortunate (and grateful) to be able to look after and maintain several amazing properties and residences through my extended network of family and friends — both primary and secondary homes — while the owners were away. Through a mutually beneficial exchange of value, rather than money, it’s been an awesome win-win for both parties!

You see, before Covid, I had already decided to simplify my life. I sold most of my material possessions, gave up my expensive SF Bay Area lease, and moved into my 1992 Toyota pickup truck to try life on the road as a digital nomad. I grabbed my laptop and cellphone to continue to service a couple of clients with their online marketing and hit the road. 

What I learned was that less is more. The people I met and experiences that found me were more valuable and meaningful than the things I owned or the spaces that I had occupied. I also found that I didn’t miss the hustle and bustle of city life, where I had spent most of my adulthood when I wasn’t traveling. 

About Me: 

• 53-year-old aspiring cowboy at heart

• Responsible, honest, trustworthy, fun, and funny

• Handy with electrical, plumbing, irrigation, animals, security, and light grounds keeping

• PBS Producer in development on a few new series. Watch the 14-part James-Beard nominated series Food Forward!

Skills: 

• farm animal care including cows, hogs, sheep, goats, chickens, and horses

• dog whispering, remedial training, and daily walking

• cat watching, playing, and sitting

• firewood gathering, splitting, stacking  (handy with both large and small chainsaws and axes)

• general maintenance and light upkeep 

  • 220 wiring to fix hot tubs and install appliances

  • Outdoor deck weatherproofing and sealing

• groundskeeping, including plant watering, and crop and garden irrigation

• gopher control, eradication, and abatement. Safe, humane, and effective. Can cover large areas of land or pasture with a small crew

• aspiring gourmand with good culinary skills

• speaks Spanish and can work with and run a small team of hired Hispanic laborers 

• documentary filmmaking and photography

Interests: 

• cooking and the culinary arts

• hiking and backpacking

• travel and photography

• meeting new and interesting people

• meditation and mindfulness

• bushcraft and survival skills (especially after watching the TV series ‘ALONE’)

Looking For: I’m looking for a three-month minimum stay on a beautiful, open, and serene farm or ranch, surrounded by nature with views somewhere in the western part of the US. Could be in a guest wing of your house, to share with you and yours, or, in one of your guest or bunkhouses, out of sight and out of mind. 

• can do up to 1-3 hours of daily chores in exchange for accommodations and a small monthly stipend 

• flexible on the terms of stay depending on your needs

Rest assured with peace of mind that your place will be well cared for and kept during an extended stay away. 

Contact: groden(@)gmail.com

Five-Star Testimonials

“Greg stayed at my upscale San Francisco condo during the first half of Covid. Not only did he care for and train my beloved Aussie-Doodle Merlin, but he completely eradicated all of the gophers in our tight-knit HOA community. He left the place cleaner than clean and is always welcome back to my home away from home.” Janice R.

“Was so fortunate to have connected with Greg through a mutual friend. I’ve had a terrible time with gophers on my five-acre farm and this year they were particularly bad. Over the course of Greg’s winter stay while caring for my cows and chickens and looking after the place, he successfully and single-handedly completely eradicated all of the gophers! Couldn’t highly enough recommend Greg and his expertise. He also gave me an amazing photo he took of the property and of my Corrgie Rico for my birthday. Thank you Greg!” John V.