Hi, I am Barbara, who lives in Tucson, AZ, with my two Westies. I’ve been with Trusted Petsitters for a few years but have been stuck in AZ since the beginning of the pandemic. Vaccinated, but now that things are opening up, I can’t find anyone who wants to come to the desert southwest in the summer.
A retired geoscientist and dog rescuer, I loved having travelers come to my home to look after the dog(s) and house and had wonderful people here. I was able to travel to London over the '19-'20 holidays and was about to leave for Montreal (and my Petsitters, from Toronto, were already in town!) just as everything shut down. Canada was closed to me and the PM suggested his citizens return so I wasn’t even able to leave town and have this lovely couple stay in the house. Anxious to get back out there!!!
Hi @Chrismom welcome to our community forum and thank you fo joining us from Tucson, we understand exactly how you feel everyone is looking to get back to their chosen travel lifestyles. Everyone is still a little shell shocked and it’s difficult to be 100% comfortable in planning long or even short term but it is gradually happening and in some places faster than others, you will be back in the saddle before long.
Meanwhile enjoy the conversations and support and encouragement from other members.
Thank you again for being part of our wonderful community.
Angela and the Team
Hi Barbara!
My wife and I are currently sitting in Tucson. West side. Like, a few minutes west of Silverbell where there are no other landmarks except for a cactus strung in Christmas lights. 
We have been invited back next year to sit here (in the summer) and may take the homeowner up on the offer. But a year is a long time from now and who knows what might happen, right?
Anyway, we love it here. Heat and storms and floods and crazy drivers included.
Here is our profile. Let’s connect and stay in touch. We love Westies!
Hi,
I am stunned that anyone would come to Tucson in the summer, but am heartened by it. You are about to find out what our monsoon can be like. Last year, we had a “non-soon”. And I definitely advise paying attention to “do not enter when flooded” signs.
Has that homeowner tried to sign you up for the entire summer 2022? As a retired person who can fly most places for free (late husband worked for an airline) and used to traveling frequently, I know, without even having set plans, that I will want to go someplace. So, yes, please consider staying at my home with my pups, maybe at the beginning at the end of whatever your other commitments are. I see that you have almost no time at all available in the next few months, so I don’t know how long you’ll be in Tucson this stretch, but would love to get together. Happy to give you my phone number, if that would work for you.
And, if I am able to make a particular dream trip come true, I may be gone from mid-April until early June next year - with, maybe a three week July stretch. Just a pipe dream right now, but obviously nothing I could do without having my pups and home in safe hands. Even if that falls through, I know I could go pet sit out of the country that full time. Wow, that would be amazing…
If course, all plans right now, especially international ones, are contingent on the pandemic…
Thanks for getting in touch. This is the best July we’ve had in years,
Barbara
Good evening!
Everybody is surprised that we would be here in the summer. WE are surprised as well, but thought we should see what it is like to live in the desert, and this was a great opportunity.
We are really booked out - pretty solidly until late June 2022, not including a return to our sit here if that happens. Like you say, anything can happen as we’ve seen!
The homeowners here tend to go to France every summer for three months. He is French, she is a poet, both used to teach at the U here and in Phoenix, but said they would delay their trip to secure us (it’s so nice to be in demand!).
The rains have been amazing here. The heat on the other hand…we’ve had to learn to deal with it. The pool helps!
We’ve had great food and have a few friends here (homeowners from previous sits and one college friend and a great friend from MN bought a house here last year) and my wife keeps talking about how she loves it here.
We are in some little foothills off of Ironwood currently, with lovely views of the mountains and the city - where are you?
I’ll find a way to PM you here. We can exchange info and maybe have a zoom call!
Zac