Diane & Don
Diane & Don
Engaged, Resourceful & Loving Couple. Non-Smoking, Healthy, Active, Down-to-Earth Animal People & Intrepid Explorers.
About Diane & Don
Ten years ago Don & I decided it was time to get on with the life we wanted to be living. So we found a little slice of paradise between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, NM, sold our suburban NY home and moved off-grid. At the time, we were lucky enough to be able take our jobs with us and work remotely. Diane has since retired and Don is wrapping up h...
Ten years ago Don & I decided it was time to get on with the life we wanted to be living. So we found a little slice of paradise between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, NM, sold our suburban NY home and moved off-grid. At the time, we were lucky enough to be able take our jobs with us and work remotely. Diane has since retired and Don is wrapping up his business to eliminate the remaining restrictions on our time. Now we get to use all of those air miles we accumulated during our working years!
Diane is an English teacher by training but discovered an aptitude for technology and spent the bulk of her career in that field, ultimately as a Vice President for an international technology research and advisory services firm. https://www.linkedin.com/in/diane-senior-355b47/
When he's not busy running two consulting companies (one focused on call center process and technology, the other on how to apply unified communications technology to address business needs), Don serves as Board Vice President for Performance Santa Fe, a local performing arts organization, and as President of the PSF Foundation. https://www.linkedin.com/in/donvandoren/
Over the years, our travels together have taken us all over the US, as well as to Mexico, the Carribean, Peru, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Portugal, Spain, France, Andorra, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Turkey, Singapore, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Japan and China.
To learn more about our off-grid lifestyle, please visit our Owners page at https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/house-and-pet-sitting-assignments/united-states/new-mexico/santa-fe/l/321464/
Why we want to house sit
We want the opportunity to experience what it is that you find special about the place you call home. In exchange, we want to give you peace of mind that your home and pets are being cared for with the same kind of integrity that we hope ours are receiving when we travel.
Part of the reason that house sitting is so appealing to us is that we don't tend to travel like your average Americans. We avoid hotels, tourist shopping districts and chain restaurants when we travel, preferring instead to immerse ourselves in our destination by wandering through neighborhoods, shopping local markets, cooking local foods and really getting to know the place we've chosen to visit.
We know how important it is to have sitters with impeccable character and common sense to care for our two very-much-loved livestock guardian dogs and to watch over our home while we're gone. We feel good about being able to return that favor to others who are travelling. We will give your pets the attention and affection they need while you're away, and we will treat your home and possessions with the utmost care and respect.
Our experience
As both homeowners and landlords ourselves, we are intimately familiar with how to address any situation that may arise. Our experience includes home ownership in urban, suburban and rural settings and, now, in living off-grid, where independence, resourcefulness, and the ability to tackle any challenge are simply table stakes.
We are the lucky owners of two rescued livestock guardian dogs (Tess, a Maremma, and Brady, a Great Pyrenees/Akbash mix) and two semi-feral barn cats. We also have a mated pair of ravens who visit us daily for whatever leftovers we have on hand -- much to the chagrin of our livestock guardian dogs, who have an instinctual distrust of large birds. But the dogs agree to stay put while the ravens are fed, in exchange for jerky treats and free rein to scavenge for anything the ravens drop. They seem to find those terms acceptable enough to grudgingly tolerate the ravens :-)
Over the years we have also owned Golden Retrievers, Irish Setters, mutts, ferrets, hamsters, gerbils and tropical fish, so our experience is reasonably broad. Diane has also befriended parrots and cockatoos, and loves horses and riding but has never cared for them on her own -- although she's certainly willing to learn!
We are brand new to Trusted Housesitters and don't yet have any testimonials but we do have over a dozen reviews from AirBnB hosts that we would be happy to share with you.
Reviews (1)
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Dina - Denver, Colorado, United States
19 November - 23 November 2018
Diane and Don were great! They gave our dog great love and care. They communicated well and left the house neat and clean. They were not afraid to ask questions, when needed. Very nice people, that took great care of our pets and house. Highly recommend them.
Diane and Don were great! They gave our dog great love and care. They communicated well and left the house neat and clean. They were not afraid to ask questions, when needed. Very nice people, that took great care of our pets and house. Highly recommend them.
- Organised
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- Reliable
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- Self-sufficient
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- Tidy
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- Pet care
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External references (3)
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Linda - Landlord Reference
08 October 2018
Diane has been an exceptional landlord - always "on top of things"; proactive and responsive. Great care has been given to the home I rent from her. As well she is flexible, thoughtful, personable, generous. I am in my third year as renter and looking forward to many more since I know I am in suc...
Diane has been an exceptional landlord - always "on top of things"; proactive and responsive. Great care has been given to the home I rent from her. As well she is flexible, thoughtful, personable, generous. I am in my third year as renter and looking forward to many more since I know I am in such very good hands.
- Organised
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- Reliable
-
- Self-sufficient
-
- Tidy
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Puck - Character Reference
08 October 2018
Diane and Don are very considerate, reliable and punctual people. They love animals. I have no doubt homes and pets are in good hands with them.
Diane and Don are very considerate, reliable and punctual people. They love animals. I have no doubt homes and pets are in good hands with them.
- Organised
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- Reliable
-
- Self-sufficient
-
- Tidy
-
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Miriam - Character Reference
08 October 2018
I am honored to know Diane and have been her neighbor and friend for many years. Over this time I have witnessed her willingness to go out her way to assist neighbors, friends and their canine companions. She is well-organized, prompt and an excellent communicator. Our dogs love her, and that is ...
I am honored to know Diane and have been her neighbor and friend for many years. Over this time I have witnessed her willingness to go out her way to assist neighbors, friends and their canine companions. She is well-organized, prompt and an excellent communicator. Our dogs love her, and that is a true stamp of approval! Her home is beautiful and always immaculate. Her dogs Tess and Brady are so loving and well socialized. I look for any opportunity to snap those two up to join my pack! She loves those pups and treats them like royalty, showering them with love and adoration. Diane is top-notch!
- Organised
-
- Reliable
-
- Self-sufficient
-
- Tidy
-
About Diane & Don
Ten years ago Don & I decided it was time to get on with the life we wanted to be living. So we found a little slice of paradise between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, NM, sold our suburban NY home and moved off-grid. At the time, we were lucky enough to be able take our jobs with us and work remotely. Diane has since retired and Don is wrapping up his business to eliminate the remaining restrictions on our time. Now we get to use all of those air miles we accumulated during our working years!
Diane is an English teacher by training but discovered an aptitude for technology and spent the bulk of her career in that field, ultimately as a Vice President for an international technology research and advisory services firm. https://www.linkedin.com/in/diane-senior-355b47/
When he's not busy running two consulting companies (one focused on call center process and technology, the other on how ......
Ten years ago Don & I decided it was time to get on with the life we wanted to be living. So we found a little slice of paradise between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, NM, sold our suburban NY home and moved off-grid. At the time, we were lucky enough to be able take our jobs with us and work remotely. Diane has since retired and Don is wrapping up his business to eliminate the remaining restrictions on our time. Now we get to use all of those air miles we accumulated during our working years!
Diane is an English teacher by training but discovered an aptitude for technology and spent the bulk of her career in that field, ultimately as a Vice President for an international technology research and advisory services firm. https://www.linkedin.com/in/diane-senior-355b47/
When he's not busy running two consulting companies (one focused on call center process and technology, the other on how to apply unified communications technology to address business needs), Don serves as Board Vice President for Performance Santa Fe, a local performing arts organization, and as President of the PSF Foundation. https://www.linkedin.com/in/donvandoren/
Over the years, our travels together have taken us all over the US, as well as to Mexico, the Carribean, Peru, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Portugal, Spain, France, Andorra, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Turkey, Singapore, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Japan and China.
To learn more about our off-grid lifestyle, please visit our Owners page at https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/house-and-pet-sitting-assignments/united-states/new-mexico/santa-fe/l/321464/
Why we want to house sit
We want the opportunity to experience what it is that you find special about the place you call home. In exchange, we want to give you peace of mind that your home and pets are being cared for with the same kind of integrity that we hope ours are receiving when we travel.
Part of the reason that house sitting is so appealing to us is that we don't tend to travel like your average Americans. We avoid hotels, tourist shopping districts and chain restaurants when we travel, preferring instead to immerse ourselves in our destination by wandering through neighborhoods, shopping local markets, cooking local foods and really getting to know the place we've chosen to visit.
We know how important it is to have sitters with impeccable character and common sense to care for our two very-much-loved livestock guardian dogs and to watch over our home while we're gone. We feel good about being able to return that favor to others who are travelling. We will give your pets the attention and affection they need while you're away, and we will treat your home and possessions with the utmost care and respect.
Our experience
As both homeowners and landlords ourselves, we are intimately familiar with how to address any situation that may arise. Our experience includes home ownership in urban, suburban and rural settings and, now, in living off-grid, where independence, resourcefulness, and the ability to tackle any challenge are simply table stakes.
We are the lucky owners of two rescued livestock guardian dogs (Tess, a Maremma, and Brady, a Great Pyrenees/Akbash mix) and two semi-feral barn cats. We also have a mated pair of ravens who visit us daily for whatever leftovers we have on hand -- much to the chagrin of our livestock guardian dogs, who have an instinctual distrust of large birds. But the dogs agree to stay put while the ravens are fed, in exchange for jerky treats and free rein to scavenge for anything the ravens drop. They seem to find those terms acceptable enough to grudgingly tolerate the ravens :-)
Over the years we have also owned Golden Retrievers, Irish Setters, mutts, ferrets, hamsters, gerbils and tropical fish, so our experience is reasonably broad. Diane has also befriended parrots and cockatoos, and loves horses and riding but has never cared for them on her own -- although she's certainly willing to learn!
We are brand new to Trusted Housesitters and don't yet have any testimonials but we do have over a dozen reviews from AirBnB hosts that we would be happy to share with you.
Verifications
Verification level
Standard level
Email Address, Phone Number, External references (3), Identity & Document Check
All Standard Verification checks are carried out by a specialist 3rd Party
Animal Care Experience
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Dogs
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Cats
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Small pet
Availability
Preferred Countries
Profile Details
Age
Occupation
Travelling as a
Previous house sitting experience
Member benefits
Member since
House & pet sitting timeline
Diane and Don have done 1 house sit since 2018
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DenverUnited StatesNov 2018
