Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Summer Encounters

So what can possibly go wrong with your house while you're away for the summer? Thought I'd share a few of our experiences with the housewatch program.

Don and I have truly enjoyed our housewatch program so far even though it means being out in the HEAT for a couple hours each month. For one, we've met some great people and I feel like they've become good friends since we email back and forth after each house visit.

So far:
We walked into one home where the air conditioner must have quit because it was HOT in there when we entered. It was 97 at 6:30 am when it was only 85 outside. AC wouldn't kick on after checking circuit breakers. We're waiting to hear back from the owners.

We found a dead scorpion on the floor of one of our homes and very carefully disposed of it. Certainly hope we don't find any of his relatives lurking about.

One customer lost a couple sprinkler heads so we purchased a new timer and installed it for them to hopefully save their shrubs and trees.

Wind storm tore a piece of siding from a shed so we pushed it back in place and will watch it carefully during any windy days until it gets repaired.

A car lost its cloth cover during heavy wind so we purchased more rope and secured the cover tighter.

Several nice plant pots were over turned in the wind and we were able to upright them and reinsert the sprinkler system to save the plants.

We retrieved some plastic flower pots that blew down the street and gathered them more securely at their home.

I discovered that one of the plastic water jugs left in a living room had sprung a leak. Luckily the owners had set the jugs inside some plastic pails so the water didn't damage anything. I would have been just sick to walk in and find the water had leaked out and stained their pretty wood floor.

The heat can wreak havoc on us desert dwellers. Just tonight I walked out into our own shed and found a big puddle of something in the middle of the floor. Closer inspection showed that a brand new BIG bottle of laundry detergent sitting on top of a cabinet had split a seam and leaked all over the shelf, down the cabinet and across the floor. I just picked it up and set it in a pail for now. Will figure out how to clean up the mess in the morning. These are just a couple samples of what we've encountered so far.

These are all little surprises that help to keep life interesting. Have a great day!