© Jeffrey Paduan 2024
2. All Year
CLEANING: Please leave the house clean when you depart, including taking out the garbage and doing the laundry. We are not contracted with a cleaning company.
Kitchen: Do not leave any perishables in the frig or potential squirrel food outside of cupboards when you leave. Empty grounds from the coffee maker into the garbage. Leave the dishwasher empty and the door ajar. Please don’t shut off the water main while the dishwasher is running or it may beep unhappily for weeks!
Supplies: Cleaning supplies are under sinks in kitchen and baths and in the pantry. Do not use harsh cleansers on the laminate or travertine floors.
Wood floors: However tempting, please do not use the heavy vacuum cleaner on the wood laminate floors as they’ll scratch if any grit gets dragged around. Instead, please use the Swiffer, the back-pack vacuum, broom, or Bona. A back-pack vacuum-cleaner is in the front hall closet, where the Swiffer is also plugged in (a charge will last just one story of the house), and a broom, microfiber mop and “Bona” cleanser are in the pantry. Please remove dirty shoes, wear slippers, and wipe dog paws with a dog towel. Sorry, you’d think the flooring would have been engineered to stand up to what I’d consider normal use... The heavy vacuum in the upstairs hall closet is fine for the carpets.
Laundry: Machines are in the back hallway downstairs. Please wash and dry any house sheets and towels you use (recommend bringing your own since it takes a while). Do not leave anything to mold in the washer or dryer. It is OK to leave clean laundry hanging to dry: on wooden drying racks (stowed hanging in the closet of the back hallway downstairs) or over doors, railings, chairs, or towel racks. Leave the washer lid open.
GARBAGE AND RECYCLING: Use the bear box at the end of the driveway for both; don't leave trash outside the bear box. Bagged garbage goes into the plastic can and blue bags should be placed next to that can, all inside the bear box. Pick up day is Tuesday. Be sure all recyclables and garbage are removed from the house when you leave.
Recyclables: These must be bagged securely in special blue bags or they’ll be treated as trash. A bin with a blue bag is set up in the pantry and more bags can be found in a pantry cupboard. They take clean and dry #1 and #2 plastic, glass, aluminum, paper, and cardboard. They do NOT take other plastics, dirty containers, or food waste.
Garbage: It may be bagged in other bags (also stored in a pantry cupboard). Please squash it into the bin in the bear box or we get charged an overage fee. The touchless sensor on the lid of garbage can in the kitchen may need to be switched on when you arrive.
More about bears: Don’t leave food outside or anything that smells or looks like food in your car. The Bear League has a hotline and advice about living in bear country.
PETS: Well behaved pets are welcome. There is a large green-belt behind the house, trail access next door, and wonderful dog-friendly hikes and restaurants in the region (see Fun Guide). Please supervise pets when outside.This section of Skislope is rather busy, and in winter the driveway is a blind entrance onto the road. Other dogs often walk by and coyotes and bears are very active in the area. Please don’t let dogs pee on/in the rock gardens (the plants will die). Clean-up bags and dog-towels are in the pantry. A wooden child/pet gate is stowed in the hall closet upstairs. We have a wireless invisible fence, but it requires training; we can talk you through it if you are interested.
More about coyotes: Loads of information about coyote behavior can be found here and here. Be prepared to “haze” them as recommended (we have an air horn and whistle you can take with you on walks).
QUIET HOURS: 10 PM to 7 AM. Turn off exterior lights after 10 PM (this is a dark skies community).
MAIL OR SHIPMENTS: Be cautious if shipping anything to the Skislope Way address. The US Postal Service does not make deliveries to the houses here. Note that FedEx and UPS do, but not if the shipment is going by “FedEx SmartPost” or “UPS SurePost”, which employ USPS for the final delivery, in which case the shipment will be returned to sender without even contacting you. It is safer to send Amazon shipments to an Amazon box (there are several options down town.)
SUMMER SPECIFICS
Water: During the height of summer, please leave water on so the irrigation system can work. Otherwise the water system should be turned off when the house is vacant (see “Winter” page).
Heat: In the summer, the thermostat will be set with a “summer” program, which is not “off” but lower than for winter. You may adjust it to your liking with slider of dots on the thermostat (see Security System page). We do not have air conditioning. When you arrive in the summer, the house may be warm. It will quickly cool off if you open some windows. Portable fans are stored in each bedroom. A Coway true-HEPA air purifier is in the primary bedroom and an older HEPA air purifier is in the upstairs closet if it is smokey.
Patio: Chair cushions are in the front hall closet; please stow them and the patio umbrella away if weather gets inclement and when you are leaving. The key for the cable locking the patio chairs and table is hanging with other keys by the front door. Please lock them again when you leave; unfortunately we’ve experienced some petty thefts. A propane grill is on the patio. Please don’t rough-house on the ski-lift chair.
Pond: There is a seasonal stream that is dammed to form a pond in the front yard. Please supervise children and pets if there is thin ice or open water.
Camping: is permitted only in the TD campground on Alder Creek Road, and forbidden on private lots and elsewhere in the neighborhood.
Fires: use only our woodstove and gas BBQ grill. Absolutely no outdoor wood or charcoal fires are allowed in Tahoe Donner.
