Cottage in Sonoma

*NOTE: the pool is solar heated and is only open JUNE 1- OCTOBER 31. Private, quiet, peaceful family or couple-friendly rustic farm cottage, wine country retreat with a private pool minutes away from wineries, like Schug, Gloria Ferrar, Viansa, Ram's Gate and Sonoma town square. Solar-heated pool is open June-October. We are locked in by three dead-end roads, so it's very quiet. Large deck, large pool patio, kids' play structure, and more. Horses are our neighbors and life slows down here. The space This is a cozy space. It's about 850 sq. ft. The floors are original Douglas Fir. The fixtures in the bathrooms are all salvaged vintage. Guest access Parking on-premises, the neighborhood is walkable but to get anywhere, you will need a car. Lyft and Uber run out here but allow time. We have animals on the property-- there are sheep, goats, llamas and alpacas. Do not enter the gated animal enclosures. The pool abuts the animal gate and they may 'visit' you, but please do not enter the gate. There are other fences and gates. Please do not enter any closed-off areas. These are private residences and our other airbnb. Other things to note We pay our housekeeping help a living wage. 95% of your cleaning fee goes to our help. We keep a nominal fee for cleaning expenses. The cottage used to be our home. We lived in it for five years. We are deeply invested in caring for it and this is reflected in an extensive manual you will encounter upon check-in. The font is big (18 point) but it is long. This will not suit everyone, so please be sure that you are ok with this. Our gardener comes on Tuesday, typically. Our pool guy comes at various times, but during the pool's open months, June to mid-October, he will make it a come at a time that will not disturb you. PLEASE READ ABOUT THE SPACE CAREFULLY. OUR SPACE IS NOT RIGHT FOR EVERYONE. Many of your questions can be answered in the details below. 1. We will not accommodate any wedding-related/ event-related reservations. We will not accommodate bridal & groom preparation, hair, make-up, food-prep, act as a holding space, parking space for photoshoots, photographs, or anything which requires multiple trades to be on site. YOU WILL BE ASKED TO LEAVE SHOULD YOU DECIDE TO VIOLATE THIS POLICY. 2. We happily use a local mom & pop internet provider, thus the internet is good, at best. IF YOU REQUIRE ACCESS TO RELIABLE, HIGH-SPEED INTERNET, OUR COTTAGE IS NOT RIGHT FOR YOU. please make sure you are aware of this and you're ok with it before you decide to stay here. 3. We have exterior surveillance cameras. They monitor the driveway and general land. There are no cameras anywhere indoors or in the immediate pool area. 4. WE CAN NEVER, NEVER, NEVER accommodate more than FOUR guests per stay, at any given time. The violation penalties are set at their maximum and though we would hate to exercise this, we will if necessary. 5. Only registered guests are permitted to use the pool and property in general. The pool is private and for your exclusive use. The pool may not be used as a gathering space to invite friends over to swim. We understand that many times people do want a pool to use as a gathering space, but our space is not that space. There are many other homes with pools that permit gatherings that will be a better fit for you if gathering with friends at your rental is what you want. Please do not break this very strict rule. You will be asked to leave and this will ruin your stay. Additionally, the pool bathroom is only open during pool season. 6. We have a stocked kitchen but it's not fully equipped. You will be able to make most of your meals here, but it is not equipped to handle large, complicated dinners. Taco night, yes. Holiday meal, no. Coffee, absolutely. We provide Peet's coffee, sugar. We have a Chemex coffee system. We're big coffee fans. 7. Our TV is smart TV only. We do not have channels. You will need a Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, Vudu account to watch anything. 8. We are 6.3 miles or 15-20 from the Sonoma Town Center. Our cottage will best suit those who are OK with this and the short drive into town. If you are looking for a walkable, hustle-bustle space, our bungalow is not for you. If you are looking for relaxation and quiet, our cottage is perfect for you. 9. If you plan to arrive in more than two cars, please let us know. 10. Our neighbors have livestock: cows and horses. They sometimes smell like livestock, though there are also occasions when all of Sonoma smell of what the locals call, "The Sonoma Aroma”. If you are overly sensitive to smells, our cottage is not right for you. 11. We are in the country. This means we have critters and insects. We have flies, lots of them. Keeping your doors closed and screened windows open will mitigate the flies. Some other critters we have are yellow jackets (we set traps out every season but we never can get them all), spiders, frogs, ants, lizards, beetles, other insects, mice. To keep out mice and ants, don’t leave food around. The mice have some entry points we’ve not been able to find and once in a while, one makes its way inside. To keep flies out, only open the doors or windows with screens on them. 12. Our electric grid is very sensitive. You may not leave the heater or AC on while you are out. Sometimes guests do this because they want to come back to a warm/ cool cottage, which is understandable, but out here, it's not possible. We are on a small grid and leaving a major appliance on all day with cause a power outage, which means NO WATER as our well relies on electricity. If the AC or heat is left on, WE WILL HAVE TO GO INSIDE YOUR COTTAGE AND TURN IT OFF. 13. We love animals, but cannot host your pets. I and my co-host, who also cleans the cottages, are extremely allergic to dogs, cats, and most furry friends. Due to this, we cannot accommodate service animals.