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Suninfrance

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Everything posted by Suninfrance

  1. Is there any kind of definitive guide for Canadians wishing to move to France?
  2. Thanks all I think we now have enough info to get the forms sorted and sent off.  Fingers crossed all will go well this time. Thanks for your help. Jan xx
  3. A group of friends meet every week, just to sew, knit, chat, etc and we want to start an Association. Has anyone else done anything similar and how did you go about it?  Our main stumbling block at the moment is that we have been told we need a venue which we have, but have been told by the Mairie's office that we can't use it without insurance, but also that we can't use the address just to become an Association.  We have insurance in place and the Mairie have said we can use the local hall, but they will not allow us to use the address.  Are they just being difficult or are we missing something here? We got documentation from the local sous-prefecture, filled it in according to the guide book, took it back and were told it was rubbish and all the paperwork was thrown in the bin.  So we are not sure what we did wrong, or where we go from here. Any advice gratefully received. Jan
  4. Update on Missy. Well, we picked up the prescription diet food for her and she was straight into it.  Unfortunately, because of her weight which is currently just under two kilos, she is only allowed 30g a day, but by 6pm, that had all gone, so just a small handful overnight to help her through the night.  We've stopped her tablets completely on the vet's and Hill's recommendation and so far so good. Today is her second full day on the  food and she is just not interested - little ****.   I've had to remove all other cat food so she can't snack on that, much to the other two cats dismay, so now feeding in different rooms and locking poor Missy out of those rooms. However, I must say, that so far, she seems a little improved.  Her eyes are brighter, she's not using her tray so much, and yesterday evening, she jumped over the gate and went for a stroll down the road, whereas normally she just sits around the house, sleeping, eating or using her tray.  She just seems to have a bit more interest in her now. Update on Podge She finally came out of attic, got over the fence and refused to come back in that night.  So I decided to let her do her own thing.  Around 3am dreadful yowling and the most vicious sounding fight which could only have been Podge and the bruiser cat from next door which the owners admit to being a "blagard" who will even take on another neighbours Doberman.  Went out, no sign of them - so another sleepless night worrying about Podge who appeared the next morning, bright as a button, no chunks of fur missing and completely intact.  I've not seen the male cat since then though. Update on Tabs She doesn't really care much as long as gets food when she wants it and a tummy tickle, and a comfy bed to sleep on. Jan
  5. Thank you Mel. I love all my cats dearly and would do what I could to help them.  I had resigned myself to losing Missy, but there is another chance for her which I will try.  She has already settled into her new retirement home after only two days and although she is not that keen to go outside yet, will sit on the doorstep surveying the scenery.  Her daughter is another problem and I have been hard pushed to get her out of the attic since Monday.  However, last night, she decided to go out just before it got dark and had a run in with the neighbours male cat (Sardine - after the french cartoon cat) who is real bruiser.  I tried to shoo him away, but his eyes squinted and he growled and hissed at me.  I did eventually persuade him to leave, but poor little Podge would not come out of the bushes.  She finally came in at 11.30pm and if she got any closer to me in bed last night she'd have smothered me.   As for Tabs, she found a way out of the garden within a day of getting here and went on a long adventure yesterday.   She popped back occasionally to say hello, then she was off again.  She came back just as Podge was going out, so herding them in last night was a real bundle of laughs. They all have their own individual personalities and unfortunately all hate each other, but have learned to avoid one another. As for the neighbours cat, he may be male, but all my girls are spayed.  I can, however, see there may be problems ahead with that one as if he can growl and hiss at me, he is one to be wary of as far as the girls are concerned. Jan xx
  6. We decided to bring her to the new house because we know that the vet we would be taking her to would be able to do it at home and we both wanted to be with her when it happened.  Missy survived the journey (and I know it was a risk), but she made it and with no ill effects.  I spoke the vet this morning and despite Missy's age and ailments, the hyperthyrodism being the major issue here, she suggested trying Missy on a different diet that Hill's have just brought out called the Y/D Healthcare for Hyperthyroidism.   I will do anything to give Missy a chance and if this food helps, then I will give it a go. This food is new to the market and the vet didn't know too much about it, but I have looked at it on the internet and it seems that by feeding the cat these biscuits or tins, I will be able to halve her intake of the Felimazole tablets she takes twice a day, immediately, and then after a week take her off the tablets completely.  The diet is said to be able to replace the iodine in small doses that is needed for the thyroid to function and also aids the kidney function. I am concerned that this diet won't work, but if it does, and Missy improves, then I will have given her a fighting chance.  If, however, the diet proves to be too late to help her, then I have the other option, but I would feel happier knowing that I have tried EVERY option. I was not ignoring all the caring and well intentioned advice - for which I am very grateful - and we had made up our mind that that was the best course of action, but another option has been thrown into the mix and I am willing to try it. The vet has ordered the food for me and we collect it tomorrow afternoon, so I will let you know how we get on.  If it makes Missy feel better in herself, then maybe her other ailments won't seem so much of a problem.  Love Jan xxx
  7. OH is bringing her to the new house today - it will stress her, but I can give her more time than he can at the moment.  Once she is here (and I hope she makes it), we can discuss options with the vet in Lubersac who is very gentle and kind and was very helpful to us when we took four feral cats to be neutered - Missy included.   I'm not saying the guy in Objat wasn't, in fact he was brilliant with her, but I feel more comfortable having her do what needs to be done, rather than the big high tech practice in Objat.
  8. It is a difficult decision, but one that needs to be made.  We are in the middle of moving house and before the sale completes on the old house, our buyer wants work done, so I've moved into the new one with two of the cats to settle them in before our visitors arrive, and the OH is still working on the old house and has Missy (the poorly cat) with him as only he has the knack of giving her the pills. We had a long chat today and we have decided that it would be better if she was put to sleep as she gets herself stressed on the 10 minute car journey to the vets let alone a 30km trip.  I don't think her heart would take it. Two of our cats have disappeared and there is always that feeling of loss when you just don't know what has happened to them, then another got hit by a car last year (thankfully not squished), but she died by the roadside.  At least we knew what happened to her and had the opportunity to bury her with her favourite blanket in the woods behind our house and a plant to mark her grave.  Then with Missy - at least again, we will know what has happened to her and that the life we gave her while she was with us was a good and loving one. I have many photos and many happy memories, but I do think it will be best for her to put her out of her obvious pain and discomfort. Thank you all for your help and thoughts on this matter. Jan xxx [:(]
  9. Simples - as Alexander the Meerkat would say.  That worked - you are a genius [:D] The title came up with [SPAM] in front of it though, but as I probably won't be sending myself any more e-mails it doesn't really matter. Many thanks for your help. Now just  got to get to grips with the internet phone.  Free outward calls, but can people phone in on it? I used to do all this stuff when I was at work and understood it, but I'm afraid 9 years in France has turned my brain to mush - that and age.[8-)] Jan xxx
  10. Nectarine - yes I can send from the Orange messagerie, but interestingly, when I go onto the home page it's in my husband's name although the e-mail address is in my name - when the mail came through it said it was from my husband ????  In thunderbird, the outgoing smtp is in my name. So that proves that I can use the Orange messagerie, but my preference for SPAM prevention is Thunderbird and I have been using this for years in both UK and France with no problems so would prefer to stick with it. Jan
  11. I have looked at the link referring to the Wanadoo/Orange settings and these all seem OK. pop.orange.fr port: 110 Outgoing smtp.orange.fr port: 587 so, in theory, I should be able to send mail. I've looked at the Orange help page, but I click on the link I want and it just takes me back to the original page I started with. I can still send from my Yahoo or Hotmail accounts, but not Thunderbird which is my "daily" e-mail source.  Jan
  12. When we first arrived in France, we were "adopted" by a stray/feral cat who came and went and did her own thing.  During the harsher winters we would put food out for her and she became more and more friendly, gave us a litter of three lovely kittens (sadly only one left - boy cat went his own way and one girl cat got knocked down by a car last July).  Anyway, mother cat became very ill earlier this year, and was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and a dicky ticker.   As she came to us, we had no idea how old she was, but after a thorough examination by the vet, he reckoned approximately 14 or 15 years old. So, along with the hyperthyroidism which has seen her lose so much weight, she is skeletal, poor heart, arthritic legs, not quite incontinent, but will sit in the litter tray and do her business on the wrong side of the tray, cancer on her ears and she is now completely deaf and her balance is not very good, and the fact that she now has to have tablets twice a day and a person risks life and limb trying to give them to her - is it more humane to carry on giving her the tablets she so obviously doesn't want and try and keep her going, or have her put to sleep? It is such a hard decision to make as she has been part of our family for 8 years now, but she can no longer hunt for herself and is totally dependent upon us.  We love her to bits, but I just don't know whether we are being kind keeping her going or whether it is right to have her put to sleep.. Your views would be most welcome. Jan xx
  13. Hiya Can anyone help me please. I've just moved and got my Orange Livebox up and running.  Rather than use the Orange messagerie, I use Mozilla Thunderbird and my e-mails come through that.  However, I can receive e-mails, but I can't send.  I have changed my outgoing server to the correct details (smtp.orange.fr) but it keeps asking me for a new password.  I have entered the password given by Orange and it appears to have accepted it, but I still can't send e-mails. Do I need to change any other settings? Best wishes. Jan xx
  14. I told him I knew it was a scam and to go away (or something like that) and not to even consider phoning again. 
  15. Just had a phone  call from someone with an Indian accent calling (they say) on behalf of Microsoft and telling me that for the last couple of months they have been receiving notifications of a virus on my computer - BEWARE.  Read this article and if you get a similar call, tell the caller to politely not bother you again, or anything else: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jul/18/phone-scam-india-call-centres Jan
  16. Les Grues have arrived in 19 - flew over St Bonnet La Riviere this evening.
  17. Just thought I would let you all know that the dog's owner has now been found and reunited with his pet. I do love a happy ending. Jan xx
  18. Has anyone lost an Alsation dog. The  vet has identified the dog's chip as English, but the UK company has no record of the number and is contacting the manufacturer so that they can trace the vet who applied it and then hopefully the owner. The dog is currently being looked after by the people it "adopted" in the Beyssenac area of Correze (19). If you have lost a dog or know of someone who has lost this dog, please drop me a line and I can put you in touch with the people who are looking after it. Many thanks. Jan [IMG]http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a231/suninfrance/dog.jpg[/IMG]
  19. Had 3 lots go overhead last night and another flock tonight - sadly it was dark, so couldn't see them, but the sound was so recognisable.  Will be on lookout for a daytime migration.
  20. Thanks for the web link Frederick.  Very useful. Ours was just a small flock in the distance - heard them well before we could see them.  We have visitors at the moment, who didn't manage to see them or hear them and now think we are completely barking mad - LOL.  Can't wait for the next batch to come over and if we are really lucky we will have them circling over the house like we did in the Spring.
  21. St Bonnet La Riviere, Correze (19) - First sighting of the cranes this evening on their way to their winter home. Jan
  22. You are obviously tastier than Julie.  But they are a nuisance.  I think deer fly also goes by the name stable fly and other names too, same group of fly, just a different name.  As for those little red mites - they may be small, but they do pack a punch - I've been bitten by them too.  At the moment I am suffering from mozzy bites.  Had nothing all summer, but just in the last week or so, they have become a pain (literally).  Got two corkers on my leg - look like mini volcanos at the moment.  [:'(]
  23. Coming in late on this thread, I know, but we had terrible problems with the biting flies at our previous house and now at the new one.   If we sat under the cherry tree with feet on the floor, within five mins, the little blighters were biting like mad and sometimes breaking the skin and drawing blood.  However, if we sat on the gravel path or on a sun lounger, no problem at all.  They have no preference for biting male or female as me and OH both suffered.  They were definately not horseflies and did look like ordinary house flies.  No idea then what they were, but they are, and still are, a nuisance. I've been having a look around on the internet and have come up with one possibility - the Stable Fly.  This fly does not only bite livestock, as in cows, horses, etc, it is also partial to a bit of human blood.  Stable flies are common around confined animal rearing facilities, but can also be pests in open pastures. Both sexes feed on the blood of livestock and man, and inflict painful bites. Adults actively feed during sunny days and generally feed on the lower parts of animals. After feeding, they rest in the shade of posts or trees, and on the sides of buildings. Females require blood meals for egg production and can lay several hundred eggs during their lifespan. Eggs tend to be laid in moist decaying organic material that contains large amounts of rotting vegetation, such as manure mixed with bedding, fermenting feed, silage, and rotting hay. Larvae complete development and pass through 3 instars within 1 to 2 weeks. They spend a further 1 to 2 weeks as puparia before emerging as adults. The entire life life cycle from egg to adult is usually completed within 2 to 5 weeks, with a number of generations occurring throughout the summer. Stable flies overwinter in breeding sites as puparia and emerge the next spring as adults. (Source:   http://www.nadsdiptera.org/FFP/stable.htm) As you can see from the blurb they can also "rest" on the sides of buildings, but these are not to be confused with the cluster flies which are currently active and swarming on, particularly, light coloured buildings.  These flies, are seeking a place for hibernation over winter, look like ordinary house flies but are slower and smaller.  They do not lay eggs in the house, they prefer earthworms, they are just looking for somewhere to over-winter and will re-emerge from anytime in January onwards (depending on how warm the weather is).  They tend to enter the house through small cracks or holes on the outside walls and possibly only in one particular room (they can also be known as attic flies).  They are difficult to get rid of and usually come back to the same house, year after year.  Some people say to spray a solution of Jeyes Fluid around the affected area, others say use fly spray, hoover them up and empty the bag into a sealable bag that can then be thrown away, use of citronella, etc, etc.  You can also apparently buy a "bomb" from your local brico or co-op agricole (I guess similar to the ones you can buy for flea infestations). There is plenty on the internet about cluster flies. This is just my view from researching on the internet, and would welcome the  views of others on the Biting Flies and the Cluster Flies, your thoughts, suggestions for remedies, etc. Jan xx
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