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Lori

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Everything posted by Lori

  1. Well, I didn't try to get the child to meet the dog (so far).  They pretty much stay to themselves and I have done the same.  The father did come up to use my computer to check his email (we don't have a computer in our rental), but we did not discuss anything as I left him his privacy in our office.  I don't get a very welcoming feeling from these people.  They say they are happy and I can only hope that is true. The dog stays in his small yard.  I bring him in at night as I'm sure he feels totally neglected.  I cannot play with him unless they are gone.  And, to top it all off, he got one of those hard grass pieces stuck in his back leg and it abcessed (can't spell that).  Had to take him to the vet today.    Apparently, this is quite common around here.  They tried to get it out, but with all the swelling couldn't find it with the instrument they use when a dog is awake.  Gave him a shot, some pill antibiotics and back he goes on Friday to be put to sleep while they cut it out !  Good grief.... 
  2. If the guest is still on the property, I would knock on the door and advise him that you think there is something in the garden that belongs to him.  He can then fetch it. If he is not on the property, I would go pick it up and put it on their terrace table or door step, held down by a weight (rock, etc.).  I wouldn't read it - I don't really think I would have any interest in reading it.  As for what they may have written about the property, perhaps nothing - even so, I prefer to read what they write in the guest book.  It usually gives you an accurate account of their thoughts and it is meant for you. One gal's opinion..
  3. Alcazar:  What a great sense of humour. You can come visit us anytime if you bring rain with you.  We'll even serve you a nice dinner for bringing it !  We are almost always desperate for rain in the summer in the Vaucluse...
  4. Thanks to all for the good advice.  I have been keeping him in his small fenced area.  Couldn't keep him in the house during the night as it was too hot in here (39 degrees outside yesterday).  Guests went out around 7:45 pm, so I let him out for an hour and then put him back in his fenced area as I wasn't sure when they would come back.  I let him out again around 3 am and put him back around 7:30 am, figuring they wouldn't possibly be out during those hours.  I have to admit, I didn't like being out at those hours either.... I think I will try the suggestion of introducing the child to our dog from the other side of his small fenced area.  She will know he cannot get to her there.  Then, if that goes okay, maybe later on I will put his leash on him to let her see him closer, maybe even touch him.  That is if all this is okay with the parents. All of you are right that this is their holiday and I will do whatever I need to to make sure they are happy.  However, I must say that this has really made me question whether we accept children here.  We have one rental - the lower portion of our home.  My husband works overseas and is rarely here.  The rental keeps me occupied.  The small bit of income is not counted on for living - it is just a little extra.  So, if it never rents, it wouldn't be the end of the world.  Not sure I could go through this again.  The screaming is really hard to handle. Anyway, thanks again for the advice.  I'll let you all know how the day goes...
  5. I really don't know what I can do.  We have a sweet 3 year old collie, the most docile, loving animal you could ever find.  However, our current guests have two daughters, 6 and 8.  The 6 year old appears to be absolutely terrified (screaming fits) of dogs.  We have a 3500 m2 property and our dog has his own small fenced off portion for times when we have the portail open or workers, etc. are here.  We normally let him go free in early mornings and late nights (this is explained to ALL our guests).  Our guests arrived Saturday last and when I gave them their tour of the property, I explained (as had been in our paperwork for renting the property) that we have a lovely collie who adores everyone.  They told me their younger daughter is a bit nervous around dogs, but they never told me she was screamming terrified.  That evening around 11 pm, I went out to bring him in to the house to eat his dinner and sleep for the night.  He always goes over to greet the guests on the lower terrace (they were outside), but he just passes by them and comes with me upstairs.  The girl saw him coming and went screaming in the house.  Literally screaming as if an ax murderer was attacking.  It was horrible.  I have never seen anything like it. I was in shock.  I said he is very very gentil, he will never hurt you.  I will take him in the house, and I did.  I felt terrible, but I had NO IDEA this child was so terrified of dogs.  I don't really know what to do.  I have been keeping him in his small fenced area.  I find this cruel, but I have no idea when they will be outside.  This evening they were leaving to go into the village for dinner (I guess) and the child would not even leave the rental without full explanation that the dog was no where in reach.  I went out to let them know that I didn't realize she was this afraid of dogs and not to worry, I would keep him either in his small fenced area or in the house.  What else can I do???  The mother said that she expected by the time they leave (two weeks) she will be best friends with him.  I told her I sure hope so.  I really don't think so. I find this terribly uncomfortable.  We always explain to prospective renters that we have a dog on the property.  We love our dog and all of our previous renters have loved him too.  This is only our second time having children in the rental.  The first time was exceptional.  This time is not. Any ideas what I can do to help the next two weeks become a bit more tolerable.  This is our home and I am not keen to make our dog suffer in the heat of a small fenced cage.  Yet, on the same side, I hate to have anyone unhappy here. What can I do?  No hubby here to ask...
  6. I'm certainly not a lawyer, but can't Jenny's OH sell his portion of the property to her and use the funds to pay towards his bankruptcy debt?  Not the greatest situation, but, if possible, it would help Jenny protect her assets.   ?
  7. I would agree that 2 - 2 bedroom rentals would work better.  As far as living on gite income.  Depends on your lifestyle and debts, but our rental, which is 150 m2 2 bedroom (high quality) exceptional views, directly below the Mt. Ventoux (Bedoin) in a highly "saturated" gite area.  One hour 15 minutes from the beach, 30 minutes from Avignon, pool, etc., etc.,  etc., normally books, on average, 10 to 12 weeks per year.  We feel very lucky with this.  We could, in no way, live off the income.  Even if we booked double that, we would be at a stretch to try to live on that. There are high costs involved in keeping up a "better than average" rental - AND advertising it correctly.  Here, in Provence, there are definitely TOO many vacation rentals.  I am quite confident this may not be the case all over France, but it certainly is here. Anyway, it can be a lot of fun, but I would say, unless you have a great number of rentals, don't expect to make a living at it. Good luck to you, Lori
  8. I only read the notice from the 28th June, but saw no mention of stopping the taps during the day. Measures appear serious, but no daytime stop was stated. I guess you will hear on July 5th whether this might be imposed at the new meeting. I have heard of this happening in France, can't remember what department, or the year. Good luck to you. I am sure if this measure is put into place EVERYONE in your area will be talking about it.
  9. I've heard of parents giving their kids the occasional taste of something to take away the taboo.. This was not the case. This boy was out of control, going from table to table drinking the wine. It could not have gone unnoticed, but it went unchecked. It seemed to me that this was not the first time this boy had done this. I feel sorry for the boy as he has started what will probably cause him big troubles in life. I feel extremely angry at the parents for allowing a downhill cycle to start at such a young age. I am also angry with the teachers and staff (who HAD to see what was going on - this is a small school) and did nothing about it. There must be some sort of liability there, but I guess no one wanted to "cause a scene." Really sad. I must say it was a wake-up call for the mother of a child entering college in September.
  10. Just had to find out if this is an issue elsewhere. Last night was the end of year dinner at the Ecole Primaire where my daughter goes to school. This is her last year before going to college. We have gone every year. This year, however, we noticed something different. We chose our seats next to our friends and others sat at the same long buffet type table, beside us. As is customary, Sangria was served as an apperitif, with the usual toast, chips, etc. Just before dinner was to be served, a bottle of red and a bottle of rose wines were put around the tables. There were several pre-teen boys sitting with the group next to us. I know most of these boys, but there was one I did not know. The parents were DIRECTLY beside these kids. The one boy, sitting right beside my husband began sneaking the wine to his glass and gulping it down. The kis were being served sirup de grenadine, so something reddish in the glass probably didn't look that odd at first glance. However, he continued drinking the bottle (which was white and it was obvious it was being emptied. The other boys snuck a quick taste, but didn't appear to like it and stopped. They told the boy he was going to get drunk. He said nothing and continued drinking the wine until there was maybe 100 ml left in the bottle. This was all in a matter of 10 or 15 minutes !! Clearly he was trying to show off in front of his peers. However, I do not understand these parents. They were RIGHT THERE ! I looked over at the boy and told him, you are going to get sick. He said oh no I won't. The evening continued. He could hardly walk, was stumbling all over the place. He then came back when dinner was served and discussed with his friends how they were to go to each table where people were up mingling (not his words) and drink their wine. If caught, they were to say they knocked it over and spilled it by mistake. !!!!!!! Next, the boy was out in the street vomitting. He came back to him MOM and all the kids told her he was vomitting. She said - okay, well now, you should feel better !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Am I losing my mind or is this just plain nuts ??? The boy went back into the street to continue vomitting. His father then went out to check on him and he was not seen again that night. Sorry, but this really bugged me. Do you see this too?
  11. Thanks Mikey. I've saved the piscines-plus website for the time when we make our order. Thanks HENDO.. your input is really appreciated. Forum Admin. I understand your point, but I am grateful you did not delete HENDO or Mikey's recent posts as I find them most helpful and not an advert...
  12. I would say it also depends upon the age of the babysitter. We hired a 15 year old who charged 5 euros per hour. When we wanted a more mature babysitter (age 19) for a weekend of care, we negociated a price. She came with her own car, took care of everything over the weekend and we came home to a tidy home and happy child. Was worth every penny (AND we know her parents, so there was a bit of trust involved here too). When the same 19 year old babysits for an hourly wage, it is 10 Euros per hour. She gets herself to and from our home with her own car..
  13. Sorry Mikey, spelled your name wrong. Do forgive me....
  14. Thanks Mickey and HENDO: I looked at the two websites Mickey noted. They offer lots of info, however, on the Hayward site, I couldn't seem to find prices. The other website offered extremely attractive prices. I didn't look at all the models, but the two I did look at were under 200 Euros. How can that be, when I had to pay well over 1000 Euros for the crummy Dolphin I have?????? Do these vaccums REALLY work??? I don't know anything technical, so I have to rely on you folks out there to let me know your experiences... Thanks for that.
  15. We have a Dolphin and were told that it memorises our pool and isn't supposed to miss a spot of it. Well, in my opinion, it has a bad memory as now, it seems to like being in one half of the pool and missing a great majority of the rest of the pool. When asked it the memory could be reset, we were told no. I must say that in all the items we have purchased for our pool, this one has been the most disappointing. It is now 3 years old and out of warranty. So, I can say, don't buy a Dolphin. It cost way too much money and is not worth c***. Is there a website we can look at the Hayward. And, you say it is American - does that mean it isn't sold here?? Thanks for the info.
  16. We are American, so don't have a "red book." However, the hand written vaccine record from our Pediatrician was accepted here, no questions asked. Also, we were told (by neighbors) the TB shot was a requirement here too, but no one actually asked us to have it given. Our daughter, 11 years, has been in the school system 4 years now and has never had the TB shot. Our local doctor said that it isn't totally affective anyway - whatever that means.
  17. We have a 150 m2, two bedroom, nicely furnished rental in Provence. We ask for a 300 Euros deposit and will take it in the form of a personal check (in any equivalent currency). We do not cash the check. We hold it until the day they depart. We ask them if anything was broken and depending upon the hour of their departure, we take a quick look around - for major damage. Have never had a problem, but we don't take children under the age of 6 due to the rather amazing problems we have seen some of our friends endure. One friend had guests with two young children. The children (they assume - not the parents) splattered strawberry jam all over their custom made curtains. When confronted, the parents denied their kids did this - said it was like that when they arrived. Bad scene. As far as little breakages. Yes, someone must have dropped the steam iron and not bothered to tell me as it no longer holds water, just bought another one. A glass here and there, to be expected and no we wouldn't charge someone for that. I don't think it is worth the ill will. When I rent a vacation property, I take serious note to the way the security deposit is collected and returned. Often, especially in Paris, there are no owner inspections made between guests and I would not like to be held responsible for something someone else did (before or after my departure). This is why I don't stay in places where they say my deposit will be returned within a month of departure. I don't like that.
  18. Thanks Jo53 - I will keep an eye out. Hoddy - any chance you live anywhere near Provence - I would pay you to bring back some good Stilton for me to pick up (whatever time of year)?? I did find the Epicerie Anglais online and can order it from them, but I don't want to until the weather gets cooler - shipping and all that.
  19. Lola - are you sure it is real cream cheese? I shop at LIDL all the time. I have tried their Frommage tartiner, hoping it would be like philly, but it isn't. Taste pretty good, but is more along the lines of the St. Moret spread - not the same thing when you are using it in recipes that call for real cream cheese. On the other hand, if it is actually the real stuff, I guess our LIDL just doesn't carry it.
  20. You can find them here at LeClerc (only within the last year) and only the natural flavor. However, I think they are very expensive. Two tiny containers (about the same size as a single yogurt) which, together, barely amount to a single serving cost just under 3 euros. Too much for me, even though I love cottage cheese. Same goes for most new "foreign" type products (made in France or otherwise). The same issue goes for packed brown sugar. Only in the last year has our LeClerc started carrying the packed DARK brown sugar, but not the light - which are BOTH made here in France. And, still no real cream cheese. Saw it in Auchan for about a month. After that, it was never re-stocked... No idea why - assume it didn't sell well ?
  21. Thanks Christine - I read the info on Piroplasmosis, but I already knew about that. My Vet gave me the collar to protect our dog against the sandfly/mosquitoe disease(s) such as the one Steve@Sarah mentioned. The Vet knows that we give our dog Frontline each month - which am told is to protect him against ticks and fleas (as best anything can). The Scalibor collar is for the sandfly/mosquitoes, which as Steve said Frontline does not protect against. This is the maladie I had not heard of - the Leisch.... (don't know how to spell it). Apparently, it is common enough around here for the Vet to recommend we take it. Considering how many flies bite me (and I'm not outside as much as the dog is) I'm sure it is a relief if it works. Anyway, thanks for the data..
  22. Lori

    Dental check up?

    abim - no kidding. We paid a fortune to visit our dentist in California - whom we loved. The systme here is amazing to us. On top of that, our dentist is quite good = what a plus.
  23. Yes, I do try to give whatever I can to protect our beloved dog. Sounds like the vaccine for the tick maladie is not so commonly given, perhaps this is why my Vet did not mention it - not sure. I guess I am always looking for whatever necessary to protect one of the most precious parts of our lives. Guess I am perhaps a "sap," but our dog is like a child to us. He is very special and if I could have another like him (and afford it), I would. So far, we are convinced there is no other like him. Anyway, thank you for the info. I will follow up.
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