londoneye

Yes, it's my baby (!)   I am a fan as well, but this has always been my favourite. If I could buy another the same I would, but haven't seen one here. Any top tips on taking cuttings? (I think technically I am not allowed to actually, but who is to know, it's not like this is a public forum !)   LE

thanks Steve - yes, should have realised earlier than I did what was causing the sand problem - too late to worry now (3 years later!) - taught me to check the obvious first though before investing in replacement things like sand changes and thingie changes (cannot recall for life of me what they were called).   Ref the stains, the pH of pool is very very low anyway (too low - it's always low) so probably adding more pH minus may not be the way to go.   So far have tried Javel over spot(s) - well OH did this, not quite sure how he thought he would get javel to bottom of pool and didn't really ask(!)   Also tried vitamin C tablets (ditto) easy to place in position on steps or something but not so easy at bottom of 1.2m of water.   Hopefully it will be nothing too serious.   We run a gite business (although due to external circumstances, as in I had an accident recently and am still in recovery) we have not yet been able to open this year, so not too drastic to get a resolution, at this time.   Needs to be sorted by end of first week of July though, which is when we are accepting bookings (hopefully I will be fully mobile again at that point).   thanks for responding   LE

Theiere   I suspect this is just going to look like a blue blob - but let's try !   [URL=http://s234.photobucket.com/user/kaycollins_2007/media/KAY-PC/Pictures/2013-06-09/006.jpg.html][IMG]http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee49/kaycollins_2007/KAY-PC/Pictures/2013-06-09/006.jpg[/IMG][/URL]   ummm, the shadow is me taking the picture of course !

Well, I am not sure if anyone who originally contributed 5 years ago to this message is still visiting the site, but if so - decision was made   [URL=http://s234.photobucket.com/user/kaycollins_2007/media/KAY-PC/Pictures/2013-06-09/001800x600.jpg.html][IMG]http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee49/kaycollins_2007/KAY-PC/Pictures/2013-06-09/001800x600.jpg[/IMG][/URL] And I think it was the right one !   Now all I have to do is try to take a cutting from it - any ideas?!   Hope the photo comes out - probably not

Well done - just got the binoculars out (and he/she tracked my every movement - beginning to see why the cat is so nervous!).   The picture looks spot-on with the colouring, eye shape, no discernible ears.   Very cute.    The only thing I would say is it doesn't just come out at dawn and dusk; it sits on one roof or another for 75% of the day, primarily in a chimney opening, where I assume her nest (if she is female and has a nest!) is.   Many thanks

Theiere   It is not one stain, it is about 5 splotches around the bottom of the liner.    Without having an underwater camera (needless to say we don't have one of these) then I do not think it would be captured in a photograph - I will try later, but doubt it would help.   The problem, of course, is that I have no idea what is causing it, thus not knowing how to go forward with resolving the problem.   Yes, we would be interested to utilise your services if you are around in next couple of weeks - could you pm me when you might be around etc?   I will try for a photograph - busy with the binoculars owl watching right now - although fairer to say that the slightly scary owl is more busy tracking my every movement than vice versa.   Thank

We have a new owl on the block. He is out all during the day (no idea if at night) and sits on top of my neighbours roof - that is until he sees my cat - he then dives for the cat.    The cat has now taken to scurrying across the ground ducking from cover to cover. I even caught him cowering when a sparrow flew over him yesterday. This may not be a bad thing; it may reduce the number of bird carcasses in the garden now he has clearly met his match!   However, I have been googling owls which come out during the day and cannot seem to see one which seems likely. He is a cute little thing - small (well probably not from a cat's pov), brown, no white markings. There was a chick around a week or so ago but haven't seen it for last few days, so not sure if it is a female protecting a brood.   We are in Limousin region - does anyone else have an owl that they see all day ?

Not bumping the thread after three years (!) Still looking for someone in area, not for the same reason - this time we have stains appearing at bottom of liner.    Anyone new sprung up in the area that is a actually a pool technician?   Oh dear, and sorry, three years too late ......... reference previous problem, had sand changed, had new spoke thingies put in ..... same problem.   Eventually (doh!) I thought to check the aspirator head, only to find that it was filled with sand (probably to keep it on the bottom of pool) and was leaking sand ... new aspirator head (25 euros) problem resolved ..... that does not take into account the couple of hundred we needlessly paid to have sand changed and new spoke thingies put in the filter .... never mind, live and learn.   So anyone with same problem, suggest having a good look at your pool cleaner head first !

We have had a bat flying around our house last week - we put it out (opened doors windows and it flew out).   Today we found one climbing the stairs during the day. Put it out, flew away, 5 minutes later, another (or possibly the returnee!) bat flying around living room.   We do not have a loft (converted) and there are none hanging in converted roof space. We never see where they are coming from. We have been here 6 years and this is the first time we have ever had them, although there is definitely a bat colony or more around here somewhere as we see them flying around the street light outside at night.   We have had a bat living in our cellar ever since we came here (still there last time I looked), and I don't mind him, but I don't really want a host of them flying around house every evening (even though it endlesslessly entertains the dog, who seems to love to watch them).   Any ideas for finding out how they are getting in please ? Old house, probably small holes all over the place.   Also, seems strange to see one flying around in the afternoon - is this normal?

Do you mean this one Jean ? www.lamaisonshoppingservices.com ? Never used it myself ...

If they are selling something I immediately say I only speak English.    9 times out of 10 this has the hugely entertaining added value that you can then hear in the background (Henri, Henri (replace name with whichever fibbing salesman/woman has declared an extensive level of english on their cv) - ou est Henri ?????    Anglaise !!!). Poor Henri, who by this time I can visualise as attempting to slink towards the men's room is finally dragged to the phone (meanwhile I've prepared the dinner). Poor Henri rarely speaks more than two words of English - I test him for a while and it's just not working, at which point I tell him in French that thank you very much but I cannot understand your English and hang up. Now I am not a mean person normally and I don't do this every time but it works a treat.

Don't disagree but then again (I am female) the men around this way are hardly a sight for sore eyes either - we have one youngish (early 30s) very good looking guy who delivers parcels to us sometimes and I feel ridiculously girlish when I see him (!) - such a change from what I normally see around here - neighbour down the road, big handle-bar tache, probably 65 but looks 90, who sleeps in his chair outside all afternoon, alternating snoring with f**ting. - neighbour opposite who has a severely unpleasant habit (he is about 40) of wandering around in summer with underpants on (only them) and the world's most HUGE belly hanging over top. Thankfully I can only see these two from the house ..... I am sure there is worse down the road.

Actually I agree with the original poster - the French in this area do seem to look a lot older than they are.     And even more scarily I have now joined them.     Perhaps it would have happened anyway, but I feel like I have physically (ie appearance-wise) aged 10 years in the 5 years we have lived here. I don't doubt for a moment that the reason is related (largely) to cost.    In the UK when I was a hard-working, highly paid gal, I thought nothing of a facial once or twice a month, hair-cut every 6 weeks on the dot, gym membership (ha ha never used of course !) going to the local pool two or three times a week.    Not to mention buying clothes whenever I fancied it.      These things make a lot of difference to how people are perceived to be ageing.    Here in the Limousin I would say that a lot of women who are 50 plus seem not to be working, and simply do not have the money for these kinds of things.   I have been to each of our two local fetes for the past 5 years and every female neighbour has worn the same dress (well, not as each other clearly).   Now these neighbours have (as do we all) become slightly more porky in the last 5 years but still  streeeeeeeeeeetch that dress across the belly.   Not their fault but it doesn't help. On the bright side, as far as I can see once you reach 70 here you don't actually get any older, just a little bit shorter every year.

For what short of shopping ??

wow - I haven't got anything in flower yet, just lots of stuff doing unusual things ! Many thanks - waiting probably does make sense. I will have to fight the temptation to get out there and start hacking away ! Too nice to sit indoors.