AcornEmma Robertson (Vet Nurse)<br>Acorn Kennels<br>E-mail:[email protected]

[quote user="ErnieY"] I reiterate my earlier comment though that @ 3775m and 56.625dB attenuation your line would seem somewhat under par. There could be many reasons for this but I don't know if you'd be able to get FT do do anything about it. It may be that it's a very old line and just poorer quality cable in which case you're probably out of luck [:(] Do you have any problems with it, crackling or interference perhaps, enough to report it as a fault ? [/quote] Funny you should ask...that's why I have had FT out 4 times in the past 12 months. The last few months have been really bad with regard to line quality, so we have even had the line put in underground between the road and our house,as overhead branches had been blamed previously. An hour after FT had finished the work, there was still a lot of interference so I called them straight back out again. They then told me there was a lot of fibre optic cable work going on in the village which may be causing the problem but couldn't tell me when it would be finished. A day or so later the line was much clearer and has been okay (touch wood) since then (2 weeks). [quote user="Ernie Y"] Interestingly it says READSL was due to be available last month and if it were then I'd say that you could be better off with that which at least guarantees 400kb as opposed to ADSL which should always be read as "up to", be it 2mb, 8mb or whatever ! [/quote] There was no ADSL available at all until 2 weeks ago which ties in with the READSL time line - but I don't know what READSL is or how to get it. As mentioned I'm a complete novice at this! Thanks  

Hi ErnieY Have sent you a PM.   With regards to what I have been offered in the way of ADSL, does anyone have any experience of the operators listed below?   ALICE - are the only operator to offer me a 'degroupe' which sounds quite interesting but they have persistenlty phoned me over the past few days to try and get me to sign up with them, which I find a bit off-putting. I want to do some research before commiting myself! Also, they can't understand some of the questions I want answers for (my limited French I'm afraid!) Although I keep my FT number, will it still appear in the 'Pages Blanches' each year or will I have to pay extra for that? ORANGE CLUB INTERNET BUDGET TELECOM FREE The last 4 can only offer a 'non-degroupe' service and vary quite alot price-wise. I've heard a few people complain about Orange recently, but does anyone have any personal experience that they can share (within the Forum rules please!) Many thanks    

At long last ADSL has arrived in our village...hooray! However I live 3775metres aaway from the 'exchange' (according to a 'test your ADSL compatibilty' thingy) which I presume means that the further away from the exchange your are, the slower the line. I know nothing about ADSL stuff so wondered if the estimated 512kbps debit speed is actually going to be any quicker than my existing dial-up connection? I'm also curious about the non-degroupage and degroupage. If I go 'degroupage' I understand that I won't have to pay France Telecom for line rental ...is that right? If so, what happens if there is a fault on the line? Who do I call - France Telecom or the ISP? Who will pay for repairs if the overhead cable gets damaged between my house and the main exchange? I probably sound paranoid but since I've had to call France Telecom out 4 times in the past 12 months I'm a bit wary about paying for repairs etc. Any advice mcuh appreciated! Emma

Another plea please for Ellie... Unfortunately the 3 possible homes for Ellie have fallen through for various reasons (none of which was to do with Ellie herself!), so I am still desperately looking for a home for her. She's having the time of her life here and loves meeting all the other dogs that come and go but I cannot possibly keep her as the kennels are fully booked and my own dogs would strongly object to yet another adoptee! Thanks for the advice Chateaud...her owners have declared bankruptcy but they are trying to pay the bill in installments. I usually do take a deposit and ask for monthly payments but these have been regular customers for over a year so I wasn't expecting any problems! So, if anyone out there can help with finding Ellie a new home please e-mail me directly at [email protected] (the e-mail link doesn't work from this forum apparently). Many thanks

Hi Rita Please check your PM inbox as I seem to have a problem getting my e-mails through! Thanks

I have just been badly let down by the owners of our long-term boarder, Ellie. They have now decided that they won't be coming back to France to collect her (and have left me with 6 months unpaid boarding fees!) Ellie is a 2 year old GSDxLab, black and tan, with a superb temparament. She prefers to live outdoors (even given the option of being inside she would rather stay out!). She gets on well with most other dogs, except if they try to steal her favourite ball. She is what I would call a 'busy' dog and is pretty energetic. She would love to be part of a family and is fine with my 2 year old son. Ellie has been in kennels since February and is desperate for a new home. Likewise, I won't have room for her as the kennels are fully booked, and I also have 3 dogs of my own (one of which is Monty who was featured in this forum earlier this year!) so I need to find her a loving home as soon as possible. If you think you can give Ellie a bit of TLC then please call me on 02 33 49 63 22 or e-mail me at [email protected]. We are on the borders of South Manche (50), Mayenne (53) and Orne (61). I hope you can help...

It sounds like Bix is going to thoroughly enjoy his new home and will have plenty of friends looking out for him. I tried to explain to him that he will be going to a new home at the weekend but he was far too busy dancing around my legs to take the blindest bit of notice! Even when he did stop prancing around on his hind legs for a minute it was only to follow McGregor to make sure that he didn't miss out on any scenting activities. Occasionally he is spooked by Ellie (our long term boarder) and Bijley as they compete with each other to see who can run the fastest up and down the field. (Needless to say the lurcher ALWAYS wins!) Bix is completely oblivious to all the heartache and anxiety he has caused and is contentedly watching Bonnie plod around sniffing out any new smells, or Lucy as she desperatley tries to get me to throw her ball (just one more time...!) It's a dogs life...!

It sounds like Bix is going to thoroughly enjoy his new home and will have plenty of friends looking out for him. I tried to explain to him that he will be going to a new home at the weekend but he was far too busy dancing around my legs to take the blindest bit of notice! Even when he did stop prancing around on his hind legs for a minute it was only to follow McGregor to make sure that he didn't miss out on any scenting activities. Occasionally he is spooked by Ellie (our long term boarder) and Bijley as they compete with each other to see who can run the fastest up and down the field. (Needless to say the lurcher ALWAYS wins!) Bix is completely oblivious to all the heartache and anxiety he has caused and is contentedly watching Bonnie plod around sniffing out any new smells, or Lucy as she desperatley tries to get me to throw her ball (just one more time...!) It's a dogs life...!

TIME IS RUNNING OUT FOR BIX! CAN YOU HELP? Due to circumstances Bix has been staying at my kennels for the past few days, and in this short space of time I have seen him change from a timid and worried recluse to a bouncy, playful little chap. He is a real little character and I'm glad I've got to know him. His owners have desperately tried everything to sort out his problem, but if he stays with them it is doubtful that it will be resolved. They know the best thing for Bix would be to find him another home, where a change of environment may help him overcome his problem. Unless a new home can be found they know they don't have any alternative but to have him put to sleep and this decision has been the hardest they have ever had to make. He needs a new home by Friday but PLEASE don't offer a home unless you really think you can help - he has a problem which Iris will explain in full detail. His owners are finding the whole situation terribly upsetting so if you are genuinely interested in helping Bix, please contact Iris directly. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, and in the meantime I'm going up to the kennels to give him a big cuddle!

[quote]I visited to have a look arround. The owner really does care about the animals she looks after but I was concerned about the level of hygene. The cats had large pens (for up to 5 cats from the same fa...[/quote] Hi Diana PLEASE don't accept those standards as the norm. If the cattery is registered with the French Service Veterinaire then the owners have minimum requirements to adhere to, one of which is that cats must be supplied with litter trays which must be cleaned out at least once a day and more often if 'soiled'. I would be most surprised if they would allow a grass/earth run for the cats as it would be impossible to clean and disinfect. They should also insist on seeing your cats vaccination records to ensure that all jabs are up to date. Our dog kennels have a grass exercise area (as well as individual concreted runs) but the dogs are exercised under supervision and I clear up after them as soon as they have done their business. I think we are probably too far away from you to be of any help, but if you are not happy with what you have seen try and find somewhere else! Good luck!

I don't know what deprtment you're in but if you are in Manche you need to write to: Association pour l'Identification des Animaux de la Manche Avenue de Paris 50008 SAINT-LO CEDEX Tel: 02 33 06 49 25 Ask them for a 'Bon de commande de boucles d'identification pour ovins et caprins' This is essentially an order form for ear-tags, and there is a space to indicate that you want to be registered. They will then send you your tags with a specific number allocated to you. They will also send a Register book and it is in here that you record all the movements of your sheep (comings and goings, not bodily functions!) Whoever sold you the sheep would have had to indicate in their own Register that the sheep have left their premises and details of who they went to. There is no need to remove the old tags - you can add your own tags. Tags are essential if you plan to breed them and send the lambs to the abbatoir. We've had sheep and lambs for the past 3 years and although I was very reluctant to eat the lambs at first, I am now converted and have never tasted such delicious lamb. I'm also happy in the knowledge that they have had 5 acres to roam around and that the journey to the abbatoir was only 20minutes and stress-free. Hope this helps

Hi******o As far as I know there are some people buying the house/business but not sure when it all goes through. We're in Buais (about 5-10 minutes from Husson) and I would be happy to show the kennels to your friends before they decide to book. I've just had my (unnannounced) visit from the Services Veterinaire who inspect the kennels and make sure everything is in order. I'm pleased to say they were perfectly happy with everything here and will be back again next year! If your friends would like to e-mail me I can send them an information leaflet, booking form and directions to the kennels. Thanks

[quote]Now isn't that always the way!!!!! I visited one of our neighbours today, who I recommended use Paws Awhile about 18 months ago when they first had to leave their puppy "Monty" for a trip to the UK. ...[/quote] Sorry******o, Monty is here to stay! He's settled in so well and we're really happy with the way things have turned out. I think William (my little boy) would have something to say if his playmate was to disappear! But thanks anyway

I am in the process of changing to French motor insurance but have come across a stumbling block. In order to benefit from the French 'no claims bonus' (the maximum is 50%) I have to prove that I have been insured and not had any claims in the UK or Jersey for the past 13 years! They need me to take along every single Certificate of Motor Insurance issued over the past 13 years. Now, I know I hoard loads of stuff but these documents are not the usual stuff I keep (added to which we had a house fire in Jersey 4 years ago in which everything was lost). I don't know about you but I used to shop around for the ceapest insurance cover each year and their recommended course of action (asking each past insurance company to send an attestation declaring how long I was insured with them and my no-claims situation) is going to be a mammoth task! Any suggestions...?

Just to give you all an update...Holly is settling in okay into her new home, the goats seem happy in theirs, and Monty...well...despite my pleas and over 500 people checking out this post no-one was able to offer him a home, so, we've adopted him! He's now having the time of his life playing with my 22month old son aswell as our 2 springers. He's not at all phased by the chickens or sheep and loves following me around as I go about my business. I would like to thank the anonymous benefactor who very kindly left a bag of dog food on my doorstep. I haven't managed to find out who it was but I am very grateful (and so was Monty!) Thanks also to everyone for all the messages of support and for trying their best to find homes for the animals in such sad circumstances. Thanks again