Chocolate

I have been fortunate enough to have just been given a lemon tree as a present. ( A Four Seasons Lemon). It is still in the nursery plastic pot but I was told it should be re-potted. soon Which is best for the plant please?  A plastic pot or a standard terracotta plantpot?  The 'extra advice' label on the plant says plastic only and to avoid terre cuite, but a friend says terre cuite only, to let the roots  'transpire'.  I am confused. I have slowly changed all my pots from plastic to terracotta as the roots get very fried here in the summer. I have bought Agrume planting compost (as the label recommends) to use in a new pot. when I am sure which is best. Advice please.

What are they called here in France and how do I arrange for one please?

Thought an up-date might be useful. Once in England I was able to get Johnsons4fleas sent to my daughter's address from Petplanet over the internet. My little cat has now had 2 'doses' a week apart and even though I didn't see fleas dropping off her, crossed fingers but I think her fur pulling problem has begun to settle down. Or perhaps it is a seasonal thing as someone mentioned. She does like firmish mild cheese and the small pill just slipped down. One word though. I also ordered Drontal worming pills from the same people hoping to do the same thing in the cheese but have not received them as yet due to a mix-up between English and French addresses. (Them not me). I am sure all will be well soon and HRH will be totally sorted out. She has now appeared with a large mark on two sides of one of her back legs and definite teeth marks showing. However she is keeping it all clean and it seems to be healing itself. That cat! How many of the 9 has she used up I wonder. Many thanks everyone, especially Val for the advice and support. We are delighted to have made a difference for her in the ways we can. Hopefully our experience will help someone else.

Except they have a very neat way of preventing too careful a reading. I did this this week and the site timed me out when I pressed the final box. I had to go back in twice more in order to give me time to read all the small print and to exactly unknit all the pitfalls! Read at normal speed and proceed to book at once at your peril!

Thank you everyone for the advice and support. I have, at very short notice, to go to England next week, (would you believe to look after my daughter's indoor cat!) so am going to follow up the pill supplies route and try to help her. A friend uses Feliway I now understand, as a plug-in, like those air fresheners, so I could set one up in the garage for her. Might go in and sniff it myself! Would it have a calming effect upon humans do you think? She clearly loves cheese, as a treat, so we have begun to gain her confidence with 'clean' cheese - no hidden extras at the moment. I could believe that perhaps stress or hormones could be an explaination here but she showed no signs last year at all. Perhaps it is a mite or small visitor problem but we will carry on down all avenues. I love the idea of Paysan's cat with the sticks. We once had a Siamese who chased paper balls and returned them to our feet like a dog. What confusions do we put into our cats brains at an impressionable time I wonder? Thanks again everyone. I will come back with any news as perhaps it would help others.

Really good advice, Val. Some things I hadn't thought of. Also I didn't know that a cat could be given an anti-flea pill. Where can I get them from please? I recognise the Johnsons name from way back when I had the Johnson's Cat Book, (no longer printed now I think). I will google for an internet site selling the Mark and Chappell treats; I am keen to try all avenues and certainly will continue trying. Your ferel cat sounds lovely. He is lucky to have arrived at your house. Not many people will have the patience to keep going with a cat that is problematical.. If he is long-haired, do you think he might have been abandoned or the product of someone's 'special breed' cat? The French do like long-haired cats and I think usually the feral or the barn cats are short-haired, as is ours. Perhaps he had a bad experience when 'tipped out'. Would the sedation route work for him so that your vet could remove the worst of the mats? It has taken two years for us to get to stroke ours. We dare not try to pick her up but have to act strictly on her terms. On first arrival, she was so hungry that it wasn't difficult to put the vet's pills into her food to drug her. It is now though. She is very alert and aware. She is a dear thing though. As to her being locked in, she seems to prefer it and is happier. Again, it took two years to get to this point, and I agonised over her being out in the really cold bad weather.Then one evening, in she went and straight up onto the garage mezzanine. She does take her time though to go in in the evening and likes to keep us on a long piece of string waiting for HRH to decide it is bedtime. If we don't then she is attacked by (and attacks first sometimes) another feral cat who is twice her size and very nasty. I know he is hungry too but we can only cope with one! The area teems with wild-life and he appears to be pretty healthy. We put a cat-flap into the garage window but in he came and there was a terrible fight with fur all over the place; mostly hers. It took a long time to get her in again. The flap is now removed and she inspects everywhere before taking possession each night. Thank you Val for the time and trouble to give me the above advice. I will give it all my very best effort. Now off to a well-known supermarket for cheese; two or three varieties in case she is as picky as usual.

Thank you everyone for the, as usual, helpful replies. I am in the process of following them all up.

A very chatty and easily-spooked cat appeared at our house over a year ago. She looks like the usual farm cat to me, but I wonder if she has been abandoned as she clearly knows about houses and would like to come in. To shorten a long story, she now sleeps in the garage each night, high up on the mezzanine in a series of 'caves' I have been able to make from large cardboard boxes along its length. There are a variety of comfy places for her and she clearly makes use of them. They are all well hemmed-in by other boxes and one is thickly based and lined with new, clean duvet material. The temperature is always at least 6 degrees above that of out side. We were able to get her neutered with the help of the local SPA last year but only after she was drugged by a pill from the operating vet so we could get her to him. (She dumped her 4 kittens with neighbours first so we knew she could increase the population!). The garage is only used to store our wood and various pieces of gardening equipement. It is brick-built and roofed with beams and tiles and is totally dry with a cement floor. She will only stay if we lock her in, and she is very happy to be so. Last November she was accidently locked out and we didn't see her for over a month though we searched long and hard. When she came back she was skin and bone and very grubby, shouting her head off. From the moment of her return she began to pull her fur out in large lumps, leaving large expanses of pink skin exposed. Three months on she is 'tatty' , still pulling fur out but some of it has grown back, but less dense. It obviously itches. She will not eat any food with powders or pills hidden in them and quickly finds and rejects these parts of the food, or refuses to eat anything. We are able to stroke her, which she likes, but not able to lift or hold her. If she sees anything like a Frontline pipette in our hands, she vanishes, so we cannot treat her for any little visitors. Neither can we worm her. She seems to be wired for flight! She eats the well-known widely available dried food 'For Indoor Cats', and another cheap one (due to the high sugar content perhaps), the occasional meaty pocket or pieces of cooked chicken. This week there have been two headless baby bunnies brought into the garage which we hurriedly removed to outside and we have seen her playing with live and dead mice. We love cats, have two indoor ones which she spits at and attacks through the closed windows being used to defending herself we think. She is a wonderful companion, answers and comes to the name we have given her and has taken to accompanying me in the garden and commenting all the time on my and her activities. She is lovely. However we don't know if she is carrying any diseases as it is impossible to have her vaccinated as our indoor ones are, and as they were here first, it really is their home and I do not want to introduce them to any of her diseases if she has them. I really don't know what to do to help her. Any ideas anyone?

It may be necessary to transport my daughter's cat from Manchester (UK) to us here in SW France in June this year. He already has a passport, issued a month ago. Could anyone please tell me if the best way to fly a cat from Manchester to SW France is with a courier or to arrange the flight independently? We brought our two via road and ferry 4 years ago and though we had absolutely no problems, our daughter's car (not her cat!!!) would never cope with the stress of the journey! Is there a 'good' or 'recommended' carrier? What should I look (out) for when choosing one? What are the drawbacks? Is it horrendously expensive? (Yes he is very loved and we know that a cost is always worthwhile given that fact, but we do need a ball-park figure to work on.) Or how does my daughter go about the process of independently organising his journey without the use of a courier? She can drive the cat to an airport and we could collect him from Toulouse or Bordeaux, (would there be anywhere else that is an 'approved' flight/airport for animal transportation?) but how does she go about the bit in between? Once again, a ball-park cost would be useful. I know that there is a wealth of experience out there and I have spent this afternoon reading the posts on this subject. All very helpful and I am now down to these basic questions. Thank you every/anyone in advance.  

We had a lot of shutters to paint on our house too. They had been painted white over 35 years ago and not touched since, (honestly). We painted two as a starter with the best French white gloss, recommended by experts. Within 6 months they had peeled in spite of stripping, sanding, undercoating with the recommended undercoat and then 2 top-coats. Very depressing. Following advice from a friend we used a well-known English gloss suitable for all weathers and guaranteed for 8 years. We used their primer and undercoat as well. Result? 2 years on there isn't a sign of a crack in the surfaces painted, even on the sides of the house which get searing heat, (when this year?). The paint has been brought over in batches by any helpful Brit we can ask who goes back and forth by car. The hinges and metal fitments have been painted with white Hammerite. We are really pleased with the results. The marathon is almost finished with just 2 sets to go.

Thanks everybody for the helpful replies. I found it easily yesterday in our local supermarket (once I knew its name). I had of course been looking at it all the time!

That was a quick reply Clair!  I had looked in our dictionaries without sucess and even asked my French teacher, (who is French!) and she didn't know. I shall go looking tomorrow. Thank you.

Does anyone know the French name for this spice and where I might get it please?

When we moved into our house three years ago the stone floors in the sitting room, the hallway and the entrance area were mostly black, (truly) and/or nasty deep orangey-yellow. The old lady before us had smoked non-stop and the whole place stank of nicotine. The walls were the same colour, but are now white due to scrubbing and good old British white emulsion. However the floor remains a problem. Within a week of moving in, and whilst the house was still empty of furniture we used neat liquid swimming pool bleach. The black disappeared but the orange remained and we nearly put ourselves in hospital with the fumes even with all doors and windows open. We were advised not to use a pressure washer as it would perhaps 'pit' the stone and would certainly remove some of the pointing between the stones. With many other important jobs to do, that was that. However the nasty depressing floor is really getting me down now especially in the Winter. It is constructed of what looks like large crazy paving with cement in between the stones. Help please on two counts: 1) how do we get back to what should be white and creamy local Lotoise stone? There is no light reflection at all and it is seriously horrible. We do not wish to repeat the strong bleach activity as it is bad for us and doesn't do the inbuilt woodwork any good. If I could I would lift the lot but there is too much, we can't afford the removal and replacement and I have had it with the dust and grit that would be involved. I have tried small bottles of 'stuff' from the local brico, I have tried scrubbing patches test patches of floor on hands and knees with a more dilute mixture of bleach, soap and disinfectant (as an extra measure), but there is no difference when it eventually dries. We have the same stone outside on the terrace, but that is white due to the effect of rainwater and thus being washed rather more often than the previous occupier was able or prepared to do inside. 2) the cement inbetween the stone has disappeared in places or is below the top level of the stones. The result is a very uneven rug-killing surface and adds to the cleaning problem. What should we use to 'repoint' the floor? Help please.  

Ok........ Now could someone please tell me how you use the jars to begin with! There they are, shiny and of so useful looking in the shops; in fact loads and loads of them. Equally, I have lots of produce I would like to bottle-up if only I knew how. (I am getting edgy about my ancient English freezer's ability to cope for much longer.) Does anyone out there have an idiot's guide to bottling, or is there a book to buy, (in English please) ?  Help. Before it all kicks off again for a new season.

Thank you Louis for your reply. Sounds hopeful judging by your experience and your healthy feral cat. It does look as if we are perhaps on the right track. And congratulations on your first post!  [:D]

Hope this is the right thread for this question! We were adopted by a small feral female cat a few weeks ago, have had her neutered and want to care for her as well as possible. Our neighbours, (elderly French couple) to their credit , and at their cost, have done the same for four (!) feral kittens who adopted them. With any luck this will help to prevent an unwanted feral cat explosion. She is probably no more than 6 months old, but small so it is difficult to assess her. (We have two indoor cats and so do not feel we can compromise their health with the introduction of a feral cat into the house who might carry disease.) She is very clean in the garden and covers up her loo carefully each time and has used the litter tray we provided on some occasions. On others.... well she is wild so we forgive her. Having taken a window out in the garage and installed a cat-flap, which she will only use if propped permanently open, we are trying to get her to sleep in the garage. Unfortunately there seems to have been a battle with another cat on the garage floor and much fur and poo was left lying around. This has set back her confidence in using the shelter the garage provides and we are sure she is sleeping outside. The overnight temperatures are, at the moment, -4degrees so we are very concerned. My question is......how can we give her the correct food to build up protective body fat and to support her growth. We have been feeding a complete tin of Wh........s Junior cat food a day and as much in the way of kitten Fr...ies croquettes as we can stuff into her. She calls for food twice a day. All dishes are removed as soon as she has finished to try to prevent another battle with any other cats. Are we feeding her correctly anyone please? She needs heavier duty food to that which we feed our two indoor cats but we are not certain how much or what. Thanks for any help and advice.

Thank you Clair and Clarey C. All printed off and gearing up to go. Soundslike the New Year will be deeeeeeeeeeeliscious, if a little enebriated! [:D]

é    é    é    é     é    â    â    â   ............. I can do it too !!!!!     Thank you everyone for the usual kind and helpful info. If anyone thought that my written accents were not up to scratch, they should just hear my spoken French accent !!!!!!!     [:D]

Thank you Crusher for your kind comment regarding my post and perceived superfluous typing. As ErnieY has rightly said, I do not have access to a French computer. My above post contains information gained by following a long, hard route through French formalities and red-tape. I had hoped to point someone else in a possible direction so that they could have, at the very least, a place to start. I have benefitted enormously from advice and information given on this forum, as it is clear others do too. None of us comment upon the mistakes we all make fairly often; that is not the purpose of the friendly, helpful and supportive place that this is and frankly, it is just....well....rude. My English keyboard and I humbly apologise and we will make certain that all our posts will be editted very carefully of working, thoughtless notes to self in the future. Happy New Year

Thanks Cooperlola for your reply. You can't be the world's worst gardener if they have come back "thickened up beautifully". Do you think it's possible to go down even lower, to say 1 metre? Everything here just explodes upwards in April, but I would feel awful if I was the one 'as what done them in' !!!! They stand as three separate, gigantic bushes in a big open space and I understand that they have been there for well over 30 years. Perhaps I will cut them down this year to the 2 metre height as you have done and see what happens. Should I thin out as well as cut back/down?  (Actually I am not sure what coppicing really is come to think of it!) Did your hazels produce nuts after this treatment or have they become just more controllable? I really would like nuts at some point. Can I cut now do you think? The local vines are being pruned already and the big trees in the towns and villages around here are being pruned of all branches into that 'sore thumb in a bandage' form fashionable in rural France. My elderly French friend who grows fantastic apples, pears etc. has said I must finish all pruning before the end of February to be on the safe side but he doesn't know anything about hazlenut bushes. You can see that I am getting twitchy! Actually it is good to be gardening in the Winter; something that was never possible in England.

We have inherited three enormous, old but very healthy hazlenut bushes. Each year the squirrels steal the nuts, so this year I want to be ready and organised. They are much taller than me; the bushes not the squirrels. Also at least 8 metres round; I measured thus far before I dropped and let go of the measuring tape. No I had not had a Christmas drink or two in case you are wondering. To help this, and improve the yield I wondered if they should be pruned or coppiced? I am slowly pruning many shrubs at this time of year, following local advice and practice. However, everyone is very hazy about my hazlenuts!! I cannot get a definitive, or even helpful answer. Any advice anyone please? How? When? Thank you in advance.

Does anyone have a recipe for orange wine please? Perhaps it is the wrong time of year to make it? A French friend was offering this at a pre Christmas drinks do, but it was 'professionally made' and she did not know how. Bother! I have successfully made walnut wine, (lovely), so thought perhaps I would give orange wine a go. We have walnut and cherry trees in our garden, but sadly no orange trees!! Is this the time of year to make it when the shops have lots of oranges for Christmas? Or do I need 'special' oranges? Also, to be really greedy, we don't like cherries much and wondered if they could be turned into wine? Any ideas anyone please? Thank you in advance.

  As someone who has a quarry nearby but not immediately on the doorstep I am very familiar with the associated problems. Until an Arrete ( circumflex over middle e and an acute over the ending e) is issued nothing is formalised. I suspect that the Notaire's enquiries with Mairie would result in nothing being identified. Point 1 - Crucial to galvanise local interest / opposition. Our community eventually formed an association and linked with GADEL ( An organisation concerned with environmental issues). Lack of initial community effort allowed the quarrying company, (who have 850 mines/quarries in France ) to start small and expand without organised resistance. Supported by Dutch,Brits and Americans we have supported the local French who have much more awareness of the admin minefields. We have fought through the courts to address serious non-compliances with the terms in the Prefect's judgement document and WON ! There are rules ( Zone ND ) which limit what enterprises can do in country areas. Knowing and using the rules is crucial. Our Association obtained copies from the Mairie. Working with GADEL we employed a lawyer and are now fighting through the courts to over-turn the Prefect's last judgement, with aim of closing the quarry down earlier than proposed. Point 2 -  Any proposals for quarrying would be presented via the Mairie to the Prefecture and be subject to his approval. Point 3 - There would be a Public Enquiry initiated with a Commissaire Enqueteur appointed. Proposal documents available at Mairie. Having an Association gives rights for copying but otherwise copying is not allowed. Mayors will be keen to support a quarry as this brings in employment and revenue to their Commune. It is down to the "riverains" ( locals ) to fight off plans, via an association and using the press. Point 4 - Feedback is passed to Prefect's office and then on to Paris. Outcome is usually detailed in a Prefectoral  Arrete ( a judgement ) Note - Departments such as DRIRE are responsible for the regulations concerning mining operations.   Hope this helps.

Since moving in three years ago, we have had an endless stream of mice. The house had been empty before we came and there was a terrible smell everywhere of dead mice in various stages of decomposition as the 'caretaker of the house had put down those little packets of poison and thought that was that. However, we have two house cats and poison was not an option. They are not interested in the mice other than as  play-things. Long, horrible story. They are both Bengals too, also expensive, but obviously not in the same mouse catching league as johnnyboy's beauty. Ours are brown spotted. The Snow Spotted Bengal is gorgeous! However, back to the point. In England we had used two humane traps and though in a village, only caught the odd mouse which was disposed of via a car journey up onto the Common and set free. However, here the mice seem to be less robust. After a sucession of dead mice in very steamed-up humane traps, (and clearly having suffered heart-attacks or a slow terrifying death), we had to accept that a very quick end was the best. We now set Lucifer traps in our sous-sol, baited with pieces of walnut, (saved from our own trees) and have very quick results. Then, as has been said above, all goes quiet for a time. Then off we go again. Here in the country I suspect they sit waiting to speed in when a door is left open. It is an endless battle, but nowhere near as bad as originally. We just have the daily 'mouse check' built in to our routine! Also there seems to be a seasonable aspect:- time of year, temperature, crops in the adjacent fields etc. Personally I can think of a much better use for chocolate. What a waste in mouse traps!