Bud

[quote user="Richardk"]I'd like to construct a small fence  -  c. 10 to 15 metres in length using round upright posts and then two horizontal round poles which slot into holes within the upright post. The sort of thing you often see around houses in the mountains if that helps. Does anyone know if the holes in the upright come pre-drilled or not? We're talking quite big holes here, hence not an obvious one to do yourself. Thanks, Richard [/quote] Do you mean pre-morticed?

UK power is/was higher than both french and german power levels. If you have a uk spec airgun (uk power limit before becoming a firearm) then its naughty to have in France.

Compo, you have a PM.

Little tip,,,use the copper coloured type for the battery hens. ;)

[quote user="Laine"] Sorry Bud I forgot to thank you for your amazing photo of the pipe-blocking ragondin! Elaine [/quote] [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v506/colnefields/DSCN1645.jpg[/IMG] My pleasure Elaine, took the above pic Friday. The heads are deceiving, the males more blocky in appearance. When they are swimming the nostrils are set high, so the profile above the water is minimal. Another interesting thing about this rodent is that the females nipples are along the side of her body, when the 'holt sette or earth' has a higher water table the young can still be fed.

Hi Clair, you are right on what was posted on this thread, the bold text I copied and pasted from a previous post by Chris, in hindsight I havent made that clear enough.

[quote user="Pads"] I would call only stopping in May as most of the year !! And where are you get your fact from that they dont hunt them nearly all year ?[:)][/quote] As Chris has almost correctly corrected the first of your unresearched statements ill not bother ;) & too answer your question,, Federation de chasseurs (sp?) & many hunters in many different departements. Chris im impressed youve actually nearly turned full circle on your previous statement "they are hunted throughout the year as considered "nuisable"" please note anyone reading this that the bold text is not not true, misinformation, or plain & simply bull****. Anyway, as Bugbears signature says,,,,, Life is Short - Forgive Quickly - Love Truly - Laugh Uncontrollably" I know I am :D

quoting an anti site is hardly FACT

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v506/colnefields/Dscn1582lighter.jpg[/IMG] This fella fills up the 8 " (approx) pipe so much it stops the water running out when he hides in there!

[quote user="chris pp"]badgers and creatures classified as nuisances are generally "hunted" throughout most of the year. Chris [/quote] WRONG about the badgers Chris,,,,,,,,,,,again!

Ragondin have the nickname 'moustache' around where I live, from your description and their abundance id say it was a ragondin. Will try to find you a good photo and ill add to this thread.

Thanks all,  re the french links, ive ordered a couple of their catologues (i think!). Axminster sent me a catologue over so I assumed they would ship products over too, so I'll get an order together, & hope the shipping dont hurt too much. ,,,,,,,,,,,,now anyone know anything about carpets?

Hello all, Anyone get small packages from Axminster power tools sent over to France, need a few small bits and bobs, sharpening stone being one, just trying to guage (need a new one of them aswell!) the cost. OR is their a good french equivalent (pro quality). Thanks in advance.

[quote user="Chris Head"] Just something for the artisans out there who are doing things outside of their remit to think about. I was doing stuff that I wasn't registered to do too (most artisans stray a wee bit) but for one reason or another I need to be almost bullet proof now sooo, with dread in my heart started what I thought was going to be a process akin to climbing a mountain barefoot. How wrong I was. The Ch de Met have been unbelievably helpful....working on the premise that truth conquers all I just hit them with the 'difficulties' I've had over the last three or four months and boy did they work hard to find solutions to how I want to re-shape my business...and they provided the coffee too!  The head of the Ch de Met has even asked me to do an exhibition in their attached showroom. Before I had the right to do practically anything I wanted to with wood, now I've added a variety of other activities which encompass the things I do associated to renovations (none of it structural) and exterior works associated with landscape and it's associated activities; including parks & gardens and tree surgery. The only thing that has made me chuckle is the tree surgery that I've added to my remit....I can climb the hooogest tree I want to, carry out complex and dangerous reduction/dismantling operations back to the main stem....carve a totem into the stem, section it off to ground level even, but I'm not allowed to actually fell the stem in one! Apparently I have to go & see maf about that...weird. Don't be afraid to level with the authorities and take them on, I personally have folk just waiting for the opportunity to stick a knife in my back, sleeping at night has got to be a better option than parking the truck out of sight and worrying about the jungle drums?    [/quote]   Well done Chris. I too decided to expand my own " empire " and armed with the necessary translated certification found the Ch de M helpful enough.

Fantastic photo.

[quote user="chris pp"] I'm fine, I just got a load of "bird shot" full on at about 40 metres, it all bounced of my clothing, one piece bounced of my glasses and one piece wanged my hand. I was in full view in the open, full sunlight at 10.30 in the morning, problem was the idiot with the gun wasn't looking where he was shooting. My statement has gone to the procureur, but as the person concerned fled I don't expect anything to actually come of it, but at least it's on official record. Chris [/quote]   It bounced of your clothing!,,,,,,,,,,,,,,do you share the same tailor as Ned Kelly?

I have probably seen all methods of rat eradication carried out. The best form of control has to be an air rifle IF you can see the critters feeding/drinking (of course not approved in France if you get caught!), if not then the use of a terrier to locate and despatch. Both the above methods are non toxic and species specific. If anyone within 30 minutes or so of me has a rat problem, ill gladly bring a terrier or 2 to assist. Im in dept 16.

My own first dog was a colliexgreyhound. Wouldnt mind another one day, if you hear of anyone doing this cross Id be interested in how you get on. Another possibility is a terrier cross whippet, I would love to get in touch with a whippet bitch owner interested in crossing a good solid rough coated working terrier I own over their whippet. I have just mated him to my other terrier so am keeping my fingers crossed. If she takes Ill post the news on here.

I asked the question because I thought it was childs aspirin that is better used on the dogs. Thanks for explaining 'buffered' for me.

[quote user="Gluestick"]Unless you have an oilstone scraper and can scrape stones flat - a skilled task - since stones are relatively cheap, if not good and true, bin them and buy new. I could scrape Babbit bearings: still have all my scrapers and the scraper sharpeners, but I wouldn't want to tackle a bearing now! One thing I always do with stones is to to make a  box to keep them in: and thereafter always use the stone against a bench stop to prevent movement.   [/quote] To flatten a oil stone off rub against another oil stone, or on a flat smooth harder surface. ;)

[quote user="PossumGirl"]A friend sent me this link to a table that shows common household medications you can give your dog (and ones you shouldn't), along with dosages for their weight.  I thought it was a really useful thing to have around. PG [/quote] Thanks for posting that, you could save a dogs life with the info there. Would also like to add, salt water is another method if forcing a dog to vomit, if you suspect its eaten something it shouldnt have. Buffered aspirin is childs/infants aspirin,,,,can anyone confirm this? Would also like to add, that antibiotics should be a minimum of a 5 day course, and you should continue dosage for 2-3 days after infection has cleared up.

Ok Emma, Look forward to it. Thanks. [quote user="emma5"]Bud, have recieved your pm, just spent ages typing a reply and somehow lost the lot before sending, I will hopefully get time tomorrow now, as am off out for the rest of the day, didnt want you to think I hadnt got it thats all.   Emma     [/quote]

[quote user="emma5"]Just to update you all, RSI organic have just phoned today, they are going to send me another form to fill in, and have said once they have received my response, they will be writing to me again with a lower payment plan.  Think you must be right as to who opens the letter, as they had even bothered to get the lady who speaks a little english to speak to me, just to make sure i fully understood they were going to help me this time.   Emma [/quote] That is fantastic Emma, chuffed for you, have sent you a PM.

[quote user="oglefakes"]Will, Click on Bud's link and you will see he is a Carpenter/Joiner. Cheers whereas if I click on your link (icon for the top level domain) , you are apparently "Owned" by a hacker called  nwx0x [8-)] EDIT: If you need some advice to fix it, pm me. [/quote] Yep, feel free to click on my link! Oglefakes, I might have a few www questions for you if you dont mind, all to do with bandwidth. Ill think about what I want to know and PM you if thats OK. Charlotte, thanks for the reply, its encouraging to hear that you have had success, well done. I will try and get a likewise result.,,,,, wish me luck!

[quote user="Will"]For the first two or three years, unless you have elected otherwise, cotisations are taken based on estimated average initial income, with adjustments up or down in the second and third years, or after you have made returns of actual income. After about the third year it settles down so that you pay based on your previous year's taxable income. So the initial figures can bear little relation to reality. If your income is substantially below the calculated average, you can apply to have payments reduced or deferred altogether in some cases, but the danger is that if you do better than you thought you can incur penalties for under-payment. RSI is the primary health assurance part, you will probably also have to pay into a retirement fund and  will definitely have a third sum to pay to URSSAF. This is one reason why an accountant is very useful, even for a micro business. Although the taxation of a micro is very straightforward, you cannot always say the same for the social security payments. The new rules that were proposed by Jacques Chirac for this year are aimed at reducing the payments in the first years, but overall you will still have to pay the same amount. I don't know what you do for a living, but you may find the URSSAF booklet on setting up as an artisan or commercant useful, it does go some way towards explaining (in French) how the cotisations are calculated and collected, particularly during the start-up years. You can download it from http://www.urssaf.fr/images/ref_guide_2006Janvier_Artisans.pdf If you look at the tables in the booklet you will see that they work on a level of income of 12874€ per annum, below which a minimum RSI payment of 927€ for the year is payable - this ties up with the figures you mention. [/quote] Thanks a lot Will for the reply. & thanks for the urssaf link. So maybe the 'RSI' (health) be basing the charge I spoke of above on the same minimum. & I dare say the pension folks, & that is the killer charge also! Has anyone got any experience of getting the charges reduced?, would appreciate your experiences.