Pre Monier

Chris is right it should be a bit of a laugh but also informative, interesting and lively.   What more could anyone want?   If you are interested why not come along to hear Chris speak and if you like the look of the gardening club - you can join, the cost is10euros per person per year.   There is no charge for a visit but you may like to buy a few raffle tickets or a cup of tea or coffee just to help the funds out.   The setting is lovely overlooking the plan d'eau and the welcome will be warm, so see you in Verruyes. Glynis 

Hello Folks Last year I bought an Ajania Pacifica because bees and hover flies love the flowers.   I was delighted when all the cuttings took and produced healthy bushy plants but all of them are blind.   I have had no flowers at all.   Any ideas? Glynis

Is there collective noun for bussards.   I thought a 'mewing' or a 'soaring' of buzzards would be apt. Glynis

Hello Folks Can 'ordinary'/common willow be used for hedging and living willow sculpture? Glynis

Hi Chris, Thought you may like to know that the colony is growing at an amazing rate.   Lots of egg cocoons around far too many to protect.   Saw the most incredible thing, one of the largest of the spiders seemed to be comatose in her web, it was only when we looked closely that we discovered that she was in the grip of a praying mantis and not a large one at that.   Later the eggs were missing - would that be the mantis also. Glynis

Hello Chris Thanks for that.   They should have a good chance of surviving as the nest is in the centre of the ginko biloba which is still small enough for us to fleece in winter. Glynis

Hello Maud I think the spider you have seen Argiope bruennichi - the tiger or wasp spider.   They normally live around the Med. or north Africa but recently they have been seen in the UK and Northern Europe.   The web has white zig-zags radiating from the centre.  They prefer meadows but we have one in the Ginko, one in fig tree, one amongst the bear's breeches as well as the usual in the fields.   The ginko spider seems to have disappeared but has left what we assume to be a nest.   It is beautifully constructed - the same colouring as the spider ie wasp striped and emulates the spiders abdomen.   The whole thing is suspended by a cobwebs and we have been watching all our other spiders to see if they will do the same thing.   I have searched the web but can find no reference to this.   Hope someone else can explain. Glynis  

Or green tomato and apple chutney.

We had a similar problem a few years ago so we wrote a letter to the local refuse office explaining the situation, our bill was reduced and our bin returned.    It is always worth a try. Glynis

Hello I don`t know if this helps but we have a 'natural' pond, close to the house, that will have to be drained and stone edged.   The ragodins have got in.   There are threads on the subject, so I won`t go on about them now but you should be aware that even a bank of about a foot is enough for them to start a burrow but if you edge the pond at this stage you could save yourself a lot of work later on. Glynis

I have recently had terrible problems with livebox not working - lasted about a week.  I managed to get it going again - thanks to the living France threads - although I do not know exactly what I did to acheive this.  It did not spring up and suddenly start - it was several hours later I found I had web access.  Now, everytime I switch on I get an error message [ I cannot automatically get rid of ], telling me that I am not connected when I am.   There are several other anomalies but one of the most annoying is that Outlook Express asks for my password each time I access it but will not remember it - the option is unaccessable.   I would re-install the whole thing were it not for the fact that the packing box, with an access code on it, has been thrown away so I dare not risk it.   I hate my Livebox. Glynis

Thanks Will and Tourangelle - I have got it now. Glynis

Hello Folks I must admit I am still confused.   When we arrived permanently in August 05, having had the house for 12 years.   We notified the Maire that our move was définitif, we sorted out driving licences etc but were told we did not need to worry about tax until the following year when we would be automatically sent a form.    To make doubly sure we toddled off to the Hotel des Impôts who told us the same thing.   If, as I understand it from this topic, we do need to complete a tax form now- where can we get one and how?   Personally, I don`t want to wait, it complicates things in the UK, I would rather sort it out now. Glynis  

Hello Folks We have recently acquired two gorgeous five year old Border Terrier bitches as their owner has had to return to the UK.   They have lovely temperaments but need a bit of TLC.   One of the problems is their coats - one has been partially stripped and looks like a deranged teddy bear, the other's coat is not as thick but she has tufts of fur sprouting out all over the place.   Despite daily grooming their coats are still too thick. We know they should be hand stripped but  have not got the expertise to do so, nor do they do not appear to be used to it.  We want our little pals to be happy and comfortable and wondered if spring clipping could be the answer for now, then we could gradually introduce some rolling as the coat grows.   They are not show dogs - live in a country with hot summers;  Borders do not like excessive heat - and will never be subjected to intense cold; if they get wet they will be dried.   Are there any other Border or similar breed owners out there who can give us some advice or maybe even recommend a professional groomer?  We live in 79 in the Parthenay/Niort area. Pre Monier

Hello Mpprh I may be interested if I know what one was. Glynis

I know from reading the wildlife topics over the year, that many of us are delighting in finding so many new or long forgotten creatures here in France.  This got me wondering which discovery stood out most in your mind.   I know mine.   It was Gryollotalpa Gryollotalpa - a Mole Cricket or Grillon Taupe- only identified thanks to Chris at planetpassion because David and I had not a clue what it was.    We were digging a hole in the front meadow and got to about a spade's delpth,  when this 'thing' powered out of one bank and straight across into the other.   So fast and so large!!   I thought it was about 4 inches but Chris tells me it could only be 2.5 at the most.   It had a thorax like a beetle, a body like a hornets and the most delicate wings - why they did not rip to shreads when it tore into the compressed earth, I'll never know?  It seems that some years ago the BBC wanted to make a documentary about Mole Crickets in England but sadly could not find any and thought they could be extinct in the UK.    Happily we have at least one meadow with some in although subsequent sightings are fairly common, I have yet to see one quite as big as the first.   I'm sure it was 4 inches!! Glynis  

Hi Everyone I am delighted to find myself in the wonderful postition of being able to purchse a new car.  After shopping around I rather fancy a Toyota Prius.  In the UK I know that it is possible to negoiate on price, part exchange, all sorts of things.   In fact I believe there was even a television programme on the subject!   Can anyone help with tips or let me know your experiences in purchasing?  I don`t want part exchange I am going to get rid of my RHD by other means [ perhaps the subject of another topic ], I will be paying cash and I know that the Prius attracts a discount of 2000E from the government.   I am looking to get some sort of discount from the suppliers. David

Hi Bob Thanks for the help.   At least I know know that the problem file is a 'driver'.   What you said made sense.   This new setup is forever upgrading/downloading, seemingly of it's own volition.   I have not managed to find the replacement on the net as yet but I do regularly back up my hard drives so perhaps I can 'lift' the file from there.   It is pre error.   It will be a few days before I get chance to try this but I will let you know how I get on.    Looks like I don't need to go back to the abacus afterall! Glynis

I hope someone can help.  My computer uses XP Professional SP2.   Although I had problems initially with the Live Box installation everything was fine until a couple of weeks ago when I started getting the error message, "this application has failed to start because SISBase.dll was not found.   Re-installing the application may fix this problem."   I have found SIS VAGA Utilities amoungst my program files but cannot access the help section.   The only option it gives me is to uninstall, but I don`t want to do this until I find out what the program is supposed to do.   I have not noticed any thing different since the error message started.   Nor do I know how to re-install it the program.   I have not got a disk for SIS VAGA in my collection.   I should be grateful if anyone could help or at least point me in the right direction.    I do usually leave my computer in 'sleep mode' and have noticed that updates etc periodically arrive without me knowing exactly what they are.