steve

we have 2 Lab's and yes, they do enjoy digging for moles and yes our garden is full of hills and holes. However, their last session must have scared the little varmint off, as I have not notices any new hills - I cut grass for a living and you do get a teeny bit fed up with them after 27 mole full gardens - especially after fitting new blades.........grrrrr. I wouldnt put a pickled onion down a hole though! Steve

oh the other steve...I havent got a bike any more :(

do I? The one on the Plateu de Argentine (sp)? I used to work on the Airfield at RAE Bedford - the 2nd longest runway in yurup at the time. Its now a car park for new cars :(  -  my claim to fame was launching the Vulcan Bombers, fully loaded with nukes, from the control tower with a flare! Steve

Noooooo, the SS. Wot a fab machine - I lusted after one of these or the MHR when I was a Super dream owner at sweet 17! I ended up with an ice creame van (Suzuki GS1000 S - in blue and white) but still harbourd a dream for one. Last bike was A Harley Davidson Sportster - Im sorry!- at least its a V twin) Steve (who is lusting after an old traily bike or anything really!)

WOW! sexy chocolate. A 'proper' Duke. yum yum sorry Steve

our Lola (Lab/hound x) has fits - she is also on Crisax. She has 2 in the morning and 2 in the evening. She can go for several months before having a fit - we just up the med for a couple of days then bring it back down slowly - seems that 2 at a time is the best bet. If she is going to have a fit, she will come and find us and you can tell something is wrong - then off she goes, all stiff and out of it. She was having a fit once when my neighbour called - she came instanly out of it then suddenly back in when she left - very strange.... Most recent fit was a few weeks ago - she was curled up on the sofa when she started drooling and shaking - we thought it was a fit but wasnt 100% sure so it was off down the vet at 10.30pm as we thought it may have been tick fever - but it turned out to be a very mild fit - the blockers did their job! She is a total fruitcake and chases anything and everything ALL day, esp if the sun is out. Steve

We had a swarm of bees enter one of our disused chimneys a couple of years ago - they turned up, buzzed about for half an hour then one by one dissapeared into a small hole in the capping stone! they are still there & we dont mind them - Lola (stupid dog) gets stung occasionally, but then she tries to eat them.......We leave them alone to get on with their lives. Steve

Fantastic! Freat news - well done Everyone esp Pheonix Steve

I think we have a gang of them in the big old tree outside my bedroom window - noisy, sure, but I wouldnt half miss it if they didnt sing away all nght! Steve

or infa red beam fence, or arbri................... Steve

I used to have a proper GS - a GS 1000s! Steve

so, if we help our neighbours kill the ducks. pluck them and cut 'em up in exchange for some foie gras, thats illegal is it? better not tell anyone then! Steve

that is really sad. Could have been a tick or snake bite? We lost our GSD Max many years ago to a twisted stomach. I feel for you today Steve

killing either would be interdit - the season has finished. However, if its a hare, trap it tap it and unwrap it, put it in the oven, no-one will know! Steve

eat it :) Steve

she is lurverly! Best doggy a man could want - Never naughty or bad, a real princess! When she was a few months old she got squashed by a Japanese Akita of the same age (they were playing)- obviously a big difference in size - unfortunatly it snapped a tendon in one of her back legs so she is on Agilium tablets to help promote the growth - seems to work and she only has a problem if she does too much running about (which isnt very often!) She plays all the time with Lola but she is carefull not to twist it. (she bounces a lot though!) Shame about her dad, any idea what caused it? Glad Doris had pups! I am trying to get Dawn to let me have another, but fighting a loosing battle, unless Doris has another lot! Good to hear from you, hope all is well with the family Steve & Dawn

wot! try keeping mine away from ANY water, be it green and slimey (Lolas fav!) or crystal clear like a customers pool for example........Lola does not like the hose (she used to roll in fox poo just after we had her, a cold water hose bath everytime she did it soon cured her) Cassy loves it! They even get to shower with Dawn once or twice a year! They both enjoy the hairdryer after their walk if its raining though...... I think Labs are terriffic - my 2 get very excited when the shotgun comes out, but run a mile if it goes BANG! Bless :) Best go see if there is any room on the sofa for a human :) Steve

here is a photo of my 'girls', Lola and Cassy - we had Cassy (the short one) since 8 weeks and she is now 5, and Lola (Lab something X) at 11m, but she was a rescue dog and had 4 previous owners before us - needless to say she was a fruitcake - Dawn took her training once a week for a year and she has turned out pretty well - she is now 4. [IMG]http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r247/stevelowe/PICT0001c.jpg[/IMG] Steve

Give up with the hoover,  buy another Labby and stick brushes to your feet! [IMG]http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r247/stevelowe/PICT0001c.jpg[/IMG] Lola & Cassy Steve

Hi sent a PM Steve

YUK! I hit a pheasant at 75mph on my old 550/4 years ago - that hurt and it was pretty messy too! Hit me square in the chest but I stayed on. Steve

are you sure its alarmed and fenced? I know ALL pools, be they private or Gite/B&B have to have some sort of security - an approved fence (not 10m high with high voltage and topped with razor wire - not good enough....), cover or alarm, or a combination of all 3. Yes you can have a picket fence, but you have to have an 'approved' system to run alongside that. This rule applies to 'in-ground pools'. If your above ground pool has a deck around it, you are treading on thin ice - technically, its OK, but if there is a problem, boy could the stuff hit the thingy! As far as I was aware, they are looking at suitable security for above ground pools, but havent decided anything yet. Steve

Doh! bit late, but I heard my first cockoo this morning - made me feel good! Steve

[quote user="Tony F Dordogne"]I have no sympathy for the people working on the black, great sympathy for those registered artisans trying to earn a decent and legitimate living here (with perhaps a little cash in hand) and if they are reported by legitimate artisans, not a problem for me.  It's something that was discussed at our first council meeting and it's likely that our Canton will be looking at this sort of thing as part of it's enforcement work - I'm going to volunteer for the Commission! [/quote] Hurrah! Steve

Yes, we are very busy - took on 3 new gardens last week alone. We are now choosey as to what we take on - we dont bother with small gardens that just require the walk behind mower - its not worth unloading it - we have a minimum charge of 1 hr - if it takes 20 mins with the ride on, we charge the same. Most gardens are between 1 and 3 hrs cutting, with one or two upto 6 hrs. Dont forget, we have to buy this equipment and run it, pay out cotisations etc. Last year we quoted 20€/hr for a local job that we estimated would take 2 days to complete. We lost to another chap who charged 15€/hr, but he took 4 days to do the job as he didnt have the right kit..........We have several mowers now of all types to make our lives easier more than anything else. We have also started to charge TVA this year with no customer complaints. Steve