Blacker black. No surface damage ....

Very nice, George! 

Who's the other one for? : )

Debs

Dear Debs,

I am very pleased with them after a day. They are quite a large fit, but that is good. The lenses are those dense glass type that can be thin and light. 

I am looking after a Labrador juvenile - between three and six months old - and he is the thickest dog I have ever come across. Very sweet, rather spoiled, and always under foot, and even decided to lean against the electric fire. He got up very quickly and ran into the kitchen, and then lent up against the fire again! Doh!

He also decided that the bike would be interesting to play with, and he has marks off the chain all down one side!

I guess my time will do him good as I will not allow over-exuberance. He is rapidly learning sit, stay, and lay down.

He is sleeping on my feet at this moment, happy as a could be!

ATB from George

Dear George,

That Labrador pup has probably the potential guide-dog skills and thinks you need help with those big glasses on! 

About a month ago i had the job of dog-sitting a neighbours 2 little and 1 big dog pack trio, they are gentle natured and nice to get along with but to be honest i don't like the suspect smell of dogs, and my cats don't like wot i smell like after dog-sitting.

My optician tells me that my excellent long-range vision has actually improved slightly over the past few years, in strange compensation to my reading vision which is noticeably crap compared to ten years ago, so i have progressed to owning a collection of many different reading glasses with differing strengths for different uses, computer glasses, reading glasses, DIY glasses, extra mag glasses for reading the small-print on insurance policies.., etc.

Meanwhile, my bicycle ride was called off today due to hail-stones followed by very wet rain that ruined an otherwise sunny looking cold February day. Tomorrows weather forecast looks even worse.

So the cats and i are keeping entertained playing records while doing some housework, i lit the coal fire for the cosy homestead effect.

I ride my bike 3 or 4 times weekly [and sometimes weakly] on a 20 mile circuit on fairly safe quiet roads which is keeping me fitter now than how i was before retirement.

It's about time we had another bike topic thread ; )

Debs

Dear Debs,

I have a new [to me] cycle!

A 1989 Raleigh Quadra, road bike in 531 Reynolds tubing, and oddly even though the tubing is nominally higher quality than the Carlton [only 501 tubing], it is 11 kilo compared to the Carlton's slightly sub 10 kilo weight.

I am looking forward to getting the Raleigh re-enamelled at Argos in Bristol, and actually setting it up as an all weather bike. Six speed indexed Shimano 105, with two front chain-wheels. It is completely original and in good working order. Far nicer than the Carlton was when I first had it. There are two sets of wheels, the original Shimano dubbed pair that are not in the finest condition, and a replacement set [fitted] with Campagnolo hubs [Chorus or Triomphe] and lovely Mavic rims.

__

I think Max [the Labrador] would be a reject as a guide dog! I am teaching him how to walk nicely on the lead, and to be fair he was quite good today, if hopeless yesterday. I bought some freezer bags for the inevitable offerings while out ...

__

I am waiting for some LASER treatment on my left eye as a result of the return of Central Serous Retinopathy, which has gone into proper remission in the right eye, but the left has not naturally corrected the problem, so it will be visits to the City Hospital in Birmingham to sort this out.

My distance vision has likewise improved over the years, but reading is an absolute nightmare these days.Until I get the left eye sorted out, then my sight will not have stabilised enough to make a sensible prescription for lenses, so my new glasses have a prescription from a test from two and a half years ago. It is fine, as I am used to the prescription. 

I shall get two grades of readu=ing glasses when I do get e new eye test. One for close work, which is all my current readers are any good for, and one for a focal distance about two foot.

As the Raleigh get rebuilt in the Eatertime I think, perhaps I'll start a thread on it!

ATB from George

.

I think you're only obliged to remove their droppings - not keep them for ever.

Although - I've been in some freezers where no-one knew what certain historical items were.

Soviet Era Polish Sausage anyone?

I thought not!

ATB from George

In the common parlance I believe one cannot polish a 'sausage'.

Quite!

Lady Boult [wife of Sir Adrian of the ilke] on a British Council visit to Russia with the London Philharmonic in 1955 refused to eat the sausage serve on a train while the orchestra toured.

She wrote, "When i cut the sausage, it foamed. I could not eat it."

ATB from George

Yes - Oh, Yes!

Dear Adam,

Have you ever seen the Karl Pilkington video of a Chinaman eating an egg embryo?

The video is basically awful, but is called 

An Idiot Abroad.

ATB from George

In these circumstances, it is always best to defer to the great Nigel Tufnel who knows about blackness:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46kXH6GGtT0

It is a yellow Lab|!

ATB from George

How old?

Thrree to six months, I guess. Not fully grown.

ATB from george

So now i guess he needs a vet tour. It's very important. Vet can suggest the right food for a pup. Can control hips development which is very important. If you already did please forget this post.

Well, I would not want to be responsible fort the vet bills for a Lab.

A Terrior is different, Tough lttle creatures that can live for fifteen years without expensive visits. Same with Welsh Collies ...

ATB from george

Agree. Their continued popularity astounds me.

Up to a point, Lord Copper.

You may balance this hardiness against a certain naive self-destructiveness.

For example -

'Bruiser', a terrier of the J. Russell breed, ate a tube of horse worming paste and spend an uncomfortable 4 nights at the vets - at a cost many might balk at for a luxury hotel.

A while later I was asking after him and his recovery - to be met with slight confusion. To which self-inflicted poisoning did I refer?

He'd, even more recently, had some dodgy mushrooms and taken a spell at the sanatorium.

Yes, George, these were accidents produced by human failing. They still cost a lot.

Don't even mention rabbit holes.

Labs like socks, vets like labs that have eaten socks, vets make a lot of money desocking labs.

Insurance companies not so keen.

For a story on how useful  lab can be go to:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Endal-...-Brink/dp/0007303009

If you do a Google on the word Endal  I took some the photos on the top right hand side of the page.

When a dog pup enter home all the potential poisonous things we use (detergents, floor cleaners, medicines, all the little things that can be ingested, your glasses, shoes that contain poison glues etc etc) must be kept away from his mouth. A pup is snooping like a monkey because his first contact with the world around is filtered by nose and mouth. I don't know in England but here (clever!) people throw poisoned snaks in parks and along roads or near garbage bins. So always muzzle. Sometimes it's only a carcass of a poisoned rat...... And, again, always vet for vaccinations and periodic check. And please don't buy dog food in supermarkets but ask the vet for the best for his breed and age and never let him eat your food. I.e. chocolate, onions, salt are poison for their heart and stomach.

From limited experience - parmesan seems to come out the way it went in.

My friend had a lab with a liking for those light blue dishcloths. I had a very unpleasant experience one day when I arrive at his house to find my friend with a pair of Marigolds on pulling a dishcloth from the labs rear end. Yuck.

Parmesan is seasoned cheese and it's not good. Only fresh cheese with the less in salt. Some breeds do not need calcium add at all just like Belgian Shepherds but there could be a case of weaker pups that need "that bit more" etc. Their digestive system is different than ours. Albeit they can divore anything they see us eating. A dog is the perfect beggar when it's about food but if you watch carefully he tends to ingurgitate than savour. You'll not be a bad owner/friend if you makes him wait sitting till you finished your meal. And in the end you can give him a piece of bread.

Best thing is to ask a vet. They can tell you all.

Just like a Naim dealer.