At 10 this morning as Christine was leaving through the front gate Jules suddenly rushed past her, nearly knocking her over and disappeared around the other side of 2 neighbours’ houses in pursuit of a cat. Despite calling and whistling him (this has happened once or twice before but only for a few minutes) that was the last I saw of him till 3.30 this afternoon.
Just as I had finished writing a Facebook appeal and texting a couple of friends, the phone rang and an elderly French gentleman and his wife said he was with them, 1.6 kms away
I raced down there in the car to find a highly coloured umbrella signalling to me over the gate. Jules was soon in the car and I only had time for a quick thank you as I was blocking the lane and a car was waiting to pass. But I will be back again tomorrow to get details and make a suitable thank you with a small gift.
What do you reckon? Never give wine to a French person I have always been told, they know more about it than you do, and in any case thay might not drink, though I do remember an elderly French lady giving us a nice bottle for a similar service some years ago.
Jules was soaking wet, it has been raining and he jumped straight into the car without encouragement but the first thing he did when he got in the house was rush to Opie and touch noses.
Bless
The little
Thank goodness, and also for a dog that allows other people to approach it.
I share your reluctance to give alcohol, unless you know the people it’s potentially a fraught gift. But equally so are chocolates if you are diabetic! However chocolates are the lessor of two evils to me.since it’s Christmas you should find some pretty boxes in the shops, or perhaps marrons glaces. If they are of a certain age they might like them better.
I am so glad Jules is home again after nothing untoward for his adventure.
When my pups were young they managed to escape the fenced garden and were gone for 4 hours. I had descebded into the ugly cry, seated on a chair outside the door when they gallumohed back, tails waving, a pheasant between the jaws of one and a poor little quail in the other mouth. It’s hard to say id I was pleased or relieved. My rural neighbours could only see it as a good thing the dogs knew their way home
For a not too extravagant gift, maybe a nicely boxed panettone? Guving something Italian may avoid the coals to Newcastle pitfall, and large looks good
Thank you both, Ferrero Rocher it is then, and there is a personal connection too, I used to load quite often out of their 2 factories near Rouen. Funny thing is they each had entirely opposite rules of conduct on the premises. One insisted that I get in the back and assist with loading, the other that I was nowhere near.
Only problem is, if I buy that, I will be forced to buy another one, for me.
i’d always give wine - a decent bottle of a local appellation, because even if the person doesn’t drink (though I’ve yet to meet a French person who doesn’t) they’ll still know the names of the best known local wines and will in due course pass your gift onto someone else.
Whereas chocolate is far more difficult, many times we’ve been given rubbish chocolates by people, and we also know many who will only eat milk chocolate. OH is a dark chocolate fiend, but much of what she buys I get sniffy about, for instance we disagree on Cote d’or, which I think is rubbish choc, better than UK stuff, but only just. So, I think chocolate’s best avoided. Despite our differences chez nous, I’m sorry but if we got given FR, we’d look at each other and ask who can we pass this on to? If you’re going to give chocolate go for a little something from Leonidas. Even if they’re not choc snobs they’ll appreciate the gesture.
I know quite a few. People with health conditions, ex-alcoholics, and people who just don’t like it! We used to give people bottles, and still do with people we know. But not strangers.
Hmm, food for thought, from both of you, I’ll have to make my mind up tomorrow. Apart from being grateful for taking the trouble to find our number and keep him safe, which deserve thanks, I would like the chance to chat a little to find out just how he turned up and how they decided he was a stray and needed his disc reading.
@David_Spardo
Truly… a small chocolate treat will be just fine.
At this time of year (Christmas/New Year), chocolate in its many forms is given (left right and centre).
It’s the one thing which is always acceptable (at any time of year).
The fact that you go back to say “thankyou” will be appreciated and the chocolates will be “the icing on the cake”.
Bought the ‘Prestige’ selection this morning and went round there but I think they were out. Just got back from a 2nd visit and the old man was very appreciative of the gesture but said that it was nothing to be thanked for because it was normal behaviour to help like this. He refused to accept the gift and said maybe I have some grandchildren who would appreciate it.
I did ask how he came to meet Jules and he said that Jules came into the their garden so they closed the gates to stop him wandering away and then approached him to read his tag.
Warm feelings all round. Glad I didn’t buy two selections this morning though, don’t want to make myself sick.
Along with our muslim neighbours. They do however always have a bottle of whiskey in the house for drinking visitors, and have bought us a bottle of wine before, and a good one at that.
chocolate really does make an ideal gift… and now you can benefit.
I visit elderly folk, often ones living alone… who enjoy offering chocolates to a guest (me for example).
Very often that box will be the ones given by the Mairie in the annual Christmas Parcel… thus the elderly are able to be generous at no cost to themselves … and we both wear broad smiles as we nibble on the delicious offerings.
If someone knows you have a health problem… then of course they buy something suitable for you.
But, in my experience… Chocolates are always useful in the cupboard… to offer the unexpected guest.
Got back yesterday from a Happy Birthday visit to a 91 year old… who took great pleasure in pressing me to eat some chocolates. No, she doesn’t eat them … but likes to have them for her guests… and she sent me home with some for OH too.
(it was all I could do to stop her topping-up my coffee with eau de vie… and this is a lady who doesn’t drink… but likes to be generous…) she’s working her way through her late-husband’s cellar supplies
We shall meet again tomorrow, for the funeral of a mutual friend…
If I accompany her home, I might well accept her offer of coffee/eau de vie… it’s going to be a very sad day… the deceased was a lovely person and “only” 67.
He’s done it again, followed his nose that is. I have got into the habit of almost daily taking the dogs down to the river field which is attached to the camping car stopover.
It is ideal because the first part of the walk is bounded by the river and if there is one thing that Jules hates it’s water. On the way back to the parking area I have got a bit lax in allowing him to trail his 33 metre line without me holding it. Today I had an extra excuse because we had already met on the way down a young chap who almost lives there in his camping car with his elderly Collie, Rashie, who has become very friendly with both Jules and Opie and, as I knew they were both still walking around was not too worried that Jules would stray. In fact he did run at speed towards Rashie but then caught a scent and disappeared through very long grass into neighbouring fields.
Both Opie and me, together with Rashie followed as far as we could while Flaurent (sp?) walked 150 metres to the road and for some distance along it. No sign, so, after swapping phone numbers I set off with Opie in the car after some difficulty in persuading Rashie to remain with his Boss, she wanted to jump inside with Opie.
As I turned onto the road I had a phone call and a man told me that he had Jules in his garden a kilometre away.
Once again very thankful that he was found by someone undeterred by a large dog with black and tan colourings, many would be nervous about taking a tag to read the number from his collar.
I am very experienced with dogs, have had many from time to time since a child, and up to 3 at one time from the moment we landed here for good. But I have never, ever known a dog like Jules who could not be trained to be off lead with bomb proof recall within a week of arrival. He has several times daily intensive training to the whistle with a very tasty treat to follow. 80% of the time he responds, but a really interesting odour on the ground relegates me instantly to 2nd place.
Any ideas of where we go from here by people who have had hunting dogs? He will be with us for life, his or ours, but it would be nice to take first place in his set of priorities.
