In reply to Post #229
Real quality Peter!! Keep those diary accounts coming mate!!

In reply to Post #218
Great stories Pete. Surprised the Labrador didn't choke to death eating live perch that size!! I must admit - after getting over the shock of seeing something like that happen - I'd have rolled around laughing had I witnessed something like that!1 Some dogs eat almost anything - especially labs, beagles and spaniels. Remember a time when I was a nipper on hols in IOW - myself and my brother took our pet springer and lab for a country walk. We came across a flock of sheep that had left a trail of crap along a road. The dogs started sniffing this trail of droppings and began gorging themselves on it!! Laugh - I nearly wet myself!! Mind you - after dragging them away from the stuff and getting home - we didn't half get some grief from the parents!! Those dogs bloody stunk for days after that and banned from the house!!

More of the same Pete!!

In reply to Post #104
Very sound advice Ken. Very simple to design these cards by most people on your pc. Sorry to hear about your mother. I realise how heartbreaking it must be for you and the family Ken having experienced Alzheimers in my family and being a nurse in this field.

Regards,
Alex.

In reply to Post #55
Cheers for the alert on this disease Ken and glad to hear you've fully recovered. Just thought I'd give you guys a medical discription from a link I found on google. Hope it helps.

'' Weil's disease is an infection that humans can catch from rats. Rats carry and excrete an organism called Leptospira ictero-haemorrhagiae in their urine. Between 50 and 60% of all rats carry this organism. If humans are infected with this organism, it can make them very ill and even result in death. As many as 10% of all cases of human infection have resulted in death.

Previously, Weil's disease only infected people such as sewage or abattoir workers, although there have also been incidents of farm workers and miners contracting the disease. New research shows that people who perform water activities, such as cavers and potholers, are also at risk. Rats commonly live near water and other areas where they can find food, such as farms, stables and riverbanks. The organism that causes Weil's disease in humans cannot live for very long in dry conditions, but it can survive for some length in wet or damp areas. Salt water will kill off the organism.

The organism that causes Weil's disease enters the body through cuts, blisters or abrasions in the skin. It can also enter via the lining of the nose or through the throat or alimentary tract. Weil's disease begins with a fever, followed by muscular aches and pains. Loss of appetite and vomiting follow. The incubation period for Weil's disease is 7 to 13 days.

The sufferer may experience bruising of the skin, nose bleeds, sore eyes and jaundice. The fever lasts about a week and is usually followed by significant deterioration. The symptoms of Weil's disease can easily be mistaken for flu. If the sufferer has a clean occupation, the possibility of Weil's disease may be overlooked in the early stages, but a blood test will confirm the diagnosis of Weil's disease. Treatment for Weil's disease is usually a penicillin antibiotic.

Weil's disease is curable if detected in time. Many doctors in urban areas many not be familiar with the disease. If you have any reason to suspect that you have been infected, you should alert your doctor as soon as possible. ''