and other big cities. I consider them much as I consider coal mines. Very 
interesting and ok to visit, but I would not want to live or work there. (I 
did it when I was 17 years old working as a pay-clerk in an office but I 
soon escaped, thankfully.) It seems to me, that people who are trapped in 
big cities, can become much as trapped rats. Running round in circles, 
devouring their own young, and snapping and snarling at each other. (not 
always literally) This is, of course not true in all cases, but only the 
strong seem able to survive it. I would not be strong enough, of that, I am 
sure.
-- 
Mal
The first word I type in any message, has only a half chance of being true.
   Anything that follows, is anybody's guess.

"Mal"  wrote in message 
news:872dncaNhpVHIvLVnZ2dnUVZ8vSdnZ2d@bt.com...
> and other big cities. I consider them much as I consider coal mines. Very 
> interesting and ok to visit, but I would not want to live or work there. 
> (I did it when I was 17 years old working as a pay-clerk in an office but 
> I soon escaped, thankfully.) It seems to me, that people who are trapped 
> in big cities, can become much as trapped rats. Running round in circles, 
> devouring their own young, and snapping and snarling at each other. (not 
> always literally) This is, of course not true in all cases, but only the 
> strong seem able to survive it. I would not be strong enough, of that, I 
> am sure.
> -- 
> Mal
> The first word I type in any message, has only a half chance of being 
> true.
>   Anything that follows, is anybody's guess.
>
>

Glasgow's not too bad, if you ignore the "Murder capital of Europe" title.
Still, I like to escape over to my brother's out in the country every week.

Lachlan - Grand Exalted Most High King and Emperor of All the Universe 
wrote:
> "Mal"  wrote in message 
> news:872dncaNhpVHIvLVnZ2dnUVZ8vSdnZ2d@bt.com...
>> and other big cities. I consider them much as I consider coal mines. Very 
>> interesting and ok to visit, but I would not want to live or work there. 
>> (I did it when I was 17 years old working as a pay-clerk in an office but 
>> I soon escaped, thankfully.) It seems to me, that people who are trapped 
>> in big cities, can become much as trapped rats. Running round in circles, 
>> devouring their own young, and snapping and snarling at each other. (not 
>> always literally) This is, of course not true in all cases, but only the 
>> strong seem able to survive it. I would not be strong enough, of that, I 
>> am sure.
>> -- 
>> Mal
>> The first word I type in any message, has only a half chance of being 
>> true.
>>   Anything that follows, is anybody's guess.
>>
>>
> 
> Glasgow's not too bad, if you ignore the "Murder capital of Europe" title.
> Still, I like to escape over to my brother's out in the country every week. 
> 
> 
i too visit a place, but only for a few days a year, it's up in Wales,
you fell twigs and logs (it's forestry commission land), you do basic 
protective painting to the cottage (it's a shack!), things like that.

a builder friend went up and hand-dug a drainage trench a few years ago 
(very wet up in the high land).  and that's the deal.  you have to offer 
whatever you can do, even if it's sort out the fire, make a bonfire out 
of bramble and thorns (they will take the entire ground in a decade if 
you don't!).  so it's still quite intensive, but literally for only 2-3 
hours a day.

on my last visit i chiselled off lime from the wall, it was so damp it 
just fell down.  the worst bit about it was all the lime dust, we 
shouldn't have done it basically!  it burned!

"Lachlan - Grand Exalted Most High King and Emperor of All the Universe"
<toadfish@(nospam)beeb.net> wrote in message
news:kPCdnQCPwcyyWPLV4p2dnAA@posted.plusnet...
>
> "Mal"  wrote in message
> news:872dncaNhpVHIvLVnZ2dnUVZ8vSdnZ2d@bt.com...
>> and other big cities. I consider them much as I consider coal mines. Very
>> interesting and ok to visit, but I would not want to live or work there.
>> (I did it when I was 17 years old working as a pay-clerk in an office but
>> I soon escaped, thankfully.) It seems to me, that people who are trapped
>> in big cities, can become much as trapped rats. Running round in circles,
>> devouring their own young, and snapping and snarling at each other. (not
>> always literally) This is, of course not true in all cases, but only the
>> strong seem able to survive it. I would not be strong enough, of that, I
>> am sure.
>> -- 
>> Mal
>> The first word I type in any message, has only a half chance of being
>> true.
>>   Anything that follows, is anybody's guess.
>>
>>
>
> Glasgow's not too bad, if you ignore the "Murder capital of Europe" title.
> Still, I like to escape over to my brother's out in the country every
> week.
>

Hi Lachlan, I would like to say that I am disappointed that you did not get
the greyhound. But I have to admit, that I understand why the kennels
refused it. In spite of what you might have heard, Greyhounds, lurchers,
whippets, dogs of this nature, cannot be happy in an enclosed space. They
need exercise, and quite a lot of it.They need to run. I am no expert, and
lots of dogs do not have this same need. Labs, rotties, most  terriers don't
actually need this, but better for them when they do have that option.
My alsation chases rabbits, but she is no expert. Hell she aint caught one
yet.
    Most dogs are happier doing what they do/ I never knew what an alsation
is actually good at, and to be honest, I still don't know. She aint good at
catching rabbits. She seems to be a good as a watch-dog. She has a mean
nasty bark. You might , for instance, think twice about entering my property
if she was there.
    You just cannot put an action dog in an enclosed situation. I might be
wrong.
    Labradors, (although I have never owned one) seem  very ....  what .....
in control of themselves, and seem to be the first choice of families. They
seem hard to get excited. They seem to have a lovely way of going on. They
seem trustworthy, but should never be left alone with children. in any case. 
They like us, can be unpredictable.
-- 
Mal
The first word I type in any message, has only a half chance of being true.
   Anything that follows, is anybody's guess.

"Mal"  wrote in message 
news:SPKdnSAE5roDSfLVnZ2dnUVZ8s3inZ2d@bt.com...
>
> "Lachlan - Grand Exalted Most High King and Emperor of All the Universe"
> <toadfish@(nospam)beeb.net> wrote in message
> news:kPCdnQCPwcyyWPLV4p2dnAA@posted.plusnet...
>>
>> "Mal"  wrote in message
>> news:872dncaNhpVHIvLVnZ2dnUVZ8vSdnZ2d@bt.com...
>>> and other big cities. I consider them much as I consider coal mines. 
>>> Very
>>> interesting and ok to visit, but I would not want to live or work there.
>>> (I did it when I was 17 years old working as a pay-clerk in an office 
>>> but
>>> I soon escaped, thankfully.) It seems to me, that people who are trapped
>>> in big cities, can become much as trapped rats. Running round in 
>>> circles,
>>> devouring their own young, and snapping and snarling at each other. (not
>>> always literally) This is, of course not true in all cases, but only the
>>> strong seem able to survive it. I would not be strong enough, of that, I
>>> am sure.
>>> -- 
>>> Mal
>>> The first word I type in any message, has only a half chance of being
>>> true.
>>>   Anything that follows, is anybody's guess.
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Glasgow's not too bad, if you ignore the "Murder capital of Europe" 
>> title.
>> Still, I like to escape over to my brother's out in the country every
>> week.
>>
>
> Hi Lachlan, I would like to say that I am disappointed that you did not 
> get
> the greyhound. But I have to admit, that I understand why the kennels
> refused it. In spite of what you might have heard, Greyhounds, lurchers,
> whippets, dogs of this nature, cannot be happy in an enclosed space. They
> need exercise, and quite a lot of it.They need to run. I am no expert, and
> lots of dogs do not have this same need. Labs, rotties, most  terriers 
> don't
> actually need this, but better for them when they do have that option.
> My alsation chases rabbits, but she is no expert. Hell she aint caught one
> yet.
>    Most dogs are happier doing what they do/ I never knew what an alsation
> is actually good at, and to be honest, I still don't know. She aint good 
> at
> catching rabbits. She seems to be a good as a watch-dog. She has a mean
> nasty bark. You might , for instance, think twice about entering my 
> property
> if she was there.
>    You just cannot put an action dog in an enclosed situation. I might be
> wrong.
>    Labradors, (although I have never owned one) seem  very ....  what 
> .....
> in control of themselves, and seem to be the first choice of families. 
> They
> seem hard to get excited. They seem to have a lovely way of going on. They
> seem trustworthy, but should never be left alone with children. in any 
> case. They like us, can be unpredictable.
> -- 
> Mal
> The first word I type in any message, has only a half chance of being 
> true.
>   Anything that follows, is anybody's guess.
>
>
>
>
>

I keep getting conflicting information on greyhounds.  Some people say they 
need a lot of exercise, but most say they are pretty content just to lie 
about all day and only need loads of exercise when they are being raced.  I 
didn't get up in time to go to the kennels today, but I will be going over 
that way tomorrow to see my bro, so I will leave a bit earlier and at least 
go and meet Bella.  Who knows, there may be another dog there that would be 
better suited to living with me.

Mal wrote:

[...]
>    Most dogs are happier doing what they do/ I never knew what an alsation
>is actually good at, and to be honest, I still don't know. She aint good at
>catching rabbits. She seems to be a good as a watch-dog... 

Alsatians are good at being police dogs.

[...]
>    Labradors, (although I have never owned one) seem  very ....  what .....
>in control of themselves, and seem to be the first choice of families.

Our family had a labrador-alsatian cross (his mother was an alsatian).
He was all black and a great big softie with us but also very
protective of us around strangers. I appreciate him all the more now
that he has gone. He's the dog that I can't but help judge all other
dogs by and fear I will never again get to know another one that will
quite live up to what he was. I will be happy to be proved wrong
though.

--
Ariel