The Chillout Zone (Off-Topic Thread)

dammitjanet

I know this might be more suited to the bargain alert forum but I figured it would apply to more people in here- I just saw that pigsback.ie are doing a voucher for €10 off when you spent €20 in petstop. Thought it might be of use to some boardsies in here

mymo

So I decided to bring a ball walkies today, see if we could manage a game of fetch.
I threw the ball and off the two dogs went racing after it, both dived for it....nudged it, looked back and ran off. Repeat x20.
I have had dogs all my life and have never known one that didn't play fetch...now I have two dogs, neither fetch.

So I have one dog that can't swim, but appears to love rock climbing:rolleyes:, one that like to save me from salad (she will slowly and noisily torture and kill any lettuce she can find, only lettuce, no other plants), and neither will fetch.
I also have a cat that thinks he's a dog and comes walkies, no wonder my neighbours think i'm nuts.

Tranceypoo

mymo wrote: »

I also have a cat that thinks he's a dog and comes walkies, no wonder my neighbours think i'm nuts.

I had a cat like that, she was 'semi-feral' but often used to come on the 4 mile walk round the bog with me and the dog, I just used to shake my head and think 'if anyone sees me...'

Cherry Blossom

If anyone is thinking they might someday have a go at building their own A-frame . . . seriously, it isn't worth it! I'm not even half way through, my brain is fried and it's going to be complete rubbish when it's finished :rolleyes:

Discodog

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

If anyone is thinking they might someday have a go at building their own A-frame . . . seriously, it isn't worth it! I'm not even half way through, my brain is fried and it's going to be complete rubbish when it's finished :rolleyes:

An A frame what ? A house, a shed ?

Cherry Blossom

Yes, I'm building a house over the bank holiday weekend

Whispered

I suppose you do what you can to survive up in the wilds of Donegal

mymo

Whispered wrote: »

I suppose you do what you can to survive up in the wilds of Donegal

Now I have an image of AdrenalinJunkie on a remote mountainside, trying to build a shelter with a pen knife and her bare hands (Ray Mears style), surrounded by poor hungry wet doggies looking sad and bedraggled:p

Cherry Blossom

No such luck! Some idiot robbed my good pen-knife so all I have is a couple of sharp stones

ISDW

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

No such luck! Some idiot robbed my good pen-knife so all I have is a couple of sharp stones

I'm sure you've been taught all the skills you need to use them effectively.

Hows the A frame coming along? Are you making any other agility equipment?

Discodog

ISDW wrote: »

Hows the A frame coming along? Are you making any other agility equipment?

An agility A frame - any decent handyman would make one in a couple of hours

Zapperzy

Was wrecked after work so went for a little nap when I came home. Overslept a little (by over 4 hours ) and was awoken by a cat using her paw to move all my hair out of the way before sticking her paw in my ear. This is her new trick for waking me up, it works!

Cherry Blossom

Unfortunately there aren't too many decent handymen around here so I'm stuck doing it myself .

It started off much bigger but then I chopped it because in my mission to make it as cheap and lightweight as possible it ended up a flimsy mess that was never going to stand up on it's own. I've left it half made as it was making me mad :mad:.

I made a tyre jump and weave poles instead, tomorrows mission - seesaw, that'll be fun, especially as I'm making it up as I go along!

Discodog

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

Unfortunately there aren't too many decent handymen around here so I'm stuck doing it myself .

Nah they are just too scared to go anywhere near your place - might never be seen again :eek:

I would take a look at your local dump. An old aluminium step ladder makes an ideal foundation for an A frame - just bolt on some wooden slats. Then it's easy to transport & fold away when you don't need it.

mymo

I would take a look at your local dump. An old aluminium step ladder makes an ideal foundation for an A frame - just bolt on some wooden slats. Then it's easy to transport & fold away when you don't need it.[/QUOTE]

Oooh, Discodog, your not just a pretty....username!

AJ, what did you use for the weave poles? I was thinking of using bamboo canes.

For jumps I had in mind to make 2 T shapes from some left over timber, join them at the base and use those cups for holding clothes rails to make height adjustable jumps, probably using bamboo canes again.
Well when I say I, my 13 year old needs to learn some DIY skills, she wants to do agility with the dogs, she can make the equipment. Keep her busy over the summer:D

Discodog

mymo wrote: »

AJ, what did you use for the weave poles? I was thinking of using bamboo canes.

I wouldn't as they can have sharp edges & splinters. The plastic electric fence poles might be good as are cheap, tough & have a spike to go into hard ground.

Standard white plastic water pipe is idea for jumps & possibly for poles.

Whispered

Fair play for putting all that together. I wouldn't even attempt it. I can imagine - swear words and hammers flying. I'd be an impatient disaster.

Discodog

Whispered wrote: »

swear words and hammers flying. I'd be an impatient disaster.

Are you sure that Whispered was a good choice ?

mymo

Discodog wrote: »

I wouldn't as they can have sharp edges & splinters. The plastic electric fence poles might be good as are cheap, tough & have a spike to go into hard ground.

Standard white plastic water pipe is idea for jumps & possibly for poles.

Thanks, I actually have some water pipe hanging around somewhere, I'm sure I can rig up something simpler than my original plan.

Cherry Blossom

mymo wrote: »

AJ, what did you use for the weave poles? I was thinking of using bamboo canes.

Flexible pipe cut into approx 2' lengths and wrapped in insulating tape for asthetics, I got some round 'dowels' (if thats what you call them ) to make poles for jumps and nailed 2 inch pieces to a straight piece of wood, the pipes then fit over them.

Discodog wrote: »

Standard white plastic water pipe is idea for jumps & possibly for poles.

I got a load of this stuff, making bases for everything out of it, ran out of enough connectors to make my see-saw base so I have to go on a mission looking for more, at least it isn't a bank hol up north!

Whispered wrote: »

Fair play for putting all that together. I wouldn't even attempt it. I can imagine - swear words and hammers flying. I'd be an impatient disaster.

Oh, but there are swear words and hammers flying everywhere! :rolleyes: My garden looks like a lumbar yard.

Whispered

Discodog wrote: »

Are you sure that Whispered was a good choice ?

I was going for the ironic angle.

lrushe

Discodog wrote: »

I wouldn't as they can have sharp edges & splinters. The plastic electric fence poles might be good as are cheap, tough & have a spike to go into hard ground.

Tent poles are good also

Whispered

We were coming back from our walk there and drove over a baby bird. It wasn't injured by the car, we were going slowly and it was tiny so we passed over without going near it.

We turned around and K picked it up and I put it deep into the ditch at the side of the road. It hopped off no bother.

So my question - isn't it very late for a baby bird unable to fly? I don't think it was injured as it stood on my hand and it hopped further into the ditch once I put it in a bit. It was tiny and downy so I'm almost sure it was a baby not a bedraggled adult.

And did I do the right thing putting it into the ditch? Or should I have just left it on the grass verge on the side of the road? There was an adult bird on the other side of the road watching proceedings so I'm hoping it will be able to help?

lrushe

Whispered wrote: »

We were coming back from our walk there and drove over a baby bird. It wasn't injured by the car, we were going slowly and it was tiny so we passed over without going near it.

We turned around and K picked it up and I put it deep into the ditch at the side of the road. It hopped off no bother.

So my question - isn't it very late for a baby bird unable to fly? I don't think it was injured as it stood on my hand and it hopped further into the ditch once I put it in a bit. It was tiny and downy so I'm almost sure it was a baby not a bedraggled adult.

And did I do the right thing putting it into the ditch? Or should I have just left it on the grass verge on the side of the road? There was an adult bird on the other side of the road watching proceedings so I'm hoping it will be able to help?

If there is a good enough food supply (and judging from the amount of flies around lately there seems to be) birds with often try to rear a second or third clutch of eggs, I would say the chick was from a late clutch.
Putting it the hedge is fine, if there is a parent bird around it will call it out when the coast is clear.

Misticles

Left the house where I was renting a room today, been there 9 months and grew very close to the dogs! Missin them like mad I am loved them to bits. They would peer under the blind when they heard the car coming

anniehoo

Misticles wrote: »

Left the house where I was renting a room today, been there 9 months and grew very close to the dogs! Missin them like mad I am loved them to bits. They would peer under the blind when they heard the car coming

Aww! Well now ya know you'll be ready to get a dog when ya get a gaff of your own Its so so easy to get attached and ye dont even realise it happens until you have to leave them. 8 years of petsitting will do that to ya (says me who has gotten ridiculously attached to other peoples pets)

biko

Not sure if there's a dedicated "Aaaawww" threads but here's a couple vids

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rabNLz8c68U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIMvntC6pBc

antomagoo

For all golden retriever owners

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iE1TDWORl_k

Link to music video http://www.muzu.tv/ie/superfurryanimals/golden-retriever-music-video/516271/

ISDW

Be warned API people, you are not safe. I popped into a shop about 15 minutes drive away from my home this evening, only to be accosted by someone working there, asking if I was ISDW!!! It was a fellow APIer, now I know what she looks like as well:eek::D

Zapperzy

ISDW wrote: »

Be warned API people, you are not safe. I popped into a shop about 15 minutes drive away from my home this evening, only to be accosted by someone working there, asking if I was ISDW!!! It was a fellow APIer, now I know what she looks like as well:eek::D

Nobodys safe! Apologies if I came across all stalker-ish, I'm just good with faces (it helps that the last time I served you you paid by card with your name on it ). Actually bumped into you in the vets a while back also, was going to say hello but I got jumped on by a woman asking me was your dog a wolfhound and telling me all about her cat who was put down because of bowel cancer.

Happy to see your still alive anyways, either you got the dog out safely or he's still in there! :eek:

Enjoy your cornflakes!