Trying to stop the Windows 10 download - a fool's errand

I didn't think I'd have such an issue with this. Normally if you elect to do something on your PC, there's an, "Are you sure?" dialog with "Yes" and "No" buttons below.

Sadly, neither this nor anything close has been the case with this upgrade.

Having discovered that I would lose the software HP installed for me on my PC, as well as other applications I'm sure, I'd also lose the ability to use very important hardware without trying to find alternative software, With that in mind, I elected to forego the upgrade to Windows 10.

I don't think there's anything wrong with this edition of Microsoft's operating system. In fact, from what I've seen, it's actually better than the versions that have appeared since Windows 7, but for me, it would be too much of an upheaval. I don't feel that in this instance, an upgrade is actually an improvement over what I currently have and therefore, I have been looking for a means by which to respectfully decline Microsoft's kind offer.

According to Microsoft, I can cancel the reservation at any time, but for the life of me, I cannot find out how. Every attempt I have made to ascertain just where to find the, "Cancel reservation" button, has only led me to an FAQ page or a page where I need to sign up to the Microsoft network first.

I just want to opt out, which I can apparently do - according to the Microsoft bs - at any time.

How?

I did what the instructions on the FAQ told me to do and this is what I got.

Now, I know my eyesight is not 20-20, but I can't see any cancel reservation option on this window at all.

Perhaps I'm missing something; perhaps I'm not as bright as I'd like to think I am, but opting out at any time is not what I'm faced with here and getting in touch with the giant corporation is about as easy as flying unaided.

Now I'm really not trying to cause trouble here, but in all the blurb I've read, (including the piece shown to the right on Microsoft's How to upgrade to Windows 10 webpage) this should be a piece of cake, but it's not turning out that way at all and if I could contact Microsoft, this would be entirely unnecessary.

So, their advertising suggests that Windows 10 will be painless and is free, yet the truth is far from painless.

• All manufacturer installed OEM software will be removed from your PC upon upgrade or installation as might some other programs 
• You can't hide the windows icon from the system tray unless you do it every time you boot up 
• You can't cancel your product reservation.

I'm more than a little apprehensive that if I can't cancel my reservation, will I be able to stop the installation or upgrade? So much of what Microsoft have said has been incorrect and now I fear for my PC - something I rely on on a daily basis.

There is only so far I can go and I really need some reassurance that all will be well - something I'm really not feeling right now.

Damn you, Microsoft!

Windows 10 free upgrade? I don't think so

I have just been informed that I can have a free upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10, when it's ready to be rolled out.

Yippee! I thought, but then wondered what the catch was.

At first glance, Microsoft's blurb looked really enticing. I didn't know how long it would last, so I agreed to agree to the upgrade - after all, it was free.

However, you don't usually get something for nothing, so what was the cost?

Well, having just seen Kingsman, you can understand my skepticism. When some big corporation gives away their product, mass panic, violent attacks, death and heaps of messiness ensues.

Okay, so that's fiction, but what would happen if I upgraded?

According to The Verge, Windows 10 upgrade won't mess with what's already on the PC... except for Media Player and Media Centre.

One of the only reasons I bought the PC I did was because of the TV tuner card that was fitted and Windows 7 provided a good system for watching and recording TV broadcasts.

All that will go, unless I find some other software to replace Media Centre. Microsoft are removing it as people use it for DVD playback and they will provide a downloadable app for that, which would be free.

Nice of them to think of those who use it to control our TV cards, isn't it?

But that's all, right?

According to Microsoft, media player and media centre will be removed during the upgrade, as will certain games pre-installed on 7, however, a Solitare program and Microsoft Minesweeper will replace them.

And that's not all.

Here's what Microsoft actually say:

• Applications, files and settings will migrate as part of the upgrade, however some applications or settings may not migrate.
• For Anti-virus and Anti-malware applications, during upgrade Windows will check to see if your Anti-virus or Anti-malware subscription is current. Windows will uninstall your application while preserving your settings. After upgrade is complete, Windows will install the latest version available with the settings that were set prior to upgrade. If your subscription is not current, upgrade will enable Windows defender.
• Some applications that came from your OEM may be removed prior to upgrade.
• For certain third party applications, the “Get Windows 10” app will scan for application compatibility. If there is a known issue that will prevent the upgrade, you will be notified of the list of applications with known issues. You can choose to accept and the applications will be removed from the system prior to upgrade. Please be sure to copy the list before you accept the removal of the application.

Having ready this, things were beginning not to sound quite so sunny.

I decided that perhaps this upgrade wasn't for me; perhaps I'd jumped the gun and seen 'free' as 'friendly', but it turns out that I'm one of perhaps a few who don't see the upgrade as being of benefit to me personally.

I went to the FAQ page and discovered that there's no harm done, I can unreserve my download of Windows 10 upgrade on the app.

Oh wait! No I can't.

The FAQ page is wrong. There is nowhere to click, fill in or communicate otherwise if you change your mind, despite what it says in the screen shot above.

Not only that, but the annoying and useless windows logo that I inherited in this drive to upgrade as many unsuspecting people as possible, should be able to be hidden.

Well, that's true ... until you restart your computer and there it is again.

Well done Microsoft. You've screwed up again.

In my opinion, if like me, you've grown accustomed to your Windows 7 based PC or laptop and you are running older programs, such as MS Office 2003, then don't upgrade. Your office suite will not be compatible and you'll either have to install Open Office or buy a newer version of MS Office.

There may well be numerous other programs that fall into that category too and while Microsoft may want to try and get ahead of the game, there are no guarantees that you won't have to shell out a whole heap more dosh to replace those programs you bought with more up-to-date releases.

In my book, that means that this upgrade is far from free. It's certainly not free of headaches and that alone should be a warning if nothing else.

Oh and by the way, if anyone from Microsoft is reading this, please un-reserve my copy and I really don't want my PC tied up with a 3gig download for something I don't want anywhere near my computer.

Les Jardins des Renaudies

Click on any of the pictures to see them
full sized

Les Jardins des Renaudies 

It's not often you get to wander round well-tended gardens for free and back in May, Pen and I were offered two complimentary tickets to see Les Jardins des Renaudies in Columbiers du Plessis, just south-west of Gorron.

To be perfectly honest, we weren't really all that interested, and being as it wasn't exactly brilliant sunshine, we were tempted to cry off, but since we would be getting in for free, we relented and decided to give it a go.

The day wasn't just Les Jardins des Renaudies, but there would also be many artisans there with carved wood pieces, dairy produce, baked goods and lots of other stuff - including our friend Gerard and his wines.



We arrived reasonably early and after reserving several bottles of Gerard's wine, disappeared to have a look round. We began by looking round near to the lodge, which was where most of the artisans had been placed and where we discovered that not only did Les Jardins des Renaudies have gardens, but also a fairly well-stocked museum too!

I have just added a small number of exhibits, after all, if I showed you everything, there'd be no reason for you to go see it, would there?

However, everything from apple presses, to mobile stills - for the Calvados, tractors and threshers are on show, with the complete freedom to walk around the exhibits.

After a few snaps, we returned to the lodge area, got ourselves coffees and wandered round the many artisan's stalls. These included cheeses and other dairy goods, but having been bitten by people selling goods at these kinds of places at ridiculous prices before (see: The 20€ piece of cheese), we steered clear of all of them.

Instead, we set off to have a look at the rest of the gardens

~~~~~~~~~~~ 

About Les Jardins Des Renaudies

The gardens were opened in 1988 and created by Jean Renault, a nurseryman passionate about plants. They are made up of many rare species brought in from many different countries and laid out in twenty-one massive beds, forming an English garden style.

Covering four hectares, over 3.000 flowering plant varieties, trees and shrubs keep interest in the garden throughout the season as well as more formal vegetable gardens and during the season, there is a maize maze with routes of over one and a half kilometres which is a must for children and adults alike.

In addition to the plants, there are also sculptures and other pieces of art as well as functions including demonstrations of bee-keeping and Ikebana, the Japanese art of floral arrangement.

Our Visits

Our visit in May of this year, wasn't on one of the sunniest days, but it didn't detract from the spleadour of the Rhododendrons and Camilla, which provided us with a spectacular backdrop of colour, ranging from deep pinks and reds through orange and white.

Interspersed throughout the gardens were frames, giving the view a still-life quality that we hadn't seen utilised in a garden before.

In fact, there was much to keep us occupied during our visit, which turned out to give us a number of unexpected surprises and made us very pleased that we went.

One such surprise was the tree (right) that seemed to come from everywhere. The rough-hewn seat that sat beneath added to the magic, making the tree seem like something from a fantasy story rather than real life.

The water wheel also not only provided interest visually, but would turn every few moments, emptying its water noisily into the pond.

 Our visit on 24th August was no less spectacular. There sadly no Rhododendrons, but there were plenty of other flowering plants, some of which were truly breathtaking.


 We also discovered pathways between and around the beds that we had not found last time and I suspect that when we return, we will discover yet more.




We certainly tried the Maize Maze, which as described above, certainly gave us a walk as we tried once in, to find our way out.

I'm sure we could have remained inside for hours had Penny's sense of direction not been as good as it is!



These roses lose some of their appeal here on the computer monitor as it's impossible to appreciate the scent that was given off and I have to say, it was one of the strongest scented roses I have ever smelt.


All told, I feel we have found somewhere we will be visiting many more times over the years and probably will discover yet more things on each subsequent visit.

I can recommend this place to anyone and for more information, go to their website here.

A gardening job goes off with a bang

One of our customers has a fairly large garden with veg and flower beds, but the majority of it is left to grass. Our job since the beginning of the season has been to cut the grass twice a month and keep things relatively tidy.

Sadly, the rain has kept us away for the last couple of weeks and yesterday was the first time we'd been fortunate enough to get a break in the weather. After I'd tightened up the thumb nuts on the lawn mower, I got down to cutting the grass while Pen began strimming.

About fifteen minutes in, Penny noticed that something had moved in to a hole in the centre of a dead lupin plant which had stood on the corner of one of the veg beds.

The European wasp or
Yellowjacket

Wasps.

Or at least, we were pretty certain they were wasps.

Now I hate wasps with a passion, perhaps not as much as hornets, but then hornets hadn't moved into the neighbourhood, wasps had. 

They appeared to have built their nest in the centre of the now defunct plant and there were a couple of dozen of them buzzing around what we took to be the entrance. Pen warned me to give it a wide berth and I was only too happy to oblige.

A little later, we were surprised to see our client working away on one of the other veg beds and pointed out that he had an infestation of wasps.

"My wife told me they were bees," he said.

"No, they're wasps alright," we told him after some deliberation and peering at them from a safe(ish) distance.

He admitted he'd tried various things to get rid of them before, but had never managed it. He'd not tried again as his wife was sure they weren't wasps, but bees. Since by then we had convinced him that they weren't bees, he told us that he'd do something about it.

We went back to work, presuming that he'd go away, contact an expert and get someone to come round at a later date to get rid of them.

Much to our surprise, moments later, he returned with a two-gallon can and doused the hole with copious quantities of petrol. He then proceeded to light something that looked suspiciously like a lightly toasted marshmallow on the end of a four foot stick.

Pen and I backed away. We knew his interference would agitate the wasps - not a good idea at the best of times - but we continued to watch with more than a little trepidation.

"Can't you ask him to wait until we've gone?" I asked, since Pen's French was much better than mine.

Pen just laughed, but I was serious. I didn't feel comfortable and knew that in truth, neither did Pen. If he was going to do something silly, I would have felt much more comfortable somewhere else ... anywhere else and the further away, the better.

She realised and asked.

"Non," he said simply.

We moved farther back and after several failed attempts, he managed to set fire to whatever was on the end of his stick and cautiously approached the nest.

We took one more pace back. We could see the little blighters buzzing around and getting more active the closer he got, but with a final lunge, he tossed the lit 'thing' complete with stick into the hole.

Nothing happened to begin with ... well, perhaps half a second ... then:

"WHOOOOMPH!" A sound that was reminiscent of half a pound of C4 exploding shook the very ground we stood upon, followed by a small but perfectly formed fireball that leapt from the hole about fifteen feet into the air. Our client was thrown backwards about the same distance, landing on his backside, glasses askew and one slipper missing.

Please don't ask why he was gardening in his carpet slippers. I didn't see fit to ask.

For a short while, we were a little shocked and didn't move, but then he began laughing and Pen chimed in with, "Tres sportif, monsieur!" and we all laughed.

The fire in the hole (literally), burned for about the next twenty minutes or so and curiously didn't seem to adversely affect the wasps, who continued to buzz around, just from a little further back than hitherto. However as soon as the fire went out, the little buggers went back inside again, apparently unperturbed by our client's attempt to barbecue them.

So apart from almost being sent into a low orbit and making us laugh our socks off, our client achieved absolutely nothing. We hope he'll try something a little less life-threatening the next time - God forbid there is a next time - which we hope will be much more deleterious to the wasps.

Who says gardening can't be adventuresome?

Find us at www.byfordfrance.com

Spring cleaning?

What was it they say about spring time?

Oh yes, it's spring cleaning. It's that thing everyone knows about, but no-one wants to go anywhere near ... unless you're Monica Gellar.

It's that time when the cupboards all get emptied and everything gets washed, polished and put back. The fridge, washing machine and everything else on the floor gets moved so that you can clean underneath it.

All in all and on the face of it, it's very necessary, but it's a chore that  is something we'd rather not do.

Am I right?

Yesterday, we did spring cleaning.

It's something I'd rather not have happen again.

At least not the way it happened.

You see we have a cat - which I suspect, is something many of you will know already, but our cat is notorious for getting in, under, behind and on top of stuff. It doesn't matter what we say or do, he gets where no other cat has set paw and frankly, sometimes it drives us to distraction.

Ever since the kitchen was finished - well, as far as we have got it - he's been getting under and behind the cupboards. Sometimes, he even manages to wriggle in behind the washing machine, which we never thought anything of ... until yesterday.

Pen had work to do and I tried my best to a) stay out of trouble and b) get some writing done, so after lunch, she turned on the washing machine, said good-bye and went back to work, while I went back to writing.

During my spell in front of the computer, Biscuit made his presence felt and although I don't like turning him away, having him tearing around on the desk trying to catch the cursor and potentially wrecking my nice monitor, I was being very reserved in removing him and suggesting he might want to find something else to do.

In the meantime, the washing machine sat in its corner of the kitchen and chugged away, minding its own business.

By about four-thirty, I began thinking of Pen's return and whether or not to make tea and have it ready or wait a little longer - not knowing when she would actually return. To my horror, back comes Biscuit, jumps straight on my lap ... very soggy indeed.

"What the...?" I exclaimed and dumped him unceremoniously on the floor.

Moments later, it occurred to me that he shouldn't be wet. He's a cat after all, and the last thing most cats like is being wet.

"Perhaps I left the toilet seat up," I mused, and began a search for what he'd managed to get into this time.

The upstairs toilet had its lid down and the bath showed no signs of dusty pud-marks, so I trundled downstairs.

"Oh shit!!!" I exclaimed.

The entire ground floor was under about half an inch of water.

I must confess, I was absolutely gobsmacked. I wanted to blame Biscuit, but in fact, it was my fault for not having made sure that the builders had the little 'U'-shaped bit of plastic to hold the waste pipe in the drain when they put the washing machine in place.

In all his scrabbling about behind the washing machine, Biscuit had dislodged the waste from the washing machine and it had quietly pumped all the water from the entire wash cycle over the floor. The kitchen and shop were both under water and as I began mopping, I realised I needed help - and not the sort Biscuit was offering.

I tried as best I could until Pen arrived, but mostly succeeded only in moving the water around; very little of it being picked up by the mop.

It took both Pen and I an hour and a half to clear it all up, but in the meantime, the fridge came out, the cooker was moved, as was the washing machine - all mopped and thoroughly cleaned before being replaced.

Once finished, our floor was spotless. I'd like to say it shone, but that's not true as the tiles on the floor are not glossy anyway and only shine under half an inch or so of water. So the fact they went back to their matt finish was actually a plus point.

Having replaced the the above piece and wedged the pipe firmly down the drain before replacing the washing machine, I have all digits crossed and fervently hope it won't happen again, but it got the job done!

Les Anciens combattants - Passais la Conception

In the centre of our village square, is a monument to all those from the village that lost their lives during the first and second World Wars. It's been beautifully maintained and means a lot to everyone.

Thanks to making the rather serendipitous decision to feed the animals at the farm early, we got to see this ceremony for ourselves and were able to take some pictures to share with you.



The day had been partly cloudy, which is why some of the photos look a little lacklustre, but it didn't detract one iota from the atmosphere and if you click on the pictures, you will be able to see them full-sized.

Les Anciens combattants

The standard bearers marched around the statue led by the musicians ...

... and then came to a halt encircling the monument.

The crowd begun to grow and when everyone was standing at attention, the speeches began.

As the villagers looked on, the dignitaries present moved around the assembled ex-servicemen and shook hands before wreaths were laid at the foot of the monument.

Once everyone had sung "La Marseillaise", the parade concluded.

There was something very real about this. Perhaps it was because it didn't appear to be one of those highly rehearsed affairs we see so often. Maybe it was because people from all ages and walks of life were involved, or maybe it was simply that it was from the heart; a single village paying tribute to those who had given their lives.

One thing is for sure: it wasn't a solemn affair, but people showing respect for their fallen comrades and confirming that their lives were not given in vain.

What's cookin'?

It's funny how some people have to do one job and that's it, but for us, it's pretty much whatever's set for us.

We've got to know quite a number of people over the relatively short period of time we've been here and it's led to us having to do a variety of things.

Take Saturday for instance.

Saturday was the first day for feeding the animals - hence the Bonzo's Jolity Farm (above).

It's not like we haven't fed animals before, I mean, who hasn't? This time however, the animals were about thirty chickens and cockerels, two ponies, five pot-bellied pigs, two doves, a ferret and about a dozen or so rabbits.

They have to be fed daily and while it's not really enough for both of us to do, I just couldn't resist being able to get to know to them. Surprisingly, it's rained every time we've been round there, but it hasn't put a dampener on the fun at all.

I'm sure I'll feel differently if it does it all week however...

Today has marked the beginning of a new line of work - that of cooking.

Saturday morning, Pen was approached by a friend who asked her simply, "Can you cook?"

Pen replied, "Yes," and was then barraged with all sorts of information about cooking for her husband on the farm (there are a lot of farms and farmers round here!) and instantly had to come up with the ingredients for a number of recipes that would do for lunches for said farmer and his assistant.

Pen provided the woman with a list of ingredients and suggestions for the dinners and the desserts and she went away, having asked Pen and I to be at her house for about nine-thirty Monday morning.

So today - Monday - as arranged, we went round to the farm to begin cooking and discovered there was a problem.

Ostensibly, we were there to make several dishes - including desserts - but we were to discover that this French farmer didn't like garlic, peppers, pepper and a whole host of other condiments, herbs, spices and ingredients, all of which made our recipes a little awkward.

On the menu for today was:

• Cottage pie - similar to shepherd's pie, but with minced beef instead of minced lamb
• Bolognese
• Cheesecake
• Apple crumble

Now these are all pretty simple dishes and with a little sleight of hand, the meat for the Bolognese and Cottage Pie could be done together and split. It's not ideal, but it did at a pinch and time wouldn't allow for the full three to four hours of cooking.

However, to my utter horror, many of the ingredients I would have thought standard were not allowed and to Pen's dismay, the woman hadn't bought the biscuits for the cheesecake - any biscuits - on account of the fact that she read the ingredients and decided she didn't like them, but provided no alternatives, of which there are many.

So the Bolgnese didn't have any garlic, paprika, pepper, capsicums (red or green peppers) and the onions had to be really finely chopped or left large enough for him to pick out.

The cheesecake wasn't and the apple crumble had no cinnamon, allspice or anything else in it other than apple.

This was a big test for us, as tried and tested recipes suddenly tasted really bland, but it's what they wanted.

Apparently, the apple crumble was a big success, but we await the verdict on the other recipes...