Cameron, sorry, I didn't mean to scare anyone. Ticks have been around here for a long time and never been a problem for the tourism trade. Still, it pays to be alert, hence what I've been writing. As for France, I'm not sure what the situation is there, and I'm not sure where the Esterels are, but the Côte d'Azur has a very similar climate to where I live. Even the flora is quite similar. So I guess we can safely assume ticks may be present there as well, even though, as I said, they have not been known to be a problem for the tourist trade. It's been a while since I've been to France, but I'm sure you will be able to buy insect repelent at the airport (are you flying to CDG in Paris?) and at the major locations in the Côte - Cannes, Antibes or Nice come to mind. I don't think you should be too concerned about hiking in the area, just be alert to the possibility and deal with it if it happens. Of course, safe hiking in any place should include stout footwear and socks, plus long trousers and long sleeves, if the weather allows it. Not just because of ticks, but for all kinds of bugs and even plants. Sorry if I'm scaring you, it was not really my intention, but just to alert you that ticks are a lot more common than one can think of at first and appropriate measures should be taken if you're planning to spend time outdoors in this type of climate. Cameron, above all, enjoy your trip to France, the Côte d'Azur is a wonderful place (used to go there for work, many moons ago). Eduarda

Thanks again, everyone -- especially for your ideas on how to clean the bricks! Here's what was left of the house during the last stages of demolition this weekend: ... and then the chimney came down! Now I have a nice pile of bricks to show for it... you should have seen me digging through the debris to salvage the good ones... everyone else thought I was nuts, so they only "helped" while I was looking! I had to leave with the kiddos for a few hours, and when I came back, a bunch had been thrown in the junk pile. Good thing the dumpster was full, so I could still pick them out of the junk heap before they get put into a new dumpster! There's still a lot of sections of brick left that didn't break apart -- too bad they're too heavy for me to manage (10 or 12 or more bricks still mortared together). Anyway, just wanted to keep you posted. On a side note, I noticed this flowering shrub at the demolition site (our new property) -- can you tell me what it is? So pretty! I get so excited when I see hope of new life at our to-be home! bloomin...

nomorebluekitchen - For oven bacon, I use a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper (easier cleanup) and lay the bacon strips out side by side . I cook at 350 or lower to cut down on shrinkage. This is how we always did it in every restaurant I worked in. Although usually in the restaurants we would partially cook it this way and then finish on the griddle. I cook it this way at home because it generally creates less mess and you don't have to turn it and look after it the same way. caryscott - I'll have to try the Piller's taste Better than Bacon, thanks for the tip.

Well, unfortunately I can't GET at the kitchen floor or I would have! We've looked at it as far as we can - no doubt there's wood there, the question is just whether or not it's been nailed through and ruined or not :( This is what we found in the other room: A shame about this (and how do I go about restoring this as much as is possible? The only thing I'm worried about is SPLINTERS, because the gouge is fairly deep - I don't care if it looks its age!) Sooo much nicer than that ucky, icky, grubby, dusty carpet. I'm now hoping that the section in the hall just outside the room will also have wood - I pulled up a corner and it looks hopeful, but I have a feeling the original heating vent was there and if it was removed at some point it means there will be a big gap in the middle. Here's hoping!