owl sees all

Owl Mini Log - 18-05-2023 - Thursday morning. The good news is that Man City are through to the Champions League final after whacking Real Madrid 4-0 (agg 5-1). Sorry to upset any Real fans reading the thread. Very sorry. Very <deleted> sorry. Honest!! The not-so-good news is on two fronts. Firstly; Ivan Toney - Brentwood and England - has been suspended from playing any form of football for 8 months. He was found to have wagered - at least 200 times - on football outcomes. Details of the actual betting have not yet been released. And. Indonesia 5 - Thailand 2 AET. The AFC final match was played in Cambodia on Tuesday evening and featured two big brawls. 4 players were given their marching orders. Thailand won the fighting 3-1 and finished with just 8 players on the pitch. One of the Indonesian scorers showed off his fashion bra during a goal celebration. Big one tonight in Sheffield. Post take a 4 goal advantage to Hillsborough. Eventual winners will meet either Barnsley or Bolton in the Wembley final.

What's the matter with some of these players? Seems to me they are scared to break into a sweat. United players the same until Mr Ronaldo left. Then all of a sudden Fred learnt how to pass the ball straight. Is there something similar at The Bridge? I'm baffled by Pulisic. No doubting his talent. Cost a fortune. But how/why has he suddenly become a very average player?

Thanks for the encouraging words DJ. Mildred back to school yesterday.

Owl Log - 14-05-2023 - Sunday afternoon Nice to see a bit of rain. The emphasis on a 'bit'. Some areas had a downpour, but not us unfortunately. Perhaps next time! The authorities have still not fixed the hole in the 2022 road. The stone has arrived, but not yet the workers. I'm not having a lot of luck with the trash-grabbers. The last one fell apart and the present one is next to useless. Patched it up with some bamboo and cable-ties. However, the soi is just super-duper clen. No rubbish in our section; which is 117.75 metres long. And i do just around the corner at the MinL's house. Looking south. Looking north. Those beautiful orange flowers are blooming. We fixed up the roof. Guy came to lend a hand. Couldn't have done it without him, as the main roof sections had slipped off the cross-bearer./member. So it was a case of levering them up and knocking them back in place. All good now. Just in time for the drizzle. Did get a yak-yak from the Mrs. "Why you use different roof colour." "But teerak, I could only get 6 brown, so I bought some blue, to make sure we had enough." "People will think you ting-tong. Farang stupid." And while we were up the ladder, Mildred was relaxing in the tree. Not too much water left in number 6 pond. Mildred thought she saw a snake-head and went down with her net. The Mrs bought a case of Lychees in syrup in Big C. Half price! A bargain she said. I found out why they were cheap. They had put the top at the bottom. Someone broke the chicken at the gate. Fair play to Mildred. She owned up. Knocked it over with the bike. No pocket money for her this week. The house on the edge of the village is nearing completion. A bit of landscaping and it will all look grand. Just along from us at junction 11a, there is another build going on. I'll pop along today and see progress. Me and Mildred sorted out the tree that was broken and lay half across the road. Tried the chain-saw. That didn't have enough power. So out come the new saw that I treated myself to in the week. I'll have to cut it high up Milly. Got the pick-up in place. Soon down and sorted. The Lilly in Mildred's little pond has blossomed. She has a few little fish in there. Been trying to get some of those pink cat-fish. Took down the experimental water-lifter contraption. Will look at the project another time. The weather has changed with those clouds coming over from Vietnam. 10 degrees C less today than earlier last week. The euca plantation just along from us has been chopped. I should have been more aware, but I went along to see when I heard, and saw it was gone. Cut 18 months ago. New growths in abundance. Opps! Some rain last week. I went out doing my rubbish thing and it rained. Not enough to stop a game of cricket or make a carp fisherman put his brolly up. Mildred is back at school from tomorrow. Bought her two new white shirts and two blue skirts in Bandung. Mrs Owl took us to the 'special' shop. 1440 baht!!! I couldn't Adam and Eve it when I got the bill. There was a mistake surely!? No mistake though. Had to cough up. Same shirts in Big C for 149 baht. "Different cotton." The Mrs explained. I was moaning about it on the way home. "You bought saw; for yourself." Said Mrs Owl. She was right. Shouldn't be a selfish farang. Got a new fan for the kitchen. Wanted a classy one that could stand on the cupboard. 600 baht (delivery and driver's tip included). Not for you Poo; for the kitchen. Had a delivery in the week. At 20-20 I got a call from the delivery man. He was saying something - that I couldn't comprehend - and hung up. Dogs didn't bark, and Mildred - who was sitting outside - didn't see anyone. Next day I looked at my account on Lazada, to find out about my cranberries, and saw the order was marked as 'failed delivery'. This was 'Flash'. I reordered 2 kiloes straight away. The Mrs has just gone and voted. Like to think it will make a difference to the result. We will see. ========== Footy news. ========== Three games saw 21 goals on Monday 8th last. 5-3, 1-5 and 4-3. ========== Posh hit 4 against the Owls in the first-leg play off. ========== Sunderland take a 2-1 advantage to Luton in second leg ========== Notts County follow Wrexham into the football league after beating Chesterfield. ========== Thai musings. ========== 186 foreigners in Phuket were found to have overstayed their visas. Just one week's haul from April 28 – May 4. Over 100 police IO's swarmed the island and inspected the documents of foreign targets. ========== Thailand‘s Revenue Department proposed a 1000 baht 'departure tax' be applied to all outbound airline passengers – both Thais and foreigners – in a bid to prevent excessive overseas spending. ========== A former monk, and two other individuals, have been arrested on suspicion of embezzling 180 million baht from Wat Pha Dhammakiri in Nakhon Ratchasima. The accused, Khom Khongkeaw, previously known as Phra Ajarn Khom Abhivaro, and his sister, deny the allegations. They claim that the money was used for 'other purposes.' The sister is accused of depositing some of the money in Khom’s account while retaining the rest for herself. ========== Pattaya is looking to allocate 30 million baht for the repair and upgrade of Bali Hai Pier. Mayor Poramet Ngampichet said that the Bali Hai bridge, which connects the pier to the mainland, was deteriorating fast, and repair work was needed to the foundations. The last significant maintenance performed on the bridge was way back in 2015. ========== A couple of horny factory workers were caught having sex at work in Rayong. A female colleague, recorded the entire encounter on her telephone. ========== Thailand’s Criminal Court sentenced two Thai scammers to 12,640 years each in prison. They were operating a Ponzi scheme. involving billions of baht. ========== Members of ground staff at Khon Kaen Airport, were stung recently by giant honey bees. All required hospitalisation. Thailand's giant honey bees can be up to 2 centimetres long, and even one sting can be dangerous – or even fatal if the victim is allergic to the bee’s venom. Cornell University apiculturist (bee-keeper) Roger Morse called Thailand’s giant honey bees; “the most dangerous stinging insects on earth.” ========== Pita Limjaroenrat, the leader of the Move Forward Party (MFP), is facing increased scrutiny over claims that he owns shares in a now-defunct media company. The MFP - which emerged after the dissolution of Thailand’s Future Forward Party - is set to make a significant impact in today's polls. ========== A Thai transwoman filed a complaint at Patong Police Station on Tuesday, May 9, after five security guards, at a bar in Patong, forcibly removed her from the venue without a reason. ========== A New Zealand tourist, pleaded guilty to drug possession at a court in Phuket. Police had arrested 45 year old Ari Michael Salinger after finding two ecstasy tablets on his person. he was sent to jail at the Patong Provincial Police Station, where - according to his father - his clothes were removed and he was left to sleep naked on a concrete floor, without access to water, for three days. He was released on bail and his passport was confiscated while he awaited trial. On Monday, he was given a 'small fine.' ========== A Nigerian man, previously arrested for drug-related offences, and deported from Thailand in 2018, was arrested again by officers from Phuket Provincial Immigration Office. He was charged, with both drug dealing and being involved in 'romance scams.' ========== Police arrested a former pilot for tricking young women into his bedroom, and secretly recording them in compromising situations. Thirty victims have been discovered by the police through watching videos on the man's computer. Further investigation into the case is required, said a spokesman. ========== World affairs. ========== An American man had an unusual experience while staying at a Nashville hotel in Tennessee. He woke up to find the hotel manager sucking his toes. ========== An American man was stunned when he discovered that the twins he had raised for 17 years, were not his; after they took a random DNA test. After confronting his wife, she said that she couldn't recall cheating on him. ========== Sweden are Euro singing champs. UK came in last but one. Germany rock bottom. ========== Pakistan's Imran Khan - former cricketer turned politician - was arrested; then released. ========== Ex-POTUS Donald Trump, was ordered to pay a lady - who he claimed he had never met - 5 million dollars for an incident in the 1990s. ========== Ukraine's Zelensky meets up with the Pope. 'Peace in Ukraine' is allegedly the main talking point. ========== Four Chinese men - unknown to each other - all claimed to be the father of a new-born.. They were all colleagues of the mother's late husband; a firefighter who lost his life in the line of duty. ========== In front of a large crowd in Xiang, China, a soon-to-be-bride - dressed in her wedding garb - had put a chain around the wrists of the lucky would-be hubby, and was tugging fiercely. He was laying on the floor and was refusing to be dragged away. ========== Two Chinese students, taking advantage of what they believed to be a hidden corner in a car park, had sex. The incident, was however, filmed by a voyeur in Wenzhou, South East Province of Zhejiang, China. ========== China’s rice yields have reduced by 8%, because of extreme rainfall, during the past twenty years, according to a study led by researchers from the country. ========== The largest ever recorded cosmic explosion, has left astronomers eager to conduct further research. The fireball, known as AT2021lwx, is a hundred times the size of our Solar System and initially started blazing in the distant universe over three years ago. The Russians are suspected to have started the fire. ========== 79 year old Robert De Niro, has become a father for the seventh time. ========== We did get the washing machine back from the repair guy in Bandung. It is working perfectly. Fingers crossed. Mildred back to school tomorrow. I'm gonna miss her so much. Rain has just started up again. The drops seem a bit bigger this time. Voting at the village square. Mrs Owl went and was back in two minutes. Good to see the villagers don't have to go too far. Rain has stopped. Mildred's art production has slowed considerably. Hope she is not losing interest. Be a talent wasted for sure. Sun is out. vid cut euca.mp4 Only one thing left to say; bye y'all.

Not wrong there Bannork. He certainly knew his stuff. Fortunately there is another kid on the block named Red Phoenix. Seems very knowledgeable. Still raining at 22-00. Let's hope it rains all night. Fish and trees need it bad.

You are bang on the money there DJ. She is a musician practising her craft. Does she want to leave the land of similes? Maybe not! Living on the cheap. Occasional high. Free puplicity. Probably losing weight.

I think spell it different. Call it Koo. That will fool him.

I'm the same Sir. Nice to have good hearted people on the forum like you and me. Sad story.

Not electric then? Like me old Lidl one.

Good to hear you have nice habits. Must ask though; does the water not cause the watch to malfunction? I had an Lidl watch once, and as soon as it got wet it would stop. I'd put it in the microwave for 30 seconds and it was good to go.. It never kept good time though. But that was a long time ago when I thought wearing a nice watch would impress women; just like my Ford Cortina did. Here in Thailand, one doesn't have to be so sophisticated as drive a Cortina. Just have a twenty baht note stick out of ya shirt top pocket;and wander about. That's well enough.

Just two weeks left. I'm thinking that I'm too far back now to win. Important that I make top 4.

Some of these 'knock off's - as you put it STF - are so good. It takes a skilled watchman to open them up to look inside to determine whether they are the real deal or not. Don't know where they are made. Probably Formosa or China. You would have to pay me to wear a watch; and double to wear a Rolex. In saying that, i did buy one in Lidl for 2 quid once. Battery went flat after a week.

They looked OK to me. And my friend - is an expert on watches - said they were professionally made. But, I've never been a watch wearer, and anyway was after a 'satellite phone, for the same money.

Especially when you can buy them for 600 baht in Laos. And you have to take them apart to tell them from a pukka one. These people wear them to show off. Perhaps they are more accurate than the time on ya mobile!

UdonThani has been the hottest province for the last month. All seems back to normal now. BKK getting what is traditionally theirs; very warm weather. I think you are just round the corner to the old Bansumran fishery in Babg Kapi. Now filled in and no more. I'll not be going anywhere near that area again.

Not hot today. Moaning over. Ditch the air-con.

Indeed. The Sum Sao temple certainly has a better understanding than me.

Wet the grass and lay on it. If you are in the sun, place a wet cloth over your eyes and forehead. Better to lay in the shade of a tree if possible.

Not necessarily like that OMF. I was keeping with the thread on how to deal with the heat. Frogs sit on the lily pads, but in the shadow of the flower.. Buffaloes go in the ponds. Elephants cover themselves in mad. Dogs find a bit of shade. Those creatures don't have fans or air-con. Some big cats lay in the tree during the heat of the day. They eat less and do their exercise early and late. Any carp fisherman knows that the carp lay still just under the surface and only start to feed when the temperature drops.

I'll raise a glass to that HP. He was indeed a helpful poster/mod/guy.

Just came in from the farm. Absolutely beautiful. No fans, no air-con nothing. Just nature looking after itself; on spite of the damage humans are forever doing to it. Sit under a tree with a cold (non-sugar) drink. If you have a lawn; go and roll on it. Do what the animals do..

This thread is getting too complicated for me. Confused in Isaan.

Air Con is for wimps. Get ya exercise done between 4 and 7 in the morning. Walk in the sun - barefoot if you can - as much as is comfortable. Ditch sugary drinks and drink more water. If you have grass in your garden, lay on it wearing as little clothing as possible. Get with nature. As for taking showers all the time; rubbish!! Just temporary relief.. Wet the grass outside and go roll on it. Air Con gives you the Yips. It causes more sickness than wasp stings. As for fans, don't just blow hot air about. They need to be placed where they move cooler air into warmer air. Think 'venturi'!! Although it is very warm, moaning about it will make it seem warmer. Personally, I embrace the start of this Global Warming period. When the rain starts in July all these hot days will drift into the memory; until next year. And it's too hot for the mozzies. Rejoice!

Owl Log - 07-05-2023 - Sunday afternoon May has certainly started out on the warm side. No rain yet this month, although this is tradionally the first month of the 'wet season'. Had a problem in the kitchen with a broken tap. Snapped off at the wall. Tools at the ready. First job was to cut the outside pipe and knock the old pipe through. Put a valve on the outside. Soon had it sorted. Now Mrs Owl tells me she don't like the new set-up. So more work in the week. B1oody tooth didn't want to come out. Was a lot more seated than I thought. But after a few seconds it was no longer annoying me. Been trying out new drink. I'm mixing 6 sachets with about one and a half litres of water and putting in the fridge. Then - when it's ready to drink - I'm mixing it with a soda water (Chang). Not a million miles away from the Ginger Beer of yesteryear. Air cooler for the MinL arrived last week. She is bed-bound and we gave it a go trying to make her comfortable. Pook is in charge of the house and was informed about no t letting it run out of water with the pump going. Everything OK so far. Total cost with delivery charge 1920 baht. The first delivery saw the wrong item. It was a solar fan. Sent it back - got a refund - and had the correct item (air cooler) delivered. Wish I'd kept it now. Had a bit of wind last week. A couple of the eucas need attention. I'll chop that one today with my mini-chainsaw. And keep an eye on the bendy ones. Might have to chop them if they get any lower. Mildred and the Mrs have been riding their bikes to the farm quite often during the last month. vid ride to farm.mp4 Wow came with them on Friday. It's just about 3 km to the farm-house from the village soi. And to think I'd sometimes run there and back in days past. Now I'm content to give encouragement. "Right then Milly, don't let the others leave you behind." And they are on the way home. Took a pic at the far corner of the euca farm. Next month will see them in the ground for 3 years. I would say 10% are good; and some of those very good. 50% are about average, and the rest on the poor side. Mildred has been feeding the cats from another house. They come as close as they dare with the dogs. But when food is on offer they find some courage. I can't get near them. Mildred is the only only one they trust it seems. Why do dogs like chewing up shoes. In my case it is always the left one, so I'm I've not even got an un-matched pair. Mildred said to get a chew-toy for them. So, in Big C yesterday I forked out. Robert seemed to understand what was required. I'll not be splashing out 50 baht on a new pair of shoes just yet. Wait and see if the new chews are liked. Had a funny thing all last week. Chickens were going to the front of next door and peering into the window. I thought perhaps there was a chicken inside that couldn't get out. Every time I went closer they would run off. Mildred said that they were looking at themselves in the reflective glass. I reckon she is right. Must try to sneak up on them and get some decent pics of this amusing tale. Mrs Owl said people were coming over and taking our fish. So a new sign appeared. It reads; "10,000 baht fine for each fish caught in these ponds." That should do the trick. Jack just relaxes and watches the dog shenanigans. He is the calmest cat I've known in Thailand. Nice sunset on the way home from the farm on Wednesday. Is there a better place to be in the whole world; than Isaan?! Important World affairs. In a shocking incident, a couple was caught having sex outside of a popular convenience store entrance in Zhumadian, Henan Province, China. ---------------- Struggling Indian airline 'Go First' has declared bankruptcy. Attributing it to the “faulty” Pratt & Whitney engines that grounded about 50% of its fleet. ---------------- Scientists have announced a breakthrough in decoding human thoughts. Utilising a combination of brain scans and artificial intelligence, the the technology uncovers an individual’s thoughts. Husbands are eager to know more; the report says. ---------------- Previously acts such as up-skirting and secret filming of sexual acts were considered OK in Japan. Now laws are being brought in that would make taking sexually exploitative photos, or videos of others without specific consent, illegal. The bill against "photo voyeurism" would prohibit such acts. ---------------- Big losses tor Conservatives in Local elections in England. ---------------- An elderly Indonesian man revealed the secret of his hidden fortune beneath a mattress, that accumulated over several years, astonishing his relatives and neighbours. More than 20 relatives were eager to help count the stash. ---------------- A Spanish man named Toño Piñeiro discovered 50,000 euros hidden in the walls of a dilapidated house he had recently purchased. Much of it in old currency. The house, located Northwestern Spain, had been abandoned for over 40 years. ---------------- Alice Wong - half-Hong Kong, half-Malaysian Internet idol - has gained significant popularity for announcing that she had released her first adult video ---------------- A Vietnamese man’s adultery was exposed after his pet parrot revealed his secret affair with the maid, to his wife. Unknown to him, or the wife, the maid had been teaching the parrot to talk. ---------------- Lao blogger shot dead in Vientiane coffee shop.Lao blogger shot dead in Vientiane coffee shop. ---------------- Kevin Darmody vanished while fishing with friends in North Queensland. Two crocs suspected to have eaten the fisherman were shot, and the authorities found human remains in one. on Saturday. ---------------- Drone lands on Russian Parliament building in Moscow. ---------------- China has a World Chess Champion. Ding Liren defeated Russian Ian Nepomniachtchi. Magnus Carlsen did not defend his crown ---------------- A "visible armed presence" is expected in Liverpool as it prepares to host Eurovision, say police. ---------------- Pope defrocks Rwandan priest accused of fathering child - Wenceslas Munyeshyaka, 64, automatically loses "clerical rights” and is “excluded” from serving “anywhere” as a priest. ---------------- Five members of the Proud Boys, including former leader Enrique Tarrio, face decades in prison after being found guilty for their role in the January 6 US Capitol riot. ---------------- Artist Nathan Wyburn from Cardiff, has "raised a toast" to King Charles III by creating a portrait of his face using using 42 slices of bread and a large jar of Marmite. Thailand musings A Chumpton Buddhist monk found himself in hot water after allegedly having a secret year-long affair with a local woman. The family of the woman visited the temple to confront the abbot, leading to his disrobing. ---------------- At least 600,000 Indian tourists are anticipated to visit Pattaya this year ------------ The Public Warehouse Organisation (PWO) is collaborating with the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) and Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) to proceed with lawsuits against individuals involved in the corruption surrounding the procurement of 500 million boxes of rubber gloves worth 112 billion baht in 2020. ---------------- Baby born to budding Thai MP/PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra. She says ‘children are my secret power’ ahead of election. ---------------- A video that has garnered heavy criticism in the online world features a drunken woman - later revealed to be a transgender - caught urinating by the roadside near Lumpini Police Station. ---------------- Spirit houses – which look like miniature temples – are found in abundance all over the kingdom and are intended to appease ghosts by giving them a place to live so they don’t bother haunting people. A foreign lady Chiang Rai put her Barbie doll into one of the little houses. Gone 'viral' on the www with over 5 million' hits'. Footy Big Sam goes to rescue Leeds. ---------------- A new record. City’s Haaland set a new EPL record, scoring his 35th goal in a single Premier League season against West Ham. ---------------- Big celebrations in Naples after Napoli win the League. ---------------- Man City go 4 points clear of Arsenal. Liverpool up to 5th. ---------------- Cove relegated from Scottish championship after home loss. Run out of cranberries. I was a bit slow off the mark in re-ordering. Look forward to scoffing them later this week. Changed my diet again. Cheese in the morning with me cuppa. Three boiled eggs for early supper (about 6ish). In between just snacking on fruit and berries. Drinking lots of water and juices. My trash-picker-upper has still not arrived. Rubbish accumulating in the soi. Next month I'll seriously think about renewing my Pass Port. It runs out in December. Will use an agent for sure. Kevin - Isaan farang on YT - recommends one. Might go with that. Had a serious talk with Mildred yesterday about her future. What did she want to do? And where did she see herself in 8/10 years. She is as much in the dark than I am. Could we set up a small business? Something with an art involvement. She says she don't want to be a teacher or a farmer. That's it from a sweltering Isaan. Bye y'all.

I notice white MGs lately. Yellow is the one the Thais seem to like. This one in the village t'other day. Parked outside the general store.