owl sees all

You are not wrong there HP. Often the farang has more money than the Thai wife. But the lure that the lady fishes with is so - could we say - tempting. That evens the field somewhat. I've had a cat thrown at me. A cleaver chucked in my direction. Threatened with death. Been scratched. Sworn at. Been lied about. Screamed at. But then she smiles and puts my Maria Callas music back on the TV, and all is good to go.

Never mind HP. These things happen to the best posters.

I don't really want to get out more. But when I go to Udon Thani next month I'll look out for the leccy cars. Are they easy to spot? ZSs & GWMs??? TBH I don't know what you are talking about. In my village of 200 dwellings, there are only 12 or so pick-ups, and three tractors. Most are old. Not a lot of money up here to indulge in new stuff. Most families are in hock to the bank for a few hundred thousand baht. Poverty is the norm here.

Of course the answer is to educate/train your cat. Cats can learn like other animals; or people. I'll suggest to Mrs Owl that every morning there is no rat, lizard, chick or bird Poo should get extra nice food. If she brings a prezzie home; she gets only biscuit. Poo will learn; just like I had to.

Never seen one. Plenty of leccy bikes and tris but no cars or pick-ups. These leccy bikes are making many Thais lazy. Not many fat ladies 15 years ago. Now they are all over. In my village some use their leccy bike to go to the shops just 40 metres away. And come back with a large cola. Then sit down with the 'tippy tappy' and drink it.

What is a 'zebra crossing'? Does it mean the ones painted black and white? In my local town the crossings are now red and white. The old black and whites are gradually being worn out, and are hardly visible now. So do they count still? I find that if I stop to let someone cross, I get toots from behind. And once a car passed me on the outside, nearly hitting the guy walking across.

Mildred says she was hurting her paw trying to remove it. I'm not keen on collars for cats myself.

Mildred did put a collar on Poo. It had a bell attached. She said Poo didn't like it so she cut it off.

Owl Log - September 25th - Sunday morning. Fantastic new pond, just finished, just half a km from the farm. I'm really impressed how they kept the trees. The nut man has started doing the grass cutting. Unfortunately the tractor has no eyesight and just rips up whatever is in front of it. The irrigation pipework being the main casualty. Did manage to rescue a section. The work should be finished in number two farm today. Still need to use the manual cutter to finish off around the trees. Then it's in with the Nitrogen and cover it with the cassava. Me and Mildred let the crabs and snails go on Saturday. Mrs Owl can't get her head round it. "Why you buy snail? Let them go. Farang ding dong." Snails into number one and crabs into number seven pond. vid let crabs go.mp4 Fed the fish. A real mix in number seven. Nin in one and two, and mekongs in number four. vid feed mekongs early.mp4 What is that in the tree in number six pond? Lovely bird nest. Poo brought us a new gift in the week. This one a bit bigger than the last. Let it recover in the cage for a day or two, before letting it go. vid let bird go.mp4 The Mrs had a serious talk with Poo the cat. "No more catching birds." The following day she brought us a tiny chicken. Just have to live with it. Cats like to bring the people that care for them presents. I remember our cat brought a sea-gull through the cat-flap, into the kitchen back in Dagenham. What a commotion! Woke the house up at four in the morning. Couldn't get the bird out. Just left it with the door open. Fortunately flew out after 20 minutes. The Buddha next to us at the farm is making things very nice for the customers. Finished their living quarters too. When they first opened up they were quite busy. There was a Saturday morning 'cleansing'. Mrs Owl went a couple of times. The ladies would sit in a line and get cold water poured over their heads. All sounded a bit kinky to me. One Saturday morning the Mrs was not getting ready to go. "You going to the Buddha today teerak?" "No!" She never went again. That was about 4 years ago. It all died a death. The Buddha in the village is storming ahead. The top sections should be finished in the next week or so. I can see you up there. Tax cuts all round in the UK. The new chancellor certainly knows how to dish the dosh out. Referendum in The Donbass. Hope the fighting will end soon. Went to pay the leccy at the local PEA office. Twelve people waiting and just one guy serving. Where were the three regular ladies? Gave it ten minutes before I left and gave my ticket to the delighted 'last-in' lady. Try again this week. It had jumped up to over 1700 baht from its usual 13/1400. The M in L's was slightly lower than usual at 390 baht. Footy round-up. The 'O's go storming on. Will Orient go undefeated for the whole season? Sending messages to Liverpool and City. 1-0 to Italy. Were England poor; or were they;;; well simply tired? Spain lost at home for the first time in 4 years. Can't get any info on Thailand's footy. No friendlies that I can see. Ladies volleyball seems to be most important. Mildred has her end-of-year exams starting tomorrow. Her worst subject;;; Thai history. Been doing my urine therapy for a few days now. I notice my eye-brows have lost their greyness. And the 'war-wound' on my temple has almost disappeared. I think Mrs Owl has accepted the new cat Ginger as one of ours now. Before she would try to whack him whenever he ventured into the house. Now she just shouts. That's three cats at the mo'. Last time in Ban Dung turned out to be a bit expensive. 600 baht for a hand-bag. But when I saw it was an authentic 'Gucci' I though straight away 'sound investment'. Don't see this quality on sale every day. Last time I saw such a bargain was in Laos. Then I could have snared a Rolex for 600 baht - or two for 1000. On closer inspection; it was indeed a 'Gucci', although the gold was probably not solid; just gold-plated. I looked all over, but Couldn't see those telling words; 'made in China'. Wife was really - as in '''really''' - nice to me all the way home. Mildred has befriended a new cat; or the other way round. She went to the shops for some Red Fanta and it followed her back home. How lovely. Only one thing left to say; bye y'all.

Would I have to scan anything; like a bar-code? I was thinking of just sending the dosh to their account through my computer. As in account to account transfers.

Wow! How do you do that? I asked in the PEA place about it and they said 'cannot'.

I was asked for my pink card in Big C last month. Trying to pay the leccy bill.

Thanks for the best wishes HP. The MinL went to the hospital for a routine visit in the morning on Thursday morning, and whilst trying to get from the car to the wheel-chair; fell. She stayed in hospital for one night. Came home yesterday. Seems OK now. My cunning plan!? Like a game of chess. Must plan ahead and move carefully before executing the 'Check Mate'. Or agreeing a draw, or, resigning in defeat of course. Started my urine therapy yesterday. Went OK; but so far only executing Amandha's phase two. Will report on progress.

You are on the money there Sterling. But the snails they eat in froggy-land are different. Called Cargoes or something like that. Mrs Owl and her sister have already had a few away. I challenged her and she said "no", But I saw the shells in the bin. Think Mildred might have eaten one or two also. Gonna put them into the pond today. Crabs seem OK. Couldn't get to the farm yesterday. The M in L had a fall and bashed her head. Had to sort that out.

Come now Connda. Every man's dream to tame a Tom, and put her on the straight and narrow.

She didn't want to lumber anyone else with this lemon. Lady of principle and integrity. Need people like her in politics.

Should have bought gold.

Need more of this 'direct action'. Great stuff.

Make you right there HP. But she was Welsh, and liked 'lava bread' (sea weed),. She was a lovely lady. Fatima had some strange habits; but maybe it was me for not understanding them. And my dear Caribbean wife saw things on par with me; except religion. These GALS are big. As in a football. Could hand feed them lettuce.

I'm in a small village. Did live at the farm - miles away from any leccy - a few years back. When the daughter discovered the internet we moved to the village. Small house; nothing special. Still there. Is there a better place in the world to be? I've been all over and I reckon "NO".

Not so sure about these ones HP. But my daughter had a GALS; a Giant African Land Snail for five or six years back in Dagenham many moons ago. So, I reckon at least five years.

That's good of you to say HP. Thank you so much. I find that life in Isaan can be exciting, often challenging, but never boring. When I go to the farm today, I'll probably spend half an hour watching the mekongs cruise about in pond 4. I find it hard to tell them apart - unlike the kois - so I can't name them individually. There is a noise coming from outside. I think Poo - no it's Ginger - is jumping on the crab bag. Don't think he can harm them. Maybe just stress them a little. Gone to check on the snails. Water is gone. Hole in plastic bag. Start again.

Mrs Owl has well gone so I can really cut loose. Couldn't find a bowl so filled a large plastic bag and put the sack into it. That will keep the snails happy for a while. I'll give it half hour then take out the snail sack and swap with the crab one. She hasn't taken the pick-up, so I'll shoot off to the farm while she's away. If the crabs and snails are still in their sacks when she returns; who knows what will happen to them. There is also a new pond just over the back of us. I'll get some pics of it, while she's in Ban Dung.

Mrs Owl has gone to Ban Dung with her sister. So I'm free to do whatever I want. So first thing is to inspect the contents of the two sacks. Had to tie the one with the crabs. They will climb up and escape. Not too many big ones this time. Very pleased with the snails. Some lovely ones. Gonna get a bowl of water for them. Want them to be happy with their new owner. That's if you can ever 'own' snails; or crabs even. I just want them to have a happy life. So they will go into two of the ponds later.

Saw her last week. Wow! A beauty if ever there is one. Second only to that Sawang Dan Ding lady of a few years back. And she's also a mind reader. Just what any red-blooded man would want in a lady. She is faultless. But alas! I don't think my dreams will come true. Mrs Owl has spotted the crabs and snails that I bought this morning. She has threatened to kill them. I'm sad.