owl sees all

Had some rain last evening; but nothing much. I think tonight - Sunday night/Monday early morning - will be wet. So says Jack the cat. He is not often wrong.

Music too loud. Some of the officials have sensitive parts.

They need one win or three points to get auto promotion. Five matches left. Only Forest can stop them playing in the EPL next season; but if they lose one more match Fulham are up, no matter what else happens.

Burnley have done a wrong un with this. They are a poor team, and some players have failed to shine all season. They needed players to step up; but they haven't. Doomed!

Kiss of death. 1-3 to Coventry City.

Owl Log - 10-04-2022 - Sunday afternoon No rain so far this month. All the good work in March quickly being undone. And so far it's not particularly hot. Strange couple of months. Want rain for the ponds, the eucas and the oil palms. Nuts at 9.85 baht a kilo. Got a nice result from the last palm nut cut. 35k all told. About 4k+ for cutters and transport. Left just over 30k, to be split 50/50. So that was 15k for us.Mrs Owl took the dosh and paid off 8k on the gold next day. By the time a few other bits and pieces had been paid for, and bought, I had to top up our dosh the ATM for Big C. That big building opposite Big C has interesting colours. Tesco is fully converted to Lotus now. I find it quite expensive. Not found anything in there that can't be bought cheaper somewhere else. Go there for the 20 baht shop outside. Went into farm three to pick up the rubbish and check on the nuts. Oh dear! Good thing the Mrs was not with us. Not too serious. Soon got out with local tractor help. The farm at the back of number four has planted cassava this year. They grew sugar for the last few years, but yields have been gradually getting worse. So back to another favourite. Some serious work going on in our village. The work is in the 'down town' area, but gradually getting nearer. Mrs Owl says water pipes. I think waste pipes. Perhaps both. If it's coming our way, it will be with us this week. The Buddha jetty build has been progressing nicely. Took a walk out there. Seemed solid enough. A new pond dig has just been finished. It's on high ground. Hope they noticed that. Two ponds - connected. A little bit of subsidence already. Both are deep. I reckon 6/7 metres each. The lower of the two ponds. Poom is living at the farm next to us. He comes over to see us every day. Helping Mildred with the fish feeding. Sent away for some gold in the week. Got a little purse as a gift. Gonna get a gram or so, every month; if there is any dosh left over. Much better investment than handbags. But ya never know. It's stashed away. Mildred knows where it is. White cat has had her kittens. They were hidden for a couple of weeks - somewhere or other - then she bought them into Grandma's house. Not one of the little ones has a long, straight tail, like mum. The tubs opposite us have a roof covering. Had to go take a look. Not really high enough for a two metre tall farang. Can't make out what they are doing. I'll keep watching. The same people are looking after ducks again. White ones this year. They wander about outside their compound; but not too far. I much prefer ducks to chickens. Used a new camera all last week. Pic quality is awful. Back to the phone-camera this week. Gave Um a couple of tins of cat food. For the white cat. I fear for the kittens though, they will want to get out and about belong long. There are so many dogs around. Ever since the 'dog-wagon' stopped, dogs have multiplied three-fold. Footy round up. Leeds got a great result yesterday. Sheffield Wednesday drew and Fulham play today. Seems a formality against Coventry; but ya never know. Four away wins from 5 matches on Saturday in the EPL. The very big one today; City v Pool.. Starts a little late at 10-30, but I'll probably listen to the first half. Irons play today also, their moral boosted by the Gooners and United both losing. In Europe last week, only Liverpool did well. Mrs Owl wants to water her garden at the farm today. Have to sort out the pipes as they have been chucked to the side because of the recent grass cutting. I was sitting in the pick-up in the Bang Dung bus station with the window down,. Mrs Owl was sorting out her gold and Mildred was back home. Ting (hat lady) noticed me, came over and spoke. "You alone Owl?" I told her I was not. She seemed disappointed, and touched my arm in a knowing way. She wandered away. Wonder what she had in mind! Eggs! When i was a little un, all chicken eggs were white. Now they are all brown; even in Essex. The shop on our land is finished and selling goodies. Be in the money soon. Gonna do an Owl Log special soon. Only one thing left to say; bye y'all.

Tex Ritter the singing cowboy. Tex Ritter, the singing cowboy, was riding on his horse back to his ranch, when he came across a Yankee patrol. The Captain in charge of the platoon spoke to him. "Are you Tex Ritter, the singing cowboy?" "I am indeed Tex, the singing cowboy. Would you like me to sing a sweet ballad to your platoon?" "Before you do Tex, I've got yo give you some news." "Go ahead Captain, I am Tex Ritter the singing cowboy." "Well Tex, we have just come from your home and it's not good. The injuns were there and they burnt it down." "Any news of my wife and her parents." "Bad news Tex. The injuns took your wife, stripped her naked, and tied her to a fence. You can guess the rest." "And the old folks?" "Scalped Tex; and left in the dirt." "My trusted dog; Faithful?" "Terrible Tex. Just plain awful. The injuns put him on a spit and roasted him. Then they ate him." Tex was a tough cowboy, but couldn't hold back the tears. The Captain spoke. "The lads have been on the dusty trail for ages, and are in need of a pick-me-up. Now about that song you promised!"

Thanks for that explanation Bannork. I thought it could be the Magnesium at work. The bigger ones are now 38cm in circumference; measured around, about one metre up. But many of the eucas are a bit hesitant. If I had to do the same again, I would pay far more attention to the actual planting. If the roots get damaged - easily done when dealing in thousands with a team that simply wants to finish quickly - they are very slow to grow for 12 months or so. Even now there are a few hundred that are not gonna cut the mustard. Good you give the Mildred's new school the thumbs up. TBH, kids either want to soak up the teaching or they don't. That's not to criticize. I didn't find real inclination to learn anything until well into my 20s. I think she would do OK in most local schools. Right now, Mildred is doing her painting; and perhaps she will blossom there. http://numbervillage.com/art/artmain Most kids show some aptitude and enthusiasm for something or other; be it art, music, sport etc. I feel it's our duty to give our children the support they need, to at least be confident in themselves. This is especially true in a foreign land, where the odds are stacked against certain sections of society. w

Just a bit more on this growing taller malarkey. For the last couple of months I've been taking 500 mg of Magnesium a day. I hurt my hip when on exercise with special forces in the desert. It had been playing me up bad the last couple of years. To the point - in February - where I couldn't lift my left knee higher than a couple of inches. The Magnesium has eased it about 80% I'd say. Now I can at least put on a pair of shorts without sitting down. Can't think of anything else that could do it.

No! I'm getting taller. Just measured myself; 1-92. I was considerably shorter when younger. I put it down to food, water and lack of exercise. Maybe climate change too; as Mildred says. Ah yes! Chest hairs. They are longer than a lot of other body hair. But these arm hairs are exceptional. I'll get some pics done and post.

Yes CL. All sorted. I used to do everything myself, but stopped working off of ladders a year or so ago. As I'm getting older I do find some things too chalanging. Climbing those Yang Na trees would be out of the question. If I was back in Dagenham, the annual Xmax Day swim across to Kent from Dagenaham Dock jetty would be a 'no no' too. Even when I last did it I caught the ferry back. The tide was too strong. Although some toughies did manage the two-way.

Owl Log - 03-04-2022 - Sunday morning And so to chilly April. Went to Mildred's new school yesterday for her induction. What chaos! Got there just before 13-00 and didn't get away 'til well gone four. They had run out of shirts of her size and the purple and red casual trousers had also ran out. Got a nice school bag. Though had to pay for it. Overwhelmed with bags now. The pink and black one is the new school bag. A little bit of drizzle started, forcing everyone under cover to complete the form-filling. Had a wander around the school for an hour or two. Walls started on the new block. Into the tiger's mouth. We have arrived. That's 854 km to Chiang Rai and 1763 to Malaysia. Well manicured garden. No fish in the pond. Only a frog. Pond in the corner of the school. Next time I go I'll put some floating fish pellet in me pocket. Try to get any fish interested. Gets windy in these parts. Too late for the farm when we got back home. But earlier in the week I had to sort out some eucas that had decided to bend over towards the road. If they bend over more someone is bound to ride their m/c into one and want money. vid bendy tree.mp4 It was no good. Nothing for it then. Pull them back more forcibly. Mrs Owl supervising. Shouting encouragement; as she often does. I'll leave then until Monday and then recover the strings. By then they will have righted themselves. The Buddha Village Project is gaining momentum. Could be finished in a year or two. Of course that depends on donations; and the free work of the willing village builders. It's gonna be great. Mrs Owl's fruit trees are slowly bearing results. This wet spell will help them no end. Mildred's cherries have also arrived. Not too many at the mo, but masses of blossom on the tree. Twins getting about. What's going on? Different garb? Usually dressed the same. The wall in Ban Dung is just about completed. Just the painting to be finished and the lettering on the big black plaque. Maroon and silver. Not the claret and light blue I'd hoped for, to celebrate The Irons Europa cup victory later this year. But get to the corner and double standards are evident. The wealthy soi has special treatment. The poor soi has basic stuff. We had a visitor at the farm in the week. A ninja or cyber-monster. He meant us no good. Mildred got shot first. Then he done the farang good and proper. Found a tower to no-where in Ban Dung. So many little gems around the town. Mildred doing her artwork. Glad to get the new school sorted out. Well almost. Have to pick up a couple of bits of uniform and get the shirts embroidered with the school name. Let Mrs Owl sort that. Turned really cold the last couple of days. Temperature in Ban Dung at three yesterday was just 17C. Couple more deaths in the village late last week. One a motor bike accident, the other old-age related. Mrs Owl says she wasn't familiar with either of them, so she'll not be going to the gathering. I'll make sure I contribute to both though. Just heard the 'boom, boom, boom' from the crematorium. Mask wearing is back. At the school yesterday, the only ones not wearing the masks were those eating. Even toddlers had them on. Footy round-up. Shock of the season yesterday. The Bees put 4 past Chelsea at The Bridge. The Owls keep up their push for the play-offs, although they left it late against Wimbledon. Fulham win in their derby with QPR, and they are miles ahead in the Championship looking certs to re-join the EPL. The Irons play today. The clash, next Sunday, between City and The Reds, could decide the title. Although a draw will keep the kettle boiling. Exciting game at Accrington yesterday. Their match against Cheltenham saw 4 goals, and a sending off, in extra time. The hairs on my arm have recently started getting longer. There are two in particular that are nearly 3 inches long. I remember a princess kissing me in that spot some years ago. I showed Mildred. She reckons it's the changing weather. Singapore gold! The government have issued a commemorative piece. A gold ingot along side a silver one. Both pure. A bargain at 3350 Baht? Might get one. Mildred won 500 Baht for her part in the old school doing well in the recent Province English and Maths exams. Don't know any more. Not the scores or the details. She gave the dosh to me and I sent 500 Baht into her account. Mrs Owl was a little upset that she couldn't get her hands on it. I was looking for a document and found some more of the Mrs' handbags. That's about 40 she has, but most will never go outside the house. What is it with these obsessive spenders on fashion items? I've never been really fashion conscious, but I will admit to syncing my hat and flip-flops. But that time when I wore a black flip-flop and a beige one to go to Ban Dung sent Mrs Owl delirious. I told her it was a new trend. No one else seemed to notice. It's just before twelve and outside it's dull. Not seen the sun for a couple of days. Very unseasonable. I'm definitely getting taller. Our bathroom door is 6 foot 3 inches high. For years I could just walk into the bathroom (barefoot) without giving it a second thought. Recently I'm hitting the top of my head. Could this be connected to the long arm hairs I'm wondering? Mildred can do swimming when she starts the new school in six weeks time. On a Saturday morning at the pool across the way. Only one thing left to say; bye y'all.

I think farmers depend on the weather so much that mot other stuff isn't worth talking about. Last year the weather (talking about it like it was some mystical entity wealding a wand) ruined the rice yealds. A couple of years back, there was early promise of rain and the rice growers got stuck in around May time, only to have to start again after a month without a drop. Farmers have realised that water, that can be traditionally relied on cannot not be taken for granted. Last year in Udon Thani Province, the rainfall was just 55cm. When I first arrived here it was well over 100cm year after year. I have noticed in recent times is the lack of 'monsoon' type rain, where is starts in early afternoon after a scorching morning, and simply falls non-stop for a couple of hours. There have been at least 5 new ponds dug out since November in our small area to help solve the water problem. Found a new on Thursday.

So it's honey time for everyone soon then. Like a honey and cheese sarnie.

Since the last Owl Log Thailand have won again. This time Suriname were the fodder. Are our beloved Thai footy team improving; or is the opposition just rubbish? Just what is going on with the England team's strip? England's colours are white and red. Don't want them playing in blue! Scotland play in blue. Could you imagine the reaction if Liverpool ran out at Anfield in blue. Mass walk out, OK. A colour clash away might be an excuse; but not at home surely. If I was in England I'd be the first on the mass protest over this.

Dear me! Left out the footy roundup. Put it in but somehow knocked it out. Footy roundup. Thailand won as did England. The Owls eventually got the win but in the first half were not at their best. Italy failed to qualify for the next World Cup. Heroes - or maybe villains - were North Macedonia. Sorry.

Owl Log - 27-03-2022 - Sunday afternoon Had to get the tax and MOT on the pick-up before the end of the month. Took it in on Thursday. No prob's. Picked the disk up yesterday (Saturday). While there, I took a few pics of the animals and the fish. I asked Mrs Owl if we could get an iguana. We have a couple of big trees very close to the house. I would be nice to sit and watch the beautiful creature in the tree. Just have to give a boiled egg every day to keep it healthy. Mrs Owl said 'No'. Just not having any luck. Ducks, turkeys and now an iguana or even a chameleon. Everything's a non starter. Mildred had to go to school on Saturday to do the entrance exams. We had spent all week going over Pythagoras, quadratics, pie-charts and applications of 'pi'. So we were quite confident. I was gonna pick her up at four. She took her phone and was to call be if she finished early. Called me at 1-30. "How'd ya get on with the maths Mil?" I asked on the way home. "Can you recall a question?" "One was a picture of a triangle, a rectangle, a cube and a circle. And under the objects were six words; Cube, rectangle, hexagon, circle, triangle and pentagon. Had to draw a line from the object to the word." "Was that one of the easy ones?" I asked in jest. "One of the hard ones." She replied. Takes a fair bit or organising to get 1200 students exam tested on the same day. Don't forget to sit next to a cleaver friend. Tesco is history. At least the best shop in town is staying the same. Popped in there to see if they had any glue-gun sticks and headphones. Never disappoints. Sorted out the euca at the farm. Used a coat-hanger, a cable-tie, a bolt and some string. Have to be imaginative and resourceful here in Isaan. Or finishing up costing money. Cleaned out the guttering while I was about it. That couple of hour's work moving a lilly from pond seven to six was well worth it. Carp love them pads, and can be seen cruising in and out of them.. The water is as high in March as it's been for a number of years. Leaning tree still leaning. Lilies in pond seven still looking great. A fair bit of wind in the week. Only one tree suffered. Mildred's Cherry Tree has started to blossom. A few early cherries, but in a couple of weeks there will be hundreds. Avocados outside also doing great. Mrs Owl is moaning about the mess all over the yard with the Chompoo wind-falls. We have literally hundreds this year. But they do fall off and make a mess. Anyway, regardless of the mess, they make good eating. That wall needs a bit of DIY and TLC. I'll have a word with the Mrs. Mildred's latest painting. Talking of painting; the wall in Ban Dung is progressing nicely. And the debris has gone. Obviously not the finished job. The Superheroes look sad. It seems that the restaurant has gone belly-up. Dino, Batman, Spiderman, Hulk and Superman. There's more round the corner. Bella, the lady opposite, called me over to look at her nest. Don't know whether they are bees or wasps. Bannork could tell me for sure. Poor scarecrow! 'How high's the water momma?' 'Ten feet high and rising.' Big outbreak of covid locally. Mrs Owl tells me everyone has got it, or gonna catch it. So if this is my last Owl Log!!?? Have to wash a couple of masks I found in the soi. Might need them. Bought a new wall swishing fan yesterday. Mrs Owl saw it in the back of the pick-up. "Why you want more fan?" I told her it was Mildred's idea. "Mildred was concerned that the cats would be too hot in the night." Mildred got a 'yak-yak' when we stopped. M just took it in her stride. She is gradually beginning to suss out her Dad's Dagenham sense of humour. Which has at its core this thought; no matter how bad it is; things can only get worse. So let's get down the pub. Anyway. Fitted in up this morning. Very swishy! What about that young 16 year old Indian lad beating Magnus Carlsen? The World Champ don't get beat very often. So OK you are aying; it was just a blitz game. But a victory - against Magnus - is a real scalp that will stay with him forever. Watched a docu on Bobby Fischer in the week. Very sad in his later life. That Chesea owner is history. Licking his wounds in Israel I understand. Can easily get the vibe that these oligarchs own great swathes of the world. However! Not all those Russians are wealthy. Poor old Urzoff hasn't earned enough to get a new suit for 5 years. Off to farm in a jiff. Only one thing left to say; bye y'all.

All the general markets up here sell T-shirts for less than 100. Can easily get a lovely one for 50 baht. Buy three, and price drops to 120 or 100 baht. I find the biggest problem is getting them without a heavy print. Be that 'Kitty' or 'Porn Hub'. Certainly the colours are not limited. Can get pink or orange or light green. I like a plain T-shirt. I'm not particularly fashion conscious, but I do like one that matches my flip-flops. And it goes without saying that it has to fit. Don't mind a few sizes too big, but definitely not a tight fit.

You are right about March this year Bannork. Although not masses of rain in our parts, I'd have settled for what we have got at the start. Had a sour experience with keys a few years back. The DinL had started at the 'Vocational College' opposite the prison in Udon. We had found a room close by that she, and her mum, liked, and I paid the room lady accordingly. She also had use of the motor bike. I bought her a nice crash helmet for about 1000 Baht. Mrs Owl got a call from Nan saying that the m/c wouldn't start. We went to visit. I had a spare key with me.and found the m/c outside the block. I thought I'd try to get it going. Couldn't get the key very far in. When she (Nan) finally showed, we got the story. She had lost the key, and some friend or other, had driven a screwdriver into the lock to try to get ignition. Of course it didn't work. Put the m/c in the pick-up and took it back to Ban Dung. Had a new key unit fitted. About 1200 Baht if I can recall. Even now - as the m/c sits outside the house 11 years later - it has two keys; one for the ignition and one to lift the seat for juice. Never saw the crash helmet again. Then she moved on to a hotel/room near Nong Bua. What a calamity that was! There is more, much more with the traumas of my time in Isaan. Later. Honey; yum yum! Great pics.

I think that many are not aware of what is going on. Millions of youngsters are entering the Metaverse as we type. The future is now. There is a chance for all of us to buy some land. assets, equipment etc. It does take some understanding, but once the 'penny drops people will see the Metaverse future. For those that get in early there are absolute fortunes to be made. Not that 'fortunes' is that important to many. Imagine you have bought some land in the Metaverse, and the particular bit of land is the gateway to fun and games. Also battles and love! Anyone wishing to pass through your. land HAS to pay a small fee. Without paying the fee, there is no right-of-way. The fee is in a crypto, and if converted, might be as little as 1 baht (say), but if your area become popular, there could be a million people crossing your land every day. Look at it as an investment that could be sold, if another sees the potential. The Metaverse is here and now. Best not to be left behind.

As far as searching in the metaverse is concerned; 'megaseach' is the way to go. Blockchain will not only be the safeguard of meteverse transactions, but the integrity of the metaverse is essential if people - real people like you and me - are to safeguard their acquisitions. For instance: it would not be possible to go unauthorised onto land in the continent of Fluffz without permission. If a metaverse browser (real person) wants to pass through a country he/she would need a password to do so. this requires a small fee. We are only talking a tiny fee, but with a million users a day wishing to venture forth, it can be seen where the money is. Most of the people rubbishing the metaverse have no cryptoes and do not see their value. As far as NFTs are concerned, they will ultimately be used as symbols for groups, gangs and war. That is in the metaverse of course. In real life they will find their way into art galleries and exhibitions.

The simple and obvious answer is the Metaverse. But the Metaverse is continually being mapped, so new lands and seas are being discovered and created. AFAIA, Flop Island is in the Capz Sea; in the third dimension. I'll research more and report back. The beauty of buying land - and indeed boats - is that they can be then used as an income stream. Plenty of people will want to holiday on these islands in the future..

Make you right there Gary. TBH, I think it's aimed more at the Laos ladies. There are three in our village (one form Burma also). Maybe it's an amnesty, or a way of keeping tabs!

When the Petro-dollar goes belly-up, anyone with Bitcoin or other cryptoes will be sitting pretty. I like the investments in land and those NFTs too. I'm seriously looking at buying some land in the metaverse. There is a plot of about three hectares going for 100k Baht (in Ethereum) a hectare, near Pugsville. Seems like a lot of dosh, but anyone wishing to cross the land - or even set foot on it - has to pay a toll. And if there is a battle there, I'll tenfold my money, through rent alone. Of course any weapons will have to be rented; guess who from? There is also a rowing boat for sale in the Spoegosso Sea. Anyone wishing to get to Flop Island, has to either swim across, or pay to get ferried across. So it will be a steady income stream. I have about 30 NFTs at the present time. They have authentication and are registered. I plan to sell them off when the time is right.

Owl Log - 19-03-2022 - Sunday afternoon Good afternoon y'all. Mildred did her first pic on the new, larger artist's paper. Cat keeping watch and the obligatory phone giving the latest news on covid and the Euro battles. And the finished painting. Not sure about the lass getting a piggy-back. Something has happened to her feet. Early days yet. Had Sotheby's on the phone yesterday. Mildred says she wants to keep them all. That's the way Mil. Who needs money? The wall is racing ahead in Ban Dung. I did say they will paint it in West Ham colours. Half done. Do hope they have a clean up later. Tree saved. On the way to Ban Dung I spotted a new style of transport. Fighting to keep it upright. Obviously taking it to the repair shop. Back at the village the second section to the farm road was completed. There we are; all sorted. Mildred has been moaning that her fishing nets are too small to catch the big koi carp. So it was off to the shop. Couldn't get a big one with a handle, so it was DIY time. Seemed easy enough. Cut the wires, and bind them on. Reinforce the bamboo handle and drill a hole for the four wires. Bash in the wires, fix them with a slither of bamboo and it's ready for action. The proof of the pudding. Can she catch Big Orange? Not yet. Just on the outskirts of the village. Another pond caught my eye. Could easily miss the scarecrow. I think he is there to scare away those big white birds. The twins are getting everywhere. Nadene has found something behind the Buddha. Nadia keeping a look out. Latest pic of the avocado plantation outside the house. Me and Mildred went to have a butchers at the tubs. Work ongoing. Fire at the back of number four farm. Saw a man with a bucket of water; just in case it got out of hand. vid fire is close.mp4 Mildred had her last day at school on Monday last. Have to go back on 26th to get her paper, and me, Mrs Owl and Mildred have to go to the new school on the 29th. ; Footy round up: I told Andy D to keep the faith. Leeds in the clear. Irons on their way to the Europa League Cup final; where they could meet Glasgow Rangers. Fulham odds-on for a quick return back to the EPL. The Owls finish the week with a disappointing draw. Had saved up all our change for the last 12 months. Took three tubes of dosh to the bank last week. Went there Friday, and pleased to see that Mildred had 7,100 Baht in her account. She gave me 5k for the phone I bought her two weeks ago. Have to do sneaky things here. I'll stick a couple of hundred in to her account every so often. Can't let Mrs Owl find out, or she'll pressurize her; and have it away. The rain on the 15th was more than welcome. Could even get some more before the end of the month. Ate in the bus-station restaurant on Friday (monthly family treat). The chef told the Mrs that it had rained the day before (Thursday). Didn't see any of that in our parts. A government lady came around on Wednesday Morning. She told Mrs Owl that anyone living in the house that was not Thai, could apply for an ID card. Is there something afoot? Only one thing left to say; bye y'all.