owl sees all

They do some great massages up here. Especially on ya wallet.

To be honest Chaz, I havn't. I'm really not keen on having wireless stuff next to me. Even though we have WiFi I still use a wired connection on my laptop. And haven't got a 'smart phone'.

Owl Log - 04-01-2022 - Tuesday afternoon Another sad day at the village. On the way to Ban Dung on Saturday we came across two accidents. Both serious enough to stop all the traffic. Little did we know then that one of them involved a guy from the village. In his early 50's. Sadly passed way this morning. Just goes to show how dangerous driving can be at times. Or riding a bike or cycle. Didn't know if we were coming or going yesterday. Mildred was scheduled to return to school for Wednesday and Friday this week. The news came in at one in the afternoon, that the school was to open fully from Tuesday (today). Big panic; Mildred doing her holiday homework and Mrs Owl getting the school clothes ready. Then at 4ish came the new directive; school closed; return on 17th Jan'. All is calm, and relaxed once more, in the house. The boss of the fuel station in Ban Dung has two ponds. Some lovely big Koi carp in one. In the other an alligator gar. Between four and five foot long. Cows were on the loose in the village. By the time I got to the camera, the white one had disappeared. The black one was still outside. There were three rice milling houses last year. Not enough rice harvested to keep them active. So! One has gone. Only way to get the machine out is to demolish the building. Heard the twins outside. had the camera on hand. video_25650102_083246.mp4 Spotted a nice bit of fruit in Ban dung while i was waiting for Mrs Owl to shop at the market. Could easily walk by and miss it. Me and Mildred are always on the look out for the really big ones. Loads over 30cm now. The fuel station boss saw me taking an interest in his fish, and showed me his wooden house project at the rear. Some parts are not yet wood. The roof and the bath, and the windows. He is very proud of the building. Rightly so. Yes hinges too. We have a pond at the edge of the village that always has a good head of water. Must be a spring underneath. It is quite high up. Can see by the surrounding farmland. Back in Ban Dung they were doing one of the regular hose-downs at the southern 7-11 site. Was hoping to see the koi carp man at the ban Dung market as Mildred wanted some fish for her pond; but no show! I don't know why the footy authorities in the UK (FA) deduct points from teams in financial trouble. In The Championship, Derby are fighting for their status, as are Reading, Both, especially Derby, have a big point reduction to make up if they are to survive the division. Don't think a lot of the FA as it is. Some very poor policies down the years. Keeping with the footy; the Irons have refound that winning touch. But now, realistically, the best they can hope for is fourth spot. That's not to shabby anyway. And considering they are going to win the Europa league; a decent season. As for Man City; just hand over the EPL trophy to them now. What about Tony Blair being given the 'Order of the Garter' by the Queen? Like to see him in the dock, not in the HofL. There is a big rumour going around that Queen Liz popped her clogs late last year. The news has not been refuted by the Palace. Not that they have to anyway. But would dear old Tony have got his Knighthood without her? No! Evidently; it is her decision alone, on who gets the garter award. Still no rain. How many days is it since the last drop on October 22nd? 74 and counting. None forecast for this week. All the sugar growers have their fingers crossed. Me too! Sent away for two sets of earphones yesterday. The other three sets have all gone kaput. All have the same problem. The leads on all three have broken. Couldn't fix them up; so it's back to Lazada for more. The red ones were only bought late last year. I'll not take my chances. Into the recycle bin with it. But it's good to finish the Owl Log on a high note. The avocado outside is doing just great. Only one thing left to say; bye y'all.

Like it! Have a little something for those bad farang that don't wear no mask in town. Five steps: 1/ Wear a shirt with a top pocket 2/ Buy a sausage and take a bite. 3/ Place the rest of the sausage in top pocket. 4/ Put on the mask; but wear it under the chin. 5/ When getting funny looks; take out the sausage and have a nibble; or lick. Happy New Year to all the farangsters out there.

The best local fishing spots seem to be our own ponds!

Owl Log - 02-01-2022 - Sunday afternoon. Holiday over for another year. Very busy for us. What with the sick MinL and Mrs Owl's daughter being incarcerated. And on top of that the Mrs' Uncle died a few days ago. So things that I should have been on top of took a back seat. The delay in posting has meant that there is a huge backlog of pics and annotation for the diary. Too many for one Log. I'll split it in two or even three. Couldn't be an Owl Log without cats. We have a new one. Called Champoo - after a fruit I'm told - but already been shortened to Poo. A bit of a nipper. If she wants food she uses those sharp teeth to good effect. Then there is Jack. In the wars again. Must teach him how to defend himself. Cleaned him up, and he seems to be fine. Ready for round thirty seven. The avocado plants are still with us. One of the newly planted has broken through. The is a regular fruit and veg visit now. Mrs Owl always willing to support the local people. Sad to see a dead dog on the road. Reminds me of my time in Sav-la-mar: Jamaica. There with the then wife and her mum. There was a dead dog on the sidewalk of the main drag. Everyone was giving it a wide un, as it had swelled up big time in the hot sun, and was about to explode. The MinL came out with a classic; "Wouldn't have been like that when the English were in charge." "What would they have done ma? Took it away?" "No. Not that good. Would have been spiked it with a stick." Good food for the village chickens. More chickens on the road than people. The fire department in Ban Dung is always worth a visit. While waiting for Mildred I had a mooch round. Good to see they are investing in the latest machinery. Someone's had the number plates away. The pond from where they fill the trucks is very low. Picked Mildred up from school on the last day before Xmas. Some of the children had made a big effort to engage in the holiday spirit. Back at the village the local school were doing a march through. vid001.mp4 There is me; bottom left. Teach says; "keep up, or it's double maths for you lot." And then it was out of the village and back to school for more learning. vid003.mp4 Took an interest in a shop in Ban Dung. Think the guy thought I was American. Insisted on taking my pic. Thinking was to make me homesick and get me to buy one. Might do anyway. Another pond dug out next to our super highway. This one is nearly 4 metres deep. Have to remember not to go off-road when it's full. Sold the village house plot on a promise. Had it for over 14 years. Never built a thing on it. Guy said he would buy it, and a build started a few days later. Big plans. A 20 baht shop, eatery and PVC supply. Said he would pay me when the dosh started rolling in. I've noticed with the village twins, that one is adventurous, while the other is observant. Not sure what one is 'Nadia' and which one is 'Nadine'. vidtwins00.mp4 vidtwins01.mp4 Job done. Get a cuddle from mum. First time I've seen her since they were born. That entry takes me to the New Year. More in a couple of days. Too late for merry Xmas. So there's only one thing left to say; thank you, a happy new year and. bye y'all

Good to have you back Sterling. Never got the two rods and reels back. Particularly peeved with one set. Bought both in Pattaya 14 years ago. Caught my 33kg catfish with them. The other rod and reel were Mildred's. Can easily be replaced. Asked around, but no one knew anything.

Owl Log - 20-12-2021 - Monday afternoon. Mother in Law came out of hospital this morning. Mrs Owl says she might have to do a once a week out-patient visit to Udon. She seems to be OK for the time being. Passed the 'Farmer's Bank' after picking up Mildred from school on Thursday. There was a queue waiting for the ATM of more than 30 people; about 4-45. I wonder if there was gonna be enough dosh in the coffers. Must be Government dosh made available. Farmer Joe asked in a previous post about our rice store. It's big. Nine metres long and three metres deep. Far to big as a simple rice store; but then we had a rice thresher. One year we had over 200 sacks in the store. At the mo' we have 60 something sacks in just one of the three compartments. Bit of a junk-heap underneath. Have to ask/tell/pay Mrs Owl to clear it up. Spirograph arrived. Not a big set, but enough to test the water to gauge Mildred's enthusiasm. Gonna get a pack of coloured pens today from the 20 baht shop, when I pick Mildred up from school. she is Mon-Wed-Fri this week. Mre Owl went to Ban Dung yesterday to see her mum. Left me and Mildred to water the plants. Decided to burn the rubbish that was building up. The lady from the next farm saw the smoke and took advantage of the heat. Didn't care about the smoke. Just wanted to get warm. Made a reishi brew in the week. Added some carrots, onion and limes to the reishi strips. Bit smokey at first. Feeding the next farm's chickens has started to pay dividends. A white one too. When I was a kid, all the eggs were white. Getting a brown one was special. Don't know why they changed. Two months since rain. And none forecast. We have to face the truth. The climate is changing in northern Isaan. I was moaning about the lack of rainfall on 'Thai visa' in 2019. The water table is as low as I've known it in 14 years. Still have some water - courtesy of October 22nd - in all the ponds, although number seven only has about 60cm. Can see from the changed colour of the bank, how much the water has gone down in two months. Anyone tried to open those sewn-up sacks? I'm so rubbish at it, that I don't bother to try. Mildred is the master/mistress. vid - undo sack.mp4 I'm troubled by Jack. After a night on the tiles he comes back injured. Limping and blood everywhere. Fortunately cat heal very quickly. The avocados outside are doing OK (pics next Owl Log) and these ones are looking good. Special onion left - avo middle, special carrot to the right. Been looking into getting a chocolate tree or two. Interesting. Took them for granted when I lived in the Caribbean. Anyone out there in the know? Everything has been up in the air over the MinL. Hopefully things will stabilize now. I am told that the DinL was arrested in Pattaya for leaving quarantine early. She was on the tippy-tappy to her mum, asking for 10k baht to get her released from the police station. I said next time she calls ask her to show her surroundings. I don't think she was anywhere other than her rented condo. Just a ruse to get her hands on some money. I don't think I'll every know. Mrs Owl somehow sorted it. Big thanks for the members that emailed Mildred over her web-site. The support, hints and advice are appreciated. http://www.numbervillage.com Only one thing left to say; bye y'all.

Thanks for that Andy D. I had another look myself and re-ordered. They say delivery this week. So watch this space.

Owl Log - 12-12-2021 - Sunday afternoon. Remember Spirograph? It was very popular back in the day. Sent away for one on Lazada two weeks ago. Arrived yesterday. Nice zip-up case. But nothing like I expected though. An essential bit of kit for a budding high school student; but definitely not what I remembered spiro graph to be like. Back to the drawing board. Try again later today to get what I want. The avocado was moved again. Although still healthy it is definitely suffering from transplant shock. A bit like my brain when I came to Thailand. Some worry in the family. The MinL was taken into Ban Dung hospital a week ago. She spent three days in covid quarantine. That was all clear, but she is still in there. Finding it hard to ascertain what is actually wrong. Maybe age related. She is 76 now. I'm told, also, the DinL, Nan, has been taken into hospital in Pattaya. Mrs Owl said to send her some money. I said that next time she called, show the area where she was in hospital via the phone. No communication since then. It's a mystery. The Buddha farm next to ours, had had a pond dug out. By the looks of the soil, it will take a long time to fill. It's also one of the higher parts of the farm so there will be no water run-in. Jack has taken a liking to the new cycle's basket. The lily pond, number seven; is looking so good. These plants have only been in there a few months. Let's hope there will be water all through the dry season for them. I doubt it somehow, as that pond is the shallowest of the eight. I've spoken to Mildred about putting some in her pond at the deeper far end. I'll get to that in the week. Number seven is the first pond to dry out, and with the way it's going I reckon it's only got two months in it. Went fishing last week. I was lucky enough to catch three pla nin. Shared the big one with Mildred for lunch today. She didn't catch any nin, but did latch onto a beautiful grass carp of about 5 kilos. Popped it into her number six pond. There is nothing in the way of teaching at the mo'. So Mildred has been busy painting. I think we have gathered in all our rice. Have 60 plus sacks in the store now. Enough for the family, and extended family, 'til next time around in 11 months or so. The mesh has made it rat and bird proof. But not Thai proof. Two rods, with reels, went walkies out of our farm house. Only found out when we were getting ready to fish a few days ago. So gone in the last two weeks. The twenty baht taps were not as robust as they should have been. Think they might have been OK if there was no need to torn them on and off. The green one broke and the pink leaked badly. No point in going to Trading Standards. Just have to live and learn. I bought a new 25 baht one and it works a treat. So everything turned out OK. Was watching my mate John Rogers on his latest ramble through the Essex countryside last week. Makes me homesick to see it on You Tube. But it's good to know that the area is as beautiful as ever. Came across this gem. The Essex humour. I miss it. Although in saying that, I'm gradually adapting to Thai village jokes. In Dagenham we had our own, beyond melancholy, words. As we might say. "Ifv fingz appen hit will hone lee makez fingz worser; sooz letz get daan der pub." About eight months ago this euca was chopped by the cutter. I put it in a splint and tied it. Clean forgot ll about it, but came across it this afternoon while picking up a plastic bag that had blown over. It's recovered really well. Take off the string next visit. Went along to see a neighbour and was surprised to see how low his duck-pond water was. Noticed that one of his solar panel was missing. Sure he had two a while back. Have to ask the wife (my one) to investigate. The sugar planting is well underway. I think the farmers have it wrong. They are ploughing up dry top-soil and laying down the sugar. The sugar will grow, but yields in our parts will be poor as usual. In India they put the sugar in the ground just before the wet season starts. In Oz too. I asked Mrs Owl about planting the sugar. What did she think? Were the farmers planting at the wrong time? "Thai farmers know best. What you know about sugar; stupid farang." Perhaps she is right. Mildred will be 22 in ten years time. I'm thinking; will Ting save herself for me? Went past Gong's eucs farm. She has recently - as in the last few days - shallow tilled her farm. Her trees look OK, and I think on par with our number one. Our number four farm is much better though. She has 13 rai and planted a short while before us. We have about 30/31 rai It's been a traumatic week. Mrs Owl has been under a fair bit of pressure. Don't realize how expensive sickness is until it come along. Published 18 stories on the number village web site. Mildred's friends want her to translate into Thai. That will be a challenging exercise for her. All part of a good education. Mrs Owl's brother has left the priesthood. His wife and family are in Chaiapoom. staying at his mums for the present. Just two houses down. As long as he keeps out of my way I don't care. I've helped him enough in the past. No more! No rain for the last two months. We are OK for another month.Then we will have to start moving water about from one pond to another. All the biggies won in the EPL yesterday. Can The Irons keep pace? They are away at Burnley later. I reckon even Claret fans would not be too sad if we come back from Turf Moor with all three points. We had quite a cold spell. only coming out of it now. I read the temperature at 15C one morning and at night I had to put socks on. Nearly back to normal now. 25C this afternoon. Been taking Magnesium tabs for the last two weeks. Has definitely helped. Only one thing left to say; bye y'all.

Owl Log Special - 07-12-2021 - Tuesday afternoon The eucalypti were planted in June 2020. At the far corner of number one - which is also the highest point of the farm - pics have been taken pretty much from the same spot; roughly 2/3 months apart. Took them facing East, North-east and North. This set is the time-line looking North. First pic is July 2020. One month in the ground. The planted eucas are only a foot (30cm) high and hardly noticeable; although the grass is. Second pic; late August. Note the change in terrain. Or were my snapping skills failing me once again? October. Not much action. First time since planting where the eucas seem to have woken up and decided they could be big; or very big. Late November 2020. Nearly a full year ago. . Well into the 20/21 dry season now. Just one shower since the start of November. Pic taken January 2021. Growing seems to have slowed a little. Pic taken early March this year. Pic taken June this year. Only occasional rain since the start of the wet season. But it has definitely perked them up. Late August pic. No rain to speak of. But what there has, the eucas have gratefully lapped up, and are looking good. last pic taken in early November. Another one due at the end of this month; maybe Xmas day! i Compared to number four farm - where recently me and Mildred have found 5 trees with a circumference of over 30cm**** - this lot seem slow to get going. Grass is growing too. But has slowed recently. Last rain was October 22nd; six weeks ago. Only one thing left to say; bye y'all. **** measured one metre up.

You are right about the bamboo when it's being burnt. It gives off a loud crack that can be heard miles away. A lot of the bamboo in our parts have a tiny hole; or even none at all. Maybe they would sound even more like a 'firecracker'. Strange that I should have asked the bamboo charcoal question, as I lived in Jamaica for a long time due to my wife's heritage. Should have taken more notice when the 'Jerk Pork' was being prepared.

Some new news on the failed Restaurant Project. The Mrs saw the pics on the computer, and expressed some surprise that I was only now discovering the mystery. She, and everyone else, in her Thai circle that is, knows the story. The whole area was developed with no channot on the land. Indeed it was 'Government' land. There was some 'argee bargee' and the developer was forced to close. The Mrs informing me that he was ex-government and rich. The total loss was in the region of 40 million baht. No way of verifying the 'facts' of the case. But an interesting saga. I pass that way about once a month. I'll keep an eye on things.

The web site was a bit of a joint effort: www.numbervillage.com I think it would be a help to her in the future if she could understand HTML, and other languages, behind the pages that we look at virtually every day. The project was actually started in the summer of 2019. It was Mildred's idea to write about a village in Thailand. It gradually morphed into what it now is. It opens up learning possibilities for her. Imaginative stories. Artwork. Writing in English, and as said, understanding a little of the internet. Really, I'm trying to equip Mildred with knowledge and understanding, through a range of things, that will help her in the future. It's a tough world out there for Thai youngsters growing into adulthood; especially those from Isaan. Hopefully the number village project will lead into other avenues; music, cartoons and games. We have already designed a working game. I've done the coding, and hopefully it will be put up on the site soon. As for an 'SSL certificate',,,,,? Perhaps later. Thanks for your interest Sterling

Abandoned and deserted restaurant. Yes! That's the one. Think they started building in 2015. Finished in 2018. I knew a couple of people that ate there. They said the food was good but the 3 mile walk back along the wooden walkways was a bit precarious after a a bottle or two of Lao Khow. First two pics; view from the bridge (the 2022). The entrance (on the 2022). The walkways have deteriorated somewhat, but I'm sure they would have been properly maintained if the eatery had stayed open. It all had an strange feel to it, as I walked around. No dogs. No people. Just nothing. In the original post I got carried away with the scale of it. Now I think it's around 16 rai. It's opposite the busy 'fish' market. I can see the thinking behind the project. That's about that. I'm sure there are other projects that have bit the Thai dust like this one. An inglorious end.

She is on my mind HP. Things are difficult at the mo. Don't get to town so much on my own. I've been pondering the situation. Ting - the hat lady - wants to do some exploring with me. But I want to stay true to Mrs Owl. It's a dilemma. The way I'm being treated over the DinL might be the decider. Will I be overcome with melancholy? Will there be regret? Time will tell.

Bang on the money there as usual AD. A close one. It opened up quite a lot when I sat on it.

Owl Log - 02-12-2021 - Thursday afternoon Mildred back at home after five people (don't know if staff, students, cooks or gardeners) proved positive in the recent mass school testing. The children were sorted out in sections. Then they were given a tube. Then they were given the test. Popped the swab into the tube. All done. Plenty of vehicles parked up on the footy field. While I was waiting, I passed the time walking round the school. Nice to see the pond is being looked after. Not put any pics up of the actual testing. Medical history should be kept private and don't want to offend any member, but pics available on PM. Snapped Dino on the way back from the farm in the week. Went to my favourite Buddha on Monday. I noticed that the lake next door was being prepared. They have big plans. The site at the back of the Buddha was also under construction. Obviously the idea is to make a Buddha complex. Get thousands of visitors, and the patrons will get lucky with the lottery. Like the 'Crocodile Buddha'. That seems to have slipped away, as has Kham Chanod. Might go to the croc place for a bit of solace, but definitely not Kham chanod. They have had enough of my time, energy and money. Last time I was there, I reckon there were over 80 lottery vendors. All selling their 'lucky' tickets. I much prefer this Buddha. Dropped some dosh in the box. Twins were in sync at the village. Within 50 metres of our house, there are 8 children under the age of 5. All bar one (Poom) are being looked after by grand-parents. The work to stop undesirables attacking the stored rice is finished. The compartment is gradually filling up. Have 40ish sacks in there now, with a dozen to come. Picked up 16 last evening. Like to meet the rat or bird that can get at our rice. Would have to be 'super rat'. But Mrs Owl now says we have to cover the posts with metal, so that the rats can't climb up them. Can rats climb up smooth concrete? I'll have to investigate. Chai has gone crazy with the tree cutting. In Epping Forest (Essex) it's called 'tolling' and the right to 'toll' is enshrined in law. Although it's not a common practice now-a-days. Last post, I asked if it could be possible to make charcoal from bamboo. Mrs Owl says 'NO'. It most definitely is though! In the Caribbean it's use is all over. So there we have it. Bamboo is OK; but not good for our area. Shame that. Bamboo is everywhere here. Might save some of the trees being,,,,,, 'tolled' too. Every once in a while, I take some pics from the same spot, to show euca-growth progress; a sort of time-line. Regular intervals since June 2020. I'll post them at a later date. But while I was over the far corner I had to admire our biggest euca, Had a small problem on Tuesday. Me and Mildred went fishing and my chair nearly put me in the drink. Not going to fix this one. Only 100 baht each. Although, in saying that, the pink one I sorted, is still doing good. Could have been a nasty one if I'd,,,,,,. Went past the University. Plenty of students about without masks. Can't make it out here. Land of intrigue. I've no idea what is taught here. Probably 'Classics' or 'Thai history'. Footy ground looking fine. Two very nice stands. Back at the village. The cows were on the loose. Visited a restaurant opposite the fish market on the 2022. Abandoned and deserted. Another causality of covid? Fascinating! Almost surreal, and definitely eerie. Took a lot of pics. Too many for this post. An 'abandoned restaurant ' special in a couple of days. It was a grand idea. The site covers nearly 100 rai and cost 20 million baht to develop and build. And that's without the purchase of the land factored in. I have Mildred back at home with me. I don't think she will be going back to that school in Ban Dung. Talking about 'zoom' teaching. Nothing so far. The rice season is just about at an end. On the whole it was poor. Only a couple of farms got their normal yield; most were well down on previous recent years. Some good news on the oil palm front; nuts now over 9 baht a kilo. And with all the uncertainty around the world, they are likely to stay high. Saw a lottery ticket on a board outside Big C. 333339!!! The lady asked for 100 baht. Didn't Cha-cha sort it, as one of his priorities a few years back? I offered 80 baht. No! "Pay me 100 baht farang, tight ,,,." But it was sure to win, so I parted with my dosh. Sure to be a winner? Not this time unfortunately! Evidently the DinL is in quarantine in Pattaya. Had to send her 2k baht. But finished paying for the washing machine. Only 20 months to go on the pick-up. Into December, and no rain since October 22nd. On the footy front. The Irons - after a promising spell - have taken just one point from the last possible nine. Is Moysee next for the bullet? Mildred published her web site: www.numbervillage.com Only one thing left to say; bye y'all.

I'm happy that there is 'Great news' in the family HP. I must ask you where can the extra large sacks can be gotten? A 'normal' sack - pig feed sack - weighs 20 to 25kg when full of rice. Never heard of a 50, or even a 40kg sack of rice. Learn something every day here. Isaan; land of mystery.

Owl Log - 25-11-2021 - Thursday afternoon Mildred has started her alternate days at school. Mon-Wed-Fri this week. Tues-Thurs next. Word on the street is that this on/off will continue 'til next March. We will see. The village kids stocking up with sweets and crisps before the 1-5k bike ride to the local school. And talking of bikes. The one that the Mrs bought in Big C. Cut the last section of rice today. The yield was terrible. We got just 8 sacks all told. So that's 24 in total. A few years back the same place (just under 2 rai) gave 40 bags. Mrs Owl wearing her favourite mask, and her daughter's left over trousers. The team at rest; after work. Went to have a look at a pond yesterday. Carried on down the dirt road and came out at the other euca farm. They have leccy, that drives the Deep Well Pump. They make good use of it too. I'll have to see where they get it from. Not our side anyway. Must be the Ban Chai side. Growing crops in three different fields. Just shows what can be done with a guaranteed water supply. Jack on the wall. Mrs Owl drained all the water from Mildred's tiddler pond. She rescued them and put them into a PVC end cap. They all died; unfortunately. Next week on Thursday we will go to the Ban Dung market after school. If the fish man is there, we'll get a few little koi carp for both her blue tank and pond six. Moved the plant from the black bag to outside. Also put seven avocado stones in the same pot. And my little onion; that by this afternoon didn't look too happy. Planting shock! The avocado that I was so happy about last month finally kicked the bucket. While the one at the farm goes from strength to strength. Chai was cutting some of the big tree down. He is up there; cutting away. vid - cut tree 01.mp4 Could I be there when the branch fell? Just about! vid - cou tree 02.mp4 I've got to watch the water level in pond six. It will be OK this year, but Mildred has claimed the pond as her own, and it's got quite a few fish in it now. vid - let carp go.mp4 During the day our soi is very quiet. apart from the occasional veggie vendor, and the pick-ups blaring out their support for this number or that one. Rice nearly done. Drove to the farm this morning and going by the farms passed, I estimate that it's 80% completed. Couple of things I'm thinking of. Can bamboo be turned into charcoal? Not the thin walled ones, but the heavy ones with a tiny hole, or no hole. The other thought, is the timing of the rice sowing. Are the farmers starting too early? It's a five/six month turn round. Most farmers - at least those on a one crop - put into the ground in late May/early June. The last few years have seen unreliable rainfall early on. Rice must have water in the first couple of months. If it gets off to a bad start it will not recover. If there is going to be a few weeks without rain, is it better to be at the end on the cycle rather than at the start? The big shop on the corner of the 2022 and our smaller road is up for sale. Sits on 1-5 rai. The lady wants 2-5 million for it. Can do a deal with the supplies inside. I think she is finding it really tough to make ends meet, although she tells everyone business is grand. Probably owes the bank a tidy sum! Going to move the other side of Ban Dung and sell fertilizer and animal food; she says! So Manchester United got jealous of Norwich, Newcastle and Villa. Four EPL sackings in one month. Just goes to show how business now dominates a once 'working mans' sport. Is Big Sam available? I'll get my perpetual water system going at the week end. Now that the rice has finished I've got more time. The bathroom's green water tap snapped off a few days ago. Had to put the pink one back on. The 20 baht, goods shop is letting itself get a dodgy reputation for selling; well shall we say, less than perfect items. Someone else in the village was moaning to Mrs Owl, that a basket they bought there, was not as sturdy as they thought it would be, and the handle broke with water melons in it. Got my eye on the their spanners. Might be able to get a full set for a couple of hundred baht. Only one think left to say; bye y'all.

Happy birthday to the Mrs HP. Rice; 80 bags from 14 rai!?? Are you sure you got that correct HP? That only works out at 6 bags a rai. A really good harvest would see 25 a rai. Average this way is 12-15. Rice harvests have not been good for the last couple of years. Mostly due to the lack of early rain. A lot of the paddies in our parts were over run with grass and weeds. Mildred went back to school last week. Now she is on alternate days. This week; Mon-Wed-Fri. Next week; Tues and Thus. All the children at her school had a covid test. (pics later today) Not heard any news on the testing.

Owl Log - 18-11-2021 - Thursday evening Just as @Rickudon said his daughter is doing a split week at St Marys', Mildred is the same starting next Monday. Evidently the word has come down from high, that only 20 at one time should be in a classroom. And there were 36 in her class. So it's Monday, Wednesday and Friday next week, and Tuesday and Thursday the following. She is not unhappy about that; and neither am I. Went to have a look at the huge tree near her school. If I'd had a bit more time I would have climbed up it. Time was short however, as I was on my way to see Ting at the Natural Health Shop. Went net-fishing this morning. Didn't do that good. Only caught seven pla nin. I kept the biggest and Piapp took the rest to cook up for the workers cutting rice on his farm. We have twelve farms bordering ours. Four of them are making charcoal this year. The lilies are blooming lovely. At least 20. Haven't had a drop of rain since the downpour on October 22nd. So Mrs Owl's garden needed some water. Hadn't started the pump for over six months. Got it going but it stopped after just 20 minutes. Couldn't keep it running after that. So it was into the machine-fix shop in Ban Dung. Dropped it off after taking Mildred to school and picked it up in the afternoon. Was expecting a bill of 300/400, so a surprise to get a hit with 920 baht. Paid up with a smile; as you do here. Can get a new pump for 2400 baht. Found a few leaks. This one was easy to spot. Wire comes in handy. But a couple of others only became apparent after the water was running. Used a mix of silver, metal tape and black insulating tape. Run the pump, and Mrs Owl spent the next two hours watering. The hose pipe is made up from at least seven lengths. When I've finished paying for the DinL's washing machine. I'll treat teerak to 100 metres of 25mm. Might make a nice Xmas pressie. We have three water pumps. One in use, one in the store room and one under the table next to the deep well. The road at the end of our Super Highway is having a makeover. It was not heavily used. A motorcycle every 5/10 minutes and a four-wheel vehicle 3/4 times an hour. A good few carts as well though. TBH I didn't think there was anything wrong with it. I think it's being widened. What an absolute waste of dosh! I escorted Mildred to her bus stop, and caught the twins going to the farm with their Grandma. I'd like to get some turkeys. Not for Xmas dinner, or even to sell on, but because they are beautiful birds. "Teerak! What about those turkeys. Have you changed your mind at all?" "Don't like them. People will take them." "They don't take the chickens teerak." No response. I'll keep working on it. 'Batman' has morphed into 'Sugar Duck'. When the little lad realises that it's quicker to sit on it and pedal, he will be terrorising the dogs, chickens and farang. video_25641110_091651.mp4 Footy starts up again this week. Some very tight matches. Reds v gunners the pick for me. Foxes v Chelski a good un too. Three more points for the mighty Irons at Wolves. Mrs Owl's daughter sent her mum 5k at the start of the week. Went in Big C this afternoon to do the weekly shop, and she bought a bicycle. I didn't even know she had the dosh. I'm paying 4500 for the loan on the pick-up, and 1k a month for the washing machine. And the wife never told me. That's Isaan for ya. Just waiting for Mildred to say the word about school. I'd much prefer to do home teach for 90 minutes a day. Start afresh next March, when she changes school anyway. Only one thing left to say; bye y'all.

We are just in a small, quiet soi, but we still get them 2/3/4 times a day. The wages money is not what it's about. Bit like those MPs in the UK; opens doors to lucrative things. Actually our village number two, tried to flog me some health insurance about 8 years ago. Only 30k a year, he said.

There was a market near Phen or Pen or Penn (all same town) that had a toy trader a few years back. He sold jigsaws; all depicting animals. He sold three for 100 baht. I bought nine and gave them away to the village kids after Mildred had conquered them once. Quite recently bought some 'art animals'. Daughter uses them for her art projects. I encourage her to do anything creative. The Base! Don't usually go to that area, so I'd not noticed it before. Nice concept though, with the gardens up top. There is another group of high condoes just south of the Sakon Nakon road near the railway station. They sprung up quick a while back. Spoke to a farang in Udon and he told me that Udon now was second to Bangkok, in terms of size. I'll try to make time one day to visit the Udon Museum.

It's difficult. With Mildred off school, I cannot easily get to town on my own. It's rumoured that all the schools will open from Monday. Things could look up.