9 hours ago, villagefarang said:

Forty might be a bit much.  I am 64 and my parents died in their early 90s so something less than 30 would be more to my liking.  I wouldn't want to overstay my welcome.????

I'm trying to outlive my grandmother, she lived to be 102, spent all hundred years in New Orleans, Louisiana - which is something I could never do.  Met a guy in a bar couple years ago that recognized me from somewhere, started talking and he was in the midst of moving up to Chiang Rai after living in Bangkok since the eighties - was that you??  Pbly not, it was the Morning Night bar on Soi Nana.

Beautiful, if only the rest of Thailand was as pristine and litter/garbage free.

1 hour ago, TunnelRat69 said:

I'm trying to outlive my grandmother, she lived to be 102, spent all hundred years in New Orleans, Louisiana - which is something I could never do.  Met a guy in a bar couple years ago that recognized me from somewhere, started talking and he was in the midst of moving up to Chiang Rai after living in Bangkok since the eighties - was that you??  Pbly not, it was the Morning Night bar on Soi Nana.

Definitely not me as I lived in Bangkok roughly from 77 to 07.  I haven't been out in the Bangkok nightlife for 21 years.  I gave that all up when I met my wife.  It was time.

1 hour ago, Ulic said:

Beautiful, if only the rest of Thailand was as pristine and litter/garbage free.

You can always find ugly if you look for it.  I try to focus my gaze on the beautiful.  Makes me feel better.

1 hour ago, villagefarang said:

You can always find ugly if you look for it.  I try to focus my gaze on the beautiful.  Makes me feel better.

"You can always find ugly if you look for it.  I try to focus my gaze on the beautiful.". Well said VF. My grandfather always said "accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative". Sounds like how you lead your life. :-) 

Always nice reading your posts.

 

I've been thinking about this.

 

I lived in Bangkok for 10 years and like you liked city life when young.

 

I moved to Isarn with young kids and loved living in a small city. Now that city has become like Bkk after 15 years.

 

I'd like to move back to bkk, or not probably somewhere near the beach.

Possibly Hua Hin for 10/15 years until I qualify for a pension. Then ideally live 6 months a year in the Scottish highlands and the other six in Thailand and traveling the world.

 

 

Country living is great, I don't know how people cope in the city. It might just be an age thing, I feel that as I'm getting older I just want a simple life.

Great stuff VF!!!

 

You are living proof that life is all about making decisions. We can all be in full control over our destiny and luck has very little to do with it.

 

Thanks for giving us a glimpse into the wonderful life you are leading and to those who are not happy with their life, change it! It really is as simple as that!

38 minutes ago, geronimo said:

Great stuff VF!!!

 

You are living proof that life is all about making decisions. We can all be in full control over our destiny and luck has very little to do with it.

 

Thanks for giving us a glimpse into the wonderful life you are leading and to those who are not happy with their life, change it! It really is as simple as that!

While I tend to agree with you, not everyone does.  Besides making different choices from most, I have been fortunate to have never been tempted by things others find so difficult to resist.  I was never attracted to things like alcohol, drugs, gambling, fitting in, spending beyond my means at the time and feelings of anger or violent outbursts.  It was not necessary for me to resist things if I was never drawn to them in the first place.

 

Still we all make choices and have to live with the consequences.

Hey VF,

Glad to see you're still enjoying a positive and rewarding life in the countryside. Love the photos.

Thought maybe you'd become a bit jaded with so much negativity... I was missing your vibe over on the cycling forum and was a little concerned that maybe you'd forgotten to wear your helmet ????‍♀️!! 

Keep on rolling,

BF

 

15 minutes ago, bobfish said:

Hey VF,

Glad to see you're still enjoying a positive and rewarding life in the countryside. Love the photos.

Thought maybe you'd become a bit jaded with so much negativity... I was missing your vibe over on the cycling forum and was a little concerned that maybe you'd forgotten to wear your helmet ????‍♀️!! 

Keep on rolling,

BF

 

I almost didn’t post this thread.  I was asking myself,  “What is the point?”  Since I don’t believe in telling others how to live their lives and don’t believe they would listen anyway, I had my doubts about this post.

 

I finally decided it would make me feel good, even if it brought out my old fan club or similar negative types.  I have been pleasantly surprised by the response.

 

I am not cycling as much as I used to as I prefer hiking with my wife over the more lonely grind of cycling 50 km.  I am also spending more time in the gym lifting weights and really enjoy the feeling of having muscles again.

On 1/25/2019 at 4:31 PM, villagefarang said:

Even rice fields can be beautiful.

 

 

 

 

As you so correctly stated...yes they are beautiful indeed.

What camera are you using for these photos?

I like the quality very much.

Beautiful photos, reflective of a life well lived. Our Arizona home is in a remote mountain town, while our 2nd home near Chiang Mai sits amidst rice fields with mountain views in every direction. Best of both worlds

Sent from my MI 8 using Tapatalk

12 minutes ago, ajarnmarc said:

As you so correctly stated...yes they are beautiful indeed.

What camera are you using for these photos?

I like the quality very much.

I am just guessing, but these may have been taking with my old Sony NEX 6.  Before I started relying entirely on my iPhone I used small mirrorless cameras which were easy to carry on my hip while cycling. 

 

edit:

I was curious so I went back through my old files and I was correct about these shot coming from my NEX 6.

11 minutes ago, ChristianBlessing said:

Beautiful photos, reflective of a life well lived. Our Arizona home is in a remote mountain town, while our 2nd home near Chiang Mai sits amidst rice fields with mountain views in every direction. Best of both worlds

I spent much of my preteen years in Tempe.

30 minutes ago, villagefarang said:

I am just guessing, but these may have been taking with my old Sony NEX 6.  Before I started relying entirely on my iPhone I used small mirrorless cameras which were easy to carry on my hip while cycling. 

 

edit:

I was curious so I went back through my old files and I was correct about these shot coming from my NEX 6.

Thank you for taking the time to update me on what you used to take some of these photos...I think I will follow your advice though and try to make the most out of my phone camera, since it's usually with me and much easier to carry around.

 

I'm glad you did decide to post this as it was very pleasing to read through.

I have been here steadily since 2000, and my positive thoughts of Thailand had faded just a bit.

However as I often refer to others, it's great from time to time to see the country we reside in through others eyes, then perhaps we can get a new insight on what is all around us, 

which we have just overlooked over time.

 

You post has done that well indeed...

 

Thank you very much, it made my Sunday, just a bit more complete.

Thank you for this post!  Beautiful photos and I appreciate your life perspective.  Well done!

Great photos.

Nice photos glad you like it but a life there sounds like a total bore for me.

 

19 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

Nice photos glad you like it but a life there sounds like a total bore for me.

 

That’s OK I would’ve said the same before.  Sometimes we need different things at different times in our lives. 

Hope you don't mind if I add a few VF,

 

 

 

These along my motorcycle ride near our home.

 

 

Cool place to nap by the well as a puppy

 

 

Loved to come sit with my in the shop when she was young,

 

 

Loved to play with coconuts and still does now as a big dog but now has to fight over them with her younger sister who is a Golden Retriever. 

 

Life is clearly what you make it here. I don't sweat much of anything. The beauty around our house in the north is amazing. From the nature, mountains, lakes and endless windy roads to ride my motorcycle or mountain bike. All you have to do is get out and take a look.

 

 

I spent two hours this afternoon riding around the rice fields with my wife on the PCX. Last year I was not that well for long periods of time and difficult to get out. Yet, when you are feeling good like I was today, and with the day being so clear in San Kamphaeng, it makes living in Thailand really a dream. I had a great ride and saw some lovely country

 

When I am well enough, I like to do road trips and see other parts of Thailand that are off the beaten track. We went to Sukhothai not long back and then up to Nan. It sure was a nice trip and I want to do something similar again in the future. 

 

I post just a little here in Thai Visa and I have seen life from both sides of the road - from the cities to the bars to now a retired life in a small village with an ordinary village girl. It is what you make of it - any country or place that you make your home takes work within your mind to be happy. Unhappiness will follow you anywhere and this is coming from someone that was a work-a-holic and thought village living could never be in my blood. My wife said to me during our motorcycle ride today do I miss my old life and I honestly replied, 'Not any more'.

 

Yeah, life is pretty good and I am not a 1% either

1 hour ago, JAFO said:

Hope you don't mind if I add a few VF,

 

 

 

These along my motorcycle ride near our home.

 

 

Cool place to nap by the well as a puppy

 

 

Loved to come sit with my in the shop when she was young,

 

 

Loved to play with coconuts and still does now as a big dog but now has to fight over them with her younger sister who is a Golden Retriever. 

 

Life is clearly what you make it here. I don't sweat much of anything. The beauty around our house in the north is amazing. From the nature, mountains, lakes and endless windy roads to ride my motorcycle or mountain bike. All you have to do is get out and take a look.

 

 

Of course I don't mind JAFO and that sure is a cute pup and great view.

21 minutes ago, totally thaied up said:

I spent two hours this afternoon riding around the rice fields with my wife on the PCX. Last year I was not that well for long periods of time and difficult to get out. Yet, when you are feeling good like I was today, and with the day being so clear in San Kamphaeng, it makes living in Thailand really a dream. I had a great ride and saw some lovely country

 

When I am well enough, I like to do road trips and see other parts of Thailand that are off the beaten track. We went to Sukhothai not long back and then up to Nan. It sure was a nice trip and I want to do something similar again in the future. 

 

I post just a little here in Thai Visa and I have seen life from both sides of the road - from the cities to the bars to now a retired life in a small village with an ordinary village girl. It is what you make of it - any country or place that you make your home takes work within your mind to be happy. Unhappiness will follow you anywhere and this is coming from someone that was a work-a-holic and thought village living could never be in my blood. My wife said to me during our motorcycle ride today do I miss my old life and I honestly replied, 'Not any more'.

 

Yeah, life is pretty good and I am not a 1% either

I too love road trips.  Sukhothai and Nan are lovely.

I think the intent of a thread like this is to show a lighter side of living here. Life as it is for some, people just off just enjoying the day to day and the fun that comes with it.

 

Here are a few more

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then the odd nature things like the cocoon above

 

 

 

 

I have some really good aerial videos and pictures I have taken as well. 

So many beautiful places in Thailand I could go post crazy .
Here’s just a few from a recent visit to Mae Hong Son , so much to see, will be back without a doubt !!

Some great mountain scenery.



Some unique temples.





Buying some tea ( not Lipton’s [emoji12]).



A view of the restaurant/shop with the tea plantation above it .

12 hours ago, akirasan said:

Country living is great, I don't know how people cope in the city. It might just be an age thing, I feel that as I'm getting older I just want a simple life.

Ha  those  tree  frogs  are  funny, will stick to anything and quite  happy  to  jump on me with their extra  sticky feet, find  em in the oddest of  places sometimes

11 hours ago, villagefarang said:

While I tend to agree with you, not everyone does.  Besides making different choices from most, I have been fortunate to have never been tempted by things others find so difficult to resist.  I was never attracted to things like alcohol, drugs, gambling, fitting in, spending beyond my means at the time and feelings of anger or violent outbursts.  It was not necessary for me to resist things if I was never drawn to them in the first place.

 

Still we all make choices and have to live with the consequences.

Yeah  buy you  have to realise not everyone is made   like that, I sometimes envy those "happy souls" the people who are always upbeat, its  just not me, If i thought "happy" with everything id be lying to myself.

8 minutes ago, kannot said:

Yeah  buy you  have to realise not everyone is made   like that, I sometimes envy those "happy souls" the people who are always upbeat, its  just not me, If i thought "happy" with everything id be lying to myself.

Karma.

19 minutes ago, kannot said:

Yeah  but you  have to realise not everyone is made   like that, I sometimes envy those "happy souls" the people who are always upbeat, its  just not me, If i thought "happy" with everything id be lying to myself.

I acknowledge we are all made differently but I see people reinforcing negative behavior all the time and spiraling toward more negativity.  In my experience, if someone does something  like exploding in a fit of rage it does not release the anger but reinforces that kind of behavior in our neural pathways making that behavior easier.  My upbringing did not expose me to that kind of behavior so I never learned to express anger or violence the way so many people do.

 

I also make a conscious effort to reenforce the positive in my life.  I suppose my desire to focus on a more positive life was part of the reason I stopped posting on ThaiVisa for such a long time.