Diary of a farang in Isaan

[Odysseus123]

7 hours ago, GarryP said:

Definitely can.

My goodness-that is what he was trying to swim across..

 

[Odysseus123]

Well...my wife informs me that there are 23 new covid cases in the village-which is only one bridge crossing away from Ubon.It's a poor village and people live together cheek by jowl...

 

...and at the other end of the SE Asian archipelago it looks like we are going back into lock-down again at midnight.

 

..

[HighPriority]

2 hours ago, Odysseus123 said:

Well...my wife informs me that there are 23 new covid cases in the village-which is only one bridge crossing away from Ubon.It's a poor village and people live together cheek by jowl...

 

...and at the other end of the SE Asian archipelago it looks like we are going back into lock-down again at midnight.

 

..

Keep your chin up and stay away from the unwashed hoards Ode ????????

[owl sees all]

3 hours ago, HighPriority said:

Keep your chin up and stay away from the unwashed hoards Ode ????????

We got a confirmed case in our village this afternoon. Whatever that means?! Symptoms, or a PCR test, or doctor's pronouncement; just don't know. Don't really want to know. Just try to keep my head down for a while.

 

Have to go to Ban Dung for supplies in the week. Lots of little things to get as well as food. Also pay the leccy.

[Odysseus123]

20 hours ago, HighPriority said:

Keep your chin up and stay away from the unwashed hoards Ode ????????

Thanks mate!

To be honest I really don't go anywhere nowadays anyway, but it certainly effects my wife's business and those of her friends.

Apparently October 11th is "Liberation Day" but I will believe it when I see it????

[rickudon]

Just stumbled on this thread about a week ago. Have been reading it ever since - 132 pages so far. Another couple of pages and i will be up to date! Some similarities to Owl - came to live in a village near Udon 11 years ago, have wife and daughter aged 10. Only a small bit of farm, and lots of fish. Main difference - useless at DIY, So will not be posting much of that! Apart from the fish, grow a few vegetables. 

[owl sees all]

Owl Log - 07-10-2021 - Thursday afternoon

 

Me and Mildred went and had a butchers at the small euca farm near us. Their trees are a different variety to ours. According to Mrs Owl they are faster growing but not quite so dense and therefore lighter.

 

 

The are well into their second year now.

 

 

Found the biggest. Weighed in at 44cms.

 

 

Mildred and her friends have been making really useful things from drinking straws.

 

 

What artistry! What imagination! And to think that these straws would usually be making Thailand untidy. Think Cha cha should take note. He likes to see things clean and tidy. I'll ask Mildred to get a couple of pics of her friend's efforts.

 

I'm informed that there are two different ways of connecting up the straws. One is to squeeze the end and slip it into the other end; then put a fold in it so it can't pull out. The other way is to simply push one end into the other; wetting it first of course.

 

Mildred wants to do me a nice belt next.

 

I am a little baffled by the guy opposite to us. He has recently put up a mesh fence to stop his fish escaping. But there is hardly any water in the pond! He must have something in mind. I'll keep watch.

 

 

More action in the other farm.

 

 

Don't know where they are getting their water from. Rain has ended for the year. Must have a deep water well somewhere. There is no pond. No idea what he is growing.

 

 

Mrs Owl drinks about 2 litres of the chlorophyll water a day. Had to send off for more.

 

 

Potted both avocadoes. I had a feeling that the larger or the two wouldn't take. And so it proved to be. It's root had not developed enough. The smaller one is doing great though.

 

 

The light in the lounge went out. New starter-motor couldn't help. So next time in town it's trip to the leccy light-fitting shop.

 

 

Wouldn't be an Owl Log without a couple of pics of the wonderful skies we get.

 

 

 

Happy is growing in confidence. As soon as the chickens come over for their grub he arrives.

 

 

 

The lillies have doubled their pad numbers in just a month.

 

 

There are quite a few ready to blossom. That will be so nice. I want to see the pond filled with pads.

 

 

Poom and his younger cousin came over to help us feed the fish yesterday.

 

 

Had a major row in Ban Dung in the week. We went to pay the percent on the gold the Mrs had hocked. Last time I paid two months off; 1,000 baht. This time I wanted to pay off just one month. The gold man wanted 560 baht. I wouldn't pay it, and asked for a reason why the price hike.He kept showing me the figure on the calculator. It got a little heated and I walked away. The Mrs paid up. On the way home the row kept simmering. "He was trying to cheat us teerak." She couldn't keep the pretense up any longer. "I took another 3,000 baht to give to Nan before she went to Pattaya." It all then fell into place. "Why didn't you tell me in the shop?" Thailand; land of secrets!

 

Just paid 1,000 baht for the washing machine. None of this stuff, gold, furnishings or washing machine is mine, yet I pay up with a smile.

 

Went ito Ting's shop to get some reishi. She wasn't there! Gutted!!!

 

Went past Nan's old house on the 2022. The new people - who are renting the property - were at work fixing up motor-bikes. Good for them.

 

The villagers are gradually getting their jabs. Only two families on our soi not done yet. Us and Guy's lot.

 

That's it for the rain this year. Two very poor years on the turn.

 

Only one thing left to say; bye y'all.

Edited October 7, 2021 by owl sees all

[Golden Triangle]

Hi Owl, if you have a half decent electrical shop nearby you should be able to get an LED replacement for that tube, I had a mate fit one for me in the house we lived in before this one, not expensive, just remove the tube, ballast etc & wire in the LED replacement, instant on, brighter and cheaper to run.

 

I'll see if I can find a picture and price.

 

Plenty on Lazada as well, 

 

 

Edited October 7, 2021 by Golden Triangle
Extra info

[owl sees all]

36 minutes ago, Golden Triangle said:

Hi Owl, if you have a half decent electrical shop nearby you should be able to get an LED replacement for that tube, I had a mate fit one for me in the house we lived in before this one, not expensive, just remove the tube, ballast etc & wire in the LED replacement, instant on, brighter and cheaper to run.

 

I'll see if I can find a picture and price.

 

Plenty on Lazada as well, 

 

 

Just in from farm. Had to feed the fish and chickens.

 

That sounds interesting GT. There is a cover that goes underneath. I'll watch the video now.

[owl sees all]

10 hours ago, rickudon said:

Just stumbled on this thread about a week ago. Have been reading it ever since - 132 pages so far. Another couple of pages and i will be up to date! Some similarities to Owl - came to live in a village near Udon 11 years ago, have wife and daughter aged 10. Only a small bit of farm, and lots of fish. Main difference - useless at DIY, So will not be posting much of that! Apart from the fish, grow a few vegetables. 

Welcome.

 

Any contributions that keep in with the very broad areas of discussion are appreciated.

 

What are your fish Rick?

[Andrew Dwyer]

I replaced some of my circular fluorescent bulbs with LED’s but mine are more like this:

 

 

Straight replacement, just take the starter out ( can work with or without ballast ) , have plug fitted.

Brighter ( replaced a 32w with a 20w ) , cheaper to run and get rid of that flickering on start. Also have 3 magnets on back but mine clipped into the existing brackets.

These are much simpler to change than the video, unplug the bulb, take out the starter, put new led bulb and plug it in , done in 30 seconds.

 

Lamptan were 308 baht, but bought CTV at 209 baht and are identical.

 

 

 

Edited October 7, 2021 by Andrew Dwyer
Flash on second photo

[owl sees all]

39 minutes ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

I replaced some of my circular fluorescent bulbs with LED’s but mine are more like this:

 

1 hour ago, Golden Triangle said:

Plenty on Lazada as well, 

Checked on lazada. Have just what I need. Not expensive. Ordered two.

 

Thanks guys.

[HighPriority]

11 hours ago, rickudon said:

Just stumbled on this thread about a week ago. Have been reading it ever since - 132 pages so far. Another couple of pages and i will be up to date! Some similarities to Owl - came to live in a village near Udon 11 years ago, have wife and daughter aged 10. Only a small bit of farm, and lots of fish. Main difference - useless at DIY, So will not be posting much of that! Apart from the fish, grow a few vegetables. 

Welcome Rick, don’t feel down about Owls DIY “abilities” I think he’s best described as “Keen” but lovable ????

 

[owl sees all]

2 minutes ago, HighPriority said:

Welcome Rick, don’t feel down about Owls DIY “abilities” I think he’s best described as “Keen” but lovable ????

 

Always been one to give it a go.

 

Ready to fit a solar deep water well. Keeping an eye on the water table.

 

How is your huge water tank HP? Filled up yet?

[HighPriority]

I got my tank connected at the start of December 2020 and it filled by Australia Day (26 January) 2021.

We are currently sitting just above 1/2 full, which amazes and disappoints me because I never thought we would get close to using 1/2 a tank 130k liters !
The humidity is at fever pitch and our first rains have fallen, 62mm in our first fall !

I’ve had the tank on bypass (wet system filling) since the end of April 21, I reconnected it last week, and we had 6mm which has filled the pipes and any further rain will start to fill the tank.

Our top temp today was 38.7 Deg, can’t wait for it to rain…

 

Our neighbor has just installed a solar pump to his bore.
He can only pump at 0.2lt per second (as do I) due to the ground water being of low quantity in the immediate area. 

Edited October 7, 2021 by HighPriority
More info

[rickudon]

On 10/7/2021 at 12:31 PM, owl sees all said:

Welcome.

 

Any contributions that keep in with the very broad areas of discussion are appreciated.

 

What are your fish Rick?

My large pond (square shaped) is for fishing mainly and has a variety of fish - snakeheads, snakeskin gourami and climbing perch (all walked in or came with heavy rain), tilapia, Java barb and a few giant gourami, mekong catfish and striped catfish. Mainly Java barb, because the wife stocked 2,000 without telling me. Not sure what else she has added. This of course all after i had carefully worked out stocking levels and stocked accordingly. She now doesn't understand why most of the fish are small.....

 

My smaller pond is 80 metres by 10 metres, a bit shallow and was mainly for food fish (tilapia and java barb). Also got the overkill stocking from the wife and has taken 2 years for fish to grow to a decent size - well those that are left. I spent 6500 baht on fish food and got 1300 baht of fish back from sales. rest eaten or 'gone' (where? never explained!).

 

The big pond is called the Rick pond and the long one the Long water - guess you might work out where some of my fishing was done many years ago?

 

Apart from that, have a few goldfish, guppies and Zebra fish at the house. At least i did 3 months ago, but i am in the UK currently ( came for birth of my grandson) and fish there tend to 'disappear' when i am away due to neglect and cats.

 

Wife has a village minimart, which she loves most of all, then her daughter. I come in somewhere between 3 and 10!

 

Hope to get back end of this month. My elder daughter in the UK lives in Ilford, Walk through Barking park and Ilford lane every Monday, she is near Loxford park.

[Andrew Dwyer]

Some of Rick’s fish took me instantly back to my youth !!

My dad’s hobby at the time was tropical fish, he extended the garage and made an enclosed unit called the “ fish house “ where he would breed several species for the weekend shows. The shows were very important to my dad and he would put the fish into their jars ( reminiscent of the old sweet jars ) to be then packed carefully into the polystyrene boxes to maintain the temperature. 
The shows were usually in some old church hall in places like Colne or Nelson. We (Mum, 2 brothers and myself) would usually drop dad off , then have a wander round the town, coming back later to see if he had won ?.

An over large rosette for 1st, 2nd and 3rd or a tacky wooden “ trophy “ ( for want of a better word ) for best in show, we had a house full of this stuff !!

The names of these fish still remain in my memory:

Kissing Gourami 

Tiger Barb

Kuhli Loach

Angel Fish 

Siamese fighting fish 

My dad was particularly proud of the Red Tailed Shark which usually got the most attention at the mention of its name, immediately followed by the most disappointment when actually viewed as it was not much bigger than an Angel Fish.

Plecostomus ( plecostomus plecostomus ) was my favourite , stuck permanently to the glass its function purely to clean the tank and make the others look good !!

 

Apologies for the slight deviation, back to Isaan ……………..

 

[owl sees all]

3 hours ago, rickudon said:

My large pond (square shaped) is for fishing mainly and has a variety of fish - snakeheads, snakeskin gourami and climbing perch (all walked in or came with heavy rain), tilapia, Java barb and a few giant gourami, mekong catfish and striped catfish. Mainly Java barb, because the wife stocked 2,000 without telling me. Not sure what else she has added. This of course all after i had carefully worked out stocking levels and stocked accordingly. She now doesn't understand why most of the fish are small.....

 

My smaller pond is 80 metres by 10 metres, a bit shallow and was mainly for food fish (tilapia and java barb). Also got the overkill stocking from the wife and has taken 2 years for fish to grow to a decent size - well those that are left. I spent 6500 baht on fish food and got 1300 baht of fish back from sales. rest eaten or 'gone' (where? never explained!).

 

The big pond is called the Rick pond and the long one the Long water - guess you might work out where some of my fishing was done many years ago?

 

Apart from that, have a few goldfish, guppies and Zebra fish at the house. At least i did 3 months ago, but i am in the UK currently ( came for birth of my grandson) and fish there tend to 'disappear' when i am away due to neglect and cats.

 

Wife has a village minimart, which she loves most of all, then her daughter. I come in somewhere between 3 and 10!

 

Hope to get back end of this month. My elder daughter in the UK lives in Ilford, Walk through Barking park and Ilford lane every Monday, she is near Loxford park.

To be honest Rick, the larger of the ponds is a lake!

 

Ah yes! Overstocking! A Thai pastime. When I first dug out our ponds, 13 years ago, I also had the stocking planned out. I ordered 5,000 fast growing pla nin (talapia) from Nam Sai. Put 1,000 in each of the first five ponds. The other three ponds were gonna be for different fish.

 

The were growing very well. One day when I went to feed them, I noticed that in a couple of ponds there were a lot of tiddlers. I spoke to the Mrs about it, and it turned out that a pick-up with small fish, selling from the back, had happened to pass. Of course the guy said there were not enough fish in the ponds and persuaded Mrs Owl to buy 3000. She put 1,000 in each of the first three ponds.

 

Fortunately the original fish carried on growing with only a little difference between the ponds that had the tiddlers added and the others. When the three ponds were drained there were all sorts in there; including some small commons. I said that they were free for any helpers that wanted them. The Mrs didn't like that much but I got my way.

 

Had  a similar event with the eucalyptus tree that were planted last year. The supplier said that 1.5 metres was the best distance apart for maximum yield. I said 2.5 metres. We settled at 2 metres. I've not seen a euca farm planted at 1.5 metres that has done well.

 

I used to fish at South Park in Ilford many years ago. Might have chatted to your daughter Rick, as she walked her dog. Small world!

 

Remember the river boat at Baring Park; and the steam train?

Edited October 9, 2021 by owl sees all

[owl sees all]

Good news fellow posters.

 

A storm is on its way. Bringing with it RAIN. It should be in our area on Wednesday night or Thursday morning. Could this be what we have been waiting for?

[HighPriority]

10 hours ago, owl sees all said:

Good news fellow posters.

 

A storm is on its way. Bringing with it RAIN. It should be in our area on Wednesday night or Thursday morning. Could this be what we have been waiting for?

Competition time Owl, we are forecast 80% chance of rain on Monday. 

[rickudon]

18 hours ago, owl sees all said:

Remember the river boat at Baring Park; and the steam train?

First time in Barking Park was August this year! Born Charing Cross but family lived in South London, various places. The track for the steam train is still there, but not running. The lake is now overrun by Canadian geese and is a lurid green colour. Daughter moved to Barking a few years ago, and moved again this year to her husband's families house. Visit once a week.

 

My big pond is only about 1 rai.

 

Feeding the fish in the Long water. And below, the Rick pond after digging, still filling from water table.

 

[owl sees all]

14 hours ago, HighPriority said:

Competition time Owl, we are forecast 80% chance of rain on Monday. 

No chance of rain until well into next week.

 

If we get rain heavy enough to stop a game of cricket I'll eat my,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,!

 

[owl sees all]

7 hours ago, rickudon said:

First time in Barking Park was August this year! Born Charing Cross but family lived in South London, various places. The track for the steam train is still there, but not running. The lake is now overrun by Canadian geese and is a lurid green colour. Daughter moved to Barking a few years ago, and moved again this year to her husband's families house. Visit once a week.

 

My big pond is only about 1 rai.

 

Feeding the fish in the Long water. And below, the Rick pond after digging, still filling from water table.

 

Great pics Rick.

 

The water table in our farm is low; very low. Checked it yesterday and water is six metres down. I'm having second thoughts about the solar pump now. If it's six metres now - when it should be at its highest - what's it gonna be after four months without rain?

 

How deep can the water table be and a solar deep-well pump still function?

 

Regarding Barking and Ilford. Do have a butchers at John Rogers vid of the area.

 

 

[chickenslegs]

19 minutes ago, owl sees all said:

If we get rain heavy enough to stop a game of cricket I'll eat my,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,!

Will this tropical storm "Lion Rock" be hitting your area tomorrow?

 

[rickudon]

Sorry to hear about the low levels in your ponds owl, wife just sent me some photos today, mine are full at last. Will post when i get them onto the computer. Downside of high water table is impossible to drain pond completely and get rid of undesirable residents. Always a few 3 spot Gourami and snakeskin gourami survive, along with snakeheads and climbing perch. Occasionally get some oddities turn up - once found a baby giant snakehead. Never caught any on rod and line though.

 

That video was great - I walked through that ornate entrance to South Park last Monday! Took granddaughter there 'duck hunting' - trying to catch the Canada geese. She chased them for half an hour, never caught one though (age 2).

[owl sees all]

20 hours ago, chickenslegs said:

Will this tropical storm "Lion Rock" be hitting your area tomorrow?

 

Lion Rock?!?

 

More like Lion Pussy Cat.

[owl sees all]

Owl Log - 11-10-2021 - Monday morning

 

Lion Rock on its way. Better get my brolly fixed. No! That's a joke. I wouldn't use a brolly if I was paid. I like the sun and the rain. Umbrellas are for David Beckham types.

 

Happy, the dog from the farm next door, is gradually taking to us. He lets Mildred stroke him. Keeps his distance from me though.

 

 

Thanks to one of our regular posters, and quick service by Lazada, I sorted out one of the two kaput lights yesterday.

 

 

Just 74 Baht each. With packing and a 20 Baht tip to the delivery man; 200 Baht all told. Gonna fix up the other one today.

 

 

It had some little magnets on the underside. So very easy to fit up. BUT!!!! Mrs Owl said it was too bright. Easily fixed. Have to keep her on-side.

 

 

And the finished job.

 

 

At the farm Chelsea and Grandma paid a visit.

 

 

 

That's not Charkie back from the dead.No! It's a new cat; Beauty.

 

 

Someone had left it at the farm. It had been well looked after and liked to be stroked.

 

 

But it didn't end well. Took Beauty home and gave her some grub. She made friends with Jack and we celebrated the addition to the family. Next day (Saturday) she was nowhere to be seen. Now Monday morning and still no sign of her. Showed her pic on the mobile to a few people and said there was a substantial reward on offer. No news as yet.

 

The coconut tree by pond one is looking good. Mrs Owl says next month.

 

 

Mildred's lilly has blossomed in its new home.

 

 

The lilly flowers in pond seven are showing promise, but have not yet done the biz.

 

 

Poom and his cousin were at their farm. It's right next door. I've just remembered that they installed a solar panel a couple of years ago. I'll see if they are running their water pump off it.

 

 

Some lovely skies at the week end.

 

 

Is there a better place to live than Isaan in these troubled times?!

 

 

I stopped the pick-up and did a short video.

 

 

Well done England and Tyson Fury.

I listened too the fight live. Sounded like a real cracker. Hats off to Wilder too. Sounded as though he took a whacking and still had it in him to floor Fury. I'll have a look on YouTube for a vid of the fight later today.

 

Talking of fighting, one of my footy heroes Mark Lazarus, originally from South London, settled in Romford (Essex). Well, he took up the invitation to fight Colombo on the same bill as Ron Redrup (whose bruising fight with Cliff Field can be found on YT). I had a long chat with Mark after the fight, and he said that he took the fight with just a few days notice. A fascinating character. In fact his whole family is interesting. Unfortunately he didn't see eye to eye with another one of my heroes; Stan Cullis, when he went to Wolves.

 

Just had the teeniest of showers. Enough to stop a game of cricket? Not in Dagenham!

 

I think this is Mildred's last week of 'Zoom' teaching. If so then it's a month off soon. I've already discussed with her about doing some work with me on the English and Maths fronts. And a game or two of chess; naturally. If not completely bowled over at the prospect; she said OK. That young lady Knows what side her bread's buttered already.

 

Bought another Hatari wall fan last time in Ban Dung. Not stopped yet!

 

Only one thing left to say; bye y'all.

 

Edited October 11, 2021 by owl sees all

[owl sees all]

Just a snippet to add to the last Owl Log.

 

Got the other light up and running. The first pic is without the green diffuser.

 

 

Then the green circle placed in.

 

 

Mrs Owl says "much better", but where are my ear-phones that you ordered from Japan? "You are useless Farang. Next time I will get in Big C. Too slow delivery."

 

 

Fan working silently away. Beats air-con any day of the week.

 

 

 

Edited October 11, 2021 by owl sees all

[Golden Triangle]

Glad you like the LED replacements Owl, we have LED's in every room now, cheap as chips & getting cheaper ????

[owl sees all]

13 minutes ago, Golden Triangle said:

Glad you like the LED replacements Owl, we have LED's in every room now, cheap as chips & getting cheaper ????

It was yourself that gave me the impetus to order the units. Just 74 Baht each!

 

Been looking at the LEDs on the internet; very interesting too.

 

Sun's out.