Diary of a farang in Isaan

[sotonowl]

5 hours ago, owl sees all said:

Any tips and advice would be welcome

Well we have had trouble with cats in the back garden which is well fenced off. They jump in and take a dump, quite easy to spot though as we have bark down and you can see where they've disturbed it. So I bought a couple of these cat repellants that emit a high pitched sound when the motion sensor gets triggered. Could a motion sensor be the way to go Owl with some sort of device that emits a whoooo whooooo sounds and some battery fed scary lighting.????

Not seen a cat since mind.

Edited May 23, 2022 by sotonowl

[owl sees all]

1 hour ago, sotonowl said:

Well we have had trouble with cats in the back garden which is well fenced off. They jump in and take a dump, quite easy to spot though as we have bark down and you can see where they've disturbed it. So I bought a couple of these cat repellants that emit a high pitched sound when the motion sensor gets triggered. Could a motion sensor be the way to go Owl with some sort of device that emits a whoooo whooooo sounds and some battery fed scary lighting.????

Not seen a cat since mind.

Like it!!!

 

Some sort of an automatic frightener. I also like Chaz's idea of luminous paint; although I can't see myself prancing round the ponds in the dark smothered in gunk.

 

There are a few things to consider in all this; cost, practicability and effectiveness. In a nutshell; what is the cheapest and easiest way to produce the desired result?

 

I'm gonna give it some serious thought and decide on the action to take.

 

Massive big storm in Ban Dung this afternoon. Started at 3-40. I was waiting for Mrs Owl who was buying veggies at the afternoon market. Storm cloud arrived quickly from the south-west.

 

 

Couldn't get out of the town for 30 minutes. Flash flooding everywhere.

Edited May 23, 2022 by owl sees all

[bannork]

1 hour ago, owl sees all said:

Like it!!!

 

Some sort of an automatic frightener. I also like Chaz's idea of luminous paint; although I can't see myself prancing round the ponds in the dark smothered in gunk.

 

There are a few things to consider in all this; cost, practicability and effectiveness. In a nutshell; what is the cheapest and easiest way to produce the desired result?

 

I'm gonna give it some serious thought and decide on the action to take.

 

Massive big storm in Ban Dung this afternoon. Started at 3-40. I was waiting for Mrs Owl who was buying veggies at the afternoon market. Storm cloud arrived quickly from the south-west.

 

 

Couldn't get out of the town for 30 minutes. Flash flooding everywhere.

The storm coincided with picking up the grandchildren from school. A bit of a nightmare as the eldest, same school/ year as your daughter, usually waits in Suan Rak by the Stonehenge impression like many others, but today all fled to shelter such as the bus station.

[HighPriority]

8 hours ago, owl sees all said:

Like it!!!

 

Some sort of an automatic frightener. I also like Chaz's idea of luminous paint; although I can't see myself prancing round the ponds in the dark smothered in gunk.

 

 

 

See Owl, this is where we are different… ????

 

????????

[Mutt Daeng]

11 hours ago, sotonowl said:

Well we have had trouble with cats in the back garden which is well fenced off. They jump in and take a dump, quite easy to spot though as we have bark down and you can see where they've disturbed it. So I bought a couple of these cat repellants that emit a high pitched sound when the motion sensor gets triggered. Could a motion sensor be the way to go Owl with some sort of device that emits a whoooo whooooo sounds and some battery fed scary lighting.????

Not seen a cat since mind.

I have 2 cat deterrents, called Leo & Chang.

 

[owl sees all]

5 minutes ago, Mutt Daeng said:

I have 2 cat deterrents, called Leo & Chang.

 

 

We did have dogs at the farm; LaLa and LuLu.

 

LaLa was killed by our neighbour, cause it killed one of his chickens, and LuLu suddenly died. The general consensus was that she was bitten bu the big cobra that lives in a close by wood.

 

I've see this snake twice. The second time I was up a ladder, sorting out water. I watched it for 30 seconds or so. It is about 2 metres long and 1bout 1.75 inches across. Not seen it for 3/4 years now.

 

[owl sees all]

11 hours ago, HighPriority said:

See Owl, this is where we are different… ????

 

????????

 

12 hours ago, HighPriority said:

I also like Chaz's idea of luminous paint; although I can't see myself prancing round the ponds in the dark smothered in gunk.

I could pay Mrs Owl to do the prancing. Leave a 50 baht note sticking out of my top pocket. That would capture her interest.

 

But!!!

 

She would probably scare herself.

[HighPriority]

It might be construed as child abuse, but setting Mildred up to see the ghost and tell her friends would give the story legs…

[Golden Triangle]

1 hour ago, HighPriority said:

It might be construed as child abuse, but setting Mildred up to see the ghost and tell her friends would give the story legs…

Way to go HP, that's  a very good  idea.

[HighPriority]

40 minutes ago, Golden Triangle said:

Way to go HP, that's  a very good  idea.

Sadly, ethics was never my strong point…  ????

[Golden Triangle]

Which is why I was twice divorced ????????????????

[bannork]

Ban Dung's Stonehenge.

[rickudon]

Not posted here for a long time - got distracted with other events. I was building up the banks of my ponds, and it took a lot longer than anticipated, doing it by hand! Had a truck load of soil and bought a wheel barrow to shift it. I found that typically 10 loads a day was my limit - it was more like boulder clay and took some time to dig it out and then spread it where needed - mainly about 10-80 metres away. By end of March i had done about 75% of it, and 65 metres of bank had been raised by 5-15 cm. It was good exercise, but getting a bit hot by end of March. 

Now, i had kept telling the wife i wanted a fishing hut on the pond for shade. We had plenty of  old wood from when the house was renovated, so wanted to use that. Unfortunately i am hopeless at DIY, so needed a worker. Wife was not enthusiastic. But then her sister built a very nice Sala, and now she said OK - but said she wanted something a bit 

nicer - I should have heard the alarm bells ringing!

 

What i got was this -

A copy of her sisters Sala with a new road up the side of the pond (including 10 trucks of fill) which obliterated most of my 3 months of bank building!

 

[chickenslegs]

11 minutes ago, rickudon said:

Not posted here for a long time - got distracted with other events. I was building up the banks of my ponds, and it took a lot longer than anticipated, doing it by hand! Had a truck load of soil and bought a wheel barrow to shift it. I found that typically 10 loads a day was my limit - it was more like boulder clay and took some time to dig it out and then spread it where needed - mainly about 10-80 metres away. By end of March i had done about 75% of it, and 65 metres of bank had been raised by 5-15 cm. It was good exercise, but getting a bit hot by end of March. 

Now, i had kept telling the wife i wanted a fishing hut on the pond for shade. We had plenty of  old wood from when the house was renovated, so wanted to use that. Unfortunately i am hopeless at DIY, so needed a worker. Wife was not enthusiastic. But then her sister built a very nice Sala, and now she said OK - but said she wanted something a bit 

nicer - I should have heard the alarm bells ringing!

 

What i got was this -

A copy of her sisters Sala with a new road up the side of the pond (including 10 trucks of fill) which obliterated most of my 3 months of bank building!

 

Looks nice. A good place to sit with a cold beer after a hard day's graft.

[rickudon]

The 'fishing hut'  also wiped out a year of savings.....

 

Oh, and forget about the hard graft! 2 hours a day is about my maximum.

 

One reason i like this thread is that I see similarities to my situation, although with differences. We both previously had afro wives (mine was from West Africa), came to Thailand at a similar time, got married, and we both had a daughter (mine is 10 years). We both live in a village (although mine is somewhat urbanised, on the edge of Udon Thani), both like ponds and fish, and both like a bit of farming (although Owl is serious about it, i just play at it). My daughter also likes drawing and painting.

Edited May 26, 2022 by rickudon
add more

[owl sees all]

10 hours ago, rickudon said:

The 'fishing hut'  also wiped out a year of savings.....

 

Oh, and forget about the hard graft! 2 hours a day is about my maximum.

 

One reason i like this thread is that I see similarities to my situation, although with differences. We both previously had afro wives (mine was from West Africa), came to Thailand at a similar time, got married, and we both had a daughter (mine is 10 years). We both live in a village (although mine is somewhat urbanised, on the edge of Udon Thani), both like ponds and fish, and both like a bit of farming (although Owl is serious about it, i just play at it). My daughter also likes drawing and painting.

 

Great stuff Rick.

 

Have you a couple of pics of the pond?.  And what fish are in there?

 

The plan is to start pumping out water from number five pond today. But there are always distractions.

 

Yes! Previous life experiences. My good lady was English, with roots in Jamaica. Had a lot of wonderful times there; and Cuba also. Was at Sabina Park in Kingston, when that infamous game vs England was abandoned due to giant cracks in the pitch. 1998, if my memory is still active.

 

Why not select a nice painting and post it. Love to hear of youngsters  interests other than the 'tippy tappy'.

[owl sees all]

Owl Log 29-05-2022 - Sunday afternoon

 

Big day today. Completely emptying pond five and taking out the fish.

 

 

Got the three incher running. Has given good service down the years. Recently had an overhaul,,, but would you believe conked out after two hours on Friday evening.

 

 

HT lead! Sorted that out on Saturday morning, and it was all go, go go again.

 

This morning I started things up again. Had to move the pump closer to the edge of pond 5 to get the inlet deeper.

 

 

Also arranged the outflow.

 

 

Found a dead pla nin  in the week. Nice eating size; about 1.2 kilos.

 

 

Buried it in number 4 farm.

 

 

Visited Ban Dung in the week. Mrs Owl went off somewhere while I relaxed in the pick-up off. Must have dozed off, cause this big gang of buffaloes nearly surrounded me.

 

 

By the time I sorted out the camera, they had drifted away.

 

These eucas grow so fast. Some simply cannot support their own weight and bend over. It's a job getting them back straight again.

 

 

And there are also casualties.

 

 

 

The new lock has remained untouched for a week.

 

 

And I put a stick of bamboo in place so that I could see from a distance if anyone had been messing.

 

 

The keys to this lock are different. Didn't suss it out at first. But then it dawns on me that it could double as a bottle opener.

 

 

The fish/plant/frog venture opposite has been neglected.

 

 

Net's been down for a week.

 

BeApp has been cutting the grass at the farm. And a great job he has done too.

 

 

Along the front of number 2.

 

 

Around the ponds.

 

 

It all has to be paid for, and this morning I bought five litres of '95' petrol. 47 baht a litre!!! And it's gonna get worse. Diesel is not so expensive as it can be fortified with bio-fuel.

 

Saw some activity near the farm.

 

 

Why you are waiting for the rice to be sown, why not convert the paddy into a swimming pool and have a splash about?

 

 

Recently saw the signs to Kham cha nod vary a bit. The same leading to our village.

 

 

The village has last an 'N' and gained a 'P' and an 'H'.

 

 

I was sitting in my corner watching some chess games on the computer, when I heard this noise. Looked around and saw a budgie - the blue one - lifting up a food container and then dropping it. Loud enough to get my attention. Got the camera ready to shoot. But it must have known, 'cause it didn't do it again. Not while I watched, but anyway; I got a nice little vid.

 

 

Not yet sorted out a bigger home for them. Will do though, Perhaps next week.

 

Mildred's latest.

mildredart.com for those arty-farty visitors.

 

 

Has someone gave Barbie a slap? Maybe Ken has been getting about!

 

Footy round up.

Thailand had a convincing win against Turkmenistan. Not a good day out for the Red's fans yesterday. Not only did they not win, but many didn't even get it.

The big one for me later today; Huddersfield vs Forest. Too late for me to have a listen, as Mildred has school tomorrow.

 

Water has been very slow most of the week. Flowing at about 25/30 seconds to get a litre. Came back to full strength last evening. The best it has been since we have lived here.

 

Worked hard Friday at the farm. Felt terrible in the evening. Really rough; severe heartburn. It was quite warm in the afternoon, and I don't think I was taking in enough water. Didn't have any reishi wine made up to sort it. In the evening I didn't eat, but drank 6 litres of bottled water, and had an early night. Felt much better yesterday, and even better today.

 

Getting ready to go to the farm to sort out the fish. Mildred will have the camera, and hopefully we'll get some good pics.

 

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

 

 

Edited May 29, 2022 by owl sees all

[HighPriority]

As good as beer (or reishi) may be, water is generally more appreciated by the body ????????

[owl sees all]

1 hour ago, HighPriority said:

As good as beer (or reishi) may be, water is generally more appreciated by the body ????????

Make you right there HP,

 

I took a 20 litre bottle with me in the pick-up. Drank plenty.

 

Just got home. Spent a good deal of the time in the mud this afternoon. Not yet captured all the fish.  But what we did get out were absolute stonkers. Got about 80 all told

 

Put over 50 kois into Mildred's pond. Also 6 grass carp. All 22 mekongs went into pond 4. Strange that? Mrs Owl counted them as they were gradually caught and put into the next pond. I can only recall buying 20 about 10 years ago. Very strange?!! I think the Misses might be trying to make me feel good. And what better way to finish up with more mekongs than we started with.

 

Have to go back in the morning to pump the last bit of water outm and catch the remaining 30 or so pla nin..

Edited May 29, 2022 by owl sees all

[rickudon]

here are my photos..... First, the stock pond, 0.6 rai, stocked with tilapia and Java barb and drained about once every 2 years.

[rickudon]

Next, the main pond, about 1.2 rai. stocked with anything i can get (mekongs, striped catfish, tilapia, Java barb, Pacu, giant Gourami, Carp, climbing Perch, Snakeheads)

 next,  As i have a bad back, the Isaan slaves do the heavy lifting! (wife supervising)

 

Finally, the rice field next to the main pond, about 1 rai. Originally all 3 were one big pond .... or more accurately, swamp, shallow and sometimes mainly dry. Redesigned by self and dug out by a large excavator (the rice field was my wife's idea, and was double the intended size!

[owl sees all]

19 minutes ago, rickudon said:

Next, the main pond, about 1.2 rai. stocked with anything i can get (mekongs, striped catfish, tilapia, Java barb, Pacu, giant Gourami, Carp, climbing Perch, Snakeheads)

 next,  As i have a bad back, the Isaan slaves do the heavy lifting! (wife supervising)

 

Finally, the rice field next to the main pond, about 1 rai. Originally all 3 were one big pond .... or more accurately, swamp, shallow and sometimes mainly dry. Redesigned by self and dug out by a large excavator (the rice field was my wife's idea, and was double the intended size!

What!!! 12 rai. Puts my eight puddles to shame.

 

 

Completely finished the pond work. Except to move the distressed lily to what water is left in the pond. As it gradually fills it will look great.

 

 

Have lots of pics to post tomorrow.

 

Sorry Rick. Just noticed the decimal point. Must invest in a new pair of specks when I go to the 20 baht shop in the week.

 

Edited May 30, 2022 by owl sees all

[rickudon]

I would love to have 8 ponds, but i think that with all the bank space i would end up with very little water! Did want to buy neighbours swamp land, but the price was too high. He is slowly filling it in with the most disgusting waste, half of it plastic (the polystyrene blows into my pond).

[owl sees all]

Owl Log Special - 31-05-2022 - Tuesday morning

 

 

No! I'm not just sitting there looking at the shovel. I'm trying to get the pump inlet as low into the mud as possible.

 

 

Catch the fish. Put them into the big bowl. Quickly transfer them to a bucket, and get them into their new home.

 

 

Mrs Owl wasn't keen on getting down and muddy. But she did her fair share.

 

 

Into the next pond.

 

 

Although my main job was making sure the water got to the sump, I caught a few.

 

 

But the main catchers were the three guys; and Umm.

 

 

Isn't that a Chelsea strip? Didn't know Umm even liked footy.

 

 

 

All the carp out. It was time for the mekongs.

 

 

There were two very big ones. Probably went 20 kg each.

 

 

Then into the next pond.

 

 

The next morning Umm was out collecting shrimps and snails.

 

 

 

Interesting how the male pla nin make homes for their coming brood.

 

 

There were only male fish (nin) in there, so wasted efforts.

 

Fed the carp in number 6 pond last evening. They ate good, and seemed not to be shocked.

 

Put a bit of food into number 4, but never saw a mekong.

 

Total tally:

 

About 100ish nin

22 mekongs

30ish koi carp

5 pla dook

 

 

Until the next time, only one thing lest to say; bye y'all.

Edited May 31, 2022 by owl sees all

[HighPriority]

Owl, I seem to have missed the reasoning behind the emptying and relocation of the fish… is it to simply deepen the ponds or do you have other (no doubt devious) plots hatching ?

[DJ54]

Thanks for the posts Owl always interesting read…. 

[owl sees all]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Owl Log - 05-06-2022 - Sunday afternoon

 

Everything done at the farm regarding pond five. Umm did the last bit by cutting the lilly into three and planting it down the pond.

 

 

Bamboo sticks out.

 

 

Time for home.

 

 

Got a nasty sting on my shoulder. Hornets trying to take over the kitchen. Sprayed the colony with WD40.

 

 

That's all I had on hand. Usually smoke them out. Will do if they come back.

 

Mildred and me tucked into a nice pla nin on Friday. One of our fish from the recent catch.

 

 

Plenty of activity one morning.

 

Not all the children go to school in the bus. There is a local school just over 1km away.

 

 

That's Boyz on the right.

 

Just before the grass was cut. Found a nice mushroom. Mrs Owl said it was not a nice one. But took it away all the same. I'm wondering if I'm gonna have mushroom soup any day now.

 

 

Great progress at the Buddha pond .

 

 

The big pond just down the road from up is not filling with water. It is on pretty high ground, and quite deep. I'll keep watch.

 

 

 

Glad I went that way, 'cause there was a big land work going on that I didn't know about.

 

 

 

Mildred's pineapple tree has burst into life.

 

 

Fish, avocado and now a pineapple plantation.  Will not have to do food shopping soon.

 

 

Pond six - or Mildred's Pond as it is now known - has not yet settled down from all the muddy water pumping. Still quite cloudy.

 

 

The fish are gradually becoming accustomed to their new home and friends.

 

 

Storms can come along within minutes here.

 

 

Mrs Owl tending her garden.

 

 

Put the two pumps away until November time.

 

 

Locked them up in the water tank.

 

Poo has friends coming over for grub.

 

Mrs Owl chases them away.

 

 

I upset Mrs Owl in the week. I found out something that was a semi-secret. I asked her why she didn't tell me; after all, I was destined to pay.

"I not tell you true, not lie. Just slow to tell."

A few minutes later, I whistled for my cup of Rosy and there was this 'crash'. Did get one a couple of hours later, but not in my favourite cup. Tasted a little salty too.

 

 

Have to take the rough with the smooth in Isaan.

 

Found another nice rock. Put with the others for road repairs.

 

Footy round-up.

Thailand and England both were beaten. Wales play Ukraine later today for one the of the last World Cup places.

 

All the children/students had the day off school on Friday. Not much in the way of celebrations, unlike England, where countless millions took to the streets to celebrate the 75th. Made me feel homesick. But not for too long. Last time there was a celebration - for the 50th - I went fishing and caught a nice tench.

 

No rain for a few days. I want as much as is going.

 

Palm nuts hit a high of 10.5 baht a kg. Then dropped to 8.5, and now up to 9.6. Should get a decent cut at the end of this week.

 

I was watching the TV. Well. listening to Alex North's masterpiece. Simply wonderful. Went to the loo and as quick as Jack Flash Mrs Owl changed the channel. As quick as that.

 

"Mrs Owl, where is the music?"

 

 

"Your music no good. Give me headache."

 

How did Mildred ever get here? And speaking of the budding Hentii Picasso.

 

 

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

Edited June 5, 2022 by owl sees all

[DJ54]

Thanks Owl enjoy the week… 

 

what are set ups in the pond? 
 

[owl sees all]

49 minutes ago, DJ54 said:

Thanks Owl enjoy the week… 

 

what are set ups in the pond? 
 

Good question. It all seems like a waste of time, and effort, now.

 

I returned from England in 2016. While there I had made contacts with fish farms and fish dealers. During the period of the dry season of 2016/17 - I started making some holding tanks for kois. Sewing up dozens of yards of netting. It was all a bit ambitious. I put them into the ponds for the wet season of 2017.

 

 

The wet season never arrived. I did my best to keep up the water level, with continual pumping from other ponds, but the nets gradually got stuck in the mud. Eventually during 2018, I lost interest in the concept. There was never gonna be 'big bucks' in it anyway. So it was wasted efforts with some wasted money thrown in.  But not huge amounts. of dosh

 

 2017, through to 2021 were trully abysmal and I didn't upkeep the tanks. The nets are now under the mud. Still have the frames though. Perhaps my enthusiasm might be rekindled if the wet, and monsoon seasons, return to their traditional (pre-2016) forces.

 

The plan was to rear kois to about 6/7 inches long and send them to England and Holland. I had contacts in both countries. If the conditions had been better, we might even had bred the kois from fertile fish. But it was not to be, and myself and Mildred must now be content to simple enjoy looking after them. I had a few black (very black) kois , and when I was in England, the dealers were quite interested in these along with my platinums.

 

Traditionally, Japan has been the go-to place for kois, but they are expensive. In recent years Israel has become the home of cheaper, quality fish, with varieties not available anywhere else.

[Golden Triangle]

Are the Platinum's also known as Ghost Koi ?? My dad, God rest his soul, had a massive ghost koi in his very large and deep pond, I know how big the pond was as it took close to the 3 weeks he & mum were on holiday for me and a mate to dog it out ????