Diary of a farang in Isaan

[owl sees all]

Right you are then guys.

 

You spoke. I listened. I reacted.

 

The chickens know the sound of the Mazza and come running.

 

[rickudon]

Realised i haven't been on here to keep up to date for about 2 months! Busy time. 4 hospital visits ( regular kidney checkups where due), dentist and clearing the rice straw pile left by the ploughman - i understand that the heavy work requires a contractor with machinery, but why does it then take me months to tidy up? They have no sense of pride in their work, just do the minimum and go.

Then, wife had plan - always bad news! Her sister wanted to fence the back of her land, so we had to as well (not do, loss of face). Old fence was just a few concrete posts, all broken, and one or 2 strands of barbed wire still left in places. Also eucalyptus growing along the fence line That all had to go. New fence was a 50 cm wall topped with metal posts and chain link, 70 metres. But one thing leads to another .... land along fence line uneven, need to buy soil. Got round that by having a 2 metre deep klong built, the soil dugout was worth more than the cost of buying truckloads. oh, and provide drainage from sister-in-laws pond to ours rather than running across the surface. Also, klong will make a nice fingerling nursery for me...... Total expenditure ended up about 85,000 baht, only 50% over budget ....

 

So far have spent 3 weeks tidying up the mess they left - not sure what i will do with the 2 tree stumps they left behind - they dug them up but just left them (probably about 100 kg each), so far work half done. Incredibly hot - every day this month 40 centigrade or more, can only work for an hour and take hours to recover. No way could i work like Owl. Ponds now at lowest level since dug out in 2019. Vegetable gardening this year has been disastrous, only reasonable crop was tomatoes, nearly everything else failed.

 

Avocadoes - only have one tree left, and that nearly died last April when we were on holiday, no-one watered it. Experience tells me it needs water at least every other day this time of year. Now about 8 years old, 2 metres tall.

[HighPriority]

Geez Rick, losing an avo at that age would be soul destroying !

It must be painfully close to giving you some fruit ?

 

Glad someone else gave Owl a clip about his tardiness 🤣

I’ve been in Melbourne and Brizvegas for the last week, back to Darwin tonight and back to Thailand in a few weeks..

[rickudon]

The avocadoes leaves are turning brown - guess the April hot weather (average over 40 C) meant either just couldn't get enough water, or root rot has set in. You just cannot win! it was wilting so had to up the water level. Lime trees are doing fine. but currently little fruit and flowers. Lots of new growth though.

Mangoes - big tree in the garden died - it was old but kept being heavily cut back because near power lines. 10 years ago lots of fruit. have one other old tree, sometimes pruned back (chain sawed) it is very variable in fruit production - some years none. Down on the farm have 5 mango trees, one from seed, no fruit yet, but growing big (maybe too big) other 4, grafted small trees, 2 have fruit every year, one other had fruit once, 4th was topped by invading buffalo soon after planting, has just one fruit first time. Many other mango trees in the village also no fruit. Do not know why.

Wife had another plan - made a jungle spot and water feature with drip irrigation, to try and mitigate the heat. Actually done rather well AND she didn't give me the bill! (well not directly, but house keeping money always runs out before the end of the month). Must try and put some photos up but a hassle getting them off the phone.

 

Dreading the next Electricity bill - hot weather and 2 freezers added (one for me, then wife got one to sell ice-creams in the shop). Trying to get an energy monitoring plug so i can work out the actual consumption of all the appliances.

[HighPriority]

Rick, if you’ve got a smartphone, post your pics directly from there.

Ive gotten a couple of mangoes from a grafted R2E2 the last 2 years, the possums and bats got the rest 🤬

My wife has largely planted mango seed against my advice, but I’m hoping a couple may fruit this year.

We are now into our dry season but it hasn’t turned cold yet, only pleasantly cool, so no flowers as yet.

Edited yesterday at 10:08 AM by HighPriority

[owl sees all]

Owl Log

 

Sunday evening - 05 May.

 

What a week!? Monday to Friday; start at 8. finish about 3-30. Bloody hot! But it's done. 58 trees now have decent water whenever I flick the controller switch on. That is the first section completed.

 

 

Had this weekend off. Mostly to recover from working in 40C+ all week. Can overdo it. Was drinking at t least 6 x 750ml of water each session. Keep the water cold in a poly box. The tell-tale sign that I need a drink is a bit of heartburn.

 

Just like Rick, my avocados have suffered.  Lost 3 in one big pot. I was giving regular water, but i reckon it was just too hot for them.

 

 

Gutted!!

But one has survived. It's growing in a bit of shade. That's a lesson for me in the future.

 

 

Ban Dung yesterday. The big new build is coming along.

 

 

If I hadn't have had Mrs Owl with me, I'd have had a good look inside.

 

 

And at the daily market. 

 

 

A few noble piggies on display.

 

 

Ant eggs and kadek-kadeks on offer.

 

 

Sweet delicacies.

 

 

Didn't see any big terrapins to 'spend' me dosh on. But did buy a couple of big containers in Big C. They will be handy. 199 baht each. Got to pounce on the special offers when they come along.

 

 

Some pretty strong winds last week. Wiped out 200 mangoes at the house tree About half were binned.

 

 

At the farm we lost 8 big eucas.

 

 

Have arranged for Soo to go get them. Probably worth a few hundred baht if selling, but I think he will keep the better ones for his buildings.

 

 

What is that for? Bella due home from Singapore soon? A new house for the earner?

 

 

Bit rough for a lady. Mildred reckons it's for the cows.

 

Let them have a lend of our big ladder.

 

 

Soo on a hot tin roof!

 

 

Youngster helping with his machete.

 

 

Watch yer don't cit the wrong thing mate.

 

 

This extreme heat is bringing out the lizzies. Looking for water I guess.

 

 

At the house. That's a regular.

 

 

And the farm.

 

 

I'll get a drop of water for you bro'. Look as though you could do with a drinkl

 

 

Other jobs at the farm yo be done. Collect up the unused cow poopoo.

 

 

There is a few thousand metres of old irrigation pipework that has to be disposed of. And old poopoo sacks.

 

 

Chop them up and take them to the furnace.

 

 

Today. took over some more PVCs to number 2; ready for tomorrow's work.

 

 

 Took down the old steel bearers at the top of the tower.

 

 

The old water tower looks so sad. Once an integral part of the Squanderosa. Now a relic of the past. 

 

 

Will hopefully be able to use the big stew-pots.

 

 

A nice shot of the palm farm. Sun shining through. Absolutely stunning!!

 

 

+++++

 

The Owls did it. Two games with the Blades to look forward to next season. Only Millwall bettered them for points in their last 6 matches. Talk about leaving it late. Brum and Hudders join Rotherham in Div one next season. Pompy and Derby up for sure.

 

Looks like the Hatters for the drop, after that stonking away win by Forest.

 

Pool drop out of the EPL contest. If Gunners or City draw a match, it's all over.

 

+++++

 

What has happened to the BBC www site? It's been revamped and it's an utter mess.

 

Mildred has just finished a beautiful painting, that she has spent two weeks on. Too dark now for a pic. Post one in the week.

 

The MinL has moved in with Mrs Owl's sister Nook. That is only 200 metres away. Her house is all locked up. Need to get in to get the fridge though. Well! The Mrs says we have to get it. Need help with that I reckon. Tomorrow is another day.

 

Pook - Mrs Owl's sister - has gone off to work with her husband on a building site in Nong Khai. They owe the bank a good deal of dosh. Hope it works out for them. Or they will be sweet-talking me once again!!!!

 

Mrs Owl is getting quite aggressive about buying a car. 'Now' is not the time. I'm telling her. However; she wants to get one before Mildred goes back to school on the 13th of this month. It's boiling up to be a right ding-dong.

 

Can't get tea-bags anywhere locally. Not in Big C. Not in Lotus. Not in Station Mart. Have sent away for 100 bags of 'Liptons yellow' on Lazada in desperation. 

 

Out of Cheese also. Can't manage in the mornings without a cup of Rosy and me plate of vegiemited cheese.

 

Only one thing left to say guys; drink lots of water when you are working at the farm in this outrageous heat.

 

 

[owl sees all]

On 4/29/2024 at 9:23 PM, rickudon said:

Then, wife had plan - always bad news! Her sister wanted to fence the back of her land, so we had to as well (not do, loss of face). Old fence was just a few concrete posts, all broken, and one or 2 strands of barbed wire still left in places. Also eucalyptus growing along the fence line That all had to go. New fence was a 50 cm wall topped with metal posts and chain link, 70 metres. But one thing leads to another .... land along fence line uneven, need to buy soil. Got round that by having a 2 metre deep klong built, the soil dugout was worth more than the cost of buying truckloads. oh, and provide drainage from sister-in-laws pond to ours rather than running across the surface. Also, klong will make a nice fingerling nursery for me...... Total expenditure ended up about 85,000 baht, only 50% over budget ..

Need to see some pics Ricko.

 

If we had not put in the solar system at the farmhouse we would have lost 4 ponds. We are just keeping pace with evaporation at the mo.

 

Anyone had rain? Big winds with Dunder n Blitzem; but precious little of the wet stuff.

[owl sees all]

3 hours ago, HighPriority said:

Rick, if you’ve got a smartphone, post your pics directly from there.

Ive gotten a couple of mangoes from a grafted R2E2 the last 2 years, the possums and bats got the rest 🤬

My wife has largely planted mango seed against my advice, but I’m hoping a couple may fruit this year.

We are now into our dry season but it hasn’t turned cold yet, only pleasantly cool, so no flowers as yet.

 

I've got a great looking Mango tree grown from seed. Will I ever see any fruit?

[Sandboxer]

GF's sis had 11 of her chickens (total 500) drop dead in the last 2 days of heat stroke/exhaustion. They start panting, then extending their wings, then die soon after that.

 

Despite the roof sprinkler system and fairly spacious 5 coops. Big fans now set up and she's ready to hose them down with water at the first sign of too much heat. Any other advice?

 

Was kinda sad to see her so depressed as she put a lot of effort and love into properly caring for them over the last year (egg sales have been a nice little side gig for them fam and only a handful have died in total from other causes over the whole time).

[sotonowl]

1 hour ago, owl sees all said:

The Owls did it.

Never in doubt Owl. Gulp.😂

Talking about the blades (nickname they stole from us BTW) did you notice the record they equalled on Saturday. They're on course to hold the record all by themselves before the seasons up.

[sotonowl]

1 hour ago, owl sees all said:

Mrs Owl is getting quite aggressive about buying a car. 'Now' is not the time. I'm telling her. However; she wants to get one before Mildred goes back to school on the 13th of this month. It's boiling up to be a right ding-dong.

That doesn't sound good Owl. Good luck with that.

[owl sees all]

1 hour ago, Sandboxer said:

GF's sis had 11 of her chickens (total 500) drop dead in the last 2 days of heat stroke/exhaustion. They start panting, then extending their wings, then die soon after that.

 

Despite the roof sprinkler system and fairly spacious 5 coops. Big fans now set up and she's ready to hose them down with water at the first sign of too much heat. Any other advice?

 

Was kinda sad to see her so depressed as she put a lot of effort and love into properly caring for them over the last year (egg sales have been a nice little side gig for them fam and only a handful have died in total from other causes over the whole time).

It is sad to lose animals. I'm not that knowledgeable, about chickens, but there is a chicken farm next to us that I go to virtually every day. I've noticed that the chickens - especially those with chicks - are not in their pens but under trees.

 

Must find it cooler there; than in their runs.

[owl sees all]

13 minutes ago, sotonowl said:

Never in doubt Owl. Gulp.😂

Talking about the blades (nickname they stole from us BTW) did you notice the record they equalled on Saturday. They're on course to hold the record all by themselves before the seasons up.

I didn't know Owl.

 

Had a quick butchers at the EPL table. Reckon it's goals let in. They have been hammered a few times this season.

 

I'll have to do some research.

[chickenslegs]

2 hours ago, owl sees all said:

Mrs Owl is getting quite aggressive about buying a car. 'Now' is not the time. I'm telling her. However; she wants to get one before Mildred goes back to school on the 13th of this month. It's boiling up to be a right ding-dong.

Hate to say it (and I think I've said it before), now that the recent debts are paid off, it's time to spend, spend, spend (and borrow - with or without your knowledge) until the next crisis. Seems that some folks never learn from past mistakes.

 

Good luck!

[sotonowl]

5 hours ago, owl sees all said:

I didn't know Owl.

 

Had a quick butchers at the EPL table. Reckon it's goals let in. They have been hammered a few times this season.

 

I'll have to do some research.

Spot on Owl. After 36 games they've conceded 100 PL goals. Swindon hold the record of 100 but that was after 42 games. Truth be known, I couldn't remember Swindon being in the PL. As for the nicknames, we were the Blades but gave it up basically when we moved to our current home which was commonly know as Owlerton (Now Hillsborough although the nearby dog track still goes under the name of Owlerton) in them days, hence the Owl. Legend has it that it was more to do with visiting supporters changing the nickname by common usage, who knows. They were previously nicknamed the Cutlers but they have always been keen on our cast offs. After all, they moved into Bramall Lane after we'd binned it.😂

[HighPriority]

13 hours ago, owl sees all said:

 

I've got a great looking Mango tree grown from seed. Will I ever see any fruit?

If it lives I guess you will Owl. 
 

[owl sees all]

13 hours ago, chickenslegs said:

Hate to say it (and I think I've said it before), now that the recent debts are paid off, it's time to spend, spend, spend (and borrow - with or without your knowledge) until the next crisis. Seems that some folks never learn from past mistakes.

 

Good luck!

Make you right there CL. Have to tread a careful line.

[owl sees all]

2 hours ago, HighPriority said:

If it lives I guess you will Owl. 
 

It's doing OK.

 

Think mangoes grown from seed take many years to give fruit. I can wait.