Adapting To Be Able To Live At The Farm

[Dancealot]

What i learned about posting photo's from fellow members:

Walking to the rice field

No rain for days

Changing the big dirt into small dirt

I think i did it: 640X480 with text. SO much easier under windows OS

Thanks for all your help everyone, the answer is change to windows OS on this one.

Rsquared should get into this as well. Play around with it if you have the time...

Those cucumbers are very large! Our harvest consist of fairly young and smaller cucumbers..

http://www.thaivisa....osity-question/

I left linux aside so i can post more properly.

[Gary A]

I'm not a fussy eater and generally eat or at least try to eat whatever my wife cooks. I do draw the line and refuse to eat palah. That's that stinking stuff made by letting fish rot for so long that it liquefies. Ant eggs are tasty but I won't eat bugs or live shrimp. I can eat snake but hate to see snakes killed.

[Rsquared]

Thanks for the info Dancealot, but I've got an iMac and I'm playing around with Picasa, not successful yet, but will keep trying.

Cheers.

[rice555]

Hello All, Rsquared you can change title/edit pictures with the Mac, I'm using OS 10.7.5

on a Mac Mini. Just use Tools in the preview app, been in OS 10 for years.

rice555

[samuijimmy]

Hello All, Rsquared you can change title/edit pictures with the Mac, I'm using OS 10.7.5

on a Mac Mini. Just use Tools in the preview app, been in OS 10 for years.

rice555

Oh that's interesting

I never realized you could edit size with Preview ... (same you have Mini... also Air.... )

Thing I hate on Macs is when it says this photo belongs to Iphoto.. . when I have been editing with Picasa, ..... no it bloody doesn't.... it belongs to me!!!

Now I know why Rsquared takes so long to post images in the Alphabet Photos!!! .... at least DAL has managed to get with the program! except he thinks in Football games, they use umpires

Interesting thread you guys have got going here! ... thanks DAL for giving me the link....

[Dancealot]

Thanks for the info Dancealot, but I've got an iMac and I'm playing around with Picasa, not successful yet, but will keep trying.

Cheers.

In picasa arent you giving up all the rights of photos you share there?

[Dancealot]

Hello All, Rsquared you can change title/edit pictures with the Mac, I'm using OS 10.7.5

on a Mac Mini. Just use Tools in the preview app, been in OS 10 for years.

rice555

Oh that's interesting

I never realized you could edit size with Preview ... (same you have Mini... also Air.... )

Thing I hate on Macs is when it says this photo belongs to Iphoto.. . when I have been editing with Picasa, ..... no it bloody doesn't.... it belongs to me!!!

Now I know why Rsquared takes so long to post images in the Alphabet Photos!!! .... at least DAL has managed to get with the program! except he thinks in Football games, they use umpires

Interesting thread you guys have got going here! ... thanks DAL for giving me the link....

Umpire/Referees... Ok i learned that, silly me

[Dancealot]

More food at the daily market

Yam with a lot of fat

Preparing laab ingredients

Laab moo

Rolling sausage

Boiled fat dip to go along lao khao

Bamboo roots with sweet sauce green curry and pig fat on the side

More boiled fat with spicy seasoning on the side

[samuijimmy]

Thanks for the info Dancealot, but I've got an iMac and I'm playing around with Picasa, not successful yet, but will keep trying.

Cheers.

In picasa arent you giving up all the rights of photos you share there?

Not necessarily, there are options... so just have to press the right buttons in preferences !

BTW your camera is drinking a bit too much beer on a few shots!!!!

[Dancealot]

Thanks for the info Dancealot, but I've got an iMac and I'm playing around with Picasa, not successful yet, but will keep trying.

Cheers.

In picasa arent you giving up all the rights of photos you share there?

Not necessarily, there are options... so just have to press the right buttons in preferences !

BTW your camera is drinking a bit too much beer on a few shots!!!!

Indeed i do like a beer or 2 but i never said anything about owning a camera.

All shots posted here where made with this phone.

[Rsquared]

Ah.......you have one of those cameras that you talk into, I believe they are very popular.

[Rsquared]

Hello All, Rsquared you can change title/edit pictures with the Mac, I'm using OS 10.7.5

on a Mac Mini. Just use Tools in the preview app, been in OS 10 for years.

rice555

Ok Rice, I'll give it a go and see what happens.

Looks like no luck....once I opened the photo and it uploaded, I hit "Add to Post" which removes the thumbnail, then as Rice suggested I hit "Post Preview" and I can't see anywhere where "Tools" can be used. Tried right clicking on the photo....nothing.....tried moving the photo......won't allow.

Where's that book for Dummies? I need it.

[Dancealot]

RUsquared I learned you have to pre-edit your photo before posting to the desired size. Then put it online like in picasa and then attach a link to this pic in the Thaivisa full editor. I dont think the Thaivisa posting editor is meant for changing photo sizes.

Cool new Holland by the way. This one has seen some seasons! Did you drive it?

[rice555]

Hello All, Rsuared you resize pictures in Tools in the drop down menu in Preview.

Then you can change size/resolution.

rice555 using a 12-MP, Nokia N8

[Rsquared]

G'day Dancealot, I've had a go at driving the tractor, that's it, I leave it to my nephews, they're the experts.

Yes we bought it second hand and done a bit of work on it, fortunately my 3 nephews are all mechanically minded, so they not only operate it but fix it as well.

@ Rice555 thanks for that, but for some silly reason I don't have "Tools" at the top of my screen, I've got all the others you have on yours, but no tools. I have Mac OS X Version 10.6.8.

Cheers.

[OOTAI]

he fishing shown in post 86 is a bit more sophistcated than around where I live as they leave some water in there and use a net, the fish are huge as well. Where I am a 3inch tiddler is consdered a whale. Around my way it is more mud bath rather than fishing as I understand it.

[Dancealot]

Very nice OOTAI i can assure you this post 86 is not more sophistcated then what you posted. Look at pic #3 and notice the blue hose down my feet. THe pond you show is bigger and there is a bigger hose and pump. Where i ive we use the nets as well but it is jut not that fun. Personally i am amazed with the size of some fish coming out! Dont suppose you have some pics of them?

Cheers!

[DerkMR]

he fishing shown in post 86 is a bit more sophistcated than around where I live as they leave some water in there and use a net, the fish are huge as well. Where I am a 3inch tiddler is consdered a whale. Around my way it is more mud bath rather than fishing as I understand it.

Today I also practiced mudswimming up to the axles

After 9 hrs pumping the rest of water has to be taken on the spanish way (by "Manuel" aka manually) but that's a task for tomorrow.

Prior the big net was used to catch most but some, namely some Pla chon still hide - one of which should be of 55 cm like the largest we already got out.

And this was just the small pond, the next one has double size - but also a lot more fish, namely carps beside the Pla nin which were the originally placed fish.

Bye,

Derk

[Dancealot]

he fishing shown in post 86 is a bit more sophistcated than around where I live as they leave some water in there and use a net, the fish are huge as well. Where I am a 3inch tiddler is consdered a whale. Around my way it is more mud bath rather than fishing as I understand it.

Today I also practiced mudswimming up to the axles

After 9 hrs pumping the rest of water has to be taken on the spanish way (by "Manuel" aka manually) but that's a task for tomorrow.

Prior the big net was used to catch most but some, namely some Pla chon still hide - one of which should be of 55 cm like the largest we already got out.

And this was just the small pond, the next one has double size - but also a lot more fish, namely carps beside the Pla nin which were the originally placed fish.

Bye,

Derk

I undrstand you mentioned before in your plah nin thread this pond was not emptied in 4 years. I am curious how long the farmers wait until they empty these ponds. Do you know what is the best timing to harvest its content?

[DerkMR]

I undrstand you mentioned before in your plah nin thread this pond was not emptied in 4 years. I am curious how long the farmers wait until they empty these ponds. Do you know what is the best timing to harvest its content?

Harvesting depends on species and culture method.

So for Pla nin you can go:

1 - high stock, commercial feed and aeration

2 - low stock, commercial feed

3 - high stock, mixed feed - commercial plus wastes and aeration

4 - low stock mixed feed

5 - high stock wastes and aeration

6 - low stock wastes

1 + 2 can be harvested around 4 months while 5 + 6 will take 6-9 months.

Also local market preference for weight changes when you sell...

Bye,

Derk

[Dancealot]

The pic is not very cler becaue there is mud on my cam but did you get stung by a poisonous fish, perhaps on one of these images?

I was stung in my hand and it wasnt very pleasant..

You seem to know 1 or 2 things about thai fish and i want to know about the severity of this poison because i will be going in that pond again soon.

Thanks!

[DerkMR]

Apart of stingrays I'm not aware of really existing poisons of freshwater fishes.

There may be allergic reactions to the mucus covering the spines of the dorsal fin. Here I think of the sand goby or may be also the plecostomus sucker visible in the second picture.

Bye,

Derk

[blowin]

Thanks for the entertainment in reading this tread. I am still working here in Europe but do have a farm down south in Chumphon and not too far from a contributor here. For years my holidays were always Pattaya,Bangkok and Samui etc but now its off the plane one night in Huahin with a

buddy and the rest is in the village and farm. I do know some people will flame me and say its holidays but the point I am making once I found village life I don't want anything else.

The other bit I found hard was understanding family money etc. but that has been a learning curve for both of us. But now I respect them and I

put in the money they do the work and yes we share profits and reinvest so we are all happy with the situation. But when I move over when ever my job finishes here I hope to have the Durian farm making good money to supplement my pension and of course helping my family as well who have been more than good to me.

But a word of warning its not for everyone and maybe not for me! I seen farang go crazy with drink and drugs I know one guy very educated and came from a professional background and its only a matter of time as he has slipped so far he does not want help. Keep the comments coming as this a great tread. Happy Christmas to you all living the good life .

[Dancealot]

@ mr Blowin:

Great post! You expressed a good motivation why you have adapted to be able to live at a farm yourself. Maybe adapting is not the right word, i might call it assimilating. You went in there and did the farang thing until you got sick of it. You have had enough. Honestly me and many others here will be the last person who will start flaming about your holiday. It is your own personal choice how you will spend your holidays and nobody can tell you how you will make use of this precious free time. To me this time is a lot more valuable then gold.

You raise questions about farang going crazy drinking and drugging. I can tell you only this about it: If you are lucky enough have this freedom as an adult you should be responsible enough to handle this freedom. Suppose IMO some farang are so used to working western style that if they have been a few months of freetime they do not know what to do anymore and resort to drinking and maybe drugs.

In Holland we have a saying about this type of behaviour which suddenly start after some chickens were spooked by a dog they will not lay eggs for days or weeks. Hope i am making sense with my dutch free translation

@mr Derk:

These fish sting! And they are out there. The pain is so intense for 10 minutes i was left idle. Next 2 days a thick finger so you have been warned..

I am interested to learn about this particular species i posted previously in post #111, so anyone?

[DerkMR]

These fish sting! And they are out there. The pain is so intense for 10 minutes i was left idle. Next 2 days a thick finger so you have been warned..

I am interested to learn about this particular species i posted previously in post #111, so anyone?

OK, this indeed is typical poisoning.

The fish in the green bucket directly above the finger should be a "Plecostomus" (non valid scientific name but under this name it's mostly known, correct Genus should be Hypostomus) - more is difficult to say until detailed investigation.

The other three should be Pla nin - Tilapia (correct Oreochromis niloticus) and Pla tongraj - silver featherback- Notopterus notopterus which both not have any effects.

The top photo is not sharp enough to identify more than Pla gradihmo - spotted gourami - Trichogaster trichopterus, Pla tongraj - silver featherback - Notopterus notopterus and Pla duk - walking catfish - Clarias batrachus.:

Googling a little I found

The fish has a strong spine on each pectoral fin and if carelessly handled gives a very painful injury. One such spike on my thumb caused acute pain and swelling which took a week to clear. The presence of a hollow passage along the centre of the spine and the extent of pain suggest that some poison is also involved.

source http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_clariasm.php

but also

It's not true that clarias have poison spines on their pectoral fins, that is the speciality of another catfish,Heteropneustes fossilis, which in fact is tougher and smaller than clarias.

same source.

Also in scientific articles no poison is mentioned (e.g. http://dpc.uba.uva.nl/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=zoomed;sid=a081208e34ef8a7f86ca6ae69ddebc69;idno=m8301a01;view=text;rgn=div1;cc=zoomed;node=m8301a01%3A18)

Bye,

Derk

[Dancealot]

Thanks a lot for using your knowledge on this. I am grateful

I will do some detailed investigation now because you suggested it.

[blowin]

Thanks for your kind comments Dancealot. I do understand we live a very structured life's here in the west and yes when the structure is gone thats when problems start and that is both in the city and the village. But the secret is keeping busy and planning tomorrow and the day after. I work for a world wide multinational and have done for nearly 30 years but the trill I get from seeing something growing and than been able to sell at hopefully a profit is priceless! The other buzz I get is just sitting under a tree and admiring the beauty around me and thinking how lucky I am but than I have to get on a plane and come back here to the west.

The other thing I find is the stress of life goes my watch comes off I get up when it suits ( that can be 6am when cocks start) but go to bed when it gets dark it becomes a way of life. Down south no one goes out at night its always day time to a beach side restaurant have a few beers some food and back to the village and bed. But as I have already said its not for everyone and maybe an age thing but certainly suits me.

[Dancealot]

ปลาแขยง

I inquired this with the people that saw, and laughed at me, me getting hurt.

Notice the sting fin on its back. The poison is in there...

[Dancealot]

Mr. Blowin. This 'feeling/urge or archetype even' you talk about is not an age thing. It is a way of mind focusing i developed over the years while i consciously allowed my mind to be influenced by this way of life.

Life at the farm.

[DerkMR]

Wollfs catfish - Mystus wollfii.

Scientific description by the dutch Pieter Bleeker.

So is nationality the reason you got stung?

Bye,

Derk