Blog-up

I suppose it might be time to blog-up. To update the self-obsessed ramblings I place on-line as a sleep-cure for chronic lerts. (Best first check previous postings to see what to follow on from!)

I never realized there were so many typos in the posted drivel. Maybe I should make some small attempt at editing.

As I sits & tries to type, my constant companion and experienced pain-in-the-but is demanding more and more attention. You can see him below, slightly hidden by my oversized paunch and unmanly chest. (Note to self – Stop eating for a decade. Minimum.)

Dear Nelson fancies himself as something of an editor. He is constantly correcting my typing with paws on keyboard at the most opportune times.

The photograph was taken by my web-cam. A horrible piece of equipment that now sits on top of the computer, spying on my every move. Don’t think it is communicating my movements to other, surely uninterested, parties, but I can never be too sure. Will probably cover it with a black-painted plastic bottle later. Invaluable at weekends though. Enables me to see and chat with children serving their long school sentences in or near London.

Talking of which; let’s look back at recent happenings. Seems we have something like two months to catch up on.

Our baby visitors, the frighteners of little Tommy during his meditations, rose to thirteen in number, spread out over about six weeks. Most were released some way away from home, although a couple ended up just outside our garden wall. I have been trying to find them since, but expect no luck there.

Holidays

School holidays came and went; Gobby & Pung bringing great happiness by making their, all too infrequent, long flight from London to spend seven weeks with us here. Must admit to suffering the effects of cut onions for a week or so prior to and after their departure. Seems every moment of sheer joy must always be paid for with a tear or two.

(Photo above was taken in the garden prior to their departure, the one below was in the house.)
Gobby is now taller than I am, though thankfully not as big around the waist. Pung is becoming a truly beautiful young woman. She is the spitting image of her namesake grandmother. When they are not here, the little ones miss them so much it hurts.

“When can we go to the Airport?”

“Why?”

“I want to get Gobby & Pung.”

“Sorry, they won’t be here until next year.”

“Why, I want them to come home now.”

Above conversation, or something similar, takes place almost every two days.

Boating

A popular pastime turned out to be boating on our lake. Patrick invariably needed to use the big boat, sometimes with Robin & Tommy. Elizabeth was left with the smaller boat to share with her friends.

In this photo you see Gobby trying desperately to capsize, while Pung with her friends Anna & Karoline do their best to keep out of his splashing range.

Bike Rides

While Patrick & Elizabeth were here, we all made a valiant effort to get fitter and went for long bicycle rides, frequently starting before sun-up at 5am and coming home about 8 for breakfast. The cool atmosphere that time in the morning is to die for and the light, if the sun rises un-obscured by threatening rain clouds, can be stunning.
We passed this temple on most days and watched as the fields transformed from rough stubble, through mud, flood and the planting out until they took on the beautiful emerald green of young rice.

Tommy is amazing. His chubby little legs pump away on that little bike for anything up to twenty five kilometres – when we go for a long ride. Robin might complain about getting tired. Tommy just says “I’m itchy” as the sweat irritates his scalp. A quick scratch and perhaps a mouthful of water and he is ready to carry on.

Couldn’t get over this view. The pretty temple destroyed in typical Thai fashion by the ugly concrete water tower behind.

Dog Walking

When not riding, our other exercise was to take the dogs for a walk, normally around the home estate.

We recently gave a home to two new dogs. A pair of young Fila Braziliero, (Brazilian Mastiff) brothers named Lion and Tiger. Lion is on the far right of the photo being controlled by Holly in the pink dress. Tiger is under control of Robin.
They are still puppies and will not reach full size for almost another year. The previous owners could not cope with, somewhat out-of-control, giant-dogs, so asked me to take them on. Ann was not happy, but they have fitted right in and are now much loved by all family members, although viewed with trepidation by some visitors.

Lion has a horrible habit of trying to escape the garden and go food hunting around local building sites. He found a couple of plastic bags of food and swallowed them whole, blocking his intestine and nearly causing his death.

He had to have an operation followed by four days in the University veterinary hospital’s ICU. A very sick puppy indeed, although thankfully recovering now.

Floods in Chiang Mai

The government is today warning about the probability of flooding in Chiang Mai in the next day or two. They have suggested evacuation.

You may have read about the small problem we had with floods last month. The Ping River burst its banks and washed much of the city clean to a depth of a meter or more. My beast was one of the few vehicles able to navigate the flooded streets, so we spent a day ferrying people from flooded houses and hotels to dry land and back.

The Beast en route to deep water. (Patrick swam ahead to take this photo.)


The Night Bizarre water market, unfortunately closed during the day.

Central Chiang Mai Petrol Station. Fuel price hikes mean very lean business in these times.

We offered this family a tow, but they were scared of our wake.

The beast at the night bizarre. Full of Thais & tourists, I had to stop to carry a six year old girl to safety, first to the car, then to her family on dry land.