owl sees all

Thanks guys for keeping the thread alive. I have to find 4k to get my new laptop home. Hopefully in less than two weeks. Sounds terrible I know, but I started a new thing - almost unheard of in Isaan, especially in the villages - and it's a battle to keep it up. This new thing is you don't spend what you have not got. Although it's hurting me with the little things, such as a new laptop and cheese, It will hopefully pay off in the long term. I had it all budgeted for the first quarter, and then I loaned 8k to the wife' daughter, on the absolute promise that I'd get it back on the first of this month,,,,,, still waiting!!! The wife suggested we take advantage of the Chevy sales and get one. Fortunately by the time I'd picked myself up off the floor they had sold out. Nothing wrong with our pick-up,,,, just not new. Mildred off school until Monday. While she's with me at least she is learning something, so that's positive. Got to fill up Mrs Owl's concrete rings with soil today. Don't fancy it too much as I am still recovering from a dose of that Chinese virus. What's it called,,,, cornet or something?? On a lighter note.,, the kittens are doing OK. Photos soon.

The wife has just informed me that the Chevy vehicles are going to be sold off at half price. Can anyone confirm this. Might have to change my opinion about US vehicles.

Does he have suicide tendancies?

After reading through 5 pages of torture, I'm glad I don't have to go through this purgatory.

I've been in Isaan for 12 years and I find it fascinating. Virtually every week there is something that I find of interest or something that surprises me, dismays me and sometimes shocks me. My wife runs four biggish farms and they too have had their ups and downs recently. This year there has been very little rain and the rice harvest was abysmal. Also, I couldn't fill the ponds up enough to risk putting in fish. I have still got 80% water in two ponds, but I've sacrificed three others to get this. A neighbor recently killed our farm dog (because it killed one of his chickens) and someone borrowed 10 litres of diesel from the farm house store without telling us. We found out who it was. Of course, he just forgot to tell us; but he would have eventually! The wife was on the loo and couldn't give rice to the monk the other day. She asked me to give it. No problem! But I didn't get on my knees; just called him over and tipped it into his pot. I got the 'thank you' verse all the same. Later, when the wife found out that I'd not even bowed my head she was not best amused. "You must not be higher than monk," said she. But, there are lovely things aplenty in the village. Dancing and laughter and Lao Khao drinking. Somone had had a bit of good fortune on the lottery. I'll try to update the thread a couple of times a week. Shortly I'm off to Nong Khai to get some grow bags for my avocado trees that I've grown from seed and will soon need potting. I'll put in some pics as I go.