Anna the dog

[dirk diggler]

Jura 18 Years Old is the Whisky of the month in my local at only £3 a nip.

There's football on tonight, right?

[Mendip]

you might say I'm Jura sick

I must admit I wondered what on earth you were on about... and then I 'twigged'...

I found my fossilised tree trunks in some recently filled land during a dog walk just up the road, and assume that the fill wasn't transported from all that far away. Research shows that the age of fossilised wood from the Mueang district of Nakhon Ratchasima usually comes from the Pleistocene to Miocene epochs, therefore not wishing to be pedantic but you are probably around 130 million years out.

[DrWilly]

Not wishing to be pedantic…

[david44]

not wishing to be pedantic but you are probably around 130 million years out.

I confess you got me, China Owls Seldom Deceive old dog, however I rarely yearn for a pint of Permian, a nip of Jura's fine malts with well known dogophiles Mary n Ning!

Mary Anning (21 May 1799 – 9 March 1847) was an English fossil collector, dealer, and palaeontologist. She became known internationally for her discoveries in Jurassic marine fossil beds in the cliffs along the English Channel at Lyme Regis in the county of Dorset, Southwest England. Anning's findings contributed to changes in scientific thinking about prehistoric life and the history of the Earth.

A fan of the Golden cap!

[Mendip]

^ It looks like she wants to get on the 'Finger pointing' thread as well.

Mary was maybe not a looker, but I'm sure she would have been good company in the pub, with some great fossil collecting stories.

Actually, if you squint slightly that could easily be Reg Dingle out walking that mutt of his.

[david44]

Reg Dingle out walking that mutt of his.

Chewton Charlie would be Tray impressed and Blagdon about it until he was Cross, Wraxall for now folks.

[Mendip]

Spot the squirrel!




Last night I was quietly doing a spot of fishing with Anna...



When along came Yogi.



At first I thought he was overtly soliciting for some oral action, but maybe I'm just anthropomorphising him again?



But no.



I think that he genuinely enjoys Anna's company!

A companionable silence.




The good news... I have my balcony back!



The pigeons have flown the nest.

[BLD]

Not wishing to be pedantic…

I've never met a geo that wasnt

[Mendip]

^ Your entire drilling existence relied on us pedantic geos!

That's something to think about.

[BLD]

That's true but I've been in a room with 3 geos and they all invariably had wildly varying opinions, sometimes involving millions of years, etc. A bit of old fashioned geophysical survey, rock, soil samples and eventually an expensive drill rig would either vindicate there theories or not. geos eh. Funny kunts

[Mendip]

It's not an exact science, to be fair!

[david44]

Funny kunts

It's that angry attire and those canvas camo shorts, while handy pockets for steaming fresh chang turds can rubba you up the wong way in the steamy flashpots of Ease-san!

You know the drill I think in Perth such angry outfits are called "Cross Dressers"

[Mendip]

We have steady rain in Korat this morning and the dogs are bored. They hate this weather and just sit and watch the rain come down.

I sit with them a while to give them some company.





The pigeon family also seem a bit despondent. They have found a spot on the air con ducting to sit in the dry.

It's nice to see that the two babies have so far survived leaving the nest and being out in the big wide world.



I reckon a bowl of warm rice will be welcome!

[Mendip]

Tem has stopped turning up for meals because there's an aggressive street pack around at the moment, but he's OK apparently. He has taken up residence with the Black family and is doing well. The gardener takes around food now and again to contribute to Tem's board and lodging.

The black puppy still turns up and now and again, and I usually give him a lidful of food in the hopes that Tem will also arrive.

I'm not sure what happened here... it looks like the daughter put her foot on the wrong way round in the morning.



Once it was clear that Tem wasn't coming for his breakfast, the black puppy got the lot.

At least Tem has permanently left his mark in the concrete road.



Ribs night... guaranteed to animate Maya!

Eight ribs... seven dogs. Maya got the extra one... she really is a bit spoilt.



I leave for work tomorrow and although I'm looking forward to this trip, after being home for seven months it will be a big disruption to the dogs' routine and I've got this kind of melancholy feeling. I spend a lot of time sitting with them and watching them out of my office window.

Maya and Lola have the life of Reilly...



It's like watching a couple of kids playing together.



Maya is permanently moist and to be honest is getting a bit too smelly to share my bed.



But what can ya do? It's lovely to watch them play.



They're pretty knackered by the evening.



The dogs only come down to the pond in the evenings when I sit there. Anna will miss her snoozes on the jetty big time.

As I'll miss her.



Yogi always sits with me, every single time I sit at the table. He's becoming a great mate and is really good company. I'll also miss Yogi a lot, and I know that he will miss my company. The wife has never really liked Yogi and I can tell he senses it, and the gardener just doesn't have the same kind of affection for dogs that I have. The daughter is under strict instruction to sit with Yogi for a while every evening and give him some love. I think that he's autistic and I'm sure that he will appreciate the daughter's company.



The pigeon family are still doing well.



I hope all four will still be around when I return in June.

[DrWilly]

Will the Kommandant show them away while you’re gone?

[Mendip]

^ Depends if I remember to unlock the spare bedroom door before I leave tomorrow!

To be honest she's not that bad, and despite some of the awful things she has stuck in her mouth, I've never known her eat pigeons.

The daughter has been given three 'duties' while I'm away; to stick to her revision timetable, to spend 30 minutes sitting with the dogs every evening (both packs) and to change the pigeon's water and give them a bowl of rice every day.

I envisage her forgetting about these instructions before my taxi has even left the mueang district of Korat.

[Reg Dingle]

leave for work tomorrow and although I'm looking forward to this trip, after being home for seven months it will be a big disruption to the dogs' routine and I've got this kind of melancholy feeling. I spend a lot of time sitting with them and watching them out of my office window.

Maya and Lola have the life of Reilly...

That pool needs a bloody good clean. I doubt this Reilly fella would wallow in that

The dogs only come down to the pond in the evenings when I sit there. Anna will miss her snoozes on the jetty big time.

As I'll miss her.

The daughter has been given three 'duties' while I'm away;

Tomorrow afternoon...

[Mendip]

A bit nasty, dontchya think?

Besides I know that at least Maya will miss me, she'll be sleeping outside with the others for the next four weeks!

As for the daughter, she'll soon make contact when she finds out her aircon remote has stopped working.

That pool needs a bloody good clean. I doubt this Reilly fella would wallow in that

You're not wrong. Please can you send me the details of your mattress cleaner again? I seem to have lost them.

I need a real professional for this.


Rain rain go away...

My last day in Isaan and it's pissed it down all day.

This gives me something different to moan about... I was all ready to moan about the awful, relentless stifling heat... but it was fairly cool today!

But this bloody rain... and I had to put a cardy on? Bloody weather.




A shitty day though nonetheless, but maybe preparing me for Bergen next Weds...?



Anna always comes down off her chair to sit and stare at the weather when we get thunder and lightning with the torrential rain. I have no idea why she does this... maybe reliving some past horrors from her early life?

Dan was the same with thunder , she would shake like a leaf during storms. I guess these are the worst times for street dogs with no shelter?

A penny for them, Anna?



Anyway, my last day and I like to spend some time with all the pack.

Tommy at first gave me some hygiene tips...



Followed up by some tactical tips for Sukhumvit tomorrow night!

That is one pose that I may adopt...



Tommy is a great dog but he gets a bit neglected. Whenever he comes into the house he always pisses on the bottom of the same curtain, and it has become really annoying. He's a great 'outside' dog though. Really nice temperament.

So just the lovely Coca left.. she will be fine as despite being so timid, Yogi always protects her.



I love her to bits!

[Shutree]

A penny for them, Anna?

Something like this

[Molle]

I need a real professional for this.

That's called beneficial bacteria for ponds

[Mendip]

A new work trip, a new shirt.

Ya see, I do listen, Hal!

When on a regular 4 on, 4 off the travels to and from work pass unnoticed, but after being home for over seven months - yes, over seven months in Isaan, with the Kommandant, there should be a medal for this... - it is quite a wrench to leave home. I'm only going for a 4 week trip, although if it's an OK one I may try and turn it into 6 weeks once onboard.

Anyway, yesterday was time to say goodbye to the pack.

And yes, after losing a truckload of weight during my first 3 months of Isaan confinement, my ankle injury and other stuff meant that I kind of got out of the exercise habit, took in more calories than I meant to, and it all went back on. I don't mind sharing these pics and am ready for any rudery since my new routine starts tomorrow and I'm losing 15kg over the next 2 or 3 months. I reckon on 8kg during my 4 weeks offshore, to kick it all off. A complete break in routine will be good to break a few bad habits.

Each dog gets a ruffle on the head and a few personal words.



Max, the pack leader is in fact a real softy.



A few special words for Coco.



This is always quite an emotional occasion and clearly things got too much for Anna, who had to spend a few moments alone to gather herself.



See ya, chickens!



Seven months... where has the time gone?



Even during such a sombre event I lightly admonished Yogi for his digging... guilt was written all over his face.

'Who was this?'



A few words for Tommy.



And of course Lola... they all knew that I was going away, and were a bit subdued.

They always know. I hide my work bag, try to avoid certain words, but they always know.



I took a little walk around to the pool house... closely followed.

(and yes, I know the pool needs cleaning, we've had a lot of rain and it upsets things)



And last but not least, a few extra special words for Maya. She became almost a house dog to keep me company during my ankle time and we've become very close. She will really miss me... not least because she's also lost her bed (not to mention nighttime cheesecakes) and will doubtless be sleeping outside again, until I return.

[hallelujah]

Nice shirt, Mendy.



You can see the love the dogs have for you in those pics.

Although I haven't been looking at this thread too much since you said that Maya was always moist.



Ffs mate, couldn't you have described that a bit better?

[Mendip]

^ Wet?

[Mendip]

Damp?

[hallelujah]

Damp?

That's better. With maybe a mention of fur somewhere along the line too.