An Isaan Pond

[Mendip]

^ I can subcontract the gardener if you like Shutree? The only condition is the wife comes as well to supervise. They could finish that area in 3 or 4 months, I reckon!

Tbh I like to leave a few 'long' areas to give the lizards and snakes a chance to hide from the dogs.

[Shutree]

^ I can subcontract the gardener if you like Shutree? The only condition is the wife comes as well to supervise. They could finish that area in 3 or 4 months, I reckon!

Tbh I like to leave a few 'long' areas to give the lizards and snakes a chance to hide from the dogs.

Funny thing, I thought when I moved here that casual labour would be easy to find. It seems not to be. A large part of the garden just needs some basic strimming occasionally. I am entirely dependent on the gf asking around the village and I can't help feeling that she isn't giving it her best effort, for reasons that I cannot yet divine.
So I find myself with plenty of long grass and assorted weeds, let's call them wild flowers, which are a haven for all kinds of wildlife.
On the plus side, in the last week a Scarlet flowerpecker and a White rumped shama have passed through the garden. Only here for a few moments then gone, still a delight to see them.
The dogs pose no threat to snakes, so far as I can see, they are not full on attack chihuahuas. One will get up close and give a serious 'snake bark' while the other cheers him on from the patio. The Golden tree snake has been in the house a few times now and is becoming a pest. I wish my first instinctive reaction to a snake zipping across the lounge floor was "Oh, a charming and harmless piece of the local fauna" but in truth my first response is usually to jump up thinking "Fark! Snake in the house!"

[Stumpy]

I've never known a wet season like this, the rain is relentless

Me neither. Its been amazing but does create a lot of work. The ground is like a wet sponge. Even though we have well established trees, it doesn't mean with that heavy wind that comes with some of the rogue rain storms that it will not blow the trees over. I have spent the better part of a week just adding braces for safety reasons.

I agree re the rain it is a pain in the arse, it makes the grass grow but I can't get to cut it as its too wet, any area that doesn't have grass is a muddy mess.

I hear ya ootai. that said, its way better to have grass long versus nothing. That muddy mess issue is a huge problem. I mow as soon as there is a break ( even 24hrs) and some reasonable sun. I try and mow midday now so the grass can dry out a bit. I just use the mulch function and not the bag. Has worked pretty good so far. Like the other day.



Back forty area. Some sun, ground not to bad, sharpened mower blade and had at it. Right now its jumping on the opportunities.

[malmomike77]

You need a plague of tortoises

[Stumpy]

You need a plague of tortoises

Shiiiiiit. I have tortoises. I am in contact with the CM zoo. I need to send them a few of my hundred pound males. Bastards spend all day fighting for one shot for a few minutes with the female. Like some stupid foreigners in thoss cheap ass dirty beer bars. HAHAHAHA



That's Monster. He is a prick. Cruises around all day battling the other tortoises. What's amazing is all 3 males are near or over 100lbs. Monster can flip them over in a few seconds of heads on fighting. The only way I can stop the dickhead is flip him over to remind him who is boss. When I set him straight he runs from me and hides.

I have the females locked up in the pen area I built for them during this time of year.

[malmomike77]

^ You don't associate mild mannered slow tortoises as thugs, well I didn't

[Mendip]

What better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than a spot of fishing? This was my first foray of the season and I was looking forward to it.

You can always see small shoals of big pla nin just under the surface... see here, a couple just to the left of the float. But I'll be buggered if I could catch any of them.



In the end I had to settle for a couple of smaller pla nin, so it will be fish goujons with chips tomorrow night rather than the planned proper fish and chips. A small distinction and who knows, if I get time tomorrow I may be able to add another.

I also caught three nice catfish. I like to let the pla duuk go but this unlucky one had taken the hook down deep so he became the wife's third Birthday present this year.

And that's a Size 11, by the way.



I released these catfish into the pond from the wife's catfish tank as fingerlings a year ago after Ootai kindly helped me to clean out the pond. The wife has never really forgiven me for her loss... I think it rankles her that I'm probably more Buddhist in my feelings than her in many ways. The now pond contains a load of pla duuk around 1kg apiece and they really fight well on light tackle... way above their weight.

Anyway, this pla duuk was soon turned into 'pla duuk mor palaa', although I'm sure Edmond can give the exact Thai translation and name in Thai. The wife must have been very happy as she kindly donated the head to the gardener!



Yum... and Reg Dingle, this is why I rarely eat with the wife... I'm having fish an' chips tomorrow with mushy peas!

[Reg Dingle]

My missus would love sharing that

I do miss a nice salted or curried catfish.

You up for a swinging session in January?

[Mendip]

^ Yeah, January is good for me.

What's this 'swinging' thing?

The wife won't be coming but I can meet up with you guys.

[Reg Dingle]

Oops...Swigging...bloody auto correct

[Mendip]

^ Aah, forget it then.

[Mendip]

But anyway... anyone else up for a bit of this 'swinging' thing? I'll be coming alone, just to be clear.

But I can tell a good story!

[DrWilly]

BBQd catfish is delicious!

[Mendip]

^ It certainly is, but I've got to be in the right mood.

When I am, a simple barbecued catfish, rice, a few hunks of white cabbage and some chilli dipping sauce are just the job.

[Mendip]

All this talk about catfish reminded me that our tank is empty at the moment so yesterday while I was in town I popped into the fish place.

Two bags of pla duuk... 100 Baht a bag with 50 fish in each bag.



It is good practise to let the bags float around in the tank for 20 minutes or so to allow the water temperature to gradually adjust to the new surroundings. Being cold blooded, fish are very vulnerable to sudden temperature changes.

As usual it took me 20 minutes or so to get the bloody elastic bands off the bags anyway.



Freedom!



Well, freedom for a few months until they've grown a bit and the wife makes up a batch of her awful stinking pla raa.

And bag No. 2. I realise that after being knocked on the head these fish won't really be concerned, but I always think it a shame to turn a living fish into a stinking sauce. If I was a catfish I think I'd at least deserve to be barbecued and and make a decent meal.



As always I put the last 2 or 3 lucky fish into the pond for a proper life. I'll maybe meet up again with these guys in a couple of years for a barbecue, although I hope my barbecue experience will be more enjoyable than theirs. They should be a kilo or so by then.



One of the lucky ones... although in saying that, every time I have an argument with the wife I vent my frustration by releasing a few of her catfish out of the tank and into the pond. The way things are going lately the tank will be empty by next weekend.

[Mendip]

Things are getting desperate so around 5:45am every morning sees me doing 30 lengths in the pool, fast lengths as well. After I finished today, as I was leaving I looked back and saw something on the bottom of the pool. I thought it strange as I never leave my goggles in the water so went back to check.



She must have hopped in while I was having my after-exercise shower. No problem, just net her out before the chlorine does her in.



Not a bit of it... these guys move fast. Perfect breast stroke as well.



She was down at the shallow end a lot quicker than I could have swum it.



This was all too much for Maya and in she went... a true hunter.



Maya could keep up with the frog but she doesn't know how to dive.



We needed a frog dog, and before Reg Dingle offers his mutt's services, I mean a dog that can catch a frog, not one that looks like a dog.



I think this frog was probably bigger than mutt Dingle, anyway.

Maya gave up but even Yogi was considering taking up the chase and he hates swimming.



But it was down to me in the end, of course...



With all this excitement my photographer daughter had forgotten to put her school shoes on.



I ignored the wife's salivating and took her down to the pond to live. (the frog, that is)



That's Buddhism for you. Merit made.

[Reg Dingle]

a dog that can catch a frog

I think your proper dog knew it was a Toad mate Where's your canine equivalent of the gardener amongst all this?

Offer it the wife and you'll find out

[Reg Dingle]

Bugger, the wife says she'd eat it so i guess it might be a frog..although still not completely convinced

[Stumpy]

I get toads in my pool and fish them out fast before they "Croak" pun intended. But that pic above looks more like a bullfrog due to its webbed feet, ear size and nose.

[hallelujah]

But that pic above looks more like a bullfrog due to its webbed feet, ear size and nose.

Are we still talking about the frog?

[Reg Dingle]

You'd have a job fishing Mendy out

[Mendip]

^^, ^

Yeah, very funny guys...

[Stumpy]

Are we still talking about the frog?

You'd have a job fishing Mendy out

[Shutree]

Bugger, the wife says she'd eat it so i guess it might be a frog..although still not completely convinced

That might be the Chinese edible frog, Hoplobatrachus rugulosus.

It looks similar to ones in the market.

[Mendip]

^ Thank you for some sensible input Shutree.

I thought it may be Hopinpoolus escapingdogus but they all look very similar.