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  1. #51
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    Another day spent doing jobs in the garden today.

    A mundane day really... but as I mentioned before there always seems to be something that happens here which I didn't get in the West.

    The weather has taken a sudden and very marked turn for the hot so I decided to replace the shade cloth on the veggie patch. It usually lasts a couple of years before the relentless sun degrades the plastic and then a sudden storm rips it apart.

    Firstly I removed all the fragments of the previous shade cloth... and then spent some time pondering the gardener's previous work. Long ago I built a metal framework above the veggie patch but at some point the gardener had decided to string extra wire across for additional support. He had hung the wire below the framework so that it drooped down. I looked at this for some time thinking I was missing something... but then eventually had to ask why?



    He says that he 'forgot'. As usual I take this explanation without question... there is just no point in pursuing stuff like this. From my experience of Thais my gardener is good, not at gardening but at general handyman stuff, but sometimes he just leaves me dumbfounded.

    I re-strung the wires above the framework... this turning a quick job into one that took much longer than anticipated.



    Whilst doing this I was interrupted by a low growl from Yogi or Max who were messing around down by the pond. To anyone that keeps dogs, this growl is absolutely unmistakable and immediately alerted me that something was up. I'd imagine this is exactly the same growl many burglars have heard just before being attacked.

    On investigation I was confronted by this.



    They had nailed a nice kukri snake. It was too late to help the poor thing... if I find a snake in time I can usually get the dogs away to allow me to catch it and stick it in the snake house. From there they either go elsewhere to safety away from our dogs or off to Korat Zoo. But the Yogi/Max combination had nailed this one. It's brutal to see... they go in fast and bite and flick it away, cracking it like a whip. Before now I've been hit on the head by a flying snake and splattered by snake blood...



    Can't blame the dogs of course, they don't know I like these snakes and they think it's their job, so I'm careful not to yell at them too much. One day if we get a nasty snake I might be quite glad. Our boys can be a bit unruly at times but I know one thing... I wouldn't like to be an intruder with these guys around, they're absolutely fearless.

    When I managed to get the dogs away I sadly had to knock this snake on the head... no way would it have survived.

    But anyway, the shade cloth eventually went up and the veggies are safe from the sun.



    But all this is just escaping the elephant in the garden... one day I'll eventually run out of these small jobs and I'll have no excuse about not addressing my pond problems...

  2. #52
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    Buckaroo Banzai's Avatar
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    Excellent Thread, beautiful property, lovely family.
    I thought we were crazy with four dogs, but you got us beat , I think i counted five in one picture LOL.
    Thank you for sharing , reading your thread brightens up my day.

  3. #53
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mendip View Post

    Another day spent doing jobs in the garden today.

    But all this is just escaping the elephant in the garden... one day I'll eventually run out of these small jobs and I'll have no excuse about not addressing my pond problems...

    Mendip
    Take a day off and drive up to pay me a visit. I can widen your "what the fuk" experiences by showing you some of the mazing shit that's been done here and not only by Thai's but me as well.

    When I put up my shade cloth I tied it all down to the wires I had running perpendicular to the shade cloth but the wind eventually tore it it away so I have ended up having wire underneath the shade cloth and then ropes over the top of it and these are all tied together so now even in a strong wind the shade cloth doesn't flap about and tear.

  4. #54
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    We have a rat in the house.

    I knew we had rats in the workshop, an ever present problem where-ever you keep chicken feed. They're brave rats with six dogs running around and an upcoming clean out will get rid of them.

    But I like to keep them out of the house.

    I went to my convection oven tonight to stick in the two mini steak and kidney pies for tonight's meal, and found that the wife had beat me to it...



    When people tell me how lucky I am to live in Thailand because Thai food is so wonderful, blah blah, I sometimes tell them about the reality.

    It certainly ain't all green curries and pad Thai.

    I appreciate that it's traditional fare and all that... I love a rabbit pie... but it's a bloody rat. Even our dogs will kill a rat but not consider eating it. Maybe I should send the wife into the workshop?

    Anyway, I'm sure it tasted good.

    Here it is in all it's glory... organs intact for the offal lovers... I love a bit of liver or kidney... but not a rat's...

    Looks like it was a 'he', even got one testicle left to chew on. All that's missing is an industrial quantity of rice for the perfect meal.



    And look at the gnashers on that... perfect for delivering Weil's disease...

    But I can guarantee this will be stripped clean... nothing left for the dog bowl.

    I do sometimes wonder about things...


  5. #55
    กงเกวียนกำเกวียน HuangLao's Avatar
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    Going native, Mendy!
    Knew this time would come.

    Good onya!!


  6. #56
    Thailand Expat Saint Willy's Avatar
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    It's just meat.

  7. #57
    Thailand Expat
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    Quote Originally Posted by HuangLao View Post
    Going native, Mendy!
    Knew this time would come.

    Good onya!!


    Not a chance will I go native.


  8. #58
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mendip View Post
    but it's a bloody rat.
    A bit overdone for me, had it before quite a few times and quite like it. In any case its a step up from hairy beef, you must still be picking that stuff out of your teeth.

  9. #59
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mendip View Post
    Not a chance will I go native.

    A day in the life...-img_1132-jpg


    (Something missing? Oh yee, the glass...)

  10. #60
    Thailand Expat Saint Willy's Avatar
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    A day in the life...-3c972b85-fc76-47f3-9d47-a13d05f939f4-jpeg

  11. #61
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    OK. I am officially sorry for daring to ping Mendips pasta and beans meal.

  12. #62
    Thailand Expat
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    Quote Originally Posted by strigils View Post
    A bit overdone for me, had it before quite a few times and quite like it.

    I declined the offer of a taste but strangely it smelt a bit fishy to me... although that may have been some spillage from last week's baked tuna.

    An amusing anecdote... when I took the lid off the convection oven to take my photo the wife said to my daughter, "look, your father's taking a picture of my rat!"

    Made me chuckle.

  13. #63
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    ^ has Mrs Mendip posted about it on twister

  14. #64
    Thailand Expat armstrong's Avatar
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    What's her @?

  15. #65
    Thailand Expat
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    ^ That would be telling...


    After a couple of months at home I've just about worked through my jobs which means soon I'll have no choice but to address the pond issues.

    Today was the last small job on my list... to re-lay the loose coping stones around the pool. A nice little job earmarked for immediately after the school run while the temperature is still almost bearable.

    I knew we had a couple of bags of sand and a half bag of cement, so no problem.

    I found the sand and it was full of grit. I'd forgotten just how bad the quality of sand generally is here... just take a look at how rough most people's interior walls are. I sneaked the sieve out of the kitchen (it's me who uses it the most anyway) and sieved a load of sand. Then I found the cement... which had been left close to the workshop door and had therefore got damp. I sieved a load of cement while throwing the big hard chunks over the wall. After a couple of hours of sieving I realised I had nowhere near enough sand or cement for the job in hand... so said 'fukk it' and drove off to the builder's merchants... something I should have done two hours earlier. The sand and cement cost a little over 200 Baht and I'd wasted most of the morning.

    It is now 11am and as hot as hell.

    While I'd been twatting around the gardener had lifted the twelve loose coping stones and made some headway in chipping out / cutting away the old cement. The plan was for me to follow behind, cementing back in the stones. What the pictures don't show is just how hot and humid it is here... 38 degrees and not a breath of wind makes any small job in the middle of the day just unbearable. I just wear my boxers now for any outside work, but the sweat still runs inside your glasses and drives you mad.





    The cementing back in is of course difficult (for me anyway) with more than one loose stone as it's so hard to keep them level.



    The corner ones are really hard... and I'd been up since 4am... I was as hot as hell and had no breakfast, and to be honest I have a lot on at the moment with my daughter's schooling, Dan being sick and married life in general... and as I was trying to wellie a corner stone in place the end of the mallet flew off and into the pool. Sadly I lost it at that point and the gardener witnessed a full meltdown... 'how can anyone enjoy living in this fukking God awful place... it's as hot as fukking hell, the food's fukking awful, there's not even any bloody decent bars... etc etc'. The handle of the mallet followed the end bit into the pool and I stomped off to cool down. But of course you can never cool down here. The gardener wasn't really nonplussed, and to be fair he's seen me do a lot worse.

    But anyway, by 2pm and close to passing out the 'little' job was eventually finished.



    But that bloody handle can stay there.


  16. #66
    Thailand Expat
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mendip View Post
    But anyway, by 2pm and close to passing out the 'little' job was eventually finished.
    Is it? or are you getting the gardener to hose the slabs a few times to let it set slowly.

    Have the weekend off...and pop up to CK

  17. #67
    Thailand Expat lom's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mendip View Post
    the food's fukking awful, there's not even any bloody decent bars
    I think Nookies (halfways to Buriram) has what you need. Lots of English food and Thatchers Gold!

  18. #68
    Thailand Expat Saint Willy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mendip View Post
    After a couple of hours of sieving I realised I had nowhere near enough sand or cement for the job in hand... so said 'fukk it' and drove off to the builder's merchants... something I should have done two hours earlier. The sand and cement cost a little over 200 Baht and I'd wasted most of the morning.

  19. #69
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    ^ It's definitely Thai behavior, along with never having the right tool for the job, all contributing to saving fook all except making a simple job turn into a nightnare...i have been there though.

  20. #70
    CCBW Stumpy's Avatar
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    Nice Job Mendy,

    From the looks of the pool, your gardener Pool guy seems to be lacking in the algae side especially with a pool that is upward 33c as mentioned in another thread. If you are not careful you will end up with 2 ponds.

    Weather last 4 days has been 42/43c. I am up at 6ish out watering the shrubs and messin with the dogs. Then ride my bike to the local coffee joint and back before 10am because by then it is already clipping 37/38c. Wife can be a grumpy one with the heat. My FIL just finds shade and lays and doesn't move. My Lab puppy and Golden are always fighting for time in the big tub of water.

    Today is oddly overcast with a breeze but basically ugly weather.

    BTW, the rat thing is well.... I dunno. I am like you, I get the the native thing but why eat it when clearly you do not have too. I am thankful my wife isn't a rat / bat / bug eater. She is more of a chicken guts and Pork/fish ball eater..

    This one will make you laugh. Late yesterday around 5pm the power went out, so I grabbed up the family and we all went to dinner. When we returned and opened up the gate I noticed the pool lights on and our little puppy Lab was just getting out of the pool. I was like WTF. We leave and she turns on the lights and takes a dip? I was waiting for her to come up and say "Hey, where is the blender, I was hoping to make up a few Margs....."

    Apparently for some reason when the power goes off and comes back on the pool lights do. I have to look into it.

    Happy Friday

  21. #71
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    Quote Originally Posted by JPPR2 View Post
    BTW, the rat thing is well.... I dunno. I am like you, I get the the native thing but why eat it when clearly you do not have too. I am thankful my wife isn't a rat / bat / bug eater.

    Apparently for some reason when the power goes off and comes back on the pool lights do. I have to look into it.
    The gf is not a rat muncher either. She is however very defensive of Isan culture and assures me that they never eat the Black Rat (Rattus rattus), they only eat a Rice Field Rat which is easily found after the rice harvest. She can't tell me exactly the name because I am not Thai and don't understand their culture (eh?) so I'll go with Rattus Eatuseatus, which of course is so different from the Black Rat that it cannot carry any of the viruses or bacteria that can kill humans.

    I have a bathroom mirror with a touch on/touch off function. It was stupidly expensive for a mirror but the gf fell in love with it and it might be the only significant thing she got her way on. Anyway, that mirror light always comes on after a power cut finishes.

    Happy Friday. Gin o'clock looms.

  22. #72
    Thailand Expat OhOh's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mendip View Post
    by 2pm and close to passing out the 'little' job was eventually finished.
    You are rushing through the jobs too quickly. Choose two jobs a month interspersed with days of reading/relaxing/feeding the wild animals.

    Some planning of weekend family treats. Be a dad/husband. Families need constant attention.

    Lastly grab some me time.

    Review every month and tweak if required.

  23. #73
    Thailand Expat armstrong's Avatar
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    A quick dip to fetch the handle would have cooled you down

  24. #74
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    Quote Originally Posted by OhOh View Post
    Lastly grab some me time.
    Mendip, please ignore this part or don't post about the you time when you have it.

  25. #75
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mendip View Post
    We have a rat in the house.

    I knew we had rats in the workshop (they are a different type of rat)

    I went to my convection oven tonight to stick in the two mini steak and kidney pies for tonight's meal, and found that the wife had beat me to it...



    This doesn't look bad at all I reckon i could eat that.



    But then you showed the other side which looks bloody awful


    Quote Originally Posted by JPPR2 View Post
    Nice Job Mendy,

    My Lab puppy and Golden are always fighting for time in the big tub of water.
    JPPR don't be such a tight arse buy a second tub.

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