A day in the life...

[Mendip]

Just to dispel the myth that it's a non-stop party living up in Isaan, I thought people should know that in between trying to catch this bloody rat, driving twice a day through Korat's rush hour traffic, walking dogs along litter-strewn pathways in 35 degree heat (with 60% plus humidity) and trying to figure out WTF the gardener is, I do actually have quite a lot of jobs to do.

Each trip home I try and cross off a few outstanding projects, the hope being that by the time I eventually retire most jobs will be done. This week it has been the work shop step project. A nice small project that had an end in sight from day one, which was just as well as I have a Sunday deadline. I unfortunately have to depart for Bangkok on Monday morning. A caught rat and a new step by Sunday night, that's the aim.

Many years ago when we built the workshop cum factotum's apartment I thought it would be a good idea to have a sloping ramp up to the sliding door, rather than a step.



The idea was, that if ever we decided to go away long term, we could just drive the Vigo up into the workshop, lick up and be on our way. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but of course time changes your outlook and subsequent land purchases and vegetable garden development means that now there is no way to drive a vehicle up to the workshop anyway. Added to that, this sloping entrance is absolutely fukking lethal in the wet, even with the pea-gravel finish. I have gone flat on my arse several times and it was only a matter of time before I badly twisted an ankle, or worse. These dangers seem to take on more importance as you age and get slightly heavier and less nimble.

So, after 15 wet seasons of worrying about hospitalising meself every time I exited the workshop I decided to do something about it.

First step was to mark up a line to gut with the grinder. Dan has always loved to watch a project.



The next step () was to start bashing away.

This was when I discovered that the b@stard builders hadn't used any rebar and had filled the body of the slope with soil... which although was a blessing in disguise when demolishing the damn thing, also helped to explain why it had been subsiding and gradually detaching itself from the building. You can't trust anyone.



This demolition work was hard going. And before anyone mentions anything, I had offered the gardener proper 'offshore spec' safety glasses, but he declined. You can only lead a horse to water, and all that.



An action shot! You can see the lack of vehicular access to the workshop after all these years.



This was hard going, even in the shade. After their initial excitement the dogs became pissed off with all the noise. They like to sit in the workshop and snooze under the fans in the morning, before snoozing under the fans in the workshop during the afternoon.



Little by little...



I was in charge of wheel-barrowing away the spoil. I kept the better quality hardcore to use for the new step.



Wouldn't it be just fukking brilliant if a wheel-barrow could last an entire project. Did I mention that Ootai called round yesterday?



But anyway, with the help of wheel-barrow number two the project progressed.



Until... end of day 1. A successful few hours.



And the reciprocal view.

[DrWilly]

and get slightly heavier

Key problem here.

[Headworx]

Footrot Flats had nothing on this

[Mendip]

There's always someone to make a hurtful comment!

Day 2 (yesterday) was an easy day. The gardener was in charge of rebar while I took control of the shuttering.

I decided to against the Thai method of no rebar and soil infill. This step will be built to last. I think he did a pretty decent job here.



Meanwhile... wouldn't it be just fukking brilliant to live in a country that made nails strong enough to penetrate wood?



As usual, I eventually overcame the many adversities and completed the shuttering. Luckily the daughter is at school this week because she would have learnt a few new words yesterday.



Shuttering in place.



And all ready for the concrete pour.



The absence of the old slope severely disrupted the dog's lifestyle of sleeping under the fans interrupted by the occasional toilet call in the garden. I put some wood over the rebar to try and limit the inconvenience.



On the way back from the school run yesterday afternoon I picked up a couple of bags of cement and 8 metres of the plastic step edging stuff.



Total cost for this project... 574 Baht! I had enough sand and stone left over from last year's jetty concrete plinth project and I have a bag of pea-gravel in the workshop to finish off the step.



However, I must admit that I'm already toying with the idea of tiling the step to match the other workshop entrance. I may even have enough tiles left over from the build, many years ago (a good tip is to always keep a lot of spare tiles for later use as it can be a nightmare to match old tiles a few years later!).

Though... why make my life more difficult than it needs to be? Pea-gravel would also look OK.



End of Day 2. Tommy and Yogi are wondering how to get outside.

No-one ever accused these dogs of being intelligent!

[Mendip]

Day 3... the concrete pour.

Everyone loves to watch someone working.

Me included... I joined the dogs under the fans to have a cup of coffee.



Dan has been transfixed by this project and to give her her due... she watched every moment of today's work, even at her ripe old age of nearly sixteen.



Hard work... it was hot this morning.



Ready for the first pour.



It took nearly four complete concrete trays to full the shuttering.



Apart from taking pictures, my job was to go back and forth from the sand/stone pile to keep the gardener supplied.

This was hard work in itself. The left over hard core was used to help make up the road in an attempt to stop the gardener veering off into the ditch after his nightly Ya Dong sessions in the wet season.



And there... the job's a good'un.

Unfortunately my shuttering started to bulge out a bit in the middle so the blue plastic bin full of water was used to prevent a complete disaster. This probably means I won't be tiling the step now as tiles look better with straight lines and 90 degree angles to work with.



The ladder barrier is an attempt to stop dog footprints on the new step. Sadly, this spoilt Dan's fun and she went off in a huff for a snooze.



And Anna didn't move from her chair during the entire operation. A bit disappointing, really.



Job done. Shuttering to be removed on Sunday by which time I also hope to have caught the rat. There won't be any time for rat hunting next week with me away in Bangkok.



The show over, the dogs are back to relaxing. We have just one main clash in our pack at the moment... Maya and Anna. Neither will accept the other as a superior although due to Maya's much bigger size she will, I'm sure, end up dominant.

And Maya knows exactly what she's doing here. This pisses Anna off, big time.



The step work finished for the day, I went down to check on the rat.

Bastard!



And then I used some leftover pastry to make a quiche for tea! And all before lunchtime.

It ain't all fun in Isaan.

[DrWilly]

Meanwhile... wouldn't it be just fukking brilliant to live in a country that made nails strong enough to penetrate wood?

They don't really look like new nails, though.

[David48atTD]

I'm very cautious with electricity and wonder how safe it would be to try and electrify the metal roof frame with mains electricity? Also, as you can see the rat seems to live in the gap between the roof GRP panels and the overlying ridge panels. I don't think she makes contact with the metal beams at all.

But... in case I can co-opt the wife to help... what would be the safest method? I was thinking to thoroughly soak the ground until there is standing water and then find her a pair of steel-soled flip-flops to wear?

Mendy, electrifying the frame won't do any good killing the rat as electricity works on the 'potential difference' principle. So, even if the rat is resting on the metal frame, unless it's touching something which is 'grounded' there there is no where for the current to flow, no 'potential difference'.

however ...

Should your delightfull wife be standing in standing water in her a pair of steel-soled flip-flops and leans against the live electrical frame ... Bob's your Uncle

[Shutree]

Unfortunately my shuttering started to bulge out a bit in the middle so the blue plastic bin full of water was used to prevent a complete disaster.

TBH, I was waiting to see how that turned out because that bit of shuttering did look a bit under-engineered. The plastic bucket was a good save.
Is it straight enough to use all that step edging you bought?

And about that rat ....

[OhOh]

I try and cross off a few outstanding projects, the hope being that by the time I eventually retire most jobs will be done.

Don't worry, there will be other tweeks required to keep your retirement days busy.

[Neverna]

Another option is electricity. If it lives up on the metal rafters just cut the end off an electric cord wrap it around the metal roof support and the when you see the rat sitting up there showing off it’s tail plug in the electric cord. Quick and easy with no roof repair needed.

I'm not a gambling man but I'd bet money that that would not kill the rat.

On the contrary, mains power supply… he might try all his chickens and himself too!

Au contraire, DrWilly...

because ....

Mendy, electrifying the frame won't do any good killing the rat as electricity works on the 'potential difference' principle. So, even if the rat is resting on the metal frame, unless it's touching something which is 'grounded' there there is no where for the current to flow, no 'potential difference'.

Nev knows ... and David48 knows.

[malmomike77]

Haven't you got a heavy drill with a breaker setting would have taken 5 minutes

[malmomike77]

You can hire plastic concrete forms for about 5 baht a day

[aging one]

to keep your retirement days busy.

Have you seen his "working at sea threads"? Hard to miss them, some of the better on the forum.

[DrWilly]

Au contraire, DrWilly...

because ....





Nev knows ... and David48 knows.

I stand corrected. The chickens will be safe.

[cyrille]

An air rifle seems far more humane than gluing the poor sods down until they gnaw themselves to death.

Also way more fun.

[cyrille]

Have you seen his "working at sea threads"? Hard to miss them, some of the better on the forum.

You might want to look back at the post ohno was responding to, for context...

[malmomike77]

Nev knows ... and David48 knows.

What kind of he'll is this

[OhOh]

"working at sea threads"

I haven't, can you provide a link, my search function is "dodgy".

[Joe 90]

Have you tried a mousetrap combination multi trap/ambush yet on the rat Mendip?

Set up 8 mouse traps in a octagon formation with a dollop of peanut butter in the middle, one trap will set of a chain reaction with the laws of probability meaning the rat could trigger many traps and be snared by many angles.

I have experience in these matters and once killed a big mouse with a leg,head and tail kill.


I Put 8 together with some peanut butter in the middle, I would have loved to have seen it and filmed the carnage of the chain reaction trap.

[Bonecollector]

I say let the rats live

[DrWilly]

08:00 again… this korat life seems to be about spending all morning in bed.

[Joe 90]

Kw is a cock official!

I say let the rats live

That's all well and good till you've got one knawing through your bedroom floor at 3am disrupting your beauty sleep
.

[DrWilly]

Kw is a cock official!

.

[armstrong]

I say let the rats live

I mean you could do something with your day instead of refreshing the thread waiting for a rat update

[Backspin]

How many cats do you have Mendip ?