Wang Pho Tetsaban and Village folks to the rescue

Putting out a plea , and thanking the people for their help

The response was great , people were coming , walking , motor scooters, bicyles , cars and trucks , bringing what they could

food and water and help is on the way from Wang Pho

As most of you know , Thailand and it's people have been experiencing a lot of flooding in the past month and over a million folks have been affected , many people have pitched in and helped to send relief to as many of the people as possible . I take my hat off to all the effort I have seen in the media and the support they have given to the people in need . Thailand loves their own and when there is a need the people of Thailand rise to the occasion. We in the Burgess house whole have sent some monies to help where it was needed . Today it really got close to home when our local tetsaban announced over the speakers that some people in the Sai Yok district were in need of help , you should have seen the response from the folks of our village , almost everyone was giving something and the local police men were loading it into trucks , and as soon as it was full they took off and another empty would pull in and wait to be loaded , I was sooo pleased with the response from Wang Pho and the surrounding villages, and it made me proud to be a part of such caring people. Ciejay and me jumped in and did our part on the local level as well, and we are so glad that we know the people are getting food and water , that is needed sooo bad. Help were you can ,and remember those in need. Malcolm and Ciejay

Visitors from wayyyyyyy down South

Aasa and Phil Brumley

A couple of months ago I got a e-mail from a reader of my blog Retired in Thailand and Loving It, Phil Brumley, who lives in Queens Islands , Australia . He stated in his e-mail that he and his wife Aasa were coming to Thailand for a holiday and to visit family in Bangkok, and while they were here they wanted to look around The LOS for a place that they might like to live for 6 months out of the year. They plan on retiring in a year or so. Phil and Aasa don't want to live in a big city as Phil says they are "country folks" and would prefer to live in a small village not to far from BKK, and Aasa's family , something like a 2 or 3 hour drive.In the e-mail he stated that they planned on being in Thailand the end of October and ask if we would like to get together for lunch while they were here to talk about my thoughts concerning ,moving and living in Thailand . Well you know me I love to meet new folks and especially readers of my little blog on retirement , while I am not an expert on the subject of moving and living in the LOS, I feel like I have a few words of wisdom to impart to ears and hearts that are welling to listen, and he mentioned my favorite subject "LUNCH ", of course I said yes.

Then the other day I got a call from Phil saying they were in BKK and coming to Kanchanaburi for a few days , soooo we made plans to meet for lunch ,and a chit ,chat about lots of stuff. I must say we were delighted to meet them and had a great lunch , visit and talk , they are swell folks and Phil , when they make the move to retire part-time in Thailand, will be a falang we other falangs can be proud to have as a friend living in Thailand . After we finished our lunch and great visit, we took a little ride to our village of Wang Pho , to show them around the area, and all that our little village has to offer, and our ever so humble home . It may be small , but we seem to have a lot of stuff that other small villages I have visited do not have "I'm real proud of our town" and the folks that are elected to make sure that it is always clean , well kept and a safe and happy place to live . I think they liked what they saw and they will be traveling to a lot more places before they make up their mind where they want to settle . As I said before it's always a pleasure and fun to meet new folks and especially, a reader of my blog and Phil and Aasa were a delight. I think after our visit and talk that Phil knows now why "I'm Retired in Thailand and Loving It. Phil and Aasa thanks for the visit, Ciejay says thanks too.

Malcolm

Retirement and the Honey Do List

Believe it or not I built this table with my own hands , it is from the wood that we took off of the front of the house when we started the remodel. It has been outside in the weather(under the back deck roof) for 6 years and the finish had wore of and it was looking bad , soooo it was on my list to do something with it . As you can see I've got all my stuff ready to jump right into the project.

I am wearing a mask to keep all the fine dust out of my nose and mouth, and a pair of safety googlies to keep dust out of my eyes too.

I started out with a course sandpaper and then a fine grit, and after I had removed all the old finish , I gave it a once over with a fine wet and dry paper and then fine steel wool for the finishing smoothness.

As you can see the weather had really dulled the old finish which if I remember I only put on one coat of urethane , this time I put on three coats with a steel wool rub between each .

I had slid on and off of this bench , having my morning coffee that all the finish had worn off it or cracked , because of being in the sun and weather for 6 years , so this time I gave it 3 coats too. It is so smooth that you can see the little Kapow bush reflecting in the finish.

Take a look at the finish on this table , here to you can see the tree reflecting in it's finish . It took a lot of elbow grease and a sore arm to get it smooth enough for this finish. I like using urethane instead of a normal wood finish or shellac as it will not leave a water or white ring on the table finish when you set something cold or hot on top of it and it cleans up real good with soap and water which you can't do with some finish products.

Come on over to Wang Pho and we'll sit here and enjoy a little chit ,chat and a good cup of coffee or even a good glass of wine if you come in time for lunch .

While I had all my stuff out and the weather was holding up ,I took this opportunity to put another coat (really two more ) of urethane on the back and front teak doors.

I even took a piece of the jack -fruit scraps and made a sign with our names and address , some I have been going to do for 6 years , Maybe I was spending a little to much time in the hammock ha ha .

Well, I know you've seen me mention Ciejay's Honey Do List in a few of my post and to be truthful , It's my to do list too. Yesterday and today for the most part the weather has been just right for getting a few of the List things done , I don't want to wait to long as the time to really enjoy this paradise called the LOS is coming up real fast , the rain will stop , the humidity will go away , and the travel bug will bite and I don't want to have to feel guilty that I didn't get a lot done when I could have .I got a couple things done that were on the list , By the way nothing on the list is earth shattering , if something is really important,( if I can't do it myself) I pay someone that knows how to do the job for me , I have found out that the best thing in owning a home and anything else , that maintenance is a very important thing the better you take care of something the longer it will last and give you years of enjoyment with just a little TLand C.
I took a few pictures of the couple of projects and will write a little description about each . Hope you enjoy the pictures and also I want to show you that I don't spend all my time in the Hammock.

Visitors from up North

Kris from Khemmarat

Ciejay,Kris,Cat,Pook

Kris and Cat

Pook, Kris ,Cat

It's always great to have visitors come for a day , but it's a special treat when it's a fellow blooger or a reader of your own blog , and just this Thursday we had the privilege of having Kris and his lovely wife Cat and her sister Pook, from the village of Khemmarat in the Providence of Ubon Ratchathani come to Whang Pho for a day visit . We meet them at the train station and had a great lunch and then back to our home for a couple hours visit and a little fruit snack before taking them to Kanchanaburi for a van ride back to Bangkok .It was a short visit as the train from BKK had engine trouble and they were late leaving the big city and spent about 5 hours on the train , needless to say if you know anything about the country trains here in the LOS you know that their behinds were tired from the sitting and the hard seats .We had a great (short) time with them and we promised each other it want be the last visit . Thanks Kris and Cat for taking out in your busy schedule to come by our way . Malcolm and Ciejay

Retirement and a new project

When you're retired and living in a house that you have remodeled there is always a few do it your self projects to keep you busy and if that doesn't do the trick , then Ciejay can always find a few things for you to do , she is always adding to her" Honey Do List" that has taken up permanent residence on the frig door. But ever once in a while an idea pops into my head and I just have to go for it ( that is if Ciejay likes the Idea too -ha ha ha ).

Well that was the case the other day while laying in the Hammock and thinking about the how good life has been to us these past 6 years . All of a sudden I heard a crash and looked over at the neighbors house and and saw that they had cut down the big Jack Fruit tree that was in front of their house

And soooo an idea popped into my head , I was thinking the other day that I would like to make the table that I had made 3 years ago from a jack fruit tree , into our dining room and kitchen table ,the one that I use for my computer table , that it was almost to big for what I needed and Ciejay had said once before that she would like to have it as a dining room table , it is nice and long , and she too loves the golden color .I talked to my neighbor and she gave me the tree already cut down and the guy who cut it for her said he could saw it into boards for me , you see them in the first pictures .I have a idea in my head to make a table with a book shelf attached to the end of it for my printer and other stuff that I like to have around the computer, and it would be almost as long but it would look a lot neater , and give us a bigger table in the kitchen ,dining area . Ciejay liked the idea and soooo I had the guy to saw the tree into boards and I now have them stacked (as you can see in the photos) to dry, and in a couple months will take them to the man that made the table I use now for a computer table , and have him to make the new one for me,and into the kitchen will go the old one .I know I am not doing the work myself , but I feel it's my project , because I thought of it and will see it thru till it is done . "Oh by the way "I will do all the sanding and putting the urethane finish on the table sooo It will be part my handwork.

I really love the color of the wood from the jack fruit tree , and the new wood seems to be even more golden in color , we'll have to wait and see after it dries for a few months .

Theres a special feeling a body gets when you sit down at a table that you had the idea to make. Everyone that comes to visit always comments about the table , as not many folks use the jack fruit wood for furniture , but I have found out thru research that it is used to make a lot of Thai musicals instruments . Most have never seen any thing made if this kind of wood.Have you ever ? Malcolm

Run for your life

Someone told me that the small lizards that make themselves at home in may of our houses (wheither we want them to or not) would eat each other , I never believed them till yesterday when I saw first hand the act of cannalibism with my own eyes and was able to get a couple pictures to post for your enlightenment. I hate all the droppings we have to vaccum up every morning , but it is better than spiders and mozzies, they will eat both . Malcolm

Retirement-----Ciejay and Me love it .

Well , today is a very special day for us , it marks the 6th anniversary of us leaving our home in Salem , Oregon ,USA and getting on the big silver bird with 11 suitcases ,with all of our worldly possessions and moving to the land of Milk and Honey, also known as The Land of Smiles and Gentle People, Thailand. I don't think there has gone a day that I haven't thanked the Lord for making it possible for us to be here in the LOS and for all my Thai and Farang friends,family, and neighbors and my wonderful wife , that have made it such a good , safe and happy life , and not forgetting my small SS check that I receive each month that allows us to live here in a comfortable home , on little piece of land, in a beautiful valley ,at the foot of a small mountain range , along side the famous River Kwai and in the wonderful small village called Whang Pho .
We're happy and also we're Retired in Thailand and Loving It. Malcolm and Ciejay