TAKE ME HOME COUNTRY ROADS

One of the things that I can remember very clearly about when I was growing up , is that we always seem to live in the country (outside the city limits) ,I think the rent was cheaper and my Dad didn't like haviing close neighbors, In fact, true story , one time I heard my Dad say to my Mom , "start packing Emma , the neighbor down the road, just called me by my first name , next thing you know he'll be wanting to borrow my tools " maybe ,he meant it and maybe not , but the fact is it wasn't to long before we were moving further down the road .

At least everyother week-in ,Dad would say to my Mom "pack a good picnic lunch and lets go for a ride in the country " now I don't know why he said it like that because as far as us kids were concerned we did live in the country .He would turn right or left off the main roads, and we would drive for miles on windy narrow roads .some paved most not and to me it was like I was seeing the WONDERS OF THE WORLD we saw , mountains and streams and caves and old houses and towns, abandon for years , some in the late 1800's and early 1900"s old trucks and cars and and closed ore mines , and a few old what we called "ghost towns" , where folks had just up and left when the mines played out or the train stopped running thru the town or when they built a freeway that by-passed all the local towns , with their little cafe's and gas stations and grocery stores , that depended a lot on the folks just passing thru for a lot of their business, and that was a long time ago , but sadly, the same thing is happing all over the world , but nowdays they don't just go around the old towns and places , NOW, they go right thru them and tear down all the old things , that to me ,when I was growing up were my history lessons. I learned a lot about people and things and places and about our past and a lot about our future, and where our generation was headed, and, I saw that the Past and all it's glory was just that THE PAST , and that being able to get from one place to the other quicker , and land to develop and call it the suburbs ( IT'S FUNNY THAT FOLKS STILL WANT TO SAY THEY LIVE IN THE COUNTRY) was more important than saving it and all the wonderful history that was there in that place called the country.

I wonder where our kids and grand-kids will get their history lessons , and if their Dads will some week-in mornings , pile them all into the family car, every once in a while and say "LETS TAKE A RIDE IN THE COUNTRY.I took my boy's when they were growing up on lots of trips to the country , and shared with them history as I knew it , just like my Dad did with us (my brother and sister) and today they thank me ever so often for taking the time to show them THE WONDERS OF THE WORLD and they tell me , that their kids love it when they say everyonce in a while, when they find the time, "Pack a picnic lunch (Mc Donalds or KFC) and lets go for a ride in the country"

How about you and your families? Do you take country rides once in a while and show the kids what the world was like before computers and video games and tv? I hope you DO , and while you're at it , take lots of pictures( because that may very well be all we'll have of yesterday) , and sing songs together ( remember Row ,Row ,Row Your Boat Gently Down The Stream , or 99 Bottles of Beer On The Wall or my all time favorite The Bear Went Over The Mountain ) while you're riding down the bumpy roads, be sure you've got plenty of gas , and a spare tire , who knows what kind of adventure you may have , and OH YA don't forget to pack a picnic lunch .

Just the other day Ciejay and me were riding down the road, going for a ride in the country , when we came to this road that turned off to the left that looked like it was traveled very little , Soooooo we turned off and drove for what ,I know was miles of narrow dirt road , thru field after field planted with corn and sugar apple trees, I said to myself "is this all this is " and Ciejay said "let's go back", when all of a sudden right in front of us was a small resort. I could'nt believe my eyes , who would build a resort way back here in the COUNTRY . We pulled in the driveway and was meet of course by a few dogs , and a very nice lady whose job it was to be a caretaker for this little place . It seems that some folks in Bkk , owned a little piece of land here and built this resort , for a place for their close friends and family that live in THE BIG CITY to be able to come and relax and enjoy a few days in the country, They call it the Beautiful Sky Resort . Only four little cabins and a kitchen outside (you bring your own food and cook for yourselves, a Karoke room , a gazabo with a pond filled with colored lights and a small building also for toilets and showers . The land leading up to it is flat and then you come to a hill and an outcrop of huge rocks growing up all around ,and they built the resort and trails and paths and gardens all around the rocks , it's beautiful to behold and you can see why the call it Beautiful Sky , the lady said it is always full every Friday Saturday and Sunday with family and friends of the owners but during the week , theres noone there , shes going to call and see if we can rent it some time to get away for a day or two and enjoy the COUNTRY.

REMODELING IS FUN( SOMETIMES)

I have been feeling a little under the weather the last few days went to the hospital and they said I did have the flu but not the " bad one".They gave me a bag of medicine and told me to get lots of sleep and rest , well you know me you don't have to tell me two times about rest,and I was in the hammock quicker than jumping up from the toilet, when a spider ran up my leg . Feeling a lot better today and still a little weak from not eating a whole lot and laying around , and the medicine kinda makes me dizzy at times . Soooooo I'm going to post the 2nd post I did about remodeling the house , some of you may not have read any of the oldies , but goodies so here's your chance to read one, for the rest of you , I'll be hunting and a pecking in a few days Malcolm

WELL WE GOT HERE ON THE 6TH OF OCT AND STARTED LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO

REMODEL THE OLD HOUSE FOR US. A FRIEND KNEW OF A MAN THAT DID SOME WORK AND WE CONTACTED HIM AND AWAY WE WENT . THIS WAS MY FIRST ATTEMPT AT REDOING A OLD HOUSE AND ALSO WORKING WITH FOLKS THAT ONLY SPOKE THAI AND ME NOT SPEAKING NOT EVEN A LITTLE THAI. TRYING TO USE MY THAI WIFE CIEJAY TO TRANSLATE AND SOMETIMES EVEN SHE DID NOT EVEN UNDERSTAND WHAT I WANTED DONE MADE IT SOME DAYS LIKE A THREE RING CIRCUS. BUT THE MAN IN CHARGE PIAK HAD THE PATIENCE OF A SAINT , AND THINGS WENT BETTER THAN I COULD HAVE EVER HOPED FOR . THERE WERE LOTS OF TIMES WHEN THE WAY THEY DID THINGS SEEMED TO BE THE HARD WAY AND LONGER WAY , BUT THIS BEING THAILAND AND ME JUST NEW HERE I HAD ALREADY FIGURED OUT THEY WERE NOT ASKING ANY ADVISE FROM ME ANYWAY . SO I TRYED TO JUST BE A ONLOOKER MOST OF THE TIME AND SHAKE MY HEAD IN APPROVAL AT WHAT EVER THEY DID . PIAK HAD SO MANY YEARS EXPERIENCE IN BUILDING THAT HE KINDA KNEW WHAT I WANTED . AND CIEJAY HAVING BEEN IN THE USA FOR FOUR YEARS AND LIVING IN A WESTERN HOUSE HAD A FEW IDEAS OF HER OWN. OF COURSE HIGH ON MY LIST WAS A WESTERN TOILET THAT FLUSHED AND BROWN WATER THAT WENT INTO A UNDERGROUND TANK AND DRAIN FIELD AND NOT OUT ON THE GROUND, LIKE ALL MY NEIGHBORS. WE ENDING UP ,TEARING OFF THE OLD BATHROOM( IF YOU WANT TO CALL IT THAT ) SQUAT TOILETS AND WATER TANKS FROM HELL AND NO HAND BASIN AND ONLY A RUSTY PIPE COMING OUT OF THE WALL ABOUT FIVE FOOT FROM THE UNEVEN CONCRET FLOOR FOR A SHOWER. AND BUILDING A LITTLE LARGER ONE WITH WESTERN FIXTURES AND A TUB AND SHOWER AND WASH BASIN AND A ON DEMAND HOT WATER HEATER FOR WARM WATER TO SHOWER AND THE FAMOUS FLUSING TOILET. THE FLOORS OF THE THREE BEDROOM HOUSE HAD NEVER BEEN TILED AND THERE WAS NO KITCHEN PER SAY ( A TABLE IN THE CORNER ) WITH A GAS BURNER AND ANOTHER TABLE WITH A PAN TO WASH DISHES ,I GUESS THEY MUST HAVE SIT ON THE FLOOR TO EAT, WHO KNOWS AND THAT WAS THE KITCHEN. SO I DREW OUT A KITCHEN I WOULD LIKE AND PIAK DID HIS BEST TO FOLLOW THE DRAWINGS , MADE THE COUNTER TOPS A FEW INCHES TO HIGH , BUT ALL IN ALL I AM HAPPY, TO HAVE A INSIDE KITCHEN. MOST OF MY NEIGHBORS HAVE OUTSIDE KITCHENS AND STILL USE CHARCOAL TO COOK WITH , WONDERFUL SMELLS COMING FROM THEM . BUT A LITTLE TO UNSTANITARY FOR ME , WHAT WITH ALL THE BUGS AND LIZARDS AND GEKOS AND DOGS AND CATS JUST TO NAME A FEW THINGS I WOULD RATHER NOT HAVE AROUND MY FOOD WHILE IT IS BEING COOKED AND ATE.

WELL BELIEVE IT OR NOT, BUT IN TWO MONTHS ON DEC THE 5TH ( THE KINGS BIRTHDAY ) FOR GOOD LUCK WE MOVED INTO THE NEW HOME . IT FELT SO GOOD TO BE IN OUR HOME AND WE TO THIS DAY THANK GOD FOR ALL HIS BLESSINGS DURING THE REMODEL. SINCE WE HAVE MOVED IN AND FOUR YEARS HAVE PASTED WE HAVE DONE A LOT MORE TO MAKE THE HOUSE A HOME , AND AS COMFORTABLE AS POSSIBLE. CIEJAY LOVES IT AND NEVER THOUGHT SHE WOULD OWN A PIECE OF LAND AND A HOME OF HER OWN,AND I DO ALL I CAN TO SPOIL HER ROTTEN , HER FAMILY LOVES ME FOR BEING A GOOD FARANG HUSBAND . AND MY THAI WIFE IS ONE OF A KINDEST ,AND THE SWEETEST AND MOST CARING PERSON I HAVE EVER MEET, I HAVE LOTS OF STORIES TO TELL AND I WILL END THIS ONE HERE . HOPE YOU ENJOY MY STORIES AND I LOVE TO TAKE PICTURES , AND WILL SHARE AS MANY AS I CAN WITH YOU . MALCOLM

MY HOW TIME FLIES ,WHEN YOU'RE HAVING FUN

THIS IS ME TRYING TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING TO WRITE WHEN MY MIND IS TOTALLY BLANK picture from the www

Having fun ,is a understatement, I have been writing my blog now, for one year to date and I all I have to say that "I love it" .I never ever thought of myself as a writer, and maybe you have never thought of me as a writer either , but as I plug along and words spring( and sometimes slip) from my mind to my two fingers that I use to hunt and peck with ,on the keyboard , I am amazed that from time to time ,I write something that I really like and hope that you do too. I know that I write about a lot of the same stuff , temples , flowers, our house, my sweet wife Ciejay, and hammock time and every once in a while I might throw a little something in about our village and friends.Just remember that "I'm Retired In Thailand and Loving It", and my goal everyday is to do as little as possible and still consider myself a part of the human race.

I don't have a great imagination like Martyn, I'm not as up on current events as Mike , and I can't for the life of me see the wonderful detail and importance of small and large things, around us everyday, like Talen , and I don't think I could keep up with all the energy and work put out by that ball of fire ,Ben, and I'll never be able to enjoy bike rides like MJ, and my thumb will never be as green Martin's, and I could never put up with all those kids in school like Bunty, and of course I'll never be as cute as Jade or as laid back as the Bangkok Buddy,and for sure I'll never have a best seller novel like Andrew ,or write about the weather on a small island day after day like Camille, or chase balls around a field all day like Sevenwinds and call it fun,

or as elusive as anonymous ,I'm just me Malcolm , sometimes called" The Ole Fart "by my sweet wife Ciejay, But I do love blogging and this year has been one of the highlights of my life ,thanks to all of you .

All of you are special in your own way, with words, and have made blogging a pleasure for me and the other folks that read your great post and hopefully , they'll stop by and take a peek at my small contribution to the wonderful world called Blogging. Malcolm

MY FIRST POST---IT'S BEEN FIVE YEARS NOW

THE HOUSE WHEN WE BOUGHT
AFTER THE REMODEL

Sorry everything is in caps , buttttt this was my first one and I really did'nt know what I was doing . hope you like re-reading my very first post . Malcolm

WOW!! HAS IT BEEN FOUR YEARS SINCE WE MOVED TO OUR SMALL VILLAGE ( WANG PHO )IN THE PROVIDENCE OF KANCHANABURI , ON THE RIVER KWAI. AT TIMES IT ALL SEEMS LIKE A DREAM, IT SEEMS LIKE ONLY YESTERDAY I MEET MY THAI WIFE CIEJAY SEVEN YEARS AGO WHEN SHE WAS ON A VISIT FROM THAILAND TO AMERICA TO SEE HER SISTERS, WHO HAD MOVED TO THE USA MANY YEARS AGO.HER SISTER SOOKRI WAS MARRIED TO A FORMER EMPOYEE OF MINE AND HE CALLED ONE DAY AND SAID THAT HIS SISTER -IN -LAW FROM THAILAND WAS VISITING THEM AND WOULD I LIKE TO MEET HER ? TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT I HAD BEEN MARRIED AND DIVORCED A COUPLE TIMES AND IN AND OUT OF A FEW SO CALLED RELATIONSHIPS AND I HAD JUST ABOUT HAD IT TRYING TO FIND HAPPINESS IN A RELATIONSHIP, BUT YOU KNOW HOW IT GOES AND I SAID WHAT THE HECK , SOUNDS GOOD TO ME . WELL THE MOMENT I LAID EYES ON HER I FEEL HEAD OVER HEELS , AND FELT LIKE I WAS EIGHTEEN AGAIN. WHAT A GREAT FEELING IT WAS . NOT ONLY WITH MY HEART BUT MY HEAD TOO . WE DATED A COUPLE OF TIMES AND I WAS PLENTY SCARED I CAN TELL YOU , BUT ONE NIGHT ON MY WAY TO PICK HER UP , A SONG, BY FAITH HILL WAS PLAYING AND WHEN YOU GET A CHANCE TO SIT IT OUT OR DANCE" I HOPE YOU DANCE" , AND RIGHT THEN I SAID I'M GOING TO DANCE .WELL IF ANY OF YOU ARE MARRIED TO A THAI LADY YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO SHARE YOUR LIFE AND FEELINGS WITH THEM WHEN THEY SPEAK ONLY A FEW WORDS OF ENGLISH AND UNDER STAND EVEN LESS. BUT SOMEHOW WE MADE IT . WE GOT MARRIED ON THE FOURTH OF JULY WITH ALL MY OLD BUDDIES THERE, AND I COULD TELL SOME WERE REALLY JEALOUS THAT I WAS SO HAPPY.OF COURSE THEY ALL LOVED CIEJAY AND THOUGHT SHE WAS THE THE BEST THING THAT HAD HAPPENED IN MY LIFE . WE LIVED IN OREGON FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS . UNTIL I COULD RETIRE AT SIXTY TWO, WE HAD COME TO THAILAND FOR A VACATION TO SEE HER FAMILY AND I HAD FEEL IN LOVE WITH THAILAND AND ASK CIEJAY TO MOVE BACK THE NEXT YEAR TO THAILAND SHE SAID OK , AND ON THE LAST DAY OF OUR VACATION WE CAME TO VISIT HER BROTHER IN KANCHANABURI AND I SAID TO CIEJAY THIS IS IT , AND WOULD YOU BELIVE WE BOUGHT A HOUSE AND A LITTLE PIECE OF LAND THAT EVENING WITHOUT EVEN GETTING TO GO IN THE HOUSE BECAUSE IT WAS LOCKED UP AND HAD BEEN EMPTY FOR 6 YEARS . BUT WE HAD A DREAM . WE WENT BACK TO THE GOOD OLE USA AND WORKED ONE MORE YEAR AND THEN SAID OUR GOOD-BYES AND SOLD AND GAVE AWAY EVERY THING WE OWNED EXCEPT ELEVEN SUITCASES FULL OF CLOTHS ,PICTURES AND IMPORTANT PAPERS AND AWAY WE WENT , WE ARRIVED IN THAILAND ON OCT. 6 ,2004 AND THATS OUR STORY .WHAT HAS HAPPENED ,SINCE THEN IS WHAT I WILL TRY TO PUT IN MY NEW BLOG. HOPE YOU ENJOY SOME OF THE STUFF I HAVE EXPERIENCED, ENDURED, AND LEARNED IN THE PAST FOUR YEARS . THANKS MALCOLM

THE PICTURES OF THE HOUSE ARE BEFORE AND AFTER