Monday, December 27, 2010

Organic Yard

We don't live on a farm , but we have farm animals in the yard from time to time .
Just when I was saying to Ciejay
that I needed to go to the Farm Store to buy some fertilizer for the grass and plants , here comes the neighbor to the rescue and brings a couple of organic fertilizer producing walking machines to take care of the job for me and it's all for free, I just had to stand guard around my flowers , they like them as a appetizer, ha ha . You never know what you're going to find in your yard some days, that's what makes life here in the LOS interesting . Ever have cows grazing in your front yard??? well it's a first for us too, but it does have a side benefit, I'm just glad we have some sunshine to dry the cow dung quickly. Malcolm

Friday, December 24, 2010

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

A very Merry Christmas and a special thanks to all who have took the time out of their busy lives to stop by my blog and give a read and enjoy the pictures and little stories about Ciejay and My life here in Wang Pho
I'm excited about the new year ahead and hope for lots of adventures and stuff to share with you as we find the time and money to do a little traveling around Thailand to places we haven't seen yet , but are on our list of "to see places" . I hope we get to check a lot of them off. As I have said many times in the past we are still Retired in Thailand and Loving It

Greetings from our little village of Wang Pho for a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous
New Year to you and yours ,in your City , Town , or Village or wherever you heart finds you, and also a
healthy and blessed 2015

Malcolm and Ciejay






Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Look Out !!!!!! Elephants on the road







One of the great things about taking a day trip in the LOS is that you never know what you're going to see just around the next curve or bend in the road . Such a day was yesterday , Ciejay and me were doing the wine business and decided to take the long way home it was such a pretty day , as we came around a curve there they were the (I think ) most beautiful and breath taking creatures in the whole world two elephants with their Manhots going to the river for a bath and swim and the men had a little sugar cane for a snack for the elephants after their bath , I get to see lots of elephants here in Thailand , BUT I always have to stop and take a good look and get a picture if possible . I am always amazed that something that big can be so gentle. I hope you enjoy seeing them as much as I do . Where else could you have such a unexpected thrill as this but here in the LOS , I guess thats just another good reason we're Retired in Thailand and Loving It. Malcolm

Friday, December 17, 2010

Tiger in the making


Just went by today December 31 and they had added this huge Tiger face over the entrance to what they are going to call Tigerland, and it looked like they were having a private New Years party , we couldn't go in . Malcolm









One thing for sure , when you are driving around the country side here in the LOS, you never know what you are going to see. This was the case just the other day on the way home from Kanchanaburi, I looked off to the left and down a road that I had not noticed before and saw that something big was being built out of concrete , sooo I had to turn around and take a look . To my surprise there in the woods was being made out of concrete the biggest Tiger I had ever seen , only a few workers were around sooo could not get any information , but from what I can guess ,it looks like a hotel being built and the huge Tiger will be some kind of attraction , I plan on stopping by again soon for more pictures and hopefully ,be able to see someone who can tell me whats going on here . This tiger is huge and I'm sure when it is finished and painted , it will be a must see for lots of tourist. Have you ever seen a tiger this big , I've nicknamed him "Tony "after one of my favorite tigers. Malcolm

Monday, December 13, 2010

Faux Bois--A lost Art















Faux Bois In Concrete www. http://fauxboisinconcrete.blogspot.com/

Well , today I learned that the decorating we are doing on the house is actually a lost art and is starting to be revived by some folks all over the world old pieces of Faux Bois are quite collectiable and sought after by collectors , soooo I guess our place will be a collector item for our grand-kids one of these days , who would have thought , ha ha , I'm posting a few up-date pictures of the work and it should be finished in a few days and then we will paint the green part of the house a light tan color , should look good. Hope you enjoy the pictures and the story from the web.

This school of art goes back as far as "art" itself. From our very beginnings, artists have been fascinated with the infinite variety of shapes, forms and textures that Mother Nature expresses in trees and their wood. And while the French are indeed to be credited with giving this art a name, there are examples to be found that far predate the existence of France as a nation.

The modern schools of this art today encompass two principle branches. One employed by highly skilled wood finishers that involves itself with making "lesser" woods such as pine, have the appearance of a "finer" or more exotic wood. The other branch creates three dimensional representations of wood and wooden objects by applying various cement-based mixtures onto a steel framework or "armature", and sculpting it to mimic the real material.

The subject of this brief essay is the three dimensional variety,
also known as Ferrocement Faux Bois.

Ferrocement Faux Bois is a very popular and much sought after category among serious antique collectors. One of the most notable of whom is Martha Stewart, who collects antique as well as modern works executed by the very few remaining artisans still practicing this craft. Sadly, there are only a handful of artisans alive today who are capable of executing Faux Bois at the masterwork level.

The most familiar works are those imported from Europe by antique dealers specializing in garden art. Typically they have what I refer to as a "French" finish composed of a gray, lightly sanded mortar mixture of Portland cement and sand. What few people today, including many collectors, do not realize, is that the vast majority of these pieces were at one time painted. Often quite garishly. Thankfully, nearly all of the paint has succumbed to the nature of the concrete and fallen off, leaving only a faded and aged patina. Many of these works are crude. Others more convincing in their detail. Most of the better pieces were constructed from about 1880 to WWII, but there were a few very capable craftsmen still producing an utterly amazing body of work well into the 1950's...right here in America.

Today, the very best of those major works rightfully represent an entire category on the National Register of Historic Places. And there is a serious movement taking place to add many more and restore them to the former glory that as much as a century of neglect has all but erased in many cases.

The process of creating these works is at once complex, technically demanding and extraordinarily labor intensive. It involves first building a steel framework (referred to by sculptors as an "armature"), securing and forming metal mesh known as "lath", then building up multiple layers of concrete, mortar and often pure cement paste. All the while, shaping, sculpting and detailing the material as it hardens. Once the process of adding cement-based media begins...there is no stopping. The material will not wait and absolutely must be worked from beginning to end. Complex and highly detailed works can often require an artist to work non-stop for 12 to 24 hours to achieve many specific effects. Little wonder it is less than popular with today's generation of artists. But there are rewards for the few who invest themselves in this demanding art, as well as the buyers of these rare works. Because the time and effort put into a quality piece is also reflected in its' longevity. Properly formulated and skillfully placed modern cement formulations can endure exposure to the elements for an estimated fifty-thousand years. How's that for "heirloom".

And while works of this calibre are obviously rare and understandably expensive, they can still be found or commissioned by a properly skilled sculptor

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

House Make-over

the house in 2008





























It's been six years since we remodeled the house and moved into when we came to the LOS in 2004 , We did a lot as you have seen in the past post , we did what we knew we could do quickly, so we could move in as soon as possible and have been satisfied with the way it looked all these six years . Paint doesn't last forever in the Los with the hot and humid weather and of course the long rainy season, sooo it (the house ) was in need of a fresh coat of paint . We call our house (home) a bungalow , and have been happy with it , but now after all these years we thought we would like something a little different , and as we talked about it and looked around we thought we would like a cottage style house , of course we can't just tear this one down sooo we had to turn this one into a cottage . We have started and the following pictures are some of the work already done and still in progress , some folks say it looks like Disney Land and I think it does a little , but we love it so far . There is lots more to be done to complete the the Make-over, and then a fresh coat of paint (not sure the color yet), and every time we look at what was done , we see something else we want done , we are going to do work also on the decks and steps and will redo the waterfall and pond , and some (not a lot ) on the landscape and garden , I like it to look as natural as possible with out getting out of control I like wild grass and flowers and vines and even some weeds , I don't want it to look all manicured and perfect , If we don't cut the grass for a month I still think it looks good ( that's just my opinion) and Ciejay likes it too and that's all that matters ,really .

I will take more pictures as we go along , and will put up, with a short post , take a look at the pictures and Please live a honest comment about what you think . I alcolmknow to some it looks like I've lost it , but what the heck , we like it , and here in the LOS we can do what we want and don't have to worry about the neighbors , the laws and the , restrictions and permits and no Bureaucrats telling me what and how I can do with the property and house that we own

I guess that's another reason why we are" Retired in Thailand and Loving it." M

Thursday, November 18, 2010

The SEVEN

This much work done in two weeks they are really working to open it as soon as possible .




Well I knew we couldn't be country forever, and it has happened that the big time is coming to Wang Pho . Believe it or not they are building a 7-11 6 blocks from my home , in one way I'm excited and in other ways I am sad , excited , because now I can get a great Hot Dog anytime I want and they make a great ham and cheese and egg sandwich that I love and you can pay almost any bills there and they (omg) are going to put in a ATM . Now for the sad , all of our little Mom and Pop shops are going to see a big decline in business, from the college near by and from the 950 students that attend our local high school.In most cities the 7 is a little more expense, but most of our local Mom and Pops shop at Makro and Lotus and bring it back to their stores and add a few, sometimes more baht to the price which will make the 7-11 cheaper.It would be different if the Thai folks would continue to be loyal to the local shops , But as you and I know it's all about money and survival here in the Los and especially in these small village , every little baht makes a difference. One shop owner I talked with said he is going to sell or close his shop and also sell his house and land and move to another small village and open up another shop " maybe a different business all together", he said . I think they (the little shops ) can see the handwriting on the wall , It's just like it was in our town in America when Walmart came to town , it hurt all the little small shops and many of them just went under at no fault of their own , people are going to shop where they can get the most for their money , that is human nature.


We (Ciejay and Me) are still very happy here in our little village of Wang Pho located in a large fertile valley , at the foot of a small mountain range and on the bank of the famous River Kwai,and as I have said many times ,thats why we are "Retired In Thailand and Loving It."


Change is certain, and probably our grand-kids when they are adults will call Wang Pho THE BIG CITY. Malcolm

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

CHINESE TEMPLE AND DRAGON

This is at the entrance to the Temple or (Park)
Tall pole inside of the gate which was closed this day

As seen from the road
Now that's a big mouth full of water fall

Ciejay looks real small stand in front of the Drago


This looked very old


OPPS dragon again
Looks like a gift shop and museum

Ciejay again

My truck in front of the dragon--- this thing is big

A few days ago Ciejay and me took a day trip over to Supan Buri to visit sister Tui for lunch and to pick up some herbs she had for us . On our way right before the bus station on the left hand side of the road is a huge decorated with carvings pole (totem pole) of Chinese subjects, I think . This thing is big and if you drive inside the temple or park , not sure which one , they have made the largest Dragon I have ever seen constructed out of concrete . It looks like you can go in thru the front and must be filled with some kind of displays . they were closed when we got there so we couldn't go inside and the writing was in Chinese for the most part . It looks like off to the side they are building homes and shops , and it looks like they are maybe planning a small Chinese village . Has anyone else seen this and have more info than me ?? We plan on another day trip when it is open and exploring it for a few hours and getting all the info we can for a future post . Lots of pictures and hope you enjoy . You can see the size of the dragon with Ciejay looking like a ant standing in front and also my truck looks like a toy
I don't know a lot about it and I'm sure it would make for a fun day for anyone , if nothing else ,just to see this big Dragon with a Water Fall coming out of his mouth. Malcolm

You never know what you will run upon when you are traveling in the LOS , and as I have said before that's what I love about being Retired In Thailand and Loving It.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Market Day in Wang Pho

Most of these veggies were growing out behind his house just the day before , he has a huge garden.
I swear this pork is so fresh , I thought I heard a loud squeal

these eggs are so fresh that when they start to run low they run out to the truck where the hens are laying more on demand.

After all the eggs are laid they then are sold here , minus all their feathers of course


Believe it are not , but some of these fish are still flopping around on the table .

It's been a while since I posted anything about one of my favorite things to do here in Wang Pho , doing the weekly shopping at our fresh fruit and veggie market and oh ya I don't want to forget the fresh meat and fish market too
.
I can't wait for the net to get sooo advanced that we will have scratch and sniff available on all the pictures . The one great thing about the fresh market is all the wonderful smells all mixed together . I would be amiss if I forgot to mention that on market days there is also a lot of already cooked food vendors at the market about 25% of the market is fast (Thai style ) food to take home to eat. Ciejay and me talked about it one day and we both agreed that if we really wanted to we would never have to cook at home ever, and fresh cooked meals are within 5 minutes ride or walk from our home , something to think about as we get older , ha ha ..
Sorry no scratch and sniff , but hope you enjoy the pictures . Malcolm
Do you have a fresh fruit and veggie market near you and do you visit it often ????
We have a huge Tesco Lotus that we could buy our fruit and veggies if we wanted to , but not only are the local markets stuff fresher , it helps our local farmer to sell their stuff and get a little income from all their hard work and it also keeps our little town from being a poor village .