“Everything is determined…by forces over which we have no control. It is determined for the insect as well as for the star. Human beings, vegetables, or cosmic dust—we all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible piper.” Albert Einstein
Well, I did think about using “Dirt Dominoes”, however, I am considering cutting back on alliteration. I’m not sure if it will be possible to alleviate said affinity. If only there was an “Anonymous” program that I could align myself with; or at least an amicable alternative, albeit it would be abundantly more beneficial if it was as readily available.
Alas, such affirming organizations are scare in this area.
Anyway, as I like to say, here we are … let’s see what develops.
{This piece was started in mid-February. It was almost lost when my hard drive ate my operating system. There have been several re-occurring challenges inside my PC tower. In addition, or more accurately, in an attempt to maintain a comfortable balance, I have been spending more time editing images; and have been uploading stuff to: Pinterest; Facebook and my Digital Imagery page. Editing is a form of mindfulness practice, for me. Writing can sometimes get me wound up. Seems like I was on quite a roll when I wrote this!}
Shall we amble along and, perhaps, ameliorate the plethora of ideas I’d like to award this page?
Ooo! That’s egotistically presumptuous, isn’t it?
I’m practicing being aware of how arrogant I am.
Who ME?
I continue to be visited by a flood of observations.
Ok, let’s narrow that down.
There’s been a series of substantial changes in our cluster of houses. The changes are the result of, or more precisely, in preparation for, rain.
Then … I watched a fascinating and captivating episode of the TV series Castle. Among other things, I was impressed by the evolution in my acceptance when confronted with the words, “To be continued …” That cut in half story line had to do with a big headed CIA consultant. He was renowned for his “Lynchpin Theories”.
So, I could see all these dominoes falling around me and I got curious about the lynchpin. Naturally, it had to have something to do with me; because after all, I am the center of the universe. I started going backwards; looking for the event that started this rash rearranging. Yeh! Yeh! Yeh! The stimulating cause is more appropriately assigned to the rain, but I wanted it to have to do with ME.
I almost discovered what I had done to make the dominoes fall, but had to compromise with my wife’s oldest brother. It was he who had long ago built our bath house. See that picture series? See that little lip, which once upon a time could have held thresh inside, but seems to have been intended to stop the incursion of rain water; which made absolutely no sense to me, because it is “The Bath House” and water is its life!
My god, man! There is an exit orifice in the edifice to accommodate all the splashing and rinsing.
IN addition, that bit of cement and I had become enemies. It would regularly bite my toes as I dashed inside … dashed, thereby avoiding a torrential soaking as I headed for my shower.
So, in the scheme of things, that threshold defined as a lynchpin and set a bench mark for all the changes to come. Changes not so much about, ”keeping up with the Jones’.” It is more about moving the water that falls in one’s yard to someone else’s yard.
I could be imagining that or making that it all up, but it seems like that is what’s happening. Once upon a time there was a way to create a space.
None-the-less, the decision was made to eradicate my toe stubbing habit by raising the level of the floor leading up to the annoying entryway. That new elevated level became the standard by which the rest of our first floor was laid out – mostly, or plus or minus 10%. (I did my best, as a complete novice. It can be fixed!)
As fate would have it, as I was laboring with my grand design, many villagers would come by, scratch their heads, even smirk a little and ask my wife, “What the heck is he doing? Why is he wasting all that … energy; and expensively raising the floor?”
Quite simply, I had seen four plus inches of water there! Not so simply; I really didn’t know what the heck I was doin’, but I figured that with the particular method I had selected, I would figure it out.
There are so many things of which I lack a complete, or even partial, understanding. Historically, that has barely, nay rarely, acted as a governor to my forward motion. Maybe, I’m slowing down, naturally, finally; but I do not let “not knowing” keep me from pushing ahead. Ironically, lately, there has been a seeking out of “not knowing”.
Go figure!
The only rain to ever visit the finished floor has been driven in by high winds; and walls will eventually resolve those unwelcome intrusions.
Now, I’m willing to acknowledge that the village didn’t change because of me.
Nah! It did!
Ok! Not JUST because of ME (Huh! Kinda funny that the HTML code for italics is ME spelled backwards. As a dyslexic, amused am I!)
MY point is …. There have been a couple of new houses added around here. They raised the ground floor much in a manner similar to my method.
Yeh! Yeh! Yeh! Really, I know that is just the random occurrence of similar events.
Meanwhile, back at the storm front – the rain here falls faster than it moves across the ground towards the river. You can accept that as a simple natural truth about the terrain of Issan; or you can ponder the metaphor. The impact of that germane truism has been that several houses in this village were lifted up, thereby, precipitating the ensuing of a new ground level. The house across the street was filled with over ten truck loads of dirt, which brought the floor up to ground level; and to my complete befuddlement, the occupants just dozed several more loads around their perimeter. (Here … amused am I by this, doo-ay: Those trucks are loud; a din ensues when they arrive; the Thai word for dirt is “din”.)
Perhaps, you watched the video of Mum-May’s house being lifted up. It was raised so she wouldn’t have to tolerate wet feet in the future. Well, (No! Not the deep subject variety!) that pissed off her neighbors on both sides. Actually, Ponra got a bit miffed, also. Mum-May’s new back roof will unload all its aquatic collections right over our wall. I’m not upset because the long term plan is to someday juxtaposition a patio roof in such a way that the respective cascades decide between themselves which side of the wall they prefer.
The neighbors to her south, poot poot poot poot poot, but tahm mai me aria. A lot of talk – no action … yet! They said they will wait to see which way the water flows.
However, Ee, to the north, took action. Her house, which she doesn’t live in, but plans to retire into; and when she does, she wants more of that Bangkok type of inner city isolation – I hear. So, she was already thinking about a wall; and said wall is intended to stop water from flooding her yard and then her house.
That house is barely even with … with what? Where do you start? Basically, the idea is to stay above sea level. In this case … in most cases … it is important to be uphill. Her house is not uphill of the drainage system and is now the low point within our cluster.
There is a drainage culvert along the road. At its best … well, it just doesn’t do its best. I don’t like to be disparaging. Let it be softly said that there is little thought for the morrow with regard to its purpose. All kinds of stuff builds up inside that culvert. It is poorly maintain. Not to mention …. (Here I am mentioning it.) … the tradition of bringing in loads and loads of dirt every year; much of which settles into the drainage system.
I put in a cement culvert along the side of our lot. It is practically almost level; the road end is a smidgeon lower than the most inside point; which, by the way, is connected to the drain of Ee’s bathroom. (Grey water only: showering and laundry.) We had to provide a handy and easily removable/insertable plug at the exit point, because when the rains come hard and heavy, my culvert invites water to flow into this area. It helps it drain out, too, but that comes later; after a deluge has passed.
Oh yeah! Ee is aka/ Mum-Bah-oh. Bah-oh, who is aka/ Mum-Mon, lives in that house with her husband Dho and their precious little girl, Mon Mon.
The immediate impact from the walling in of that yard was a major shift in traffic patterns, which was a primary intent. Mum-May did manage to campaign successfully for an egress near the front of her elevated yard. That’s another puzzling aspect of construction around here. Her house does not have a “drive way”; there is no access to the street, except through a neighbor’s yard. Anyway, she got her egress, which will also adequately (aqueduct-ly) allow rain water to flow, perhaps, as an esthetic little waterfall.
We will see!
Speaking of Mon Mon (3’ish). She chided my wife the other day because of the wall. She mistakenly considered the project to be Ponra’s idea. She was upset, justly upset, that she will no longer be able to easily walk over for a visit. She was/is not happy about her freedom being curtailed. Chided was too soft a word. She was angry in a very animated way!
Poo-ying Mango got loud, doo-ay. The change cuts her/us off from the previously simple stroll between our yards. Poo-ying Mango comes over here to get bamboo scraps, which she chops/fashions into skewers for her son’s three wheeled motocy cart traveling food business. He would be Pah-baby. AND, Ponra spends much of her daylight hours over there cuddling baby – Pet; while Mum-baby doo-ay Pah-baby pi tuhr-ah-kit. (Go to work.)
I was tasked with “Fih-ssit! Mai chohp!!” or “I find this condition unpleasant, as well as untenable, Darling! Would you be so kind as to make some adjustments to alleviate my distress?” (You can see how Thai tends to be much more compact and direct. Actually, that first part is “Thai-glish” fih-ssit=fix it! Mai chohp= no like!) BUT, (Now that I pause here.) I have a theory that simplified languages rely more heavily on ESP; or is that just a couples thing?
Not everyone was pleased with my solution. Ponra likes it. That’s the most important thing. It’s a hoot handing the baby over the wall! Ooee and May protested, but have adjusted. Hahaha! I took the time to figure out how to translate the old saying, “My way or the highway!” Mum-May does not mind walking the long way around. If she forgets anything, she sends Ponra for it, and Poo-ying Mango does the same.
Someday soon I have to get down and dirty with MY pre-rain cleaning of MY culvert, but I keep shooting video and thinking about other stuff to create more editing. I could be becoming an editing addict.
Good thing I have a bicycle!
I’m feelin’ like the “Hot Season” is here; the fans have been serviced and are up and running regularly. The “Hot Season” is generally short. The rains will be coming around again soon, … as in monsoon.
I am curious to watch the running of this year’s rivers. Where will the accumulations linger? Along which channels will tomorrow’s rainfall be flowing?
iPage is my web host. I am an affiliate. We have a “material connection.”
Water Dominoes
Why “Water Dominoes”?
Well, I did think about using “Dirt Dominoes”, however, I am considering cutting back on alliteration. I’m not sure if it will be possible to alleviate said affinity. If only there was an “Anonymous” program that I could align myself with; or at least an amicable alternative, albeit it would be abundantly more beneficial if it was as readily available.
Alas, such affirming organizations are scare in this area.
Anyway, as I like to say, here we are … let’s see what develops.
{This piece was started in mid-February. It was almost lost when my hard drive ate my operating system. There have been several re-occurring challenges inside my PC tower. In addition, or more accurately, in an attempt to maintain a comfortable balance, I have been spending more time editing images; and have been uploading stuff to: Pinterest; Facebook and my Digital Imagery page. Editing is a form of mindfulness practice, for me. Writing can sometimes get me wound up. Seems like I was on quite a roll when I wrote this!}
Shall we amble along and, perhaps, ameliorate the plethora of ideas I’d like to award this page?
Ooo! That’s egotistically presumptuous, isn’t it?
I’m practicing being aware of how arrogant I am.
Who ME?
I continue to be visited by a flood of observations.
Ok, let’s narrow that down.
There’s been a series of substantial changes in our cluster of houses. The changes are the result of, or more precisely, in preparation for, rain.
Then … I watched a fascinating and captivating episode of the TV series Castle. Among other things, I was impressed by the evolution in my acceptance when confronted with the words, “To be continued …” That cut in half story line had to do with a big headed CIA consultant. He was renowned for his “Lynchpin Theories”.
So, I could see all these dominoes falling around me and I got curious about the lynchpin. Naturally, it had to have something to do with me; because after all, I am the center of the universe. I started going backwards; looking for the event that started this rash rearranging. Yeh! Yeh! Yeh! The stimulating cause is more appropriately assigned to the rain, but I wanted it to have to do with ME.
I almost discovered what I had done to make the dominoes fall, but had to compromise with my wife’s oldest brother. It was he who had long ago built our bath house. See that picture series? See that little lip, which once upon a time could have held thresh inside, but seems to have been intended to stop the incursion of rain water; which made absolutely no sense to me, because it is “The Bath House” and water is its life!
My god, man! There is an exit orifice in the edifice to accommodate all the splashing and rinsing.
IN addition, that bit of cement and I had become enemies. It would regularly bite my toes as I dashed inside … dashed, thereby avoiding a torrential soaking as I headed for my shower.
So, in the scheme of things, that threshold defined as a lynchpin and set a bench mark for all the changes to come. Changes not so much about, ”keeping up with the Jones’.” It is more about moving the water that falls in one’s yard to someone else’s yard.
I could be imagining that or making that it all up, but it seems like that is what’s happening.
Once upon a time there was a way to create a space.
None-the-less, the decision was made to eradicate my toe stubbing habit by raising the level of the floor leading up to the annoying entryway. That new elevated level became the standard by which the rest of our first floor was laid out – mostly, or plus or minus 10%. (I did my best, as a complete novice. It can be fixed!)
As fate would have it, as I was laboring with my grand design, many villagers would come by, scratch their heads, even smirk a little and ask my wife, “What the heck is he doing? Why is he wasting all that … energy; and expensively raising the floor?”
Quite simply, I had seen four plus inches of water there! Not so simply; I really didn’t know what the heck I was doin’, but I figured that with the particular method I had selected, I would figure it out.
There are so many things of which I lack a complete, or even partial, understanding. Historically, that has barely, nay rarely, acted as a governor to my forward motion. Maybe, I’m slowing down, naturally, finally; but I do not let “not knowing” keep me from pushing ahead. Ironically, lately, there has been a seeking out of “not knowing”.
Go figure!
The only rain to ever visit the finished floor has been driven in by high winds; and walls will eventually resolve those unwelcome intrusions.
Now, I’m willing to acknowledge that the village didn’t change because of me.
Nah! It did!
Ok! Not JUST because of ME (Huh! Kinda funny that the HTML code for italics is ME spelled backwards. As a dyslexic, amused am I!)
MY point is …. There have been a couple of new houses added around here. They raised the ground floor much in a manner similar to my method.
Yeh! Yeh! Yeh! Really, I know that is just the random occurrence of similar events.
Meanwhile, back at the storm front – the rain here falls faster than it moves across the ground towards the river. You can accept that as a simple natural truth about the terrain of Issan; or you can ponder the metaphor. The impact of that germane truism has been that several houses in this village were lifted up, thereby, precipitating the ensuing of a new ground level. The house across the street was filled with over ten truck loads of dirt, which brought the floor up to ground level; and to my complete befuddlement, the occupants just dozed several more loads around their perimeter. (Here … amused am I by this, doo-ay: Those trucks are loud; a din ensues when they arrive; the Thai word for dirt is “din”.)
Perhaps, you watched the video of Mum-May’s house being lifted up. It was raised so she wouldn’t have to tolerate wet feet in the future. Well, (No! Not the deep subject variety!) that pissed off her neighbors on both sides. Actually, Ponra got a bit miffed, also. Mum-May’s new back roof will unload all its aquatic collections right over our wall. I’m not upset because the long term plan is to someday juxtaposition a patio roof in such a way that the respective cascades decide between themselves which side of the wall they prefer.
The neighbors to her south, poot poot poot poot poot, but tahm mai me aria. A lot of talk – no action … yet! They said they will wait to see which way the water flows.
However, Ee, to the north, took action. Her house, which she doesn’t live in, but plans to retire into; and when she does, she wants more of that Bangkok type of inner city isolation – I hear. So, she was already thinking about a wall; and said wall is intended to stop water from flooding her yard and then her house.
That house is barely even with … with what? Where do you start? Basically, the idea is to stay above sea level. In this case … in most cases … it is important to be uphill. Her house is not uphill of the drainage system and is now the low point within our cluster.
There is a drainage culvert along the road. At its best … well, it just doesn’t do its best. I don’t like to be disparaging. Let it be softly said that there is little thought for the morrow with regard to its purpose. All kinds of stuff builds up inside that culvert. It is poorly maintain. Not to mention …. (Here I am mentioning it.) … the tradition of bringing in loads and loads of dirt every year; much of which settles into the drainage system.
I put in a cement culvert along the side of our lot. It is practically almost level; the road end is a smidgeon lower than the most inside point; which, by the way, is connected to the drain of Ee’s bathroom. (Grey water only: showering and laundry.) We had to provide a handy and easily removable/insertable plug at the exit point, because when the rains come hard and heavy, my culvert invites water to flow into this area. It helps it drain out, too, but that comes later; after a deluge has passed.
Oh yeah! Ee is aka/ Mum-Bah-oh. Bah-oh, who is aka/ Mum-Mon, lives in that house with her husband Dho and their precious little girl, Mon Mon.
The immediate impact from the walling in of that yard was a major shift in traffic patterns, which was a primary intent. Mum-May did manage to campaign successfully for an egress near the front of her elevated yard. That’s another puzzling aspect of construction around here. Her house does not have a “drive way”; there is no access to the street, except through a neighbor’s yard. Anyway, she got her egress, which will also adequately (aqueduct-ly) allow rain water to flow, perhaps, as an esthetic little waterfall.
We will see!
Speaking of Mon Mon (3’ish). She chided my wife the other day because of the wall. She mistakenly considered the project to be Ponra’s idea. She was upset, justly upset, that she will no longer be able to easily walk over for a visit. She was/is not happy about her freedom being curtailed. Chided was too soft a word. She was angry in a very animated way!
Poo-ying Mango got loud, doo-ay. The change cuts her/us off from the previously simple stroll between our yards. Poo-ying Mango comes over here to get bamboo scraps, which she chops/fashions into skewers for her son’s three wheeled motocy cart traveling food business. He would be Pah-baby. AND, Ponra spends much of her daylight hours over there cuddling baby – Pet; while Mum-baby doo-ay Pah-baby pi tuhr-ah-kit. (Go to work.)
I was tasked with “Fih-ssit! Mai chohp!!” or “I find this condition unpleasant, as well as untenable, Darling! Would you be so kind as to make some adjustments to alleviate my distress?” (You can see how Thai tends to be much more compact and direct. Actually, that first part is “Thai-glish” fih-ssit=fix it! Mai chohp= no like!) BUT, (Now that I pause here.) I have a theory that simplified languages rely more heavily on ESP; or is that just a couples thing?
Not everyone was pleased with my solution. Ponra likes it. That’s the most important thing. It’s a hoot handing the baby over the wall! Ooee and May protested, but have adjusted. Hahaha! I took the time to figure out how to translate the old saying, “My way or the highway!” Mum-May does not mind walking the long way around. If she forgets anything, she sends Ponra for it, and Poo-ying Mango does the same.
Someday soon I have to get down and dirty with MY pre-rain cleaning of MY culvert, but I keep shooting video and thinking about other stuff to create more editing. I could be becoming an editing addict.
Good thing I have a bicycle!
I’m feelin’ like the “Hot Season” is here; the fans have been serviced and are up and running regularly. The “Hot Season” is generally short. The rains will be coming around again soon, … as in monsoon.
{I have long been fond of Longfellow’s summation.}
I am curious to watch the running of this year’s rivers. Where will the accumulations linger? Along which channels will tomorrow’s rainfall be flowing?
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