Grow

Hi,

We had a fairly mellow weekend here in Chiang Rai. Saturday was a 'rest day', and Sunday we did something special, washed the dogs, and had dinner with friends.

The 'Old School Friday' song was "Bye Bye, Love" by The Everly Brothers. 'Easy Monday' is so easy I started with the second verse. The first verse would just give it away. It's about a man, his job, and his lost love.
"I know I need a small vacation, but it don't look like rain. And if it snows that stretch down south won't stand the strain. And I need you more than want you, and I want you for all time. And the __ __ is still on the line." Hint: This early hit, about a man who climbs poles, really helped this country artist with a very long career. Extra points if you know who wrote it.

The work we put in last week for the reception caught up with us on Saturday. We got up and cleared the big leaves from the front yard and then just did nothing for the rest of the day. We looked at pictures of the event, talked about the various conversations, and napped. I forgot to mention that my friend Mark and his girlfriend drove up from Chiang Mai for the evening. That was a welcome surprise. We also made contact with a woman named Bron who used to have a gallery in Australia. We're going to have coffee with her next week. Our little world just keeps getting bigger and it's wonderful.

Sunday was another hot day so we decided it was time to wash the dogs. Daku always gets his bath first since he's a handful. He doesn't like water unless he's in control of the situation. This time he was more cooperative than in the past. BamBam is used to getting baths because Boot gave her one every day when she was a puppy. She just didn't know. Now BamBam just stands perfectly still and lets it happen. Both of them get crazy after their baths. They do what I call 'lawn diving'. They run around with their noses to the ground and then lower one shoulder and just crash into the ground and roll around on their backs. Then we call them to the towels and they roll around on them and let us rub them down. It's quite a show.

In the afternoon we felt the pool and it seemed very inviting. The thermometer read 82 degrees so we suited up. It was fine up to the knees and then it felt cold. We just took a deep breath and walked in and started swimming. After a few moments it felt good. At last, we're swimming again. We went in again today but it was a little bit colder. No matter, we swam around and then sat in the sun.

Sunday evening Rachel and Kevin came over and we took them to Sawasdee Restaurant in the Night Bazaar. They've been here for a year and hadn't been there, so it was a treat for them. After dinner they showed us a stall that's run by Akha teenagers who live in the city. They're learning about dealing with the rest of the world. We had actually shopped at the stall in the past. Now we know one of the girls and it has new meaning.

Today we fixed up the guest room in preparation for our friend Blue's arrival tonight. He'll be here until the 16th, for his 'annual' visit. He just finished working at the Java Jazz Festival in Jakarta where he was tour manager for all of the jazz acts from the U.S.A. This is his 'cool down' time. We're excited that he's going to be here with us.

Have a Great Week.

Peace,
Danny

"To grow, you must be willing to let your present and future,
be totally unlike your past.
Your history is not your destiny."
~Alan Cohen

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style
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