Preparations for the coming of the rice

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Geo: 16.3833, 103.933

Can manage a cup of tea in bed this morning then at 6:30 its off to the village shop to order a new gas cylinder. Thankfully he follows me straight back to the house so that breakfast doesnt get delayed for too long. My knee is troubling me again at the moment probably after all of the work onthe palm trees. I am taking things easy and being particularly careful about lifting anything. I take Jai out to the farm to help cut the rice but get the impression that she will spend most of the day playing with Fin. I cut for about 2mins in order for a photo op then decide that it isnt a good idea this year. I stop to cut up some up the fatter bamboo canes to keep at the house for spares in Jai's mat making. Once the stand of bamboo has gone we wont have access to any large canes.
I bike back to the house alone and my job for the day which is to clear out the rice shed and make it ready for when the sacks of rice arrive, hopefully sometime next week before we leave for Chiangmai. I go to the village shop and buy some stone blocks, imaginateively priced at 5.8Bht each, to raise the rice off the floor. Jai thought that this was to help air circulate around the rice and keep it dry but I tell her it is so the rats can get at it easier !! We have accumulateda load of rubbish over the last year and most of it has ended up in the shed. I empty it, sweep it out, and put back only what we really need before dumping the rest. There is now plenty of room and can even get the bike inside for when we are away.
George & Wan come to visit whilst I am working and although I tempt them to stay for a while and give me a break they dont want to disrupt my work. Wan has finished sewing Jai's sister Bepats mats.
Work finished and by the time I have showered and changed it is midday and time for lunch. Self catering today.
I bike out to the farm again about 16:00 and water the trees then phone mum as we didnt manage to get a connection between the two of us at our usual time last night. Bike back to the house with Jai and Fin.
After we have finished eating Jai discovers that her son in Bangkok has had another argument with his wife and hasnt shown up for work there today. No-one knows where he is.

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