I was going to run the ring road at the foundation, which is almost exactly one km around before running back. After getting a third of the way I had to stop. Our contractor for the property fill and road building had to quit a few months ago for the rainy season, but he must have restarted while I was gone. There was new loose fill on at least a third of the ring in the back. I guess he’ll roll it out later. He fills and compacts the road in 20 cm layers, but the compaction is sufficient that when loose it’s about half a meter of big dirt clods.

The road engineer/surveyor came out to the property at noon and asked me to come out again. This time I had my camera with me. It seems a property line marker had been mistakenly set in the wrong place and had caused the road to be placed wrong in turn. Also in another place the road was too close to the small canal. Not really a problem at this stage. The main thing I watch for is that no mistakes are made that might squeeze our child home locations between the road outer edge and our property line. It won’t do for our children to walk out the back door into one of the canals.

The left picture is taken by the small canal, which is to the right behind a grassy rise. Rot is on the left and Khun Winai our engineer/surveyor on the right. Ho, the father of our first family, is in the middle. He has a jacket and mask on for motorcycle riding. I do find a jacket helps if I’m riding a long way in cool season. I’m not in the picture but had no need of a jacket. I think Thais can have a little different perception of the weather than someone from the U.S. might.

It was early afternoon and the weather was still great. It was just right for walking the entire area that I had avoided this morning. Anyway, we checked everything and we will get it all into the correct position.

It’s an ideal time to be here. There are days in Nang Rong when the clouds come and are really welcome. This is the “dry” season when the sun is really welcome, and fortunately out nearly all the time. “Dry” may convey the wrong image. With rivers and canals everywhere this is certainly no desert. There is plenty of water for everyone and everything. “Cool Season” is another term that is maybe less used by Thais but better describes it for my way of thinking. It’s still short sleeve weather except maybe in the early morning, if you’re not running.

It is good to be back. With November starting it is definitely cooling off. It was great out today. It threatened to rain in the late afternoon, but did not. If there is no rain tonight I can go out with Ho, one of our family fathers, and check on some positions the surveyors put in for our first child home two weeks ago.

Here are some pictures I took of our Opportunity Village area a little over a week ago.

The property level is raised and some grass is growing. You see the road to the right as you come across the bridge. The new child home will go at the horizon of the grass at the picture center.

These three ladies are still growing rice on an unfilled area at the east corner.

To the left of the bridge water buffalo cool off in the canal.

Later, some men come and fish in the same area to the left of the bridge.