Crazy Basset Hounds

Molly: If I look at it long enough I am sure I can make it jump into my mouth

Pictures of crazy Basset Hounds doing what they do best...craziness....

Sea Gypsies,Refugee's and Baby Shop Beer

We had just moved into the new house for about a week, when I headed back to Canada to do some business. Having left the wonderful plus 32 degrees(C) I stayed in Mission, where it managed to get to about 10 degrees, albeit in the terminal grey cloudy rain-filled days, and dark by 4PM. I left to go back to Saskatchewan to see my family and managed to bring with me a warm front that had the temperatures soar to neat 0 degrees. The downside was of course that this produced rain and within 24 hours the temperatures had dropped to minus 35 degree's, turning the roadways into virtual frozen skating rinks.

Meanwhile in Rawai, Clive, the dogs and cat were getting their routines established and the house organized. Having gone through the massive downsizing we did to come here from Canada, we have become very materialistic possession averse. Almost to the verge of paranoia, whereby we evaluate every possession purchase to determine if it is a need or a want. The wants seem to loose out, and the needs get assessed and evaluated for the value added factor.

Clive managed to ensure the dogs got their walks and avoided any snake encounters. He did become familiar with the local rubber tree plantation, as he had decided to allow the pups to wander the moo for a sniff around. Annie decided this was a great opportunity to check out the rubber tree's. Normally not an issue, except that at this time of the year the plantation is high with grasses and vegetation, and of course provided excellent ground cover for the snakes.

The Essential Snake Book

Having come here, we were aware that there are a large variety of snakes. I am not a particular fan, but with the sunshine, beaches and food, must come some balance, so snakes and spiders are just part of the trade off. While we had a book on the animals of Thailand, the section on snakes contains about 16 photographs. I have seen about 4 now, and none of them were in the book. I have also tried to look them up on the internet, but the phrase long, brown snake Thailand is not a very well defined search parameter it seems.

In a previous posting I recalled Grace and her snake chasing (What was that?). We have been very careful about the dogs and snakes as we have heard,  about dogs being bitten and dying instantly. Clive even went on-line and researched how to treat a snake bite in the event he ever had to deal with it. For those not caught up to the current practices, or you heard one too many jokes about a snake bite and sucking out the poison.

What WAS That!?!?!

The Scene of the Crime

 
Coming to Phuket, we knew would be different than being back in BC on many different levels. From the food to the language and customs, there is also the wildlife. My biggest concern would be to see a snake. But in the area of Canada where we lived, the most dangerous would be the typical garter snake. It's biggest threat was a heart attack from jumping out when you least expected it. We had many many spiders, and I never paid them much attention, except to go through the house on a regular basis and raze their webs, only to run into a newly spun one the next morning, usually across the doorway as I was headed out to work.

Thailand has a large concentration of creepies and crawlies. Some of them just on sight alone are enough to cause you to steer a clear berth, others look so benign they almost invite close-up inspection. This is a habit that I am learning is probably not a good idea.

Grace

Grace in Canada

Grace is a spayed female tri-coloured basset hound about 4 years old. She came to live with us through the kind people at Washington Basset Rescue WARB . We knew little about her, but what we did know was that she not only had that classic Hush Puppy look, but she also had the textbook basset temperament. What were listed as behavioral issues and problems, were all easily resolved, by understanding bassets and getting them exercise. They may look like a couch potato, but they are a hunting breed and she can and does run, when she is onto something.Her favorite way to avoid being in trouble or having to do something she does not want to do, is to go completely passive and drop to the floor, as a mound of jello. She is my constant companion in the kitchen when I am cooking. She is happy to sample whatever it is that you are eating or preparing. Her diet has changed considerably since she came to Thailand. She loves her mango, fried banana and most of all RICE. To her a clean face is a sign of a basset who hs not lived properly. Most photos require some photo-shop to remove whatever is is she has on her snout, face or ears, sometimes all three. She is mostly a loner, preferring to find a place put of the way to snooze. She is the naturalist of the four, finding and inspecting any insect that she comes across. Her free time is little, as she works at night stalking gecko's, when she is not sleeping, eating or standing full tilt forward in Thunderbird 3, ears a-flappin on her way to the beach. She loves to wade in the tropical ocean water, preferring it to the cold hose of a rinse when she gets back home. She loves to lay on her back and wiggle around on the sand, to get a good back scratch and bring home the kilo of sand she has managed to grind into her back hair. Grace has been given the nickname "Bear" as she looks like a cute little bear cub and sometimes has the temperament of a bear in a bad mood if disturbed by Byron being a pest. Her adoption information and phots are found at this link , http://www.wabr.net/rescue/happyhomes2009/grace/grace.htm

Grace after a wade and back-rub on Palai beach, Phuket

Byron, Annie, Dixie and Grace

Byron, Annie, Dixie and Grace are our four basset hounds, who moved from Canada to live on the tropical island of Phuket in Thailand. They feature prominently in the kites.

Thunderbird 3

Clive and I have been long-time fans of a marionette television show of the late 60’s called the Thunderbirds. The fact that you could clearly see the marionette strings and the special effects leave much to the imagination when viewed in 2010, it was still imagination gripping TV, and after a few episodes, you tended to not notice the strings anyway. I know as we spend a rainy Sunday a few years ago renting the TV series and sat and watched episode after episode.

When we bought out Scoopy-i’s we named them Thunderbird One and Thunderbird Two. One afternoon as we cavorted through a massive empty parking lot, it felt like we were on the Thunderbirds water crafts, as we swooshed through the area, calling out “Thunderbirds are GO”. As in the TV series, everyday here in Phuket is an adventure and a learning experience. We knew that at some point we needed to add a Thunderbird three to the fleet, so that we could transport larger items, but more importantly take the dogs to the beach. Dogs are welcome at the beach here and the salt water is great for their skin, but walking there is not a good idea. Given that the trip in the hot sun would probably wear the dogs out before they got to the water and most assuredly we would be a sight to the local people as they watched the two of us try and carry 4 basset hounds back home.