SUMMER IS A COMMIN IN

IT'S GETTING TO BE THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN WHEN TOURISTS DWINDLE AND THOSE WHO COME PREFER THE AIR-CONDITIONED COMFORT OF MARGARITA BARS AND THEIR NEON TAN LINES. I KNOW IT'S HAPPENING BECAUSE I HAVE AN ANALYTICS OPTION WITH MY BLOG SITE. I KNOW WHAT COUNTRIES ARE READING MY BLOG SITE AND HOW LONG THEY SPEND ETC...

IN ADDITION THERE IS THE ECONOMIC MELTDOWN, THE FINANCIAL CRUNCH OR WHATEVER JOURNALISTIC METAPHOR YOUR NEWSPAPER CALLS IT. IN SHORT THINGS DO NOT AUGUR WELL FOR TOURISM IN ASIA AND CAMBODIA IN PARTICULAR. THE BUREAUCRATIC GREED EVIDENCED AT THE BORDERS DOES LITTLE TO INSTILL BUYER CONFIDENCE.

THERE ARE OTHER CONSIDERATIONS, ALL LESS THEORETICAL. IT JUST PLAIN GETS HOT AT THIS TIME OF YEAR. BETWEEN MARCH AND MAY, WHEN THE RAINS ARE INFREQUENT, IF AT ALL, SLEEP COMES LATE WITH NO BREEZE. LATER WHEN IT RAINS, THE RAIN AND ESPECIALLY THE CLOUD COVER COOL THINGS DOWN A BIT, BUT YOU PAY DUES IN MUD. IT'S THE WEATHER CAMBODIAN FARMERS LOVE TO HATE! IT'S WHEN THE WORK STARTS AND THE SWEAT POURS ONLY TO EVAPORATE QUICKLY. IT'S NOT FOR EVERYBODY!!! DO NOT CONSIDER COMING TO RANA AT THIS TIME OF YEAR IF YOU'RE NOT PREPARED TO PAY DUES FOR YOUR REWARDS.

THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY AND MARCH

AFTER LOOKING AROUND AT THE UNCOMPLETED WORK LIST AND THE WEEDS THAT ARE THREATENING TO TAKE OVER OUR YARD AGAIN, I'VE DECIDED I'VE GOT TO CUT BACK ON THE TIME I USUALLY SPEND ON THE INTERNET. MOST IMPORTANTLY, I'VE GOT TO GET THE GARDEN IN BEFORE THE HEAVY RAINS COME. EQUALLY IMPORTANT, THE THATCH ROOFS HAVE TO BE REPLACED. ENOUGH OF THIS FAT AND LAZY LIFE, IT'S TIME TO PUT CALLOUSES ON MY TOO SOFT HANDS. FOR MORE INFO ABOUT OUR RURAL LIFE GO TO http://rana-rural-cambodia.blogspot.com/

WELL I JUST HAD MY BIRTHDAY, I TURNED SIXTY-FIVE AND WAS FEELING KIND OF SORRY FOR MYSELF. THE ANTS HAD EATEN THE FIRST SEEDS THAT I HAD PLANTED IN SEED TRAYS AND THE AMERICAN EMBASSY COULDN'T FIND ANYONE WHO KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT SOCIAL SECURITY. THEY KEPT GIVING ME DIFFERENT NUMBERS MOST OF WHICH ENDED UP WITH THE INTELLIGENCE OFFICE BASED ON THE ASSUPTION THAT "SECURITY" HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH DEFENSE. THEN I DID A GOOGLE SEARCH IN KAMPONG CHAM AND FOUND OUT THAT PAYMENTS WILL NOT BE SENT TO CAMBODIA ALONG WITH CUBA AND NORTH KOREA. GO FIGURE!!! ANYWAY, AS I LOOK AT THESE PHOTOS OF MY FAMILY, I FIGURE I'M A PRETTY LUCKY GUY. AND AS FOR NOT GETTING MY SS.-AS THE POET ee cummings SAID, "TO HE WHO ASKS THE MORE BEAUTIFUL QUESTION-ALWAYS THE MORE BEAUTIFUL ANSWER..."

THE MANGO TREES HAVE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER STALKS, CALLED PANICLES. HOWEVER, ONLY FEW WILL REMAIN AFTER BEING CULLED BY HEAT, WIND AND SAP WHICH WILL SMOTHER THE DELICATE FLOWERS.

IT'S BEEN THREATENING TO RAIN EARLY, THE DARK SKIES BRINGING THE FEAR OF WHAT THE VILLAGERS CALL "WRONG SEASON RAIN". THE WORRY IS THAT IT WILL RAIN, THEY WILL PLOW, THEN THE WEEDS WILL GROW, BUT THE RICE WILL WILT, FORCING THEM TO REPLANT.

THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY AGAIN

WELL, THE DRY SEASON IS BEGINNING TO DISSAPEAR; MY FATHER-IN-LAW IS PLOWING THE FIELD TODAY AND WE'VE HAD THREE SMALL RAINSTORMS, ONE WITH MUCH SOUND AND FURY. THE WINDS BLEW MOST OF THE MANGO FLOWERS OFF THE TREES, BUT ALSO CAUSED SOME COCONUTS TO FALL. 'THE RIGHT HAND GIVETH AND THE LEFT HAND TAKETH AWAY."

ANYWAY, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE FAMILY PHOTOS I HAVE MUCH TO BE GRATEFUL FOR.