I have to share with you these brilliant snaps of  the dogs by Keiji & Ros, recent guests at the farm. Thanks guys!

As promised a quick update on our Hero!...and a snap to show how quickly he’s growing! This is the only snap that I have managed to take with him not chewing the furniture or Lucy’s back leg or else being fast asleep! Our Hero has certainly got to get a medal for those 'foxy' good looks though don’t you think?
Ps. This snap is especially for Rilana our guest from Holland!

The correct furniture for the new Garden Sala is on order but I couldn’t resist posting a few snaps to show you how the building has turned out. It’s in the front garden where the old canvas sala (since moved over to the cow sheds near the river and thatched-Great for sundowners with the animals!) used to be. It’s worked out well and a perfect place for afternoon tea!...or just relaxing. I keep telling the dogs that it isn’t their new kennels but they never listen!...and even the buffaloes and horses enjoy the cool interior! I hope that you'll like it too!

I am sure that you have heard many times that we were searching for a handsome, young pink bull buffalo as a partner for our two girls, Naak and Nouy? We have looked everywhere across northern Thailand but to no avail….but if you believe in fate…then read on!

One day a friend ask me to loan him the money to pay-off his motorbike and at first I agreed but something told me not to commit to that expense just then. So I ask my friend if we could discuss it the next week. The very next evening I had to be in town quite late and as I was returning to the farm I saw a very large truck parked on Chang Klan Road with what I thought were cows in it but on closer inspection I was surprised to see that they were buffaloes and amongst the twelve animals was a young a pink bull! Seeing animals at this time of night in a truck could only mean one thing and I looked at them all in utter despair.
I went to the cab of the truck but no driver…must have gone for supper I thought…so I waited and waited for almost an hour and then eventually the driver of the truck returned and it was lady! So I asked her if I could look at the buffaloes and perhaps buy one if suitable but she advised me that they had already been sold for slaughter and there was nothing she could do….so gloom set-in but not to be deterred I followed her truck and surprisingly it turned into a small soi opposite the motor bike shop where my friend owed the money. It stopped by a wooden house with a stable and the man who had bought the buffaloes came out to help unload them.

I then approached him and after a quick look at the pink fellow asked him if I could buy and the cost…it seemed quite expensive but after a few panicked phone calls to friends who are buffalo experts understood that the price was fair…I also came to understand that all these most beautiful creatures were to be taken immediately for slaughter. The man told me that if I wanted to buy him I had to be back within one hour with the cash before the animals were led away to their final destination…it was heartbreaking to only be able to try to save one of these most magnificent creatures….but the race was on….I called on friends to help and stand guard to make sure that ‘my’ buffalo was not taken away….so I begged and borrowed…...but I didn’t steal!.. and managed to raise the cash and at the same time arranged for a small truck to take ‘my’ buffalo to the farm as soon as possible. It was now gone 10.30 pm and I made it back to the stable with just five minutes to spare. It was devastating for me to see that just ‘my’ buffalo remained guarded by my friends and it saddened me so much that I handed over the payment with clouds in my eyes. The truck I had hired arrived a few minutes later and we whisked my buffalo away on his night journey to the farm and safety. I followed close behind and we reached the farm near to mid-night.

Friends have told me the story of the great man called Noah and his boat called The Ark which saved all the animals from extinction so our Noah's name is very befitting to such a magnificent creature who almost met his end!

This all happened a few weeks back and since then Noah is settling into the farm very well which has become his own Ark and he has made good friends with Naak and Nouy….he is the most perfect buffalo and partner for the girls and although still a little shy he is very friendly and he will grow into a huge, stunning looking animal. We think Noah is about two or two and a half years old.

Noah has already put on a lot of weight and looks so much more healthy and happy (wouldn't you too?)….but do you know that if I had lent my friend the money for his motorbike I wouldn’t have been able to raise the cash to buy Noah in the very short period that I had to save him….call it fate if you want…. but I think that I would call it a little more than that!

(More about how Noah is now enjoying life on the farm in later blogs!)