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Just over a month ago I received a call from James and Cindy. Four and half years ago they gave a home to one of Lucy’s and Bongo’s pups and called her Izzie. This was after waiting several months for Lucy to give birth as they had originally asked for one of Merry’s litter.
We had heard good things about Izzie over the years.
Then about one month ago I received a call from James with the news that they were being relocated back to The U.S. in a hurry and were not able to take Izzie with them and could we give her a home? Of course, being an offspring to Bongo and Lucy, no hesitation at all! We arranged for James and Cindy to bring Izzie to the house in town on the Saturday morning at about 11.00 am.
It was with the most devastating shock that I found our beloved Bongo had not woken up from his nights rest when I went down to feed the dogs on the farm on that very morning I was due to meet Izzie. This was at 7.30 am. (We are all still feeling the loss of Bongo quite badly)…but I had to get into town to meet James and Cindy to take her…which I did and the first thing that struck me was how much she looked like our Bongo, her father; same snout, same eyes, same colouring in the same places and the same rough neck hair….and now we have gotten to know her, the same mannerisms.
Is this by chance or coincidence that just a few hours after loosing our Bongo, his daughter Izzie enters our lives? No! We don’t think so; whatever way you look at it, it’s providence….and certainly unexplained!
( Now that Izzie has settled-in she is proving to be the most wonderful friend and companion; she mixes well with her mother, Lucy and with Merry…who is still lamenting the loss of her Bongo….and is best friends with Sam. She and Sam usually accompany guests trekking and she loves the country-side; we are so fortunate to have been able to give Izzie a new home and family).
P.s Better snaps of Izzie to follow shortly!
We had heard good things about Izzie over the years.
Then about one month ago I received a call from James with the news that they were being relocated back to The U.S. in a hurry and were not able to take Izzie with them and could we give her a home? Of course, being an offspring to Bongo and Lucy, no hesitation at all! We arranged for James and Cindy to bring Izzie to the house in town on the Saturday morning at about 11.00 am.
It was with the most devastating shock that I found our beloved Bongo had not woken up from his nights rest when I went down to feed the dogs on the farm on that very morning I was due to meet Izzie. This was at 7.30 am. (We are all still feeling the loss of Bongo quite badly)…but I had to get into town to meet James and Cindy to take her…which I did and the first thing that struck me was how much she looked like our Bongo, her father; same snout, same eyes, same colouring in the same places and the same rough neck hair….and now we have gotten to know her, the same mannerisms.
Is this by chance or coincidence that just a few hours after loosing our Bongo, his daughter Izzie enters our lives? No! We don’t think so; whatever way you look at it, it’s providence….and certainly unexplained!
( Now that Izzie has settled-in she is proving to be the most wonderful friend and companion; she mixes well with her mother, Lucy and with Merry…who is still lamenting the loss of her Bongo….and is best friends with Sam. She and Sam usually accompany guests trekking and she loves the country-side; we are so fortunate to have been able to give Izzie a new home and family).
P.s Better snaps of Izzie to follow shortly!
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Our Maggie has just given birth to 10 very healthy and very handsome 'babes'.
She is the most magnificent, gentle mother we could wish for and we are so proud of her....for the 95th time!!
She is the most magnificent, gentle mother we could wish for and we are so proud of her....for the 95th time!!
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A few weeks ago I was on a trek in the jungle not far from the farm and I heard a quiet ‘meow’ from some bushes near-by. I am always very careful in the hills but this sound was very docile and so I decided to investigate. I parted the branches and staring at me with such big soulful eyes was a cat!…at least that was my first impression! What a strange colouring; tan-brown with big black spots! It immediately reminded me of a baby leopard! But we don’t have leopards around here…do we? For sure we have had tigers a few years back but they seem to have retreated back into the hills…but leopards? So very carefully and slowly I reached down and picked-up this weird looking kitten! It obviously was not very well and was very thin. Maybe the mother was around here too? No, I thought not, this little kitten was lost and needed help. So I took him back to farm, fed him warm buffalo milk and kept him in the dark to keep him relaxed and calm. The next day those big eyes gleamed much more healthily and so I fed him some raw meat and more milk. I contacted my friend at Chiang Mai Zoo with a description and some snaps and an immediate response confirmed that he is a Leopard Cat! (Prionailurus bengalensis). Not an endangered species but quite common in these parts of Asia. I have called him ‘Micey’ and everyday he improves and gets stronger and I can now hold him without fear of being scratched or bitten! My friend at the zoo told me that Leopard Cats inherently hunt birds but can be tamed so we will see how it goes…I would so much like to keep him if I possibly can and so in this case I really hope that this Leopard can change his spots!
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We’ve been planning to upgrade The Farm House kitchen for some time now but not wanting to disturb our guests with noise and the smell of varnish, we had to wait until we had a lull in visitors. We still didn’t manage it in one go!...and it took a full month to install and even now it’s not quite finished as we have to put in ceiling lights, which we have ordered from Bangkok, and a new fridge. But it is a great improvement and allows more floor and storage space and is easy to keep clean and tidy. We think that even Gordon Ramsay might approve!
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We were thrilled and very privileged to host All Saints Church, Chiang Mai, for their Harvest Festival Celebration Service. All the animals were all on their best behavior and we decked out the alter with bales of hay and some vegetables! (...which hadn't been used in the curry!). Iain, the All Saints cleric, gave an inspiring Sermon some of which was lost amongst the sound of cow and buffalo bells and squawking Guinea Fowl!...but it was a very ‘homley’ gathering followed by a simple lunch of freshly picked herb salad and vegetable curry and rice.
We have a Herd of Cows, a Gaggle of Geese, a Confusion of Guinea Fowl and now we are very honoured to have been graced by the Flock from All Saints!
We have a Herd of Cows, a Gaggle of Geese, a Confusion of Guinea Fowl and now we are very honoured to have been graced by the Flock from All Saints!
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No, this doesn’t relate to us or the farm!.... but rather to some superb new, hand-woven, traditional hill-tribe material that we have acquired to embellish The Farm House! Mainly red in colour it compliments the hue of the woods and lightens the character of the building. A appealing improvement we think and hope that you enjoy when you next visit Thung Dong Farm Stay!
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Happy 10th Birthday, Merry!
It seems such a long while ago when I visited Santa Kennels in Rachaburi to try to find the perfect Pedigree Labrador Retriever girl as partner to our Bongo.
I found her in Merry! (a.k.a Santa Belquest Paradise; daughter of Belquest Braveheart, the then Thai Labrador Champion, and mother Santa Lega Omio) little more than a pup at the time. All Labradors born at Santa Kennels take a Christmas related name!...so yes, it is Merry and not Mary!
Well last Monday the 24th August we had a small party for Merry and friends to celebrate her 10th birthday! Our vet who takes care of all the dogs and Oscar the cat, Dr. Nook, told us that for a dog the 1st year is counted as 20 dog years and every year thereafter as 7 dog years…so that makes our Merry to be a grand dame of 83 years of age!
In her youth Merry won many trophies at canine beauty shows and competitions. With her stubby English Labrador ‘paddle’ tail and short snout she was, and still is, a perfect example of her breed....and also typical she loves water and is an incredible swimmer even at this age! She has made Bongo a proud father 37 times and their pups have found homes throughout Thailand and as far away as The UK, Spain, Africa and Australia.
No longer a Dog Show Champion and a doting mother but a true outdoors lady of the farm!.....and a very special friend indeed!
Happy birthday Sweetheart!
I found her in Merry! (a.k.a Santa Belquest Paradise; daughter of Belquest Braveheart, the then Thai Labrador Champion, and mother Santa Lega Omio) little more than a pup at the time. All Labradors born at Santa Kennels take a Christmas related name!...so yes, it is Merry and not Mary!
Well last Monday the 24th August we had a small party for Merry and friends to celebrate her 10th birthday! Our vet who takes care of all the dogs and Oscar the cat, Dr. Nook, told us that for a dog the 1st year is counted as 20 dog years and every year thereafter as 7 dog years…so that makes our Merry to be a grand dame of 83 years of age!
In her youth Merry won many trophies at canine beauty shows and competitions. With her stubby English Labrador ‘paddle’ tail and short snout she was, and still is, a perfect example of her breed....and also typical she loves water and is an incredible swimmer even at this age! She has made Bongo a proud father 37 times and their pups have found homes throughout Thailand and as far away as The UK, Spain, Africa and Australia.
No longer a Dog Show Champion and a doting mother but a true outdoors lady of the farm!.....and a very special friend indeed!
Happy birthday Sweetheart!
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A recent party of guests went truly traditional on the farm for a birthday celebration.
The ladies wore Thai Pha Nung skirts and blouses whilst the men Thai Prarachatharn shirts and longs.
This elegance was complemented by typical Northern Thai Cuisine in the wonderful farm setting together with all the animals and the jungle clad mountains as a backdrop!...and the weather could not have been kinder!
All quite refined don’t you think?... and a long way from the usual t-shirts, jeans and Wellies!
The ladies wore Thai Pha Nung skirts and blouses whilst the men Thai Prarachatharn shirts and longs.
This elegance was complemented by typical Northern Thai Cuisine in the wonderful farm setting together with all the animals and the jungle clad mountains as a backdrop!...and the weather could not have been kinder!
All quite refined don’t you think?... and a long way from the usual t-shirts, jeans and Wellies!
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On one of those rare rainy days which we so seldom experience at this time of year a couple of young guests got to work with markers and paper to draw a map of Thung Dong Farm! After all this time it’s quite remiss of us not to have a map of the farm to give guests so that they may find their way around and which we can use for treasure hunts for our younger visitors etc. So after several hours the basic map was produced which we together then enhanced on the computer. All agree that it is a splendid job with a dash of accuracy and vibrant colours! So many thanks go out to Kirsty and Dillon for their efforts although with regret Dillon, for the sake of some realism, we did have to omit The Gold Mine and The Dragons Lair!