When we began the year, we were living in Fresno, California, in a house owned by Mountain View Community Church. At the time, we were trying to avoid people as much as possible because we didn't want to get COVID, which would interfere with our plans to return to Thailand. We did feel comfortable going for walks where we could be a safe distance from others, though.
The house we were living in was near the Gould Canal. The canal levees we nice for walking. Occasionally, the fog and clouds would clear enough in the winter such that we could catch a glimpse of the snowy Sierra Nevada Mountains to the east. Such was the case on New Years Day, 2021.
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| Gould Canal in East Fresno |
Shortly after that New Year's Day, we boarded a plane to head back to Thailand. Because of COVID, we wore two masks on our flights. Upon arrival in Bangkok, we were taken on a specially prepared van to a hotel where we would quarantine for two weeks—a quarantine that included temperature checks twice as day and two COVID tests. Upon relaease, we went straight to Phon Phisai. It took a few weeks to get all of our stuff back in order after being gone a year. Then we moved about a 5-hour drive away to the province of Kalasin.
We found a place to rent in the town of Kamalasai. Then the next wave of COVID came and there were more restrictions on our activties. In late fall, new COVID cases were going down so we were able to do a bit more. Then Omicron Variant showed up in our province, and on the 30th of December, more stringent restrictions on activities were once again put in place.
So on the last day of the year I went for a bike ride on some of the unimproved field roads to the west of the town where my encounters with others would be limited. This area is relatively flat, being a river terrace of the Pao River. Almost all of it ise used for rice growing.
After the wet season crop is harvested in November, those with access to irrication water will prepare to plant a dry season crop. The old crop stubble is burned off, then the land is flooded and tilled while it is still submerged to thoroughly chop up the old crop remains and smooth everything off. The the water is drained off for the next stage in the process. Several species of egrets like this freshly prepared land, because it is easy for them to hunt for the crustaceans and amphibians that they like to eat.
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| Egrets in the Rice Paddies |
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| Tree in Flooded Rice Paddy |
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| Rice Paddy Smoothed for Planting |
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| Rice Paddy Smoothed for Planting |
And so another year comes to a close. From the flat lands of Fresno, California to the flat lands of Kamalasai, Thailand.
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