A Year Ago Today

This week marks one year since we returned to Thailand after our COVID exile. And today is one year since we were let out of our quarantine room for 45 minutes to go out on the rooftop garden. So here are some of our quarantine photos from a year ago.

Breakfast that day was the American Breakfast. This thing they call an American Breakfast is something I've only ever had in Thailand. Before that, I never thought to eat hot dogs in the morning.

American Breakfast

After breakfast, we were escorted to the roof for 45 minutes in the fresh air.

Doing Laps in the Rooftop Garden

Rooftop Garden

Bangkok Views

For lunch that day we had Pad Thai. Something we have not had much since then since we have not found a place in our town that sells it. Along with that was a tapioca dessert shaped like flowers.

Pad Thai with Shrimp

Tapioca Gelatin Desserts

Then in the evening we had massaman curry.

Massaman Curry

After being cooped up for a couple of weeks, I am much more appreciative of how nice it is to be able to get out and around. And we are glad to be living in a rural area where it is pleasant to bicycle through the fields and forests. Often when I'm out pedaling among the paddies I praise God that I get to live in such a beautiful locale. So, by contrast, here are some scenes from this past week.

Pink Water Lilies

Canoe in the Pao River in Kamalasai

Newly Planted Rice Paddies

Pedaling the Field Roads

Palak Paneer at an Indian Restaurant in Kalasin

While the environment we find ourselves in now is much different than it was a year ago, the two are similar in that God is present in both situations. Whether we're stuck in a building in the big city or surrounded by the hope represented in the greening rice paddies, God is close by and ready to visit with us.

But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign LORD my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.
Psalm 73:28 (NLT)

Bookends 2021

This blog logs back at the previous year by look at photos from the beginning and end of the year.

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.

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.

Egrets in the Rice Paddies

Tree in Flooded Rice Paddy

Rice Paddy Smoothed for Planting

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.