My Dad 1934 - 2014

Eulogy

Donald Stratford was born in 1934, as the youngest of 6. He didn’t have a middle name because, according to Dad, his Mum had run out of ideas by the time she got to him.

When baby Donny came along his dad, Albert, had been suffering many years from his war injuries and his mum, Lydia, had been keeping things together on the home front. Dad’s brother Albert was already 14, Tom was 12, Alf was 8, Pat was 6 and Lyd was 4.

Laos with Guns

There are a lot of guns in Laos.  Each time I see one I can't help but hum...


"we will run free... with the buffalo... or diiiiie......Laos with guns...."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5s5qGg01nE

A Week Off For a Water Fight

Lao New Year (Pi Mai)

It is a time of spiritual and physical cleansing, visiting temples and blessing statues. It's also all about drinking copious amounts of beer and shooting the crap out of everyone with a water pistol.

Knitting Adventures

This post is likely to be of interest only to me - and maybe my Mum who taught me how to knit... So feel free to move right along... 

Bette Davis and her stunt double

Mulberries and Mudbricks

Vang Vieng Organic Farm

We'd planned to do a cooking class but, like so many plans made in Laos, this didn't quite go as we'd expected. It worked out pretty well though!

Communist Pride - picture collection

Inspiring Laos to be Proud

Scooting the Loop - Thakek

An Adventure on Two Wheels

In November  '13 I had a conversation with a friend about doing the "Thakek Loop". A few friends had done it and it looked like fun. Four days on motorbikes scooting around the Laos countryside. What's not to love? We started planning.