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Getting ready to go home. Jan 20th, 2009 |
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Philippine trip 2008
Day 16 - Jan. 20th , 2009. Getting ready to go home.
I slept in until 7:30AM his morning and went downstairs to try to contact Lori and chat for a while. She was not at the computer so I got some emails checked and answered as Renee came in with a big smile on his face and a leather cowboy hat in his hand. He had got it for me so I put it on and thanked him for it. He is trying like crazy to teach me the local language and challenges me every time I see him. I like the challenge although I am a poor student. I am reasonably good at repeating what is said to me at the time it is said but somehow forget it by the time it is needed again. There is just so much to try to learn in such a short time. I am thankful for his patience though. We talked about the system and I told him about the leaking pipes. He said he just knew how to fix it and left. I am glad he will be on task as it will be a busy day today getting ready to leave for home tomorrow. I spent the rest of the morning exchanging photo‘s with Mike (the photographer) and getting emails answered and chatting with Lori on Facebook. After a while I went out to see what kind of progress was being made on the leaking pipes.
I went out to the system and to my amazement the leaks were fixed!! Renee had done it. He had wrapped Teflon tape around the pipe and jammed them into the fittings. This is a new way of using Teflon tape to me and I must admit I did not think it would actually work but it did!! One always has a chance to learn something new. I tweaked the Flood Valve a bit to improve it’s operation and had to fight the fittings inside the unit. This was frustrating to me. The plastic used to manufacture the pipes here is a bit soft and too easily conforms to the fittings. Since the fittings have a small taper to them the pipe wants to constantly loosen. Any movement of the assembly makes a leak and the siphon in the system wants to draw in air and break. I used my newfound trick and wrapped Teflon tape around the pipes and jammed them into the fittings. It seem to be working now but I showed Renee how to glue the fittings and where to place some unions and still be able to make adjustments. After all this, I got my cameras and started making video segments for later use in making a DVD of the system and documenting the new “Hughey System for Aquaponics” here in the Philippines. I had Mike hold the video camera and showed him how to record. When He said I was god to go I started a presentation on the system by introducing myself, giving the date and place and begin describing how the system works etc… I noticed Mike was doing some funny things with the camera and at one point tilted the camera 90 deg. to one side and slowly bringing it back. I knew the shot was ruined but completed my talk anyhow and had him stop recording. It dawned on me he had never actually used a video camera before and had done all his photography with a still camera and was framing in the shot. I told him one could not do the same with video as when people are watching it the image will turn 90deg. and the viewers will be tilting their heads to the side to try to view the whole thing. At this point I abandoned trying to get the whole thing in one shot and started doing short segments I hope to piece together later. It wasn’t long before Margie and the people who worked on the project came out for group photo’s with the completed system. We all posed as Mike took various shots of different groups with the system. The excitement is very high around here and everyone is still amazed when the system works all on it’s own. There is something about being around an aquaponics system that is just plain fun, especially when the flood controller is a mechanical device. Not knocking electronic devices at all (they make our lives very convenient) but when someone can build a mechanical device from basic materials and watch it operate all on its own turning on and off without anyone opening or closing any valves, it’s just plain fun. I had Renee make a few gravel additions to account for the out of level condition and the system was finished. Now just to allow the chlorine in the water to gas out and get the fish in and the biofilter seasoned.
I visited with Noel, Vic, Albert, Bobby and Nat a while before going in to take a shower and go to Margie’s office to take some more photo’s and meet with her attorney to discuss future plans. After doing what was needed and meeting her staff at her office we returned to her house and I finished packing and getting ready to go back home tomorrow. It was then off to bed for a couple hours as we needed to be at the airport at 4AM to catch my flight. One more day and I will be home with Lori and the girls.
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