Haiti Bucket Container Garden Update...

We received these pictures from Haiti today showing wonderful progress on the garden!!

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Haiti Container Garden Project

Some people have asked me to go further in depth regarding the container garden project that I contrived (with the help of google) and the outstanding group from Texas A&M executed with excellence. The idea started when Jen and I were visiting the boys. John mentioned that he would like to use the roof of the boys' house to plant a garden to improve the diversity of their nutrition (he would like me to let you know that they eat well, but this can only supplement the excellent care that they are already receiving). We tossed around a few ideas and concluded that it would be a bad idea to place soil on the roof due to drainage, mold, roof leak, and weight issues. Instead it was obvious that containers would be best and we thought that buckets may be our best bet. I took this a step further using the library...I mean, google, and found plans to make self watering bucket gardens. So, here is how it works, a resevoir for water is created in the bottom of the bucket and is filled with water through the 1" pipe. The 3 inch pipe and everything above the resevoir is soil. The soil in the 3" pipe is in contact with the water and will act as a wick bringing moisture up to the plants. Another 1" pipe with holed in the bottom of it passes completely through the middle of the bucket horizontally to provide aeration to the roots. The bucket's water resevoir needs to be topped off only once every few days and the soil will only uptake as much water as the plants need. I'll try to instruct and tell you why/how as we go:

Using a 5 gallon bucket with a lid, the lid is placed on the bucket and a 1.25" (hole towards a side) and a 3" hole (in the middle) are drilled using a hole saw drill bit. Then the lid is cut away from the rim of the lid using a reciprocating saw, or a Dremel with a 1/8" cutting bit (my preference), it is cut so that it will sit snugly inside of the bucket about 3" from the bottom.

Underneath the 3" hole, a 3" piece of 3" PVC pipe with small holes drilled in it will be placed using zip ties. This "cup" is where the soil will touch the water and wick it towards the roots. Through the 1.25" hole, a 18" long piece of 1" PVC will be pushed through, this will be the tube through which the resevoir is filled as needed:

The set will then be placed inside the bucket. On the sides of the bucket, two more 1.25" holes are drilled opposite of eachother and a 1" piece of PVC that has small holes drilled lengthwise on one side is pushed through and the holes turned facing down so soil doesn't come through.

A small hole is drilled in the side of the bucket just below where the lid sits to act as an overflow spout to know when the bucket is filling and to allow extra water to drain in case it rains. The bucket is then filled with soil. After the bucket is full, remove the lid rim, place plastic over the bucket and use the rim to hold it in place. Then poke a hole in the plastic, stick your finger in the dirt, and plant a seed, covering it with soil. For the first week or so, water the bucket from the top to make sure the soil stays extra moist for the seed to germinate, then just keep the resevoir filled. If you have access to fertilizer, you can add about 4 oz of 7-7-7 and 4 oz. of Dolomite to the top of the soil, it will slowly release during the course of your plant's life. We didn't have this, so we used compost that had been made from the food scraps of the two children's homes with mango leaves, etc. In only 3 days we had about 30-40% of the 231 buckets that we made germinating and showing signs of life!

Hopefully this explains it a little better for you, we learned and adjusted as we went, set up a pretty efficient assembly line using about 10 people and were able to construct all 231 buckets in one full day, then filled and planted on the second day. These results could not be accomplished with just any group, we had a SUPER group that worked with determination and intelligence even though they had never constructed one of these before, and I had only made one myself. Special credit also goes to David Cole who by default became our agriculture expert and made a huge difference in our level of success by using his knowledge and experience with planting.

Questions?

I'm an UNCLE???

Jen just noted that "Uncle Tim" sounds weird...given that since Uncle Jon and Chris, and Aunt Kim and Katie sound so natural after 7 years, Uncle Tim and Aunt Jen still have an awkward feel to it. I have to admit, I think that Mochi...excuse me...Hazel Marina, is the most beautiful baby that I have ever seen, but that doesn't make "Uncle Tim" sound any more natural. I'm used to being a dad, but have not been schooled in being an uncle. I have much to learn. In short, congratulations Elise and Chris, you make lovely offspring, keep it up.

Beef Jerky and Glow Sticks...

Each night we've been trying to have a devotion time, and last night's made me laugh and cringe at the same time. On monday the group had gone to a seaside village to see a more rural area of Haiti. Their task was to distribute 'de-worming' medication to the children and adults of the community. The also brought beef jerky and glow sticks. In the chaos of it all, one member of the group realized that the kids were going crazy for the jerky and glow sticks while the thing that they really needed was to not have worms in their stomach stealing their nutrients. They could have cared less about taking a pill that would make them healthier, yet they were in a tizzy for a salty snack and a party favor. The experience brought out the conflict of chasing what we want that will satisfy us temporarily and putting off what we need to make us healthy and whole. It's true in kids, and it's true in us.

New Pictures up on Facebook...

Here are some pictures from today. I had a good reunion with the boys, the looks of "is he really here or is this a dream" were priceless, and they both came straight to me. I'll write more when I have more. In the mean time, click here for pictures.

F-f-f-f-f-f-f-f-f-freeeeeeezzzzziiiinnnnngggggg...

Not what you expected for my first Haiti blog??? Then you don't know Ft. Lauderdale Airport at 2am. Apparently they want to discourage people from sleeping overnight, or they want to sell more hotel rooms at a cool $139 to borrow a bed for 8 hours. So, I nodded off a couple of times, woke up every 5 minutes as the P.A. system reminded me to recycle, the current security threat level (it's orange in case you were wondering), and to report any suspicious baggage that I may see. I should probably appreciate it now while I can, since I'll be sweating for the rest of the week. Updates to come.

Crabby Old Man poem...

This poem came across my inbox from a woman at our church...it's a forwarded email but it won't bring you bad luck if you don't pass it on, etc., etc., etc. I spend a decent amount of time at work walking down the halls of various nursing homes and nut houses, trailer parks and apartment complexes, tent cities and abandoned houses, and even lonely mansions. The fact is we will all grow old, will all be active minds trapped in worthless bodies, waiting impatiently for this life to pass wondering what waits us on the other side. Read on and ponder on many levels, I did.


Crabby Old Man
What do you see nurses? . . What do you see?
What are you thinking . . .. . when you're looking at me?
A crabby old man, . . not very wise,
Uncertain of habit . . . . . with faraway eyes?
Who dribbles his food . . . . .. . and makes no reply
When you say in a loud voice . . 'I do wish you'd try!'
Who seems not to notice . . . the things that you do.
And forever is losing . . . . . . . A sock or shoe?
Who, resisting or not . . . . . . . . . lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding . . . . . . The long day to fill?
Is that what you're thinking? . . . Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse . . . . you're not looking at me.
I'll tell you who I am, . . .. . . as I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding, . . . . as I eat at your will
I'm a small child of Ten . . . . with a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters . . . . . . . who love one another
A young boy of Sixteen .. . with wings on his feet
Dreaming that soon now . . . . a lover he'll meet.
A groom soon at Twenty. . . . . .My heart gives a leap.
Remembering the vows . . . .. . that I promised to keep.
At Twenty-Five, now . . . . . . . I have young of my own..
Who need me to guide . . . And a secure happy home.
A man of Thirty . . . . . . My young now grown fast,
Bound to each other . . . . . . With ties that should last.
At Forty, my young sons . . have grown and are gone,
But my woman's beside me . . .. . . . to see I don't mourn.
At Fifty, once more, . Babies play 'round my knee,
Again, we know children . . . . . . My loved one and me ...
Dark days are upon me . . My wife is now dead.
I look at the future . . . .. . . . . I shudder with dread.
For my young are all rearing . . . . . . young of their own.
And I think of the years . . And the love that I've known.
I'm now an old man . . . .. . and nature is cruel.
Tis jest to make old age. . . . . look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles . . . . .. . . .. grace and vigor depart.
There is now a stone . . . . . . where I once had a heart.
But inside this old carcass . . A young guy still dwells,
And now and again . . . . . my battered heart swells
I remember the joys . . . . . . . . . .. I remember the pain.
And I'm loving and living . . . . . . . . life over again.
I think of the years . all too few . . . . . gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact . . . . . that nothing can last.
So open your eyes, people . . .. . . open and see..
Not a crabby old man
Look closer . . see . . . . ME!!