Manabi Ecuador – Feb. 2013
One often encounters unique ideas and solutions when living off the grid. Since I ‘don’t know nothin’ about electricity, I stand way back while others do their work!
This past week when my friends prepared for a night-time harvest of the nearby shrimp pond, I checked on the progress every hour or so. (The gates to the discharge pipes are opened during low tide, and about twelve hours later, the harvest begins!)
How they string their work lights provided quite a surprise for me! Who needs expensive electricians when one can improvise with little?
The system worked well, don’t you think? More on the harvest soon!
Z
Imelda said:
The saying – necessity is the mother of invention – comes to mind. How creative and resourceful of them. 🙂
Playamart - Zeebra Designs said:
yes, they have that one figured out for sure! thanks for your comment! z
lagottocattleya said:
As you say – there’s much to learn. Those who have to fix it out there – they fix it!
Playamart - Zeebra Designs said:
they really are resourceful! i would be scared to touch that system once it’s connected to power!
btg5885 said:
Very cool. Thanks for sharing.
Playamart - Zeebra Designs said:
thanks! yes, they surprised me with their cleverness!
foresterartist said:
I would stand back too. Way back!
Playamart - Zeebra Designs said:
ha! when it rains, they put a plastic lunch plate over the top of each one and keep working!
foresterartist said:
OMG!
Playamart - Zeebra Designs said:
:))
Ruth Bailey said:
I know just enough about electricity that I would stand back, too! And have the number for the fire department (or whatever serves for it where you are) ready to go, as stringing together extension cords and sticking “safety pins” through the insulation are fire hazards.
Playamart - Zeebra Designs said:
we actually have a fire department, though i’ve never seen the trucks out unless for a parade!
yes, i stand way back when they are using that system of lighting!
z
globalexplorer1 said:
Fascinating – thank you for sharing this great story of creativity and innovation.
Playamart - Zeebra Designs said:
thanks! i’m glad you enjoyed seeing their unique system! z
johnandmarylivingitupinecuador said:
wow..thats a first..never seen safety pins used here to hold and conduct (?) electricity through the wires…amazing..glad it worked for the shrimpers
Playamart - Zeebra Designs said:
hmmm; i’m surprised that you’ve not seen this system. though it’s for temporary projects, so maybe they’re not often used?
thanks!
z
adinparadise said:
Fantastic. “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” 🙂
Playamart - Zeebra Designs said:
thanks! yes, latinos are amazing with their resourceful ways!
Gemma said:
Good move, stepping back and letting the experts do their thing 😉
Playamart - Zeebra Designs said:
thanks, gemma! yes, step WAY back!
kristc99 said:
yikes! I can see how it would work, but I wouldn’t be the one making it work. I stay away from any thing electrical. You’ve got to give them credit for being resourceful though.
Playamart - Zeebra Designs said:
yes, they are quite resourceful. i’m sure you see other novel approaches there in panama.
shoreacres said:
That’s a new one for me, too. Apart from the safety pins, I keep thinking about the water part of the equation. Water and electricity – not good!
You may not have heard the news out of Mississippi – Hattiesburg got slammed with a huge wedge tornado tonight. The campus took a real hit – here’s a pic of the Alumni House . Here’s another pic. No word yet on injuries, but the damage is terrible.
The tornados still were on the ground, heading toward Alabama. Bad night – I hope you don’t have people in their path.
Playamart - Zeebra Designs said:
i’ve seen them using this system in the rain; they take plastic plates and poke a little hole in the middle, then use them as ‘sombrero/shades’ to keep the rain from hitting the light bulbs!
no; i’d not heard about the tornado/tornadoes. i noted that natchez had a red ‘star’ on my ‘weather at a glance’ charts on my homepage. i’ll never forget when downtown natchez was hit by a bad storm – and a month later almost an identical storm hit again! the authorities said, ‘straight-line winds,’ and wow, what damage they made!
thanks so much for the info and photos.
z
Gallivanta said:
Oh my! Do you think that safety pin manufacturers will be taking up this idea for their next ad campaign?
Playamart - Zeebra Designs said:
hey! that’s a great suggestion! i’m sure this method would be approved worldwide for better lighting in difficult to reach areas!
pommepal said:
That is amazing so inventive. I bet you don’t have the “health and safety” officers calling round very often. That is if they have such a department over there…
Do you get to sample any of the catch?
Playamart - Zeebra Designs said:
many times i am amused at the lack of attention regarding safety. the scaffolding and ladders are often so horrid yet eclectic, that i stand and watch with childlike attention!
sometimes i ask for a sample of shrimp, but with so many workers, it always seems a bit ‘elite’ for me to request that without being part of the team. each worker receives shrimp as (part of?) their payment. the other night, they were also fed a beautiful chicken dinner! the harvest ended around 1:30 in the morning, though some of them worked at least another hour.
pommepal said:
What a fascinating world you live in. Are the shrimps sold locally or imported?
Playamart - Zeebra Designs said:
the people who help with the harvest are paid with shrimp, so they can sell them in town! most of the shrimp are sold for export – many are used for frozen microwave dinners, i am told. many are shipped to europe. this particular batch was sold locally – the size of the shrimp was larger than norm, and the harvest was in time for the carnival weekend. they surely did well on this harvest!
pommepal said:
When is the carnival weekend? That sounds like a blog in the making??? 🙂
Playamart - Zeebra Designs said:
i chuckle; i dodged carnival, which ended yesterday. i think half of the people who live in the andes were at the beach this past week! two of my friends made posts about carnival at their little beach… i plan to lob those two into a little post…
pommepal said:
Good I will look forward to it…
JasmineKyleSings said:
Back where I’m from we call that GHETTO RIGGED!!
Playamart - Zeebra Designs said:
ha! well these farm folks have surely earned an A+ in that subject! thanks, amiga! z
JasmineKyleSings said:
You have to!!! You have to know a bit about EVERYTHING !!!
hughcurtlerHugh Curtler said:
Ingenious! But don’t you dare touch those safety pins!
Playamart - Zeebra Designs said:
your wise advice made me chuckle! yes SIR! i promise to follow your advice!
Amy said:
How clever! They knew what they were doing!
Playamart - Zeebra Designs said:
yes, they really do know what they’re doing! thanks!
frizztext said:
he is clever!
Playamart - Zeebra Designs said:
thanks! they do many things that amaze me!
bluebrightly said:
And you’re clever for taking such clear pictures of the process, including the closeups that instruct us how, should we ever want to…well, probably not.
Playamart - Zeebra Designs said:
ha ha! re: “well, probably not.” –
yes, we might be tempted, but then we have intelligence so had best not test our luck!
jacksjottings said:
They should paint electricity before it leaves the power saurce. It is shocking the way electricity works. I liked the story and the pictures, but I hope only people that know what voltage they are playing with tries the unsafety pin trick.
Playamart - Zeebra Designs said:
you are so right, and i suspect that you could teach those young guys a lot!
orbphotog said:
My husband the electrician is still talking about all the hazards, besides electrocution, in between laughter and saying “it could work…” But I did learn a new term, the string of lights is called “festoon lighting”
Playamart - Zeebra Designs said:
hey, thanks for your feedback! tell your husband that he could make a lot of money most anywhere in latin america! it’s very hard to find a competent electrician!
i am going to look for a friend’s post and will be back and lob that in your direction for another laugh!
Playamart - Zeebra Designs said:
show this to your husband when he needs a really good laugh.. and if you two should decide to have a change of latitude, i can probably line up work to keep him busy forever!
orbphotog said:
Thanks for the post from your friends, Lisa. Several “wows” a few religious invocations, a reminder of what NYC looked like in 1890’s with 25 electric companies all stringing their own wires, and finally “better make sure there aren’t any holes in your leather gloves!”
Playamart - Zeebra Designs said:
thanks; john and mary are most likely offline for a while due to the death of a kind, gentle and very good man who lived in that little petite community. i was told that he died last night; wayne will be sorely missed. z
orbphotog said:
Ah, may their friend travel well as those of us far away yet near take note of his passing.
Playamart - Zeebra Designs said:
thanks, z
catbirdinoman said:
That’s crazy!! I would think they would be in danger of being electrocuted!!
Playamart - Zeebra Designs said:
i snicker. yes, you are so right – and it was funny when he chuckled about the name ‘safety pin’
munchow said:
Those guys must be among the most resourceful electricians I have ever seen. And of course it works. Fantastic. As are the pictures. They tell a very special and amusing story. And by the way; what a sunset!
Playamart - Zeebra Designs said:
thanks! yes, the sunsets have been really special lately, a bonus from the rainy season!
there’s another one in progress now; i’ve been building a table on the deck and just brought it inside! ah, i’m lucky to have such a great work environment!
z
Ricardo López, Licenciado en Administración. said:
Son tomas muy bellas!!
Playamart - Zeebra Designs said:
hey! thanks for stopping by, and i’m glad you liked the post! z
Ricardo López, Licenciado en Administración. said:
Its Okay! Ur really good (:
Playamart - Zeebra Designs said:
:))
babso2you said:
An amazing piece of electrical work! Doing a bit of much needed catch up!
Playamart - Zeebra Designs said:
hey! i totally understand about catch-up work! enjoy your sunday! z