Words only!

O.K. So it looks like I can only post words until I have some time at the Cafe in San Ramon.

We really wanted to share our experience of repairing a water line for La Berlina a grand house here in Berlin. Danilo received a phone call before 6:00 a.m. that his friend, Carlos the caretaker at La Berlina, need help repairing a water line. Danilo invited us along suggesting long pants and good shoes! Don, Danilo, Jose (Danilo's young helper) and I headed up the road to La Berlina carrying shovels. When we arrived Carlos and his 2 daughters were ready to descend the very steep and lush hill with PVC pipe 20 feet long, shovels, and 2 full bags of cement. Don and I very carefully picked our way down the steep hill using the shovels to assist us as Danilo, Carlos and the 2 girls carrying the cement and PVC pipe went down like it was a stroll in the park! Amazing! It was so beautiful and on slip would have been quite serious!

Once we reached the broken line the men went to work and the girls went back up the hill. I was the official photographer. They dug, mixed cement, cut an inner tube into material to tie plastic around the end of a "T" PVC connection to cover one of the holes. It was like watching MacGiver on T.V.! The water system consists of pure water leaching out of the hill side and directed by PVC pipe to a holding tank and pumped up to the house about 500' straight up the hill. Once at the top it is held in a holding tank for the house!

When we were finished Carlos's wife, Pauline, came out of their casa with juice for Danilo, Jose and Carlos and Coffee for us. I guess the town has the word that the Gringos like coffee!! Fun adventure!