I learned a new product over the weekend: the Goof Plug. What a great idea . . . something simple to “fix” life’s little goofs. At least one of them anyway. Now guys are probably saying, “oh, those have been around a long time.” I don’t doubt they have. They’re just new to me.
In this case this was from the Micro-irrigation workshop Dean Robison put on for anyone who wanted to attend and sponsored by the Quail Valley Garden Club. Gosh, it’s nice when a neighbor is willing to share his knowledge learned the hard way—by doing.
Dean knows how to teach. First he walked us through his beautiful garden to show his many applications of micro irrigation; then he showed us how all the parts worked and some of the tools. And yes, the Goof Plug was one of parts.
As one gentleman at the workshop said, “I’ve wanted to do this in our garden; but there were so many parts and pieces, I didn’t know where to start.” Made me feel better a guy felt this way because it was exactly how I felt . . . before this workshop anyway. I’ve gone from conscious incompetence to “I’d like to try a small application of this to learn to really do it.”
And isn’t it generous that Dean shared his time free? He could have made a business out of his talent right there with people asking him to do it for them, but he’d rather just help them learn. Refreshing in our “everything is for sale age.”
Dean is quite the tinkerer. He’s now making beautiful glass wind chimes from re-purposed glass. The many colors filtering through the chimes were just beautiful. Yes, something is getting done with that re-cycled glass after all.
So I not only learned about Goof Plugs this week end, but spent it goofing around. John and I went to Galveston on Sunday. Tilman Fertitta is much further on his Amusement Pier than I had expected. There’s a wonderful old-fashioned carrousel upfront at the Seawall so it is already very inviting . . . and the rides seem to get more “thrilling” the further out the pier you go. Of course, with construction, it’s only look from the Seawall.
With new multi-story motels as well as many businesses that survived, all seemed to benefit physically from Hurricane Ike’s “urban renewal project.” Next was the Strand. We had walked around the Strand after Ike, when, for example, the entire side of Yaga Restaurant was a debris pile in the plaza next door. You know the one—it has the giant chess game. The plaza is prettier and more inviting, and the adjacent patio at Yaga is much sleeker. But Yaga kept its wonderful, funky turquoise front.
The building exteriors are freshly cleaned. Some spaces are still undergoing renovation, but with a medium and a mega cruise ship in port, more is happening on the Strand. I was glad to see the thriving outdoor café, art and music venues in the Post Office Street area are recovering.
Even the 50+ years old McDonald’s on Broadway has taken on a new fresh look –it’s McCafe now. Go goofing, so much new and refreshed old to see.
Speaking of goofing. Saturday, March 10 (9 to 1) the Master Gardeners have a plant sale at the Fort Bend Fairgrounds, Barn H. Ask janicescanlan@clear.net for more info or tell me where you go goofing.
Illustrated from the 3-7-2012 Fort Bend Independent
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