benefits
If there's one thing we all know without any question, it's that nobody is getting any younger. In fact, if you read any of the demographic information available these days about the "graying" of the Baby Boom generation, it's clear that our entire country is becoming older en masse. During the past year, I've experienced for myself what this means to us in the watershaping trades in the form of a dramatic uptick in the number of clients, most of them elderly, who have approached our firm looking for swimming pools primarily for the purpose of aquatic aerobics and other forms of water exercise. For the most part, these prospects and clients have made it clear they would not otherwise be interested in purchasing a pool: They need it, they say, to pursue therapy for a range of physical conditions and ailments. With that trend in mind (and anticipating the needs of my own aging frame as well), I decided to
Imagine how you'd feel if you couldn't move your body well enough to operate a wheelchair, let alone walk under your own power. Then imagine the feeling of liberation you would have in rising out of those physical confines and
Let's continue the examination of soils we began last time, shifting our focus this time to fertilizers and the ways they can be used to tailor soil to the specific needs of the plants you and/or your clients have chosen. Fertilizing is important, because placing a plant in the ground and providing it with ample sunlight and adequate water in the proper location is only part of the battle. True, plants may thrive under those ambient conditions, but treat them to even minimal amounts of fertilizer and those same plants will show their gratitude with a beautiful display of foliage, blooms, fruit and other wonderful things. Fertilizers provide nutrients for plants that the soil and water alone cannot supply, and they come in hundreds of variations designed to
As you spend your days creating structures that contain and control water, it's easy to lose sight of the water itself. Yes, we're conscious of the fact that we have to filter, treat and sometimes heat it, but in its role as the defining feature in our products, water is so familiar a participant that in some ways it almost becomes invisible. This time around, I want us all to step back from the intricacies of the design, engineering and construction tasks we all perform to consider the water itself. As we do, you'll find yourself thinking (as I often do) that we're in a special, healing trade that
It's tough to keep the Big Picture in mind when the day-to-day grind seems relentless. Even so, it's important to take a step back from time to time and remind yourself of exactly
Several years ago, at a time when I was still pretty wet behind the ears, a young, attractive woman invited me to join our local Chamber of Commerce and attend a meeting with her. "Sure," I said. "I'll give it a shot." I showed up for the event and met a bunch of banker types, and it seemed like everyone was a vice president of something or other. I was just starting to get comfortable when the woman who had invited me explained that it was customary for new members to stand up and tell everyone about his or her business. As luck would have it, I didn't go first. Another guy stood up before me and talked for a few minutes about his carpet-cleaning business - a trade he obviously found to be less than stimulating. He spoke in a monotone voice and made carpet cleaning sound like, well, carpet cleaning. Inspired by his lack of enthusiasm, I decided to
