An "aha moment" while digging in the dirt

I'd been told all about soil quality, why it mattered and how to improve it and all that. But only yesterday did I truly understand the difference between totally crappy soil and really nice tilth. There's an area to the side of my house ... part of the area that had its dirt replaced last year ... this side of house I thought got OK exposure to rain, but recently it always looked bone dry even during downpours. Well, I'd done a half-assed attempt at adding soil amendment (TAGRO) to the area a couple weeks ago. And let's just say I might be making a more thorough attempt in the near future. Because as I took the hose to the thirsty plants, it was SO OBVIOUS the difference between where I could water and water and water and it seemed like the plants could drink forever, and the areas where I'd barely drop any liquid and it would slide and pool and run away -- and if I touched the dirt in these pooling areas, it would be BONE DRY underneath. It was so dry and sandy that nothing could soak in ... no wonder my plants were sad. And I'd go back in forth, incredulously, between where the water would not soak, and where it seemed like it would soak in forever -- the areas where I was wondering if the hose was even on it soaked in so nice and fast. It was kind of a nice science experiment,and gave me hope that even gardening idiots like me can learn a thing or two. And now off to add some more TAGRO and compost to the garden so that my plants won't be so thirsty ...