You said "I had to totally change my soil strategy" but I gotta say, I think Bill might have done you a favor in a weird way. Not saying his approach is better, but sometimes we get so married to a method we don't notice the cracks. I've had buddies swear by no-till and still get great tomatoes, so maybe it was just the ratio of rye and clover that threw you off, not the whole system. Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater, you know? Buckwheat and soybeans sound solid for rotation but maybe mix in some compost or a light fish emulsion next time the fruit starts setting to balance that nitrogen. Bill's a tool for how he said it but the wake up call might've saved you a season of frustration.

Right? That kind of luck is insane. I once found an old toy of mine at a garage sale two towns over, felt like winning the lottery.

Actually the forest service didn't pave that first section, it was a volunteer trail group that did the gravel work. They got a grant for it. The huge parking lot was already there, they just expanded it. It's a real shame though, that place used to be a secret.

Forget arguing with the book... inspectors always win. Seen that exact thing happen before.

Yeah the "simple is always better" part hits home. My buddy had a similar door that kept locking his birds out overnight because of a faulty light sensor. He went back to a basic sliding bolt too and hasn't had a single issue since. I mean, sometimes the old ways are just more reliable.