Have you looked close at whether they used lime mortar instead of portland cement? That old brickwork holds up so well because lime lets the wall breathe and flex with the freeze and thaw. Portland cement is too hard and traps water, which is usually what makes old brick spall and crack over time. For repairs on something like that I would match the soft lime mix, maybe a 1 to 3 ratio, so the patch moves the same way the rest of the wall does.

Isn't it funny how the right tool for the job is usually just a smaller version of what we already have? Same thing happens with cooking, where a paring knife beats a chef's knife for tiny work even though the big one feels more powerful. Matching the tool to the task instead of forcing one to do everything seems to cut down on mistakes no matter what you're doing.

This is the same thing that happens with people, right? Like you meet someone who's all loud and flashy and you think that's the whole deal, but then the real personality shows up later and it's totally different. That gust front is basically the opening act doing a better show than the headliner. I've noticed it with sales too, the big flashy pitch gets you hyped and then the actual product is nothing. Same with weather I guess, the front edge is just the trailer and the storm itself is the movie. Once you learn to wait for the main event you stop getting tricked by the preview.