What was your biggest surprise about the process itself?

My old Rain Bird had a similar issue last spring. You can manually turn on each zone at the controller box to check for leaks or weak spray. Just be ready to run back and shut it off quick if another line is busted.

My buddy runs a small pasta spot and his Anova circulator paid for itself in a month with perfect egg bites alone. Slow cooking is the whole point, it frees you up to do other prep while proteins cook themselves to the exact temp. A sharp knife is great but it doesn't add new menu items or fix the problem of overcooked fish. That circulator could have been making you money while you slept.

Classic case of skipping the basics first.

Wait, you're using a pole saw on a windy day? That sounds like a recipe for disaster... I get nervous just using a ladder when there's a breeze. The idea of a wobbly carbon fiber pole swinging around near fences with a running chainsaw head gives me major anxiety.