Nice work, @clairem38. Visual impact from ten feet, my foot.

Absolutely! I had the same panic in London at first. Two days later I was hopping lines like a local and felt so proud of myself.

How deep do they usually dig to get those soil samples? I always thought pollen was just a sneeze thing, but it's wild they can tell apart wind-pollinated crops from insect-pollinated plants in old dirt. Basically changed my whole view from "ugh, pollen" to seeing it as tiny time capsules.

It's funny how @val281's story shows we often stick to our opinions until life hands us a new view... I see this all the time with small things, like folks who swear they hate a food until they try it made a different way. Real experience has a way of shifting what we think we know.

Honestly after reading willow_robinson's method I'd just add one thing. We all get fried staring at the same wires. I force myself to walk away for five minutes before the final check, comes back clear every time.