You can't rush a fire" is a solid line until you're chewing on a 40 dollar boot at dinner. My grandpa cooked on the same pit for 40 years and swore by feel too, but he also drank warm beer and thought seatbelts were for cowards. A 12 dollar thermometer would've saved you more money than his whole philosophy is worth.

Route 9 compost killing four boxwoods in two months is wild, that stuff is basically poison.

Oof, been there. Time is worth more than the paycheck.