Whoever Invented the Time Change Never Had to Blow Out Sprinklers

Well, yesterday we turned the clocks back an hour.

And those of you who know me already know exactly how I feel about that.

I DESPISE THE TIME CHANGE.

There. I feel a little better now.

Actually, no, I don’t.

For the life of me, I cannot understand why we continue this twice-a-year exercise. We’ve managed to put people on the moon, develop self-driving vehicles, and create computers that can answer almost any question in seconds.

But apparently, deciding what time it is and sticking with it remains an unsolved problem.

And before somebody suggests that we simply stay on standard time all year, let me make something perfectly clear.

I prefer daylight saving time. PERMANENTLY.

I’d much rather have that extra hour of daylight in the evening than in the morning, especially during sprinkler blowout season.

And I don’t recall anyone asking my opinion before moving it.

An Hour Less Daylight, but the Work Continues

With yesterday’s time change, sunset now arrives approximately an hour earlier by the clock.

That doesn’t mean Jesse and Eddie stop working when the sun goes down. We do perform sprinkler blowouts after dark. However, it’s considerably easier and more efficient to complete as many as possible during daylight hours.

Finding valve boxes, navigating unfamiliar properties, locating sprinkler equipment, and inspecting completed work are all easier when you can actually see what you’re doing.

Flashlights and work lights help, of course. But there’s something to be said for that big, free light in the sky.

With the earlier sunset, we’re making the necessary adjustments to our daily routes. Our goal is still to complete as many sprinkler blowouts as possible while maintaining the quality of service our customers expect.

We’re continuing to work toward completing our mainstream routes before Thanksgiving, although weather and the remaining workload will ultimately determine our progress.

Something I’ve Been Saying for Years

Here’s an interesting statistic from our 2026 sprinkler blowout season.

For years, I’ve observed that new customers seem more likely to cancel their requests.

I decided to have the actual numbers checked.

So far this season, 21.1% of our new customers have canceled their sprinkler blowout requests.

That’s more than one out of every five.

Now, there are perfectly legitimate reasons why someone might cancel a service request. Plans change, circumstances change, and sometimes customers make other arrangements.

But I suspect a significant number of new-customer cancellations happen for another reason.

They didn’t read how our scheduling system works before signing up, or after, for that matter. They go on with their lives thinking we haven’t contacted them at all.

We explain our process in our terms, on our website, and in the confirmation email customers receive after registering. We maintain a blog with daily updates, a service calendar, and statistics so customers can follow our progress.

And yet, every season, we encounter people who seem genuinely surprised to discover how our system operates.

Here’s a perfect example.

Yesterday, we emailed customers with outstanding requests to confirm who still needed service and remind them about our scheduling information.

One customer replied:

“I just got your email. I didn’t know you had a blog or a calendar! That is SO cool and helpful! I haven’t seen anyone else doing that.”

I read it.

Then I read it again.

And then I just shook my head.

She didn’t know.

The blog and calendar are mentioned in our terms, in the confirmation email, and on our website.

But she didn’t know.

Now, I genuinely appreciate that she found those resources helpful. That’s exactly why we provide them. And I’m glad she discovered them.

But it does make me wonder how many other customers are unaware of information we’ve already provided.

We’ve tried putting the information in multiple places, explaining it in different ways, and reminding people throughout the season.

I’m beginning to think the only thing we haven’t tried is having someone stand in the driveway with a large sign.

And even then, I’d probably get a message asking what the sign says.

A Little Preparation Helps Everyone

As we continue through the remaining routes, there’s one thing customers can do that makes a considerable difference.

Please have your property ready for our technician.

If we need access through a gate, make sure it’s unlocked. Please secure pets, keep valve boxes visible and accessible, and make sure the sprinkler timer can be reached if necessary.

It’s a simple request, but it helps us complete each appointment efficiently and move on to the next customer.

And with daylight becoming increasingly valuable this time of year, every little bit helps.

We don’t need anyone standing outside with runway lights guiding the compressor into the driveway.

Although, given the time change, I may reconsider that suggestion.

Where We Stand

We’re now entering another week of the 2026 sprinkler blowout season.

Jesse and Eddie will continue working through their assigned areas, and we’ll continue organizing routes to minimize unnecessary travel and make the best use of each workday.

Our scheduling priorities remain focused on the customers still awaiting service.

The service calendar has been updated to reflect our current plans, but changes will undoubtedly be necessary as we adjust routes to meet customer demand. That’s one of the reasons I’ve never liked scheduling more than a week in advance. There are simply too many variables, including outstanding requests, new registrations, cancellations, weather, and the amount of work our technicians can reasonably complete each day.

The farther ahead we schedule, the greater the possibility that those dates will need to change. The dates listed are estimates, not guaranteed appointments.

As always, please refer to our daily blog updates, service calendar, and statistics for information about our progress.

Remember that our routes are subject to adjustment, so please watch for your scheduling notification rather than assuming a particular date based solely on your neighborhood.

We appreciate everyone’s patience as we work through the remaining appointments.

And One Last Thing About the Clocks…

I know some people prefer standard time because they like having more daylight in the morning.

That’s fine. Everyone is entitled to an opinion.

Even when it’s wrong.

So, to whoever keeps this tradition alive:

Please find another hobby.

Preferably one that doesn’t involve moving sunset an hour earlier right in the middle of sprinkler blowout season.

In the meantime, we’ll keep working, daylight or dark, until the job is done.

Today’s Routes

Eddie — Nampa 83686 with Leroy

I found our established procedure: remove house numbers, preserve street names and suffixes as provided, eliminate duplicates, and output plain text, one street per line. No bullets, no HTML list.

Hillcrest Way
S Pascoe Ln
West Herron Loop
West Redwood River Street
S Maple Point Ave
South Garland Street
East Elm Grove Drive
S Garrustown Wy
East Massachusetts Avenue
Erin Avenue
Southside Boulevard
E Rhine River Dr
East Middlefork Way
E Syracuse St
South Montgomery Lane
Primrose Ln
East Perjue Basin Drive
Alyder Ct
Mallard Dr

Jesse — Nampa 83687 with Orange Julius (OJ)

East Palace Court
Knights Circle
E Iris Ct
South Frontier Way
Tanglewood Pl
East Greens Drive
North Putting Court
East Nottingham Lane
Birch Lane
Red Oak Drive
North Breeds Hill Avenue
East Water Stone Court
East Edison Street
East Marble Springs Drive
East Dripping Springs Drive
E Borealis Dr
N Franklin Blvd