Actually yeah, I never really thought about the time crunch they're under.

Maybe the silence wasn't a bug? Sounds like it worked perfectly if it freaked you out that much. Could be a feature to make the world feel more real, like when everything goes quiet in a real forest.

Test sending two versions of your email to small groups... see which one gets more clicks over time. I did this last year when my open rates dipped. The honest stuff always won out, even after months. People might say they want fails, but real numbers don't lie... if they keep opening, they're engaged. Try it for a few cycles, not just one month. That way you rule out the newness factor adam mentioned.

My buddy Jake chipped his favorite chisel, same lesson.

Good point from @simon222 about drying, but that salt is sneaky. Even after drying, leftover salt crystals can pull moisture right out of the air later. They expand, push the wood grain apart from inside. Seen it split a panel a year after install. Gotta get all that salt out first or your wall's still toast.