Wait, 10,000 from just one tree? That's an insane amount of nuts to deal with. I can't even imagine the mess in someone's yard. It makes you respect landscapers a whole lot more.

But what about getting a good bond?

Exactly, and @avery_smith22 is right about the check working. But calling it just a system working misses how fast it can go wrong. That noise was the only warning before a total break. It's not a close call when you find it, it's a close call because you were minutes from not finding it at all. The real lesson is trusting that gut feeling when something sounds new or off.