I think you got that right. A lot depends on the mood we're in when we look at photos and also the devices we watch them on. Last night I looked at the photos on my iPhone screen, and they were so small it seemed to matter a lot less how busy they were.
The sourdough starter was entirely my fault. Yes, it lives and needs everything from the air and water to thrive but if you're not using it you can tighten the lid and also put it in the fridge. I basically neglected it during a fairly warm and fruit fly heavy week until it was too late.