diff --git a/mtime.go b/mtime.go
index 17cec9c..dd13a38 100644
--- a/mtime.go
+++ b/mtime.go
@@ -47,20 +47,22 @@ func (repo *Repo) changedDir() bool {
 func (repo *Repo) didFileChange(fname string, pbtime *timestamppb.Timestamp) bool {
 	fileTime := repo.Mtime(fname)
 	if fileTime == nil {
-		// file missing, assume changed
+		repo.StateChange = fmt.Sprintf("%s missing", fname)
 		return true
 	}
 	mtime := timestamppb.New(*fileTime)
 	if pbtime == nil {
-		// mtime has not been stored yet
+		repo.StateChange = fmt.Sprintf("%s mtime never recorded", fname)
 		return true
 	}
 	if (pbtime.Seconds == mtime.Seconds) && (pbtime.Nanos == mtime.Nanos) {
 		// it's the same!
 		return false
 	}
+	dur := mtime.AsTime().Sub(pbtime.AsTime())
+	repo.StateChange = fmt.Sprintf("%s mtime changed %s", fname, shell.FormatDuration(dur))
 	// need to reload from the filesystem
-	return false
+	return true
 }
 
 // boo. I'm not good at golang. this should use reflect. I'm bad. my code is bad. boo this man. you're cool, I'm outta here
@@ -170,5 +172,6 @@ func (repo *Repo) DidRepoChange() bool {
 		// todo: do something with CheckDirty()
 		// return true
 	}
+	// log.Info("DidRepoChange() is false", repo.FullPath)
 	return false
 }
diff --git a/reload.go b/reload.go
index f86001c..5b41ff0 100644
--- a/reload.go
+++ b/reload.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 
 // TODO: fix and clean this up. this is a work in progress
 func (repo *Repo) Reload() error {
+	// log.Info("in reload", repo.FullPath)
 	repo.Tags = new(GitTags)
 	repo.reloadGitTags()