This is the story of a STUMP

Once upon a time there was as plant (whose real name I have been unable to find). It lived in front of our house, hugging up against the side of the garage, right below the roof drain, making it a SUPER plant. The blooms were long, tall stalks about 5 or so feet high with white flowers on the top (maybe bell like flowers??). It was a pretty plant when in bloom, but the leaves and entire plant was diseased. It was gross. This plant was over taking everything so it was decided to pull the plant out.

This was March. Pernell, armed with a shovel and a day off, went and started to dig the plant up. Two feet down into the ground, it was clear that this wasn't just a plant. It was a monster! He chopped off all the foliage on it, to reveal a root, or STUMP that was about a foot wide by who knows how deep. It was unmovable. You couldn’t even wiggle it, it was so deeply rooted. So the STUMP sat until we could find help to pull it out.

The STUMP, determined to win and not meet its demise, started to fight back and send up new blooms. Periodically we would break off the new blooms and think, “Tomorrow! Tomorrow the STUMP dies!”

Now it is September, and the STUMP… still there. Along with the big pile of dirt that was next to it. Many times I have been tempted to just bury it. But that would only make it grow more. Near throwing in the white flag, our good friend calls. Her husband is ready to assist in the STUMP removal! HURRAY!

What better day to remove the STUMP than on Labor Day?

So over comes Justin in his awesome truck with a cable.

Pernell watered the STUMP to loosen the ground a little.

Justin wrapped the cable around the STUMP.

As he started pulling the STUMP with his truck, we hear cracking. FASTER! GO FASTER!! He pushes the gas a little more. More cracking. Suddenly we notice the STUMP starting to come up. Hurray! However, we also notice, the STUMP with super roots… were indeed located under the house! As he was pulling the STUMP out, it was cracking the foundation!! It was as if it all happened in slow motion… the STUMP starts to come out as the crack in the foundation got bigger and the side of the garage started sinking into the Earth! AHHHH!!!!! What?? Was this super STUMP really that bad, bad enough to bring down our home????

…….. no, it wasn’t. As a matter of fact, it was really un-climatic. No, nothing cracked, especially not the house or foundation. As he started driving forward, the STUMP came right out. And that was it. No strain on his truck or anything. Just like that, in three seconds, the stump (no longer worthy of capital letters), was out. Then Pernell and Justin put it in the garbage (for yard stuff).

We are now stump free! Hurray! Pernell is reburying the hole, and life will continue.

Much thanks to Justin in helping us become stump free!