Old Hat

 SUCCESSOR  NAMED

    Won't be riding into town white hatted much longer.  Venerable old west Resistol "Self Conforming" hat years service true mettle revealed.

Replacement Goodwill recruited - Indiana Jones style canvas fedora - patient 'til 'Tex' has 'nuff.  Era passes.

     Decide rain won't make stump pieces pile

appreciably easier to dice up: saw/axe firewood size, throw on porch:

saw dust where once swayed mighty limb.

Stump root dealt with spend two days grubbing backyard dandy roots to near extinction.  Typically like this, better yet entwined with many friends.

Over street clothes polar fleece vest - OR climate constant companion, pull on knee high rubber boots paired with water resistant nylon over pants, cinch drawstring, raincoat, hat, work gloves: root rippin' ready.  Extract - muscle wonder bar into clay mud below plant, push/pry upward 'til: pop/root breaks, pull by leaves - with luck!, wheelbarrow toss; incinerate - add wood to stove, load couple newspaper sheets dandy full back steps, bundle wet muddy mess, avoid spillage carry gingerly, stove stuff, repeat - three wheel barrow loads. 

Unglamorous dirty work leaves grass expansion room aplenty.  Back porch freshly mown backyard view, limed garden lower left, truck upper right.

Set mower to cut short hopefully encourage grass root spread, lime - Schwinn handlebars/basket haul 35 lb bag home - soon to plant garden.  Note blue curtains front bedroom (right).

Aside from dandy roots, plastic bagged dead dog unearth variety round yard: few short chains, spark plugs, brake line, hangers, tire iron, small motor parts, pieces old cement drain pipe, soup bones, bolts, pens, plastic toy pieces, sprinkler system, half dozen large pavers - trove!

     Gentleman stops one day seeing garden preparation, converse.  Semiprofessionally gardening he's kind enough to bring red Russian kale seed by couple days later.  Saturday morning wake to his knock/invite to nearby apostolic church men's breakfast.  Attend, meet local color: one pastor did ten San Quentin years.  Like kale many garden seeds: tiny.  Don't want to take time to start sets inside, waste fine seed handling in mud/rain, will try DIY (do it yourself) seed tape.  Roll toilet paper out, cut in half (save few cents? - may not repeat), dip toothpick in Elmer's glue - just a little!, pick up few seeds TP apply appropriate spacing, repeat.  Radishes first (left); long row Russian kale; TP full width glue endive, lettuce, mustard salad seeds.  Shift TP occasionally - no stick.

Dry, gently roll up, bag: roll out on prepared soil ready, cover with dirt, grow!  Save enough seed ($) for second maybe third planting - will seed tape all small seeds.  Garlic cloves ready too. 

Find good - air pressure test hose at store (stop one end, blow: leak or no?) - St. Vinnie's hand held shower, install, complete bath's cold water setup.

Come across major lumber - 4 2x12 10' to 16' banded together, 2x10 17' - at St. V's for minor price (<$20!), pick up it home, 'lumberyard' stash.  4x10 house length beam lumber might be handy.

     Dandelion grubbing's muddy, thankless, ugly work.  Ten hours + - week's major push - at it little to show here.  Weeks may be like this.  Ironically neighbors may appreciate this work more than any other to date/to come.  Pleases me dandy's under my thumb.  Except for garden little stands in the way of beginning house work.  Want to experience front porch without ceiling/gable end siding so expect to begin work removing front porch ceiling.  Look for it here.  Peace.  

Stumpitus

     Windy rainy awakening don T-shirt, jeans, socks, shoes, long sleeved shirt, fleece vest, knit cap - OR's not SoCal: ready to face the day.  Removal gutters front, back porch; west side imminent 

Swett Lodge  approves/initiates day's work.  Gutters hung with hardened 5" long 1/4" head screws - ladder, rain, cordless drill, round out three 1/4" sockets taking 'em down.

East side front porch roof leaks/needs attention soon. 

Prefer no gutter 'cottage' look - doubt they'll be replaced specially on this garden side.  Neighbor mentioned: 'Not much observable change', retort:  'Won't be much change'.   Like general house layout, window placement, will use what's here as reasonable - Swett Lodge will be more sound/comfortable/functional won't appear too different.  (post stump)

Amazing back porch roof is waterproof looks/is dilapidated without gutter.

Gutters, downspouts parted out stored lower 'lumberyard' shelf - may reuse.

     Today's nice: get to write unlike yesterday.  Peas, lettuce coming up well in front of porch trellis ready in opening photo.  Far end between rows front of root parts tulip rescued from stump root grips, replanted.  Wednesday retrieve third freebie futon.  Wash cover, sheet dust protect use ready in front bedroom - Swett Lodge full complement sleep arrangements, plan your visit.  Yard work ready heavy rains encourage musical afternoon. 

     Great Stump Debacle 

Previously derooted south/front stump side dig stump north (left).  Rest/record major root dirt free - dark hole below saw handle through to foundation - stump has no hope now.  Hah!  Definitely not sure this baby'd come out many times.

Dig out north root handsaw/hack/clear pile smaller roots.   By distant handsaw

unearth two sprinkler zone valves - now know their location will return to check functionality.  Valves

just south of 2-1/2" tree root encouraged foundation crack.

Quite a root all togetherly.  Front sprinkler pipe clearly visible involved with stump at right.

Have already cut one four inch root from behemoth's belly - here's another.  Water collects 'bout 18" BELOW foundation bottom.  Mid west freeze requires four foot or deeper foundations, here 8-12" below grade suffices.

Skinned for sawing.

Bike to Kate's collect saw, gas, bar oil, saw tool, file.

Spud's good enough to let me use saw though harsh stump use will soon require new chain - my treat.  Still springy outside bring saw in house to sharpen.  Crank up stove, radio: job's less rustic.

Chain saw teeth dull contacting abrasives like dirt.  Front edge of tooth gets rounded, increasingly bull nosed, won't grab/cut.

Proper size rat tail file tooth fronts at appropriate angle - 35 degrees sticks in mind, keep angle consistent -

'til straight/sharp.  Top tooth corner, edge will be catching/sharp - thumb check as you go. 

Eighteen teeth each side - teeth angles alternate - makes thirty six teeth sharpened three times Sunday alone results: heel of right palm blister where rotated - bites better, cuts faster - rat tail file contacts/irritates.  Blessed - only injury whole mud slipping, sliding axe/saw mess.

Saw cleaned up, sharpened, ready to go next to blade scabbard with saw tool, rat tail file on top.

North root excised,

chunked (note transplanted tulip upper left)

awaits rain wash prior to stove size chain sawing.  Rest's a piece of cake - not!

Having cleared south side stump roots earlier 'twas easy redigging.  Bark peeled for chain sawing sprinkler pipe entwined section.

Off it comes.  Dirt dulls - why clearing dirt from around stump helps.  Tree involvement bent sprinkler pipe.

Next: two wedge shaped pieces fall to saw.

Thin enough to cut through, skin stump, take bite of north side.  Hard heart wood deflects saw cut - nearly 24" - to arc.

Hack/persuade: guess what can't stand on its own any longer.  Large south chunk bark stripped for sawing.

Final piece up out of hole, halved.

Gnarly used to be stump firewood stack awaits rain wash, saw chunking.

My favorite: saw deflected arc, keystone root chunk.  Don't know why they bury firewood here.

What stump?

Truly appreciate handiwork from park - good riddance.  Stump impacted foundation less than feared, excellent it's gone - nice radish, lettuce spot.  Focus: Swett Lodge.  Yes today is much more relaxing than yesterday. 

 Peace