The STUMP

So, as previously mentioned, the back of our yard had similar qualities to what I imagine you'd see in the Amazon. Lots of vines, lush green leaves, many many varieties of bugs, spiders, flying things....you get the picture. Well, we had decided that all this foliage needed to go because basically it was weeds and I'd like to plant some fun stuff there, maybe corn, or tomatoes, or something with vertical vines to make good use of and beautify the current chain link fence.
After several days of work and many many many many many many many cans and bags of yard debris later (yes, it went to the dump, I know that's not being a good environmentalist but I just didn't know what else to do with it, we don't have a compost pile, and while I know it would probably smell nice, I'm pretty sure we're not allowed to burn it) anyways, I had it all hacked down except for the central character--that mulberry tree. Since it was protected by so many branches, this thing had grown in and out of that chain link fence and so had a really strong batch of grape vines (these were about as thick as my wrist in their strongest places) but the mulberry--that thing was as thicker than your calf muscle when you flex! HJ spent an entire day out in the yard with me (Three cheers for HJ!!!) and we had gotten rid of everything else except that stump. She sawed at it, we hacked with a hatchet, sawed some more, hacked some more, we really did a number on it but when I'd try to rock it, to make it tip, crack, anything! it just wouldn't budge. It was as if we hadn't touched it at all. So then, my brilliant sweetie blurts out "What if we drilled it?" Yes, of course! So she ran into the house, grabbed our borrowed drill and it's case of bits, we chose a decent sized wood boring bit and set to work. Between us I think we drilled at least 5 holes through this thing, and during this drilling frenzy I believe there was a brief interlude when HJ accidentally stepped into the old dog water bowl that we believe is the source of our monster mosquito population...there was some screaming, some contemplation of calling it a day, running inside to strip down and shower--BUT NO! she was such a trooper, she did not want to give up people! HJ toughed it out after a few hugs and kisses and decided to move forward with the drilling and get the stump. I think she channeled her intense disgust from the water bowl into the stump because a few more holes later and some rocking back and forth (of the stump, not us) we had it off and raised about our heads in victory!
(there are pictures to mark this event). Then, just for good measure, HJ drilled into the stump that was still in the ground, I'm not sure what for--maybe for fun, maybe to release any residue of angst from the water bowl incident...I didn't ask questions.
So now, my dear friends and readers--our fence is free and it's beautiful.
I can't wait to fill it with pretty things that bear us fruit...