Putting in a Swimming Pool for Triathlon Training – Engineer Versus Tree Stump

Forget about all those theories you’ve heard about how the Grand Canyon was formed.  What really happened is that an engineer was determined to take a tree stump out.  When he came home from work each night, he dug with the tractor.  He cut with the chainsaw.  He knocked dirt away with the force of his air compressor.  He even tried making a special design of cuts in the stump in order to use leverage with, ahem, my dad’s previously employed I-beam. (We might owe you and I-beam, Dad).  He would have tried to use a B-52, if it had been an option.  Alas, the stump stayed in place like a bad habit.

Next, I learned there is a special tool called a stump grinder.  Research warned us that our stump was much too large for one that we could rent ourselves, so we called Parker Tree Service.  They employ someone who goes around all day grinding people’s tree stumps!  Who knew!?

Their man was there two days later with a large machine that looked weirdly similar to the one that had showed up a few days earlier to bore about five feet under my backyard. It was made by the same company,too. I think they may be on to something!

Within 50 minutes, the stump was reduced to mulch below the level at which we want to dig for placing the pool.

I think you can say the engineer won, because he found the effective method in the end.  He could have easily learned how operate the machine … if he wasn’t out all day working at his engineer job.