Burn Baby Burn

I've blogged about how mild this past winter was. The snowblower stayed put in the garage and I only had to shovel about three times. The prior two winters we had record snowfalls. This winter we had record warmth. I could get used to winters like this.

With the mild winter came an early spring. And that means yard work. Two winters ago an ice storm took down an unpruned (and large) apple tree in my back yard, the weight of the ice literally uprooting the tree, creating a grotesquely ugly stump. Due to the location of the stump inside a fenced yard, the logistics of getting a grinder into the yard to chew up the stump (not to mention the cost of the project) seemed a bit daunting. And really. How hard could it be to get rid of an uprooted stump?

The answer? Longer than I expected.

I'm the head of household, so that makes yours truly responsible for maintenance and yard work. I took the advice of friends and coworkers and decided to burn the stump up. You know. Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust. Yeah. Right. Easier said than done. I bet I built ten separate bonfires over that stupid stump trying to eradicate it. Finally two days ago, I lit my final pyre and let that puppy smolder for twenty-four hours. And...voila! The stump is toast.

Of course, I now have an ugly eyesore of a burn spot in the back of my yard, but some grass seed and fertilizer should take care of that. On the up side, the hostas are thriving and my garden plots are ready for planting.

I'm still battling that creeper Charlie and spraying every ten days, but at least I don't have to look at that ugly old stump anymore.

Have you ventured out into the yard yet? What summer projects are you planning to tackle? Will you put in a garden this year? If so, what do you expect to plant? Will you grow enough to can?

I've got plans in the works to take a corner of my yard that had been used for a sandbox and take pavers and extend my patio. I'll let you know how it turns out.

~Bullet Hole~