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OT: Rogue stump-grinders attack!

Hello all,

Strangest thing happened today- I had a maple next to my driveway removed a while back, and had intended to call someone to have the stump removed. But as it was only about 1" high and out of the way, it wasn't a real priority, and I never quite got around to it.

But today when I got home from work, there was a huge pile of sawdust and dirt next to a hole where the stump had been. I'd say it was a nice thing someone did except it was a huge mess to deal with after working all day.

The wife said she saw the guys out front, and thought I had hired them- evidently it was just two guys in a beat-up pickup grinding random stumps. Of course, she couldn't be bothered to go out and ask them what they were up to, so now I'm completely perplexed.

My best guess is someone had just bought or rented a stump grinder, and was just having so much fun they couldn't stop after their own project. I figure someone looking for money for the job would have left a note on the door at least...

Any thoughts? It's just so odd I can't quite figure out any motive for this random act of landscaping beyond the one mentioned above. Too bad they didn't *ask* first, or I'd have happily paid them for the job- but if they show up now I can't, as it'd be too much like extortion, and I don't care to encourage it.

Or was it just a fellow woodturner grinding through the stump to find some choice maple roots to turn? :)

(This post is at least partially on-topic, as I am currently drying the wood from that tree to turn at some future date.)

Reply to
Prometheus
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Maybe the guy who cut down the dead pine for me about ten years ago. I paid him to grind the stump, but he hauled off the tree and never came back to do the stump. Never answered phone calls, nor could I find him. Perhaps he is going around the country doing penance. If your grinder shows up, and he is doing penance, tell him the stump is still waiting for him in Oregon and if he gets to it this year I'll forgive him.

On the other hand, the more likely explanation is some neighbor Paid to have a stump removed and the grinder got the address wrong.

PS - I like "random act of landscaping", I've done a lot of those - usually with a powered yard implement.

Reply to
Lobby Dosser

You never know. One of my contractor buddies made the news here when he roofed the wrong house. Yup... the entire thing. The guy had a bunch of people that were scheduled to work on a couple of different roofs that weren't quite ready, so he put everyone, including equipment on the house.

Imagine the surprise of the homeowner when they came home and found they had a new roof. Of course they didn't have to pay for it. Of course the local news had a field day. And of course, NO ONE will ever forget it.

Wonder if these guys are in that boat.

Robert

Reply to
nailshooter41

Maybe it's one of these guys ... :)

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And yes, it is a real link!

Reply to
Alun

Neat site. Map blew up my browser, but I'm going back. Wonder if I could talk the neighbors into a bit of Guerilla Gardening at my place.

Reply to
Lobby Dosser

Interesting - sounds like others are jumping on the 'extreme makeover' bandwagon. Which is a good thing, because the end result is a better place.

Now, how to get someone to 'accidentally' replace my roof............

Reply to
Brent

I'm thinking that is quite possibly the case now. After I cleaned it up last night and sort of filled in the hole with some of the sawdust, to be filled correctly with leftovers from my upcoming patio project (I reclaimed 500 antique bricks a couple of weeks ago,) they evidently came back, cleared out the sawdust and filled it with topsoil.

Even better, now. Maybe they'll come back Sunday and trim the lilacs and mow the grass... perhaps I should leave a note asking if they care to rototill the garden, too. :)

Reply to
Prometheus

Prometheus wrote:

Reply to
nailshooter41

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