Jym626- I’m having a tree trimmer tomorrow and have had tree trimmers in the past and I don’t know the answer to your question. I didn’t know it was a question to ask. The tree tomorrow is a total removal. A large pine that between a disease and the drought is never going to come back. In this case I’m mostly concerned about care in removal to not damage any property. The only question asked was do we want them to totally remove the stump. It is more to have them remove the stump. H likes to use a tree trimmer who is a small operation versus a company that sends a crew. He has found when they send a crew the quality is hit or miss especially if view trimming is involved.
I’d recommend stump removal despite the extra expense.
Yes you should probably get the stump taken out. That said, ours are back towards the edge of the property (in a very “natural” setting, that being a euphemism for an un-landscaped, area that no one goes to) and are in a patch of ivy. So the stumps will probably stay as noone will see or be near them. We are getting some big overgrown privets taken down and will get those ground down so they don’t grow back.
Don’t let them use the spike shoes unless the tree is dead already or you’re totally removing it. They are very damaging to trees!
One man I spoke to said you should ask the tree workers for proof they’re insured, call the insurance company to verify, and then call back on the day of the job to verify again! Apparently there’s a lot of crazy stuff going on.
Yup-- noted on the contract-- no spikes.
Oh my. The insurance looks legit… hmmm…
We have them remove all our stomps, even an old stump from prior owner. It gives you more options going forward, even if it costs more up front. It’s still cheaper to do when the crew is there than afterwards when the drily no gas hardened.
For us, we wanted to be sure they would be careful with overhead power lines, water pipes and existing concrete, as well as our roof. They were pretty careful and we were satisfied.
Here’s a random question that’s been bothering me: why is it so hard to find the towel-kind of bath mats? Not the thick, plush rugs with a rubber non-skid backer but the kind that’s the same thickness as a towel but sized to be put by the shower to catch your drips when you get out? I’ve looked at Target, Bed Bath and Beyond and Tuesday Morning recently and can’t find them. I want the thin, cheap ones so they’ll dry quickly; the very thick ones I’ve gotten at Target tend to mildew.
I finally gave up and ordered a 6-pack of them from Amazon for $24. Even on Amazon there were only a few options.
When did this happen and why??
GnocchiB, I don’t know why, but I love the mats I got from IKEA:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/bathroom/20519/
Oldmom, I have 3 of those mats and love them.
GnocciB, they’re reversible, but mine don’t slide around or flip at the edges like a towel one can. I’ve washed them numerous times and they still look great. you might also look at The Company Store, which seems to have some cotton ones that are pretty flat. Or Wayfair.
I buy my flat cotton bathmats from Lands End. They last a lot longer than the Target ones.
http://www.landsend.com/products/supima-cotton-tub-mat-/id_289910?sku_0=::WHI
Had the exact same issue with the bath mats a couple years ago and found one at B B and B. I’ve become complacent and thought I could just go out and buy another.
Re: stump grinding. We were told they only go down 6" and that with soft woods, like pine, they will eventually rot away anyway. If you want to speed up the process water it when you’re out with the hose watering the garden. It all depends on location and whether you might want to landscape or build on the spot. We’ve used tree stumps cut low to the ground as platforms for plant containers. They also become a source of food for woodpeckers.
K-Mart has the kind of bath mats you’re looking for.
“Eventually” might not be in your lifetime! I’d get the stumps ground. Otherwise, in my experience, they are an eyesore forever.
Suppose I could ask this question on the fitness thread…but it’s so long I don’t want to wade through it! I’ve decided to buy a Fitbit, but not sure which model to get. I’ve read reviews and think I want the ‘Charge’. Any experience/feedback to offer? They seem to have gotten quite popular. I walk and go to the gym and have other Apple devices. I’d like to keep track of the data and a timepiece would be nice…
Rutgersmamma, hop into that thread. The folks who post there have a ton of personal experience with Fitbits and will be able to suggest a model based on your preferences.
We just had two trees cut down that were too close to the house, and I had the stump ground on one of them, but not the other. The reason was on one side we had gas and phone lines, and on the other we had power and water. We had all of the lines marked by the respective companies-in both cases the stupid builder had planted large arborvitae trees right on top of the lines (over 40 feet tall now).
The stump grinder guy was ok with doing the one on the gas and phone lines because he said he knows the gas companies are always deep enough, and if the phone line wasn’t deep enough it wouldn’t kill anyone. On the other hand-hitting a power line or a water line is a nightmare, according to him, so we left that one alone and we’ll put the stuff on it that causes the stumps to rot.
It cost us 75$ to have a 12" diameter stump ground, so it wasn’t too bad.
I have had Fitbits since they first came out. I currently have the absolutely GIGANTIC Surge. I’d recommend the Fitbit Blaze (big, like the apple watch, but not as ludicrous as mine) or Alta (pretty and sleek).
Do I get an I-phone or a Galaxy? I love photos from an I-phone, most of my artist friends have one. But the people i know with a Galaxy love those, too.
Regarding stumps: if you don’t want to grind them, get out a drill, drill holes, and dump in mushroom spawn. You’ll have edible mushrooms.
@lookingforward if you have a pc, get an android phone. If you’re mac, stay apple. People we know with both get grumpy about them not playing well together.
We’re 100% apple-free here. Although we do own stock because you apple folks really, really love your platform 
I have the fitbit HR. IT needs to be recharged every 2-3 days, and it often doesnt sync correctly with my phone or i[pad. Could be operator error, I suppose. But I dont think so.