The Challenge of the Tree Stump

Sometimes life's responsibilities can get in the way of riding.

It's a week before Christmas and while the sun was shining over the weekend, we had wood to unload and stack, and then -- of all things -- we started into more yardwork! That wasn't the original plan. Before we got outside and started stacking wood, we thought it was too chilly and windy for a road ride, and we were considering going to the gym instead to get in a good workout.

In the process of doing the woodwork, we warmed up, and the sunshine was wonderful -- although it was definitely cold. Sunday's temperatures maxed out at 33 degrees. We decided to take care of the wood in the morning, and then planned to get on the tandem in the afternoon, so long as the wind wasn't stirring too much. However, our idea for riding wavered as the day progressed.

We stacked our wood pile, and we started to clear out some brush at the edge of our yard. We chatted briefly with a neighbor who ooffered us the wood from an old oak tree that fallen behind his property. And then I mentioned to David about a stump in the front of the house alongside our old stone wall. I came up with this  nifty idea that it would come right out of the ground if David tied a chain around it and then pulled it up and out with the pickup truck.

But that stump sure was stubborn! At our first attempt, it looked as if our old Ford pickup was going to drop it's bed in the street! The stump didn't budge an inch. So David got a pick ax and a shovel. Probably a dozen large rocks needed to be dug out from around the root system. Then, David took his chainsaw to those roots! We tried the pickup truck pull-out again two or three more times, and finally -- after two or three hours time -- he got that big old stump to release itself from the earth!!

That was it for our idea to go for a tandem ride. It was after 3:00 in the afternoon, and by 3:45, it's dark around here. I was chilled and needed to be warmed up too! I went inside and stood next to the wood stove for a bit. We washed up and changed, grabbed a quick bite to eat, and headed out to the stores for some last minute Christmas shopping. Next weekend, we'll enjoy family get-togethers and delicious dishes brought to share. We may not find much time to ride outdoors this week, but we'll at least try to get in a walk or some time on the elliptical machine or rollers, as we gear up in preparation of a wonderful family holiday. We may not find the time we'd like to have for ourselves right now, but these days pass quickly, and we are looking forward to spending much needed and cherished time with family!