From what I understand, you don't really remove a stump unless you remove all of it. If you merely remove the superficial portion you are a scammer and a fraud.
However, this is a bit of an air dam versus belly pan scenario. Do I want to put in far more time and effort for a statistically-questionable result?
My other concern is: How much of a hole would the full removal leave and how much time and effort would it take to fill this void? I don't know that I needed to fill in anything, but I would rather leave it slightly high than noticeably low. Perkins Cinders sells quarry run, just plain unsifted Arizonan regolith with twigs and stuff mixed in, $7 per ton.
One ton, eh? Can you just fill a bag for me?
I called back, asked if I could just shovel a bag, and the lady said they would bring it to me.
The very last thing she said was "$35 minimum."
So, I could get 10 pounds or 10,000 for the same price? Brilliant!
Home Depot sells a cubic foot of steer manure for $1.58. Is it the best option for filling a hole? I don't know, but where would you recommend that I steal dirt?
Arizona dirt is so hard that I would happily pay $1.58 instead of shoveling unnecessarily.
The next issue is that there was a layer of cinders under the gravel and then the dirt. Maybe "Unprofessional" would be the wrong term since I am doing this for free, but that did not seem right to me, so as I documented
here, I made a two-layer soil sifter, which didn't work, so I just shoveled everything back, justifying that eventually the dirt would settle.
The thing is, I finally finished the sad sorry soil sifter and had my brother and all of my tools in the car when Mom said that it wasn't a good time for the friend, so I painted the trim that I cut for her window. I pre-drilled it and hung it from fishing line. I theorize that by priming and painting before I install it the back is less likely to develop dry rot. I then started looking into other projects and once it was dark the friend called. I said that I couldn't do much in the dark and the friend said that she needed someone to let out her dogs.
I really feel that if you cannot let out your dogs you need to have professional help, but I let out her dogs, attempted to sift her rocks and dirt, filled in the hole, and let the dogs back in, while my brother filled a big bag with the rest of the pieces of wood.
The friend also gave Mom cash, which helps cover my expenses so far. Curiously, it was the exact amount that I left on my credit card, so it will be nice to pay off the rest.