This morning a forestry truck pulled up in the alley and two young guys hopped out.  Isaac and I hurried out back and visited with them.  They said they had a work order for a tree, so I pointed out the tree to them.  The head guy looked it all over and said that he seriously doubted that it’s on city property.  I said that we were mostly hoping to avoid the lines around the tree.  He politely informed me that the lines are all phone lines, so technically it wasn’t his problem.  But after a nice conversation, he said he’d go ahead and take off a few branches around the lines, and if after examining the satellite photos and property lines again he determines it is city property, he’ll come back.  (I doubt he’ll be back.)

He willingly agreed to leave all the cuttings in a pile in our yard for our party. 

So now we have a pile of dead firewood that Isaac is moving so we can cover it to keep it dry.  It’s not a lot, compared to the size of the tree, but it’s perfect for our fire, and it will help in future tree removal, I think.