Hmpf, we had to cut down a tree in our garden because it was dead... damn, I loved that tree. :( It'd been there quite a while. It must've died sometime in the winter, as it was fine last year, but it didn't flower this spring. And yes, it was deader than a doornail when we cut it down. I saved a branch of it for myself, as a staff (not that I'll ever really use it, but meh), since it's gonna be turned into firewood, and I can peel the bark off with my fingers with minimum effort.
At least we won't be tree-less... several other trees in our garden, and there's a lot of trees outside our garden too, and this spring (as all springs) has spawned several "illegal aliens" so to speak... we just have to pick which tree we want and then transplant it where we want it. Which is a good thing. And hopefully my father will listen to me and transplant several. I can't pick between maple, hornbeam, acacia and false acacia, I love them all.
Now my hands smell of wood... nice smell. Makes me feel safe.