I scampered right on over with my camera in hand to take a zillion photos. Here is the oak, from Joyce's yard, peeking through to the former home of the yappy dog neighbors who will forever be known to me as the louts who cut down the orange tree (let it go Claire, just let it go).
I had a good look at the Oak's base which was riddle with slime mold. Between that and the shallow root base I suppose she had to lie down sooner or later.
I got the grand tour of Joyce's home & grounds. Didn't know my immediate neighborhood could be so classy! Lovely home, lovely lady. One look at her pool made me realize I have got to fire my pool guy. He hasn't stopped sending bills but I'm about 98% sure he has stopped his weekly visits to clean my pool, but that is another story.
Joyce said the oak is to yield maybe 5 cords of wood. Of course I ache to get my greedy hands on some of it just to find out what it is like to burn a hard wood. The wood I'm currently burning is soft, so it yields high heat for a brief spurt, then turns to ashes. To keep the fire going I have to nurse it along with offerings of more and more wood - which thank heavens, I still have some. But from what I understand, hard woods burn hot and continue burning for a longer time.
Oh well! Not like it would be ready to burn before next year anyway. Poor Grandmother Oak; former home of possums, screech owls and woodpeckers, perch to flickers, titmouses, magpies, crows, sharp-shinned hawk and western screech owls. Now she is just so much firewood to be divided out. Useful right to the end.
