Gini, I was thinking that it's too bad you don't life closer to my parents. My dad is a wood making fiend and he would be perfect for getting the branch off your house and cut up into firewood size logs in no time flat! He even special cuts logs for Terry and I so they fit in the bins we use in the motorhome.

But, since Wisconsin is nowhere near So. Cal. it occurred to me that Richard and his dad(?) or was it his brother(?) are always making wood. Maybe they could help which would help keep the cost down, which would make it more feasible to not tell the insurance company. Even if they can't, wood makers oftentimes know other wood makers and maybe they know somebody who would do it just for the wood? Anyway....just a thought....