Tree size in relative measures

One of the big troubles with having a lot of big trees, really big trees, is that they make lots of other trees look small, or smaller, by comparision.  Now this is not a problem unless one of them dies, and one did, which for its species, was a quite large specimen, an American smoketree.  Actually that is not a problem either unless like the Phactor you decide to take down the dead tree yourself because, well, it won't be that big of a job as it was not so large.  But it was.  Actually the dead smoketree was probably 50 or so feet tall and the trunk was nearly 12" across in the long axis.  Even this isn't a problem except that Mrs. Phactor would not want a falling tree to clobber her hosta bed and other assorted shrubs.  Fortunately, the Phactor's time in forestry was not wasted, and cutting down trees is a learned skill, but in hot, humid conditions, work like this becomes a real job, and one considerably bigger than one initially imagines.  So nothing bigger will be attempted by the Phactor, not without professional assistance.  However, as pointed out, perhaps it was good that the Phactor's accidental death and dismemberment insurance was renewed as of the first of the month.