Well this is interesting !

It looks like part of what I have affectionately referred to as my Leaning Tower of Pine Tree has broken off and fallen.

The large branch seen in the photos above and below is actually the top of the pine tree !

The "Leaning Tower of Pine Tree" got its nickname after I noticed the rather pronounced lean seen in the photo above. I noticed it a few years ago, made a mental note of the situation, and continued to check on it every so often. But it hasn't ever done anything other than lean until now. My guess is that this tree is a lot further gone than I first thought.

If the top of the tree that broke off and fell is any indication, the whole tree may be dead as well.

When it broke, the top of it came crashing down.

The strange thing about this is that this thick-looking branch didn't break off the much smaller tree it landed on when it fell.

The tree being dead would explain the leaning. Now the question becomes how long until the rest of the tree falls.

During the last storm, it must have been windy enough to break the top of the tree off.

I was able to hoist this entire branch onto my shoulder and carry it into my yard. In other words, it seems like it's dead !

It hit the ground in a somewhat vertical orientation and broke again.

Thankfully, this tree isn't leaning toward anything except the fence that separates my neighbor's property, which would be an easy fix. So I don't have to worry about it yet. But who knows how long it will stay this way.