Thank you very much. There is plenty of room where I put it, but the tree wasn't ill at the time, no thoughts yet of taking it down.
Trimming it shorter is not a bad idea. I know I'll be poking myself with the stumps now that I have room to get in close and tackle some stupid berry vines trying to hide around the base. I've kept it thinned and trimmed for shape over the years, but did so often enough that it never looked trimmed.
I'll take a pic of the "after" in just a few more degrees. Probably feels good out there already with the sun shining but I still feel morning cold.
