The sick trees

UPDATE:  After research, we now believe this could be the result of hypoxylon canker.  Canker infests stressed oaks, and we had bad droughts for two years in a row.  It attacks VERY quickly, and the tree must immediately be removed as they are no longer strong enough to stand and will fall soon.  It is a fungus that only infects oaks from what I can tell.

Apparently, there have been complaints that I haven't done this in a while.  Cool.  But, allow me to tell you, going back to work has made this difficult.  I am also in the middle of writing a children's book and trying to get it published, so that cuts into what precious time I have left.  

I was afraid I was going to have an awful blog this time, but when I uploaded all the recent pics, I happened to find a few interesting topics.  Cool...again.

We had to recently cut two trees down.  They were sick.  Arlis thinks it's the drought, but I don't know.  I'll let you decide, and if anyone has any knowledge, let me know please.

They're both oaks.

And as you can see, they're leaves are dead long before any other tree's.

They have this weird paper looking layer under the bark which just all fell off all of a sudden.

 It's way too high to be an animal, and the black goo below (near the top) makes me think infection either by disease or bugs.

 I was concerned when I saw all the nails in them.  I wonder if that had anything to do with it? 

 I wouldn't think so as those nails have been there long before we came.

 You can see where it grew around one here.

 It's good we cut them when we did, because as you can see, another year or two (if that) and they wouldn't even be able to be firewood.  We did have a nice lesson in tree rings though.