Leon,
The tree was completely my fault. It's a hybrid "Austree". Very fast growing. A few years back it was starting to bend, (you know all about the daily wind we have around here), I put a rope around it and staked it straight. A year and a half, or so later the tree had grown around the rope. Well, that left a 3/4" deep scar around the tree.
I knew it wouldn't be long before the Nevada wind took it's tole. Just glad it didn't hit the house.
Brad