I called in a company that deals with trees to pick their brains about the lilac. The guy recommended getting rid of it, since it is right in the way as you come into the yard, and pointed out how much of the old wood is rotten anyway (he actually reached up and pulled out a chunk by hand - yikes!) And as it turns out, getting the thing dug up would only cost me $150.

So I think it's pretty much got to go. The question is whether to replace it with something else or leave the space paved/open? Have to re-evaluate my throughway plans. I like the "sense of discovery" that comes from not immediately seeing through to the yard, but I don't so much want to cross that line between generating sense of discovery and having arbitrary and annoying obstacles in your way. Maybe something with a cleaner vertical line (vs. an expanding forest of stupid suckers) would do the job in the same spot without getting in the way. Or I could try some sort of arbour over the path as it comes up to the shed, although again I'd face the question of wtf to have climbing on it with so little sun in that spot.

Must do some doodling to facilitate thought-experiments...