@ Rob: you are 100% right...which is why I took so many photos, and even video of the trees. They'll be mentally styled by the time they're ready!
@ Jeff:the permits are "Forest Products Removal Permits" and you can get them at the US Dept. of Agriculture - Forest Service. Basically, any national forest office will sell them for the national forest they support.
You can walk in and buy them. Some regulations exist...personal use only for anything up to 6' tall, 10 permits per person, and it's only for the national forest, so you have to be sure you're obtaining trees from the forest and not on private land. Also, you have to be over 21, and a US citizen...of course that doesn't seem to matter much these days...