Unlean branch blocks road

After finally fixing up my bicycle for the season and going on my first proper morning trip (6.4 km), I encountered this branch half way:

My initial reaction, of course, was the knowledge that this branch would never have been "lying around" on the road for motorized vehicles. And so my brain started working on what process might be broken here, realizing that the lack of process might be the reason why the branch was still there.

I could go on about how counting the number of branches cut and then the number of branches cleaned away would make it blindingly obvious that one branch had not been cleaned away. Then again, just looking at the street should suffice.

But then, this was more likely the work of kids pulling a branch out, purposely blocking the road, long after the branch had been cleared. As such, the solution would be to bring the branch home, chop it up and dry for next winter.