On Chimney Sweep Day:

Sorry this is two hours late today. On chimney sweep day I usually just post on the timer the night before because we go through this about every two weeks all winter long. But last night I went to bed early with a headache.

On chimney sweep day we let the fire in the wood stove go out in the morning instead of keeping it going for the day and the house gets quite cold. Then Mountain Man gets all bundled up before breakfast and climbs the ladder to the roof with his chimney sweep brushes.

I huddle and shiver for this part under the covers until I have to hold a box under the one stove pipe in the living room to catch the soot from flying into the room through the stove.

Once the vertical chimneys are cleaned he takes the stove pipes that go from the stove itself to the standing chimneys and cleans them out in the yard. It is amazing how much the chimneys suck out the warm air from the house while they are being cleaned out.

The pipes are reconnected and a fire can be started in the wood stoves again but the house feels almost as cold at out side. So we wait and shiver wrapped in blankest standing by the stove for that first cup of tea.

Anyway it was a few hours before the house was but back to rights and warm enough to post. I love the wood stove life until chimney sweeping day.

So before the lights go out with the sleet storm that has just started. We got a few inches of snow last night but the sleet started a few minutes ago. Hopefully I will have lights for posting tomorrow.