“Chim chim-in-ey, chim chim-in-ey
Chim chim cher-ee!
A sweep is as lucky, as lucky can be
Chim chim-in-ey, chim chim-in-ey
Chim chim cher-oo!
Good luck will rub off when I shakes ‘ands with you “
I get it now! The chimney sweeper is lucky, because they did NOT fall off the bloody roof! That is it, that is pretty much all of it, especially when the roof it tall and steep and it is cold…really cold.
As we heat primarily with wood, the flue remaining clear and open is very, very important. Ours sort of stopped doing that, except it was cold…really cold, but thankfully not windy. The roof is steeply pitched and the chimney cannot be reached easily, which of course did not stop My Loving Spouse from climbing up onto the roof to try out his Chimney sweeping skills.
I was out, so as Number Two Son came home, My Loving Spouse said, “Just keep an eye on me.” As he was alone up there on the roof and might need help. A tad of communication break down ensued as one man meant “a real live eye on me” and the other man thought, “he must have his phone and will text me if he needs me”…(just before he falls off the roof?) and went upstairs to his room, where he could not actually see or hear anything.
By the time I arrived home there were ladders leaning on the roof, every door in the house was open (remember it is cold…really cold) and the smoke alarm going off. I walked into the family room to see My Loving Spouse surrounded by billowing smoke, and he said, “Don’t say a word!” So I didn’t and kept on walking. Minutes later I was summoned to help as the recently swept flue was obviously not clear and needed to be swept some more. What fire was in the stove was pulled into a metal trash can and place on the front lawn, where it burned quite cheerily. My Loving Spouse was back on the roof, I stood on the stove with the shop vacuum and tools to clear the debris shoved down. I also texted Number Two that we needed help, the on-hand kind, where you can see us and hear us and hand us stuff. (Sometimes we have to be really, really clear with our requests).
So, with all the doors open, and soot coming down the flue in heaps and chunks, and with every fan we owned on hand to blow the smoke out of the house and it being the most warm outside by the burning trash can on the front lawn, and all of us working, Team Chimney Sweep did manage to clear out the flue, enabling us to light a new warming fire and the flue…. we have vowed to forever clean before we need it.
I am beginning to wonder how you have time to write with all of these adventures. So glad this post was NOT about Pat lying in the cold snow awaiting your return!
Ahh the memories…………….
Although we don’t have an open fire now I do still miss the “comfort” of the flickering flames. What I don’t miss is the annual sweeping of the chimneys. I still have the rods and brushes although redundant now. Probably too late to remind Pat that it’s easier to sweep from the bottom up not the top down………..
Well, a wood burning stove has a curve in the pipe, so sweeping from the ground up only works so well. However, we are cozy and warm again…
Green acres on steroids! Too funny! Ellen, as wonderful as I find your writing, you have surpassed it all by a huge measure. This will keep me laughing for days. I am beginning to wish I lived next door to you to see this all happen in “living color”!
Amy…there is a house down the street for sale! Unlike where you were raised it is sunny here! 🙂
Ellen, you really have to make a sitcom of your life up there! It is unbelievable! Like “Green Acres”, but on steriods. Glad the flue is clean and you and yours are warm again.
Mims, do you think Carll Burnett is too old to play me?