September 7, 2015 A Chimney Sweep, Another Skunk & A Great BBQ

Mums in a log.

Friday 9/4. While JB was Down There I baked cookies.  The recipe makes 8-1/2 sheets of 13 that turns out to be 112 and I knew I would be giving some away on Sunday.  JB took my Jeep's dead battery with him and we were given a replacement for free under the warranty.  His "battery" passed inspection and all is well.  When he returned we put the new battery in my Jeep and she started right up.

After lunch I climbed up on the roof and cleaned the chimney out.  That was quite an experience!  I figure I could make some extra money as a chimney sweep now.  There was some soot in the stove which I cleaned out, so I thought we were good to go.  Unfortunately when I tried to start a fire in the evening, all I got was smoke.  After everything was out and the stove was clear, I pushed a stick up the chimney to see what the problem was.  Somehow most of the soot didn't fall all the way down and was stuck about 6" up.  So I just got out a blanket and had to wait til tomorrow to deal with it.

Saturday 9/5. It was 44, cloudy and windy this morning.  I was on the road by 8:30 for my shopping expedition and home by noon.  Along with the groceries, I bought a couple small yellow mum to plant in two short, hollow logs. 

We put up my Easy-Up booth that I had used for arts and crafts fairs in Illinois, but because it was so windy, gusting to 19 mph, we didn't put up the sides.  Tried to put up the net tent for the food but decided to wait til morning.  Got as organized as we could for the BBQ and made a big dish of cole slaw.

We cleaned out the chimney of all the soot and ended up with a small garbage can about a third full.  I could feel a draft and hear the wind, so I figured this time we really were good to go.  After dinner we put in a fire and quickly warmed up.

Larry and Elsie arrived shortly thereafter to bring up fresh tomatoes, onions and salsa for the BBQ.  Elsie and I had a nice visit while JB and Larry walked out to look at the standing-dead trees that need to be cut.

Sunday 9/6. 3:30 am and Jesse is skunked again!  That critter must have been right out in the yard.  So there we were, washing the dog off on the porch in the early a.m. - again.  This after he had run in the house and jumped up on our bed.  JB went back to bed, but for me there was just no getting back to sleep after that, so I had some cocoa and cookies.  I crawled back into bed just before 5:00 am and realized that it was raining.  When we got up at 7:30 am, it was pouring.  By 9:30 we had received 1/2", and by the time it quit coming down at 11:00 am, we had .64".  I figured this weather would separate the mountain folk from the flatlanders of the 29 people who said they would be here for the BBQ.  I just couldn't complain as we need the rain so badly.

We put three sides up on my booth, and raised the soaking net tent.  Put up the food tables in the booth and got everything ready.  Fortunately Elsie called before she made a run into town to see if I needed anything and I did - ketchup.  A little after 1:00 pm the trucks, Jeeps and 4X4's started coming up the drive.  Everyone turned out to be mountain folk!  We were only short half of one family (three) and a couple extras (two) that another family was going to bring.

We had some fog, but no more rain.  The clouds gradually cleared and the sun shone, but our high was only 54.  But everyone was dressed for the weather and we all had a great time.  There were lots of yummy desserts and all but one of our twenty Italian sausages disappeared, along with many hamburgers and a few hot dogs.  It was 8:30 pm by the time the last truck headed on out.

The mountains seem to attract good people.  I guess that says it all.

Monday 9/7. It is 44 and clear this morning, with snow on the mountains and a few clouds to the west.  Am going to put a fire in the stove as soon as I feed the chickens and dogs.

Thought for the day: What do we live for if not to make the world less difficult for each other. George Eliot