Such A Mess!

Where do I start?...When cooler weather hits we use our fireplace constantly. I just love using the fireplace. But every Fall I burn one of those log things in the fireplace that is supposed to clean out your chimney and Richard cleans the vent in the top of the chimney. Anyway, this is the first time that we have ever had a problem with it. On the package of that chimney cleaner log it says that it basically loosens the crud in the chimney and then when you start burning fires in it, that it comes out a little at a time......hmmmm....not the case here!!! It all came loose at ONCE. Had a fire going all day today, the boys and Richard went to bed at 9pm, then I noticed that I could see and smell smoke coming out of the fireplace. I closed the glass doors on it and turn the blower off, still smoking, actually it got worse....

I got Richard up, and by that time the smoke alarm was going off! The kids were scared, they opened their bedroom door and all they could see was smoke! I sent them out of the house, told Andrew to take Hunter to the car, start it up and turn the heater on! Richard and I were trying to control the smoke. Opened doors and windows, couldn't breathe at all. We were having to run outside, catch our breath, and run back in. Finally, threw water on it, put the fire out in the fireplace, but of course, it was still smoking.

Richard we went outside, Richard got the ladder, climbed up on the roof.......and the screen in the chimney was stopped up!!! He had cleaned it a few days ago when we started using it, but I guess, when I burned that chimney cleaning log that it broke all of that crud loose at once and stopped it up! So the smoke had nowhere to go but out in the house!!

I do thank the Lord, that it was not worse and there was no fire!

Anyway, all is back to normal now, sorta! Richard and the kids are safely in the bed, but now we are left with a major mess! Everything is smoked! The house stinks, everything in the living room, kitchen and hallway is smoked! The bedrooms and bathroom doors were closed so they are fine. Even my dishes in the cabinets are covered.


Here is the wild boar that Andrew killed a few years ago, see all of the crud on it...
This is my fireplace surround...

This is my coffee table....giggle...it is actually wood.

So now you know what I will be doing for the next several days....scrubbing!!! I am just thankful that it was just smoke and no one was hurt, the Lord was really looking out for us. The boys are fine and Richard and I just have raw throats and dry eyes.

Now on to happier things...the rest of the day was fine. Got up fixed breakfast, got ready went to church. After church, I put on supper (Cornish hens) and took a nap!

Now I will leave you with some cute photos of Jazz...

Here is his favorite place to sleep....right on Richard's neck!
By the way, during this whole smoke mess tonight, Donkey, Smokey, and Jazz were in the car with the boys!