Daffodils and white rabbits! St David's Day!
Meanwhile yesterday
Here's a great Misfits delivery shot, by driver Q, showing Q holding the phone, their pink truck, my step, my car plate concealed, just had to use it, thank you, Q.
Here are the pineberries among the groceries.
Strawberry-like but much juicier and pineapplier. However, not quite exciting enough to warrant the price. But worth trying anyway.
Now for the sad news. Today was the scheduled chimney inspection.
The chimney folks, people I've worked with for years, came, spent a long time inspecting, both of them, used some weird scope thing as well as the usual powerful flashlight, both shook their heads sadly. The verdict: the whole chimney, box and flue, is rusting out, can be hazardous.
I asked how to remediate it. Total replacement. $8-12K, two day job, gutting and replacing. Or they can seal it, rendering it unusable, $400, two hours.
I asked if they'd replaced any fireplaces in the development, and they said no, mainly sealing. They also said it's twenty years past its guaranteed lifetime.
Soooo, it not being worth a big expense for two or three uses a season, I think sealing is in my future. They said they can certify to the HOA that the fireplace is sealed -- sheet metal cut to size, riveted in place.
It's too bad, because it's been a nice feature, but oh well, it's old and rusty, aren't we all.
In other, good, news, the high winds, plummeting temps and lashing rain overnight did not end in icing this morning. In fact it was dry when I went out early to the condo, a big relief since I don't do well walking or driving on ice. So yay.
Happy day, everyone, if some part of your life, too, needs you to tie a knot and move on, good luck!
There's always something good.
Sorry to hear about your chimney. Fires are nice to look at on cold days. Now you have a decorative feature!
ReplyDeleteIt's my tenant's chimney. I guess he can move the furniture differently once the fireplace is out of action.
DeleteI'd opt for the sealing route too. Happy St David's Day!
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping Liz hinds comes in and wishes us in Welsh!
DeleteI’d opt for the sealing as well. It would be very costly for such little use. Have a great day, Boud.
ReplyDeleteI think my tenant is hoping for the rebuild. But I don't think so.
DeleteI'm intrigued by the wording on the daffodil art that mentions "the beginning of meteorological spring." What does that mean, I wonder?!
ReplyDeleteThe pine berries look interesting. I've never heard of them before.
Too bad about the chimney, but I don't blame you for blocking it off rather than reinstalling. It's more an aesthetic than a practical asset.
I think the weather people have a different idea of spring from the astronomical people.
DeleteElectric fireplace inserts have come a long way. That would be something to consider.
ReplyDeleteI have one in my own house, but our HOA isn't as regulated for chimney inspection by the township as the condo. There unless it's certified sealed, I'd have to have the annual chimney inspection, $115 currently. So, unlikely.
Deletedo they seal it at the top of the chimney or at the bottom in the firebox?
ReplyDeleteThey rivet sheet metal across the opening, so it can't be accessed.
DeleteYep. Time to seal up the chimney, sounds like to me.
ReplyDeleteI've been waiting for your assessment of the pine berries. I mean- seriously. I have. So thanks for that. I think I'll pass.
Is there any embroidery fancier and finer than Indian embroidery? Is so, I've yet to meet it.
I think the pineberries are an expensive novelty.
DeleteShame about the chimney. Sounds like they were not built to make replacement easy. I wonder if it was designed in obsolescence or just lack of forethought. Lovely embroidery.
ReplyDeleteI doubt if any fireplace is easy to replace. But in modern buildings, 20 years is often the life expectancy. This one went nearly 45 without issues, not bad really.
DeleteOurs is designed so that the old chimney sleeve can be pulled out and a new one dropped in - (2 storeys, straight chimney) couple of hours work.
DeleteThe chimney sleeve is the least of our problems. The entire metal firebox is rusted, too, and behind the hearth. All hazardous. So sad.
DeleteThe strawberries just look wrong, don't they?
ReplyDeleteWe have a huge fireplace taking up way too much room. We have not used it for years because Mr. Man adapted it to gas years ago , the gas hisses and does not provide any warmth at all. When we used wood it made sense. It is so damp up here , wood is the only effective heat. That is no longer allowed due to smokey air. times do change...not for the better sometimes. I miss our wood heat and the crackling fire where I roasted apples and potatoes, let the bread prove, warmed towels and socks. Now it is just a stone cold monolith serving no other purpose than a shelf for plants. We move on.- Linda sue
I'm surprised wood burning fireplaces haven't been banned here, too. It's decades since garden bonfires were banned. This fireplace is strictly a nice rather than a vital feature.
DeleteIt’s sad your fireplace will be sealed up. I love my fires. Although not banned. Apparently trying to get a permit for a wood fire in new homes is virtual impossible.
ReplyDeleteIt’s also harder to find wood to burn and buying it is just as expensive as using gas or electricity to heat your home.
With all the power outages we have been getting it’s nice to know that if it happens in winter. At least I’ll still be able to keep warm
That's a good point. The condo is all electric, so it's been good to have a heat source if the power goes out. My own house has gasfired heating and electricity, plus a working fireplace which I don't use, not wanting to add air pollution more than I have to. Having options is good.
DeleteAw, that's too bad, but you seem to seem pretty sanguine about it. Life goes on.
ReplyDeleteI'm very disappointed about it, never thought of anything beyond needing cleaning. Tenant is, too. Not happy campers, just trying to cope.
Deleteso sorry you had to seal it. Your misfits do you order what you want?
ReplyDeleteCathy
Misfits market is a grocery sourcing and delivery service. You see what's available, order as you want. I also see items I've never seen locally, and can try them. They have the full range, like a supermarket, other than toiletries. I'm so used to having my food arrive on the step now, I don't think about going shopping.
DeleteWhite Rabbits to you too, and meteorological spring makes sense to me. All the astronomical equinoxes and solstices seem meteorologically offset from "real" start of spring, "real" start of summer, etc at our latitude. First honeybees at our crocuses about a week ago. Of course, it was snowing this afternoon...:-)
ReplyDeleteSad news about the fireplace, but an unsafe chimney is a real hazard. Our fireplace is like Linda Sue's, except Mike disconnected the gas line because we had no use for a heatless-but-pretty gas fire, so it is truly a useless monolith except for the mantel.
Thanks for the pineberry report! They sound delicious but not worth seeking out specially.
Chris from Boise
I see how the seasons vary with how the observer sees them. I like having a change if season, whenever it comes.
DeleteI think open fires are really dinosaurs nowadays. We keep these sometimes fictitiously rosy memories of making toast etc, forgetting that most of the room is a fridge when your main source is one fireplace, the way I grew up.
In a modern house with central heating, the fireplace is more of an accessory. My tenant needs to come around to that acceptance.
The pine berries would be good if they were priced like strawberries, not like rare treasures. I'm glad I tried them.
Oh that's a lot of money. Open fires look lovely but not that lovely. As long as you will still have heat.
ReplyDeleteYes my tenant has heat, not dependent on the fireplace. Yes, not that lovely!
DeleteSo sorry about the fireplace - that's not news you wanted to hear. Capping it is no doubt the way to go, but it also raises the question about how valuable having an additional heat source should the power go out would be. Difficult decision.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the berry review. I don't think I'll be trying them because I couldn't get past the expectation I have of strawberries being red (despite knowing they really aren't strawberries).
The fireplace can't be used, according to the chimney people's official paperwork, too dangerous, so it's out anyway as a heat source unless rebuilt which isn't an option.
DeleteI think your objection to the pineberries is not uncommon. They do look like ghostly strawberries!
Appreciate the review of the pineberries. I didn't realize the pine part was for pineapple (sorry, if I missed that earlier). Interesting idea. Also interesting to read about sealing up a fireplace and chimney. I had no idea this was done, but it certainly makes sense. We've had a fireplace in half of the homes we lived in, and while they are nice things to look at, we rarely have burned wood in them. I couldn't get passed the smell they can leave behind. We do enjoy our gas fireplace from time to time, though. And I grew up with a gas fireplace that burned often. At the end of the day, though, a fireplace's best feature is architectural, anyway. You'll still have that.
ReplyDeleteThis fireplace is in my tenant's condo, and as you note, not often used. He can rearrange the furniture differently if it's out of service.
Delete