I doubt anything much larger than a dead bird's gotten stuck in that chimney but even so, when you need one, a chimney sweep is a hero equal to any leviathan of literature. It's not like I have a tool long enough to grab whatever's gotten itself lodged in there, do I? And even if I did, I wouldn't want to climb onto the roof to reach for it. And even if I did, what if I failed?
It's like flying a plane, performing surgery or coding html. Some situations require a professional.
20 comments:
Will it surprise you to learn that we have a chimney sweep in the family, Petrea? And at this time of year over here, he's literally up to his ears in soot all day, most days. Yes, I'm sure that while lacking in sea breeze, he is equal to Ahab.
CHIMNEYSWEEP #1: "The act's immutably decreed. T'was rehearsed by thee and me a billion years before this ocean rolled*."
CHIMNEYSWEEP #2: I'll be so glad when you finish your G.E.D. …
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Moby-Dick, or the Whale, Ch. 134: The Chase—Second Day
Shell, though I hadn't imagined it, it doesn't surprise me because it seems fanciful--and fanciful, coming from you, is not surprising.
J was with me when I took the photo so he overheard their conversation.
When I was a kid, I thought chimney sweeps were only in the movies. (I blame Mary Poppins for that.) As an adult, I was delighted and somewhat chagrined to learn that they exist in real life, too.
In Germany they still wear the traditional black clothes and top hat and carry a ladder on their bike. And bring luck, just like dick van dyke.
But at first glance, I thought your sweeps were trying to fish down the sun.
Becky, I never saw one before I moved to Pasadena.
Bellis, maybe that's what they were doing, but when we got close they pretended to clean the chimney.
It looks like a couple ninjas locked themselves out of their car and are using a VERY long wire to open the door.
Plainfield Indiana, about 7 miles from where I live, is home to the National Chimney Sweeps Training School, as well as the National Chimney Sweeps Guild. It's possible your guys learned their skills rootin' around in training chimneys right here in the Hoosier state. Who knew?
Seriously.
http://www.csia.org/
Who knew? Thanks, Speedway. You learn something new every day.
At first I thought they were recreating the flar-raisng at Iwo Jima. (Seriously.)
But now its going to take me all afternoon to get Gregory Peck's Ahab out of my head...."I'd strike the sun if it insulted me."
Chim chiminey chim chiminey chim chim cher-ee...
I'm likin' Speedway more & more.
-K-, I prefer Melville's Ahab, but I getcha. I kept thinking he was gonna turn to Starbuck and say "Scout—!!" Maybe that makes Boo Radley the whale …?
OK, now I have a headache.
Members of the Mysterious Order of Dark Mimes seem to be balancing the sky on a stick.
I can't leave you people alone for five minutes.
A Chimney Sweeps training school? Wow. You really do learn something new everyday. Thanks for the wealth of information and the great photo.
Great capture; good point!
Susan, you're welcome for the photo, and we have Speedway to thank for the information. By the way, the logo on the men's truck was 1-800-chimney. Looks like they're a big operation.
Thanks, Dina. Have you tried coding html? I have. I'd rather get a chimney sweep to do it.
Just went to a "Sing Along Mary Poppins" screening the other evening, so chimney sweeps are everywhere!
Rosie, that sounds like too much fun and too silly to be legal.
Have I ever tried coding html? Me??
Haha, I'm falling down the chimney laughing!
Overwhelmed ...ennui...need...to be...spatulated.
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