Chimney all clean

We arranged for the fall ritual of having the chimney swept, by a new vendor -- the highly professional Vermont Master Chimney Sweep company. It took a while to get an appointment, as they said their backlog this fall has been 6-8 weeks, perhaps because they only make M-F appts. Clearly, this is something that can't be outsourced to China. We had a slight creosote buildup, but nothing too bad, and were advised to keep cleaning out the stove, while cold, prior to building it up each visit. In the picture below you can see a kind of reverse roto rooter being used to clean the bends in our stovepiping. When wood is a primary source of a heat, you have to do a little planning each season.