Northern weather

[Tramp]

Dirt: Bingo! Still snowing. And after the chimney fire during the last blizzard—no wood stove. Why did the fire department not answer? I called them . . . TWICE!

[rogruth]

Wayne,

That is class.

In 1962 if you could afford a car like that you didn't care what the gas mileage was.

[The Dirt]

And after the chimney fire during the last blizzard—no wood stove.

Holy Cripes! They can be barn burners, noisy, violent. Give us a PSA- how did you control it, put it out?

I had a wood burner when I lived in Lewisburg. Never had a fire, but went to the flue trap in the basement and looked up with a mirror one off-season, and d*mn, I could see no daylight whatsoever. Lacking a brush, I went up to the roof and tied two face-bricks side by side with a rope and ran them up and down 4 times to get all sides, and then cleaned a half-barrel of flaky creosote chips out of the trap. Sobering! This was 30 years ago. Nowadays, I believe sweeps lower video-cameras within, and have solutions/sprays to loosen/dissolve any tar-like coatings, which I believe can also burn. I don't think I would trust only brushes, and with a house/museum like yours at stake, with 40 years worth of personal endeavor in art alone, not to mention your wife, I'd be using well-recommended professionals only, to warrant the chimney safe, every d*mn year. Man! And you use dried oak only.

One of the HUGE INCALCULABLY REASSURING properties of burning anthracite is that there is no creosote whatsoever (and that is no small thing), and my chimney is as clean as the day it was put up, and I look every year, not only for coatings, but chimney swift nests, dead animals that may have tried entry and jammed halfway down, you name it.

[sarge]

When we bought this house, it was still October when we had the silly gas-log removed from the open hearth fireplace, and I cleaned the cellar ash-traps. Then we had the sweeps come and inspect the flue. You're right, they come in with a camera and can video the whole thing in great detail.

The flue-brick had holes in the mortar, a fatal flaw. We then had a stove/insert put in with a continuous/one-piece stainless steel flue, all sealed in place up the old chimney.

Worth every penny, as the insert heats the air around it and it flows by convection into the house. There are a pair of coreless pancake fans you can fire as well, which will run you out of the sitting room with heat. It's a great rig.



We get it cleaned annually, and the amount of creosote is a pittance, even after a winter like last year which was still much colder than this and saw very enthusiastic burning of wood in almost every form.


Pete:

Looking at that map, I see my old stomping grounds will not fare well. Just like I remember both the Finger Lakes and the Berkshires.


Murph;

Find one of those! Live your dream while you can enjoy it. You'd look goooooood in a black Connie like that!

Healey:

Something is up, and the birds know. I hope it's good!

[Rufus T. Firefly]

We get it cleaned annually, and the amount of creosote is a pittance, even after a winter like last year which was still much colder than this and saw very enthusiastic burning of wood in almost every form.

You'll have to come up and collect a load of black locust for next year; I don't burn much here in VA, and getting it cleaned out is an every other year affair as I tend to burn a lot of good hardwood. I also have a insert minus the fans that when the fire is been up for a few hours can be seriously toasty, but nice on a damp evening.

Something is up, and the birds know. I hope it's good!

They did not stay and were just an advance scouting force looking for Tippi Hedren.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Doc Wayne, Thank you for the very thoughtful posting of that photo of the Continental.

And thanks to Sarge for the encouragement. I'm giving it some thought. Maybe I will treat myself, someday, then, drive all across the country with no destination in mind (though I can think of several places I would avoid, to keep body, soul, and the car together.)
Murph

[E7]

Maybe I will treat myself, someday, then, drive all across the country with no destination in mind

Murph,

I have heard a couple people talk about doing similar things on the likes of old rt. 66 and/or rt. 30 (the Lincoln Highway). A couple of quintessential American roads. Perhaps the "ride" dictates the choice. If you ever go, hope it's a gas! (no pun intended)

Rich

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Highway

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Dirt: Bingo! Still snowing.

Might be an adventure putting the cat out.....

[The Dirt]

Murph, there's always Rt 6, which used to be transcontinental, starting in Provincetown Massachusetts and running to Bishop California, just outside of Yosemite. Used to run to Long Beach, until California renumbered some roads.



It's an absolutely gorgeously stunningly beautiful road through Pennsylvania. From Google: In the famous novel "On the Road" by Jack Kerouac, protagonist Sal Paradise actually considers hitchhiking on US 6 to Nevada, but is told by a driver that "there's no traffic passes through 6", which would seem to make it even more attractive to somebody on an extended cruise to see the country.

Lastly: George R. Stewart, author of U.S. 40: Cross Section of the United States of America, initially considered US 6, but realized that "Route 6 runs uncertainly from nowhere to nowhere, scarcely to be followed from one end to the other, except by some devoted eccentric".

"Devoted eccentric". Now I ask you fellow forumites.... does that not absolutely scream "MURPH!!"

[rogruth]

US 50 has been cslled the "lonliest road" by some. I think the largest city it passes through is St.Louis.
The ends are San Francisco and Ocean City, MD.

Much of old US 40 and 66 are either covered by interstates or are in very bad condition and un driveable.
Of course there are parts that are much as they were 60+ years ago.

[rogruth]

Dirt,

Yes to your last question. I think.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

US 50 has been cslled the "lonliest road" by some. I think the largest city it passes through is St.Louis.
The ends are San Francisco and Ocean City, MD.

Hmmm.....Rt 50 is just a little over a mile north of my house and it's hardly lonely on Fri. ~ 4pm. In fact, it's a better than 10 mile long parking lot then....

[rogruth]

Rufus,

Go a little further west.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Rufus,

Go a little further west.

I have. It takes almost 50 miles of agonizing commuters now to get clear of the DC insanity.

I think I'll take a plane and resume from some point less maddening......far from the crowd.

I'm far more familiar with a good bit of Rt. 30 in PA...

[E7]

I'm far more familiar with a good bit of Rt. 30 in PA...

I have driven most of it from the 'city of brotherly' love to Bedford. Some
very nice scenery and some interesting landmarks along that road. Parts
can be treacherous when snowy and icy. Wouldn't want to be out there tonight!

Rich