Frog Jam and Stovepipe

 

 

Menu options?  Maybe. The Christmas mice are checking out the frog jam. Kamper Martha, for whom the cat was named, stopped in with this frog jam for me. She knows me to be a lover of all things froggy. Like all men, He Who is apt to eat what ever I may prepare, was not paying attention to the women chattering. It is actually F.R.O.G. jam. The initials are the first letter of the ingredients. We are thinking fig, raspberry, orange and grape. I was looking forward to trying it.

After we exchanged good wishes and met the new dog, Annie, they continued their journey to their daughters house and we went back in to our humble abode and I finished trussing up my fat chicken for the rotisserie. He Who stokes fires was in his fave chair in front of the TV and I decided to have a little fun. I showed him the jar of frog jam and managed to convince him that it was, indeed, made from frog. He looked skeptical, but he held the jar to the light and looked closely.

What he thought he would see, I am not sure. Maybe frog parts in an aspic jelly substance? I continued my charade as I opened the jar and got a spoon for tasting. Oh,the look on his face, as I scooped the tiniest of taste and offered it up for him to sample. He was hesitant as he barely opened his mouth and tentatively offered his tongue.

I could tell he was all set to spit it out should the taste offend. He stood near the sink and I watched closely as he tasted. A look of surprise and he swallowed. Then I told him what it was.

On to the second ingredient in my title. When I started the fire yesterday morning, I got a lot of smoke in the house. I thought it might be windy and it was a downdraft. I turned on the stove vent in the kitchen and it cleared up. As the day wore on, my throat started to hurt and my eyes were irritated and tearing.

I began to wonder if I was getting sick. Amazingly, none of my grandchildren were sick while I was there, but they do attend school and are a great source for germ transportation. My seat partner on my flight north was sneezing while we were trapped in that aluminum tube in the air .....

I stood to go get some aspirin (my personal wonder drug) and that is when I realized just how much smoke was in the house. I immediately notified He Who installed said wood stove. He Who tows promised to check it out as soon as he fixed a flat for  stranded motorist.

I heard him before I saw him. He was outside checking to see if there might be something caught in the stovepipe. Every year, before the season for having a fire to warm ourselves begins, he climbs a ladder and disassembles part of the contraption that carries the smoke away to clear it. Birds try to nest in there. There are always a multitude of nests that fall to the ground. Much to the delight of the dogs, but that is another story.

I doubt that any birds have been in the stove pipes lately, but I kept my mouth shut. Until I saw that the stove pipe inside had come apart. It was like trying to drive in dense fog as I navigated to the back door to let him know his pipe cleaning had opened another avenue for smoke.

Isn't the repair lovely? Looks like the stove pipe is wearing a necklace. Stove pipe bling. I decided to call it a day and go stand in the shower and try to catch my breath. During the shower, he opened the front door and place a fan there to try to suck the smoke out. I think we may smell like we have survived a house fire ........

I went to bed without further inspection of the "fix". Saw this when I got up. I am pretty sure it is not supposed to be this way. The picture does not reflect the fact that I can see light and cold air is pouring in ........