Welcome to Legal Tender Farm

Welcome to Legal Tender Farm

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Ooops

Tom is away for the evening.  It's cold in the house.  Why don't I start a fire?  I can do that.  This time I'll remember to open the flue (flew? floo? flu?) unlike last year when I started a fire not remembering to open it, then not having anything to open it with, but finally getting it open with the little ash shovel after the house was full of smoke.

OK, move firescreen, wad up newspaper, put little twigs on, then small branches; light the paper.  Fire is starting to blaze; put bigger logs on.  Aaaah!  Cozy fire, blessed heat.


Wait...weird smell.  Hmmm.  Oh well, I'll get ready for bed while the fire heats up the living room, then I can watch my shows and eat popcorn.  Funny hiss...run back in the living room to see if embers have popped out onto the floor; inspect fire.  All is well.  Now go get ready for bed.

Come back to enjoy fire. Stand in front of the fire.  Soak up the heat.  Gaze into the flames.  **gasp**  There is a fire extinguisher IN the fireplace.  Right there at the front corner where I stowed it after cleaning up the hearth, after the last fire last spring.  Grab fire extinguisher.  Ouch, too hot!  Get Tom's heavy glove, thankfully right next to the fireplace, grab extinguisher, rush it outside before it explodes.



The label reads, "Do not incinerate.  Contents under pressure."

Really, Tom should not trust me with the fireplace.  I'm a danger to myself and others.

3 comments:

Rebecca said...

Oh man, you and I might be related haha. If it is possible to catch whatever I am doing on fire, I will probably find a way to do it. Note to self for Christmas this year (based off of events last year haha), do not wrap presents with lighted candle. Filament paper is pretty, but goes right up! :)

April said...

Wow..I bet we could have seen the explosion from here..didn't you see that big red thing in the fireplace? This sounds like something I would do. Glad nothing happened..and Tom wasn't home to roll his eyes and say something silly to you :o)

Mosaics said...

Yes, it's crazy. I did see the extinguisher before I started the fire, but I didn't move it right away and then it was like it was invisible! I told Tom about it when he got home and he was amazed. This could have been a very serious accident, but since it wasn't, we've had a few good laughs out of it.