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Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Most Despised Job Done

 This is by and far the most despised job I do each year. I climb up a 6 foot step ladder to reach a platform where I then climb another 25 - 26 feet to change out the wind cap. I can clean the chimney from inside the house but the wind cap has to be cleaned too.
Last year Carol suggested we buy a second wind cap so all I would have to do is carry the clean one up and swap it with the dirty one and then come back down. That sounded like a good suggestion to me and going up and down once is better than twice.
The platform where we place the 40' ladder is about 7 feet off the ground so it is up there 32-33 feet and from up there it looks straight down. This angle from the ground doesn't make it look as steep as it really is. I wear a climbing harness that I hook to the top of the ladder so if I were to fall it would only be a few feet. I guess my heart is in pretty good shape as when I get to the top of the ladder I have to turn around and face out to switch out the wind caps. At that point I'm looking at what seems a long way down with nothing in front of me but air..

I'm always real glad when I make a trip up and down safely. This is one job that won't have to be done until again next year. You would think a mid 70's man would have better sense but I had it done one year and the guy was scared out of his wits when he had to turn around up there and I hate putting anyone through that again. I could see his white knuckles on the ladder from the ground. As long as I'm able I'll just keep doing it. When it is no longer safe I'll find someone who lacks fear to do it because it is very scary from up there especially climbing up and down using one hand to hold the wind cap and one hand to hang onto the ladder.

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