Good Deed

So I did my good deed for today. Jeannie, my sister-in-law called this morning because she found soot tracks in her house this morning and the damper was open. She had commented at Christmas that she was getting a little water in through the chimney. So after she got home from church I took a ladder over and climbed up to inspect the chimney. I found that there was no weather shield on top and someone had used duct tape and a plastic bag to close off the chimney. The duct tape had disintegrated and the bag had fallen down the flue, explaining the plastic hanging out of it. So I used some much heavier plastic and a whole lot of duct tape to rebuild the seal for her. It should last.

Then we went through the house until I found the cat that had fallen through the flue under the guest bed..... I was expecting a feral cat, but this was a rather sweet but terrified (and fat) pet. He/She/It didn't want to come out from under the bed, but never struggled, whined, clawed or bit when I dragged it out. I managed to hold it and comfort it for a bit, but when it got over being stark terrified, I let it go rather than get clawed and out the door it went like a rocket. Headed for home at light speed I should think.... ;o) How a cat that big got through the flue I'll never know.