Backing up
Weight off her shoulders. The first thing i did was remove chimney from attic joists. It was mostly loose above the floor. I tossed bricks and bags of motar/cinders out the window. Thank u Barb for all the reclaimed heavy ply bags. It was a heavy, filthy cold job (no heat yet). The. Chimney ended in the kitchen. A big hole to patch.
Weight off her shoulders. The first thing i did was remove chimney from attic joists. It was mostly loose above the floor. I tossed bricks and bags of motar/cinders out the window. Thank u Barb for all the reclaimed heavy ply bags. It was a heavy, filthy cold job (no heat yet). The. Chimney ended in the kitchen. A big hole to patch.

More bricks to go, tightly packed. Used claw hammer and trowel. There was a lot of cinder crud to dig out. Laughed heartily when i came across a ball. Smiled when i found a charred birds nest, almost saved it.
Finally saw light at the end or bottom of the chimney. A whole lot of ash to get up downstairs. Thank you Ruth for wet/ dry vac. Hole will need to be mended. Now that i have heat. But thats another story.