A Very Early First Fire

Heavy rain blew in today, a very welcome event, yet, with it came a bit of a problem.  The wind blew the rain down the chimney, something that has only happened one other time in all our years of heating with wood.  Having spent the morning and afternoon at my husbands office I came home early evening to find the wood stove and the floor around it soaked.  Holding my breath, I looked up to the ceiling, hoping there was no leak in the ceiling, after all, Emery and our son Steven had recently redone our roof.  The ceiling was dry, but the inside chimney and the box at the ceiling, which I have no idea what it is called, but its a metal box at the top of the stove pipe, was leaking.   The rain had blown in the chimney, collected in this box and leaked.  Its not meant to be water tight ! 
So, after some cleaning up the stove and the brick pad that it sits on, I decided we needed a fire in the stove to dry it all out properly.  No one wants a rusty stove or pipe. 
Just as we got the fire going, the wind picked up from the north and the air turned cold.  Even though we have the front door open, the stove still felt warm and cozy.   Life is good, even when things go a bit wrong.