Life has its funny twists and turns, and for Jim Chiesa, a weekend visiting friends in the foothills evolved into his life’s work. Back in the early ’80s, Chiesa drove up from San Jose to Nevada County to see old friends. He never went home. “I fell in love with the area,” he said. “When it came time to go home, I asked if I could stay longer — I ended up renting a little granny unit and never looked back.” Chiesa got a job working for a chimney sweep company called Abercrombie & Co. He liked the work so …