BLOWIN’ IN THE WIND…………………….by Pat Whalley
What is one of the most satisfying sights to a domestic goddess? Well to me, it is the sight of laundry hanging on the outdoor line.
There is nothing nicer than snuggling down into clean sheets that have been line dried. No fabric softener can replicate the smell of the fresh outdoors but inhaling the fresh smell from your pillowcase almost guarantees a good night’s sleep.
When I was a child I “helped” as my grandma hauled out the tub, the scrubbing board, the carbolic soap the bleach, the blueing and the mangle. Water then had to be hauled from the house to the back yard, where the weekly wash was done. Not for our grandmas the luxury of throwing the laundry into the tub, pressing a button and then sitting with a cup of coffee until the machine did all the work.
In dreary winter months we may have to resort to using the electric clothes dryer but, when skies are blue, out goes the wash to dry in the sun. A little breeze is always good to soften the linens, otherwise they dry too quickly and have creases, but sunshine and a little wind ensure a dry, wrinkle free load. My ironing board sits in a corner of the laundry room and quite often needs relieving of accumulated spider webs. Modern fabrics dried in the old fashioned way do not need ironing. They just require folding neatly or hanging up in the closet.
When we bought the Bel Air motel, 26 years ago, we inherited a rather strange contraption that had been built by Knut Overness, a former owner of the motel. I believe Helen, being English through and through also was a keen line dryer, so Knut had taken angle iron, the hub of an old car axle and determination and put together a massive rotating line dryer. It has five arms connected by four lines of plastic covered line and is big enough to take three big loads of laundry, which is enough for me to wash everything we use in one week. It is a strange looking contraption and some of the arms are bent due to various grandchildren swinging and perfoming gymnastics on it, but it is still strong and does it’s job really well.
When we moved from the motel to our present home I asked the new owner if she intended using the outdoor devise. With a horrified shudder, she declined, so I asked if I could take it. Tracy from White Lake Backhoe dug it out and transported it, complete with its concrete anchor, to it’s new home. He dug a new hole and Voila, my clothes line was ready for use.
Long may it serve it’s purpose because, to me, Bob Dylan had it right when he sang “Blowin’ in the Wind”.