Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Out on the Line

Hanging laundry on the line has been described in so many ways—a meditation, a connection, and way to save energy, a money saver, a time-tested necessity, and a tradition. But sometimes, sometimes, it's more than that, and I don't mean in a good way. Ladies and gentlemen (but probably really only ladies), I bring you the dark side of the laundry line.

like jeans-as-bird-toilet...

...and just dried laundry, left out for a bit longer, only to be soaked by those afternoon storms that pop up so often these days.

The good thing is the sun is out again before the rain has even stopped, and the drying begins again.

See more hanging laundry, from around the world and all walks of life, over at Wash Wednesday.

15 comments:

  1. ahhh yes, the clothes line. love it too. and thankfully haven't experienced the bird poop.

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  2. haha! Here in Italy in many cities people (ladies?) have to put plastic sheets over their laundry to avoid the ... hmm "close connection" with the pigeons!

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  3. ugh to the bird poop! and i thought goats eating my laundry would be a problem...:) i love that photo of the soggy jeans...it is lovely...and an experience all clothesline hanging folks can relate too! and holy cow...thanks for that list of fun things to do in your last post...awesome!! xo, pennie

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  4. You crack me up Amy!
    Very nice er um.. I mean not so nice! ; )

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  5. Bird poop and goats! I think it must be pretty boring at my house. I just contend with children. I have so many memories of hanging clothes with my grandma. I think that experience has led to my love of clotheslines.

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  6. I get soooo cross with those birds - I feed them, I love them, they have the whole garden to use - why is it always my washing they hit? Any hints for removing the stuff from white shirts would be gratefully received here! :D

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  7. oh yes the afternoon rain is for the birds...too bad the rain doesn't wash the bird bit away right?
    i also love hanging my wash. i've got it down to a craft, all of it out by 8am, it's hot enough then that it dries out quickly (to beat the birds) and done drying early enough to beat the rain.

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  8. we had a freak rainstorm last week, very very early one morning. i woke to the sound of rain, then jumped out of bed to rescue a load of laundry that i had taken off the clothesline but left outside in the basket. i just left the new load that was hanging up and let it dry all over again.

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  9. Oh no!!! I keep thinking the bird poop thing is bound to happen one day...just like the bird poop on the head eventuality! So can we call this good luck too?

    I just read an article in the newspaper here that said that many American communities don't allow outdoor clothes lines. Have you encountered such a thing? Having never even owned a dryer, I was pretty shocked!

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  10. I love your post. Thank you for keeping it real as in all things in life sometimes it's not all rosy ;o)

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  11. This is such a lovely post!! I really adore seeing laundry hanging on a line out in the garden especially on a beautiful summer day!! It's a very claming and beautiful sight. Thanks so much for sharing this and your photos made me smile! Have a lovely merry happy weekend and love to you!

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  12. HA! Too funny, not for the person who wears the jeans though.

    :)Lisa

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  13. hahahaha!! this is exactly why i can't line dry - i'd leave them outside on the line, they'd get soaking wet, and then everyone would have to go outside in their birthday suits to retrieve their sopping raiments! but at least you got a double wash out of it!

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  14. This really cracked me up! So funny! And yes, it's a tricky balance, isn't it? Blogging about our lives. The ups and downs. The beauty and the mess.

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  15. Thank you for sharing this side of the laundry line, Amy! It made me smile...I have had some of those experiences for sure. I wish we could get some of that rain you've captured. Maybe I should go hang out some laundry;)

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