Home improvements, Summertime 2008

Many years ago, in an earlier, poorer, lifetime, I used to plan my day around drying the laundry. It had to be a good drying day to do laundry --- over freezing, and breezy to boot. I would wash the longest drying stuff first so I could hang it out on my pulley system clothesline first, early in the day. I had two pulley lines that extended from my deck to the neighbor's garage. The stuff that dried quickly could go on last and come down first. Laundry was a very strategic operation.

Then we moved to an area with cheap electric rates and I no longer bothered with a clothesline. Few people seemed to use them. I didn't miss the extra work and strategyzing, but I did miss the scent of sheets dried on the line. This year, we got a clothesline!

It is one of those square ones on a center aluminum pole. To install it, you dig a hole in the ground and fill it with sackrete. You set a plastic sleeve in the sackrete to support the pole. The tube has a cap on it so that when you don't have the clothes dryer set up you can cap the hole.

This is the sunniest spot in our backyard.

I am using it mostly for bed linens and curtains.

Here you see another "home improvement" which is freshly laundered curtains, a symptom of "spring cleaning" taking place. This is nine lace panels and two valances. It is amazing how dusty, stiff and gray these get. Now they are sparkling white again.

Definitely, a home improvement.