Monday, August 4, 2008

WE DID IT!!



The Clothesline

Last Wednesday Mickey & I went and looked at L*owe*s about putting up a clothesline. Pricing timbers for poles and cross bars, etc. It, like most things, was getting more expensive by the minute....oh yeah, the cement to set it in, etc.

After we got home I went out in the back yard and came in and said, "Can't you just string me a little line between those two trees." Now I know why Mickey hadn't yet cut down the 3rd dead tree!!! He wasn't too thrilled about the idea. At first he thought he's have to move his bird house. I pointed out it was just the two of us and I didn't need anything big or fancy. So yesterday he went and bought a clothesline wire that is covered with vynal and ...........I have a clotheslines. YEAH!!!!


(click on pictures to enlarge)

Here I am heading out with my first load in the laundry basket.


Freshly washed clothes in the basket and my new clothespens in one of the icecream buckets I seem to find multiple uses for.


I decided to pen the bucket on the line and move it along as I hung the items. That way I didn't have to keep bending over and deal with my back.

It has to be 39 years since I've hung clothes on a line!!! My parents bought me a dryer after our 4th child was born and he just celebrate his 39th birthday!!

It was 101 degrees here in Coweta today and the heat index was higher than that, a heat advisory was in effect, but it wasn't bad at all and I was finding this great fun.

OOPS!!!! Seems my little bucket dropped off the line and all the pens are now on the ground.
This was my first small wash and it dried in 1 1/2 hours. Mickey teased me that it would have only taken 30 minutes in the dryer. Right....but I wonder how much electricity I saved? Anyway, I am most delighted with my new little clothesline. Who knows.......I may even start wearing aprons again but I guarantee you I'll NEVER give up the washing machine.

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28 comments:

Michelle-ozark crafter said...

Oh what fun Susan! I want to come and hang clothes with you! Don't you just love the heat we are having this week? LOL!

kc bob said...

You are so "green" Susan. I think that it has been over 30 years since we had a clothesline :)

Anonymous said...

Susan, first I have to tell you I love your pink outfit!!! That is exactly the kind of outfit I wear!! =) And the clothesline is great, and your backyard is so green. Hey, is that an ICE CREAM bucket you are using for your clothespin holder?! =) We think so much alike!! =)

Shirley said...

Great thinking about the trees - that's exactly what we did :) It's amazing how quickly things dry right now - I just hung a load of towels out and I'm sure they will be done it about 2 hours. (I know - some people don't like "crunchy" towels, but for some crazy reason - I do!)
Blessings!
Shirley

retha said...

Your outside look so inviting.

jennifaye said...

A child's wagon works great for putting the clothes basket and clothespins on. Also, don't leave the bucket out or it will get full of water if it rains.

I am so jealous. I wish I could get off my lazy butt and hang my laundry out. Looks like fun.

jen

Dawn said...

I really should use my clothesline - I have 3-4, and don't ever use them. I don't like crunchy towels, but love what happens to sheets out there.

I use a milk gallon jug with a cut-out for the clothespins. Recycle, recycle, recycle.

Thanks for praying for Kristen!

Pen of Jen said...

Wow! I must confess that I have always dried my bedding on a clothesline as I love the smell of sunny day as I snuggle to sleep!
Jennifer

... said...

not only are you saving electricity, but the smell of line-dried clothes is wonderful, in my opinion. someday i'm going to have a clothesline... someday =)

Nadine said...

What fun. When we were first married in Brooklyn, we had a clothesline that hung between the two apartment buildings. Now I'm dating myself.

Susan said...

Fun post, Susan. I love it that you are doing this. I fondly remember getting my clothes after they hung out in the fresh air to dry...I especially love this with sheets.

Hugs.

Susan

Anonymous said...

I just got an apron from my mother handmade years ago by my grandmother. It has never been worn. I love it!

I used to love my clothesline, but never like to dry towels on it. They were too scratchy. I loved how white my whites seemed.

Enjoy and hang some stuff out for me, too.

Scooterblu's Whimsy~Rhonda said...

Hi Susan, I had a clothes line when Ashley was a baby and I loved how crisp and sun~bleached clean my clothes felt! If our electric bill continues to rise as it has, I may have to revert back to one! LOL!

Love the pictures from your trip to the Air Museum! My son and husband would love to visit that one! They read EVERY little plaque when we go to places like that! :)

Hugs, Rhonda

Unknown said...

You are so creative, and going "green" cute pictures. I live on a dirt road and the clothes wouldn't stay to clean I'm afraid.

Brenda said...

That's so neat! I love the smell of fresh line-dried clothes. Can't beat it.
God bless,
Brenda

groovyoldlady said...

What a great post - made me giggle to see all your proud and excited pictures. As a fellow clothesline lover, I am rejoicing with you!

Tip: Can you put a nail or hook in the tree just under the line to hold your bucket?

Tammy said...

Good for you, Susan!!!

I so wish I could do that, actually...but we have lab that would quickly pull down all my wash if I tried this in our current set-up...in fact, we're having a hot day today but my dryer is going as we speak...so not right!

Loved all your pictures!

Come over and visit my Marriage Monday if you can...:)

Anonymous said...

Susan,

I love aprons! Why do we all love the small of fresh hung laundry so. It just seems RIGHT :)!

Carole Burant said...

Hello dear Susan:-)

Just got back from visiting my sons and now trying to catch up with everybody! How wonderful that you now have your own little clothesline:-) I love the smell of the clothes, especially bed sheets when they've been dried on a clothesline. I use mine almost every time I do laundry in the summer time and as you say, it sure saves on energy!! xoxo

Kelli said...

That is wonderful, Susan!
~Kelli

Unknown said...

Oh Susan, this post made me smile. It brought back memories of hanging clothes out for my mom when I was young and at home!

Your yard is so pretty! I know you'll enjoy your new toys! (the line and the pens)

Jeanette said...

Hi Susan,nice photo's of you in your back yard. Every house has a clothes line over here, I have 2, one that gets full sun that I mainly use in winter which I used today with my sheets and towels,and the Other is under my back veranda and I use in summer as every thing would fade in our hot sun..we get very high temps come summer can reach 45C=about 112f. Take care

Lori said...

Enjoy your new clothesline. Just think of all the money you will save. We love ours. I love the smell of fresh laundry that has been hung outdoors.

Unknown said...

Hi Susan,
I am glad to hear you have your clothes line up! For me things like clothes lines are my way of "earning" money for my family. If I can save on money that does not need to get spent then I am helping us with our finances. My goal each day in the summer is to dry 2 loads a day outside. We have high humidity in our area so it takes much longer then 1 1/2 hours to dry. 2 loads a day can make over 20 loads a month and that starts to make a big difference in the electrical bill. I have a covered porch and have 2 lines on the back part of the porch...I love having these! My husband put them up several years ago. Enjoy hanging up those clothes! There is just something peaceful about it.

Maxine said...

So glad you did it! That's the way I have mine: strung between two trees. Only I need to get with it--I've been using my drying too much. I hear we have a couple of nice weather days coming, so the least I can do is get the sheets out tomorrow.

Hope you enjoy having it--I'm sure you will!

MightyMom said...

good for you!! might have to go back to that dryer in the winter...but clotheslines are great in the summer

Momma Roar said...

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just love hanging out my laundry - and you know how crazy I am that I even hang it out in the snow!! :)

Got home this afternoon - drove home a day early as we were all getting tired. It will be nice to sleep in our own beds tonight. Quickly trying to scan bloglines and just had to jump over to leave a comment on this one!!!

Enjoy that new line! :D

Tracy said...

You look so happy!I love my clothesline, too. AND the clothes smell so wonderful!