Jul. 17, 2008
Solar Dryer
   The solar dryer is up and running again! We had to take it down last fall when the well went dry because it was in the way of where we needed to drill a new well. Harold had said it was in a bad location anyway, it was old and needed to be replaced and that he'd install a new one in another location in the spring. Well, his work has been busy and it just wasn't top priority. I didn't say anything to him but would cringe when we threw another load in the propane dryer. When washing quilts and comforters, I would hang them on the field gate and fences, which was kinda pretty and old fashioned looking. It also made me think of the slaves in the American south that would hang quilts on the fences to send messages to those traveling on the Underground Railroad. The plantation owners thought they were just drying the quilts but the quilt pattern and the way in which it was hung had special meanings. As I would hang quilts on the fences and gate, I would think of these extraordinary people and the system of codes they invented. This week Harold got half of the clothesline up! Hopefully the farm and feed store will get more line in and we can finish installation. What a joy it is to have it available again though! I didn't realize how much I missed it. I think this was the first time in my life that I went without a clothesline. Growing up in southern California, we always hung our clothes up outside. Looking back, I think my parents had a dryer when I was older but I don't ever remember using it. We would plan our wash days around what little rain we got. If we accidentally had laundry out on the line when it rained, Momma would just laugh and say it got another rinse! Here in the Ozarks, our clothesline is in use from about March/April through November and sometimes on warmer winter days. I usually have a kid or two helping me hang clothes and it is a nice time to slow down, enjoy the outdoors and visit together. The younger children enjoy doing their own laundry in addition to laughing and running through the lines of towels and sheets...one of my favorite sights  The older ones think its pretty cool to save money and be enviromentally friendly by using the clothesline for their wash.I can't wait to wash my sheets and line dry them!! There is something special about the fresh, crisp smell of sheets that have been dried on the clothesline. I always sleep so well the first night of having them on my bed. A number of years ago, Harold's allergies were very bad at night in the summer. He can't mow the lawn because of allergies but we were baffled by what was causing his nighttime problems. He would have his inhaler on his nightstand because he never knew when he'd get an attack and couldn't breathe. It took a few years of troubleshooting but we finally pinpointed it to his pillowcase drying on the clothesline and him breathing in all the pollen and outdoor smells it collected. Poor guy! While I was being lulled to dreamland by the freshly laundered line dried sheets, he was having a restless night and trying to keep from going to the ER. So I started drying his pillowcase in the dryer and he hasn't had an allergy episode at night since :) One man's passion is another's poison I guess  In the meantime, we are all happy our solar dryer is back in operation!  |
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Jul. 18, 2008 - Solar Dryer!
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