Though we encourage you to look a little closer. It's only then that most appreciate them. Beyond simply having the rare ability to withstand all sorts of weather yet flow with the breeze. They've become a symbol of the freedoms we enjoy here as a people.
Even more, they're standing testaments that dot our rugged landscape around almost every bend. That tell all who come to enjoy our fresh ocean breezes. The kind of air that many have forgotten existed in the first place.
But those lucky enough to take it all in, tend to look closer. And see them for what they truly are: environmental equivalents of art galleries. Where admission is free, where the works are priceless. After all, how does one put a number on the sort of painstaking craftsmanship, the sheer beauty and the stories that come with each little square. Works that most would agree could just as easily be framed in something gold and ornate. Rather than simply being hung out to dry.
This is what a clothesline is not.
It is not a ‘structure’.
It is not an ‘assemblage’.
It is not something to be looked down upon except from the top of a hill.
This is what a clothesline is.
It is the longest distance between two trees.
It is poles that lean like ships masts in a gale.
It is a spider-web of wire that catches the dew.
This is what a clothesline is.
It is the fabric of your life.
It is where housework and hard work and patchwork create artwork.
It is where fashion queen meets sweatshirt girl.
It is colours and whites and fine thread-count and rough darning.
This is what a clothesline is.
It is clothes that wave like delighted school children.
It is the smell of the sun - a smell to bury your nose into and to lie between at night.
It is the sheer soul-filling pleasure of the wind and the sun.
Here, a clothesline is more than just a clothesline. Maybe it's because our fabric softener is just fresh air.
Clothesline Facts and Tips:
- Check your insurance policy first if you plan to attach the clothesline to your house. It's often not a good idea, especially in places like the “Wreckhouse”, where trains were known to blow off the tracks from the high winds.
- When hanging clothes, always stand upwind of the clothesline. Otherwise the wet clothes will slap your face – cotton towels can sting – or stick to your body if the wind gusts during hanging.
- Plastic clothespins last longer than wooden pins. Look for those with strong springs and bright colours. But don't use green or white pins. The green ones get lost in the grass, and the white ones disappear in the snow.
- In winter, frozen bed sheets should be folded in quarters after they come off the line to prevent the “kite” effect. It also helps get them through the door.