All it Takes for Some Rain
You know the old adage that all it takes to get some rain is to wash your car? Well, here at Our Little House, it seems all we need to do to get some rain is to do laundry.
I had been putting off the chore each day this past week, as it would cloud up every time I began to throw the first load in. I hang most of our clothes out for several reasons:
- I don’t like shrinking, tight fitting clothes
- Not running the dryer saves the environment
- It also saves money on electricity
We had a very dry June and certainly need some rain. Our garden at our neighbor’s house is very dry. They waited too long to string hoses to bring some moisture to the plants and most of them dried up. Our cucumbers quit flowering and our tomatoes will have less than a stellar harvest. I’m hoping we have even enough to can.
Once again, there was a chance of rain yesterday, but I had put off the laundry as long as possible. Not only were we running out of clothes, but I was several days late in putting the RidX down the septic system (putting it down the septic and then running a large amount of water through the next day is counter productive).
The day began sunny, so I started the laundry as soon as the dogs ate breakfast. I have to wait until Emma is out of the house for the day as the washer and dryer scare her!
As soon as the dogs and I came back to work from lunch I began to hear what I thought was heat thunder again.
About an hour later, I was running from the Belle Writer’s Studio to the little house scooping up the clothes that were hanging to dry before they got pelted with rain.
Luckily, the laundry was dry, except for the bathroom throw rug, which I hung to complete the process from the towel rack.
I’m not complaining, I wish we would have gotten more rain here at the little house, but I’m grateful for what we received.
It’s just Murphy’s Law that the one day in 10 that I pick to do laundry, the weatherman is right.
Too bad Murphy’s Law doesn’t work every time for everyone. We would certainly see less drought.
Do you have examples of Murphy’s Law at work?
Ha! You've read my mind. I have a rotary clothesline in my online shopping cart right this moment. It costs a bit more than I wanted to spend, but I want to buy a good one that'll last and handle the weight of wet laundry year after year. Our neighbor's inspired me– she and her husband spent twenty years as missionaries in Canada, where everyone dries clothes outside; and every Monday, without fail, there's a cheery line of their clothes waving in the breeze. I love it! (We have a line strung in the basement where our dryer is, but clothes can smell a little musty when they're dried there.)
Oh, you're going to love drying your clothes outside, Kim! This fresh Mountain air is wonderful!
I've been doing a rain dance for three weeks. I tried the laundry trick, but no go. Hopefully rain will be in New England over the weekend. All my flowers are on their last legs, despite watering, and the ground is so dry it does not absorb the water.
That's the problem we're having in our region now, Alexandra. We haven't gotten heavy rains, but Springfield, Mo., to our north, is getting them and the ground is just too dry to absorb all that rain at once. Good luck, I hope you see rain this weekend!
When I bought my house I discovered it had no dryer. No problem, I thought, we'll get one. We had a two-month-old infant; couldn't imagine living without one. Called an electrician to put it in, and it turned out the house's electrical was so old, it didn't have the voltage to support a dryer! Through one long winter I hang-dried cloth diapers, bibs, baby clothes… it was nuts. When we had the money we did the wiring and got the dryer. But meanwhile I'd learned to love the smell of sun-dried clothes, and to resent the electrical bill! So I still hang most of my clothes all or most of the way dry; sometimes I'll throw them in the dryer for a few minutes on low because it prevents wrinkling.
The electricity a dryer uses is amazing! I've stood and watched our digital electrical box tick up while the dryer is running. It's just crazy.
Hi Kerri,
Never had a dryer and never occurred to me to get one! Is it any American thing?
Re: veggies this year I have covered soil with cardboard and mulched heavily to cut down on water use and weeds. It really works, plants go for ages under blazing Greek sun before they get a good watering from the drip irrigation system.
Yes, Vida, I believe a dryer is an American thing. When we were in Germany, I didn't meet anyone who had them either.
Hmmm, do you mean, like, if I wash the dog's bedding she'll come in with muddy toes after months of no muddy toes? Or she'll have fun rolling around in the wet grass? It's so cute though and I love watching her be so happy in her play — Murphy's Law or not
Exactly, Meredith. But I'm glad you appreciate those types of Murphy events!
This past saturday my family and I were in mountainburg,Ar.We stayed in the Locke Mountain cabins,and I got to live large.We went to Devils Den State Park and as soon as we hit the hiking trail it started to rain.You know? We are from Fort Worth,Texas and have already started our summer drought.That rain shower was great.I wish I could take some home.I loved waching fire flies that evening!What a great place Arkansas is.
I'm so glad you got to enjoy the Natural State, Rick! The fireflies are awesome this year. I think it must be the numbers, but they just light up the entire landscape here!
We have two laundry lines. One outside in the yard and one inside the glasshouse. That'll get the scutters dry one way or the other, sooner or later. Best not to be in a hurry though.
Great to have two sets of clotheslines!
Maybe you should do something counter to the rain, V, such as setting up a rain barrel or an irrigation system in the garden that would depend on rain. Maybe that will stop it there!
It seems the weather is so extreme anymore.
I can think of at least one other good reason for hanging clothes on a line– you simply can't get them to smell as fresh in a dryer. We are moving soon and one of the things I was thrilled to see in the yard of our new country house, was a clothes line! They are not popular in our current suburban neighborhood. Also,I'm not really big on the idea of hanging our underwear out for public view. But in the country we'll be too far from anyone to have to worry about that. I am looking forward to sheets and towels that smell like my grandmother's did– as though sunshine and summer breezes were infused right into the fabric. Can't wait– but hope my new way of drying clothes doesn't bring on the rain!
You're right, Kathleen. The smell is so nice, especially the sheets! I hope it doesn't bring on the rain either. I've heard you've gotten plenty up there recently!
Yes– the rain here just doesn't seem to stop. We get a couple days of sunshine to every three or four days of rain. Wish I could have sent some of it your way in time to save your cucumbers!
Yes, Kerri,
My life is centered around Murphy's Law.(ha,ha)
I cannot get out of bed without tripping over it.
I wish I could send you our rain we have had here in Nebraska, we have been flooded, and we just got another 1" last night, we got 1 1/2" the night before.
I will do my rain dance for you, hopefully it will not rain here for a little while but again, it may be Murphy's Law and it will be flooding here again, what to do!