My personal yardstick of when Spring is here and Winter is over.
Having lived in South Africa for so long, I must admit that I got spoiled by the hot weather. Washing a load in your machine was barely hung on the line, and it was dry. Bone dry. Extra sun kissed dry.
In fact, in Summer one could do 4 or 5 loads a day and they would be dry, dry without the help of a tumble dryer. Tumble dryers do tend to make everything feel damp and cloying. Never mind how quickly the clothes get threaded.
Bob and I must be about the most adventurous couple of ' laundry-ists ' in our area. Even though technically it is still Winter, the moment either of us spots a ray of sunshine, the washing is on our line...toute de suite. Again, we must be known as the silly foreigners. In the colder months, our hedge is devoid of foliage and all is apparent. Even knickers blowing in the wind.
" Please Schatzi, don't hang my undies on the line, just in case the wind blows them off! "
At times the washing is almost dry, at times it is dry with a lingering feeling of being frozen ( yes, the temperature is still hovering around 10 degrees yet sunny ) and at other times the washing is bone dry but has an aroma of smoked ham / cedar or worse. When it's cold, the wooden stoves of our neighbours run at maximum capacity, blowing smoke onto our laundry spot.
If you've ever hung a load of washing on a spindly clothes drier in the bathroom, you will understand why we put our washing outside even in winter. Hanging anything over, on and between the rungs of the clothes dryer usually involves a few choice words and each of us tries like mad to make the other one hang up the washing...
On Sunday we did two loads of washing and it dried on the line...a clear signal that Winter is moving on to other parts of the world.
Biggi
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