Clothesline Part 4 - The Merry-Go-Round

With the base now securely in the ground.  The umbrella top can finally be set in place.

YEAH!!!

Looks a little odd.

Thanks Rancher Roy

Did you notice what is growing next to the clothesline?  Yes, you are correct.  Lavender!
There is a large plant on each side of the clothesline.  Fresh, clear mountain air and lavender too.  Laundry never smelled so clean and fresh.

Even this moth enjoys the smell of lavender

Merry-Go-Round

Within minutes of erecting the clothesline this little hummingbird was enjoying the first of many rides on his new merry-go-round.  Silly me, I thought this contraption was for laundry.  Who knew.

See Clothesline Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.

This umbrella clothesline fits perfectly with Saltbush Flats' attitude of self-sufficiency. 
What New Mexico has an abundance of is sunshine and wind.  Why pay for propane to dry clothes when this glorious New Mexico weather will do it for free... and better.
No static cling.  No wrinkles.  No artificial smells.
Just soft fresh laundry.  sigh :)

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The Homesteaders Hop #4

Farmgirl Friday Bloghop #120
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Clothesline Part 3 - Securing the Base

Rancher Roy is making great progress with the clothesline.

Base Secured in Cement Block

Because the hole this was going in was massive,

You do recall this from part 2, don't you?

A box needed to be installed to help support the clothesline post and give stability to the cement block.

As you can see, Tubby, Head of Ranchlet Security, is hard at work inspecting every element of this operation.

Tubby

The base is all in and ready for the clothesline top.  We just need to wait a few days to make sure everything is dry and set.

Well done, Rancher Roy!!!

See Clothesline Part 1, Part 2, Part 4.

Clothesline Part 2 - Stump Removal

Now that the clothesline as arrived.  I found the perfect place for it, close to my back door and inside the walled patio garden area.  Just one problem.

Diseased Elm Tree Stump

This ----->

We (meaning Rancher Roy) cut the two elm trees in our patio garden area down a few weeks ago.  One was heavily diseased and dying and the other was shading our small vegetable garden too much.

Before

After

In between the before and after was a lot of this.

Rancher Roy

Removal of this stump was not easy.  Rancher Roy worked long and hard to get this out of the ground.













We will just get the winch and pull it out!... Brilliant idea!

Well, that did not work.

Rancher Roy

That means a lot more of this... again.

Winch again.

It is moving!

Yeah, success!

I do not think the instructions that came with the clothesline said to make a hole quite this big!


Without the winch we could never have moved this montrosity of a stump.  

It is so heavy, impossible for us to lift.  It will not fit through the gate.  We will have to cut it into pieces to move it out.  But that is another day...

See Clothesline Part 1, Part 3, Part 4.

Clothesline Part 1

Our home came with a propane clothes dryer.  Ugh!

First of all, propane is so expensive.

Second, I really dislike using gas or electricity for something that can easily be done without it.  This is were the clothesline comes in to play.  

I like drying my clothes on the line.  I especially like that they have no static cling.

New Mexico is perfect for outside clothes drying.  

     Abundant sunshine.

     Rarely rains.

     Extremely low humidity, very arid.

     Lots of wind.

Perfect conditions for a clothes dryer, but not so perfect for a garden.

So we went to a local store and picked up a cheap stand alone clothes dryer to use until we could find a nice permanent umbrella type clothesline.

The poor thing had to be hogtied to blocks just to hold it down.  The winds here in New Mexico are strong.  They toppled this little rack right over. 

The pole snapped at the joint.

Joint Taped Back Together

My little clothes dryer rack is in pitiful condition.  It is almost time to lay this little fellow to rest.  My new umbrella type clothesline has arrived.

See Clothesline Part 2, Part 3, Part 4.