laundry day at flatbroke ranch

my latest project started with this:

(i ended up changing these to all the hooks on one side & all the "eyes" on the other side because of the length of my line & the line tighteners i used.)

and ended with this:

i built a clothesline!!!!

all

by

my

self!!!

but i'm not gonna tell you the funny story about my 45* angles with the swanson speed square (which was invented in 1925 by albert swanson to determine the pitch of a roof), or not being able to get my blade on the circular saw so trying to cut 45* angles with a hand saw, or not having enough hands or any clamps so trying to hold things together with duct tape!!!! moustache duct tape, of course!!!! but then suzanne's boyfriend justin arrived on the scene & put the blade on the circular saw & then HE cut the 2x4 for the braces.

but technically i made it ALL by myself!!!!

i drilled the holes & put the eye rings & hooks on the cross bars parts & built the poles and then i dug the holes all by myself!! i tried to bribe the boys at work to dig the holes. i promised whoever dug the holes that i'd cook them a steak dinner --- well no one volunteered to help, so i did them myself.

well, me & geronimo!!!!!!

it was way easier than i expected. however, you can only get about 2 tablespoons of dirt with each scoop of the post-hole digger!!!! while i was digging the holes, i thought, "those stupid boys!!! they could have had a free steak dinner so easily!!" it only took me about 15 minutes per 2 foot hole! i was expecting it to take days!!!!

(those poles are HEAVY!!!!! when i was carrying them from the garage to the backyard, it made me think of Jesus carrying His cross for me. but i'm sure His was a lot heavier. made me love Him even more!)

geronimo helped me dig the holes -- i'd take out a scoop of dirt & he'd look in the hole. i'd have to shew his nose out & dig another scoop of dirt & he'd look in the hole!!! i told him he needed to dig the holes the way he's dug them all around his house -- he's making himself an in-ground pool i think!!!! -- but he was more interested in being the hole supervisor rather than the hole digger. i tried to take his picture supervising, but he wouldn't cooperate. it's hard to dig holes with a camera around your neck so at 1 point i took it off & put it inside. when i came out the door, he was on his front knees & had his whole head down a hole!!!! all you could see was DOG BUTT up in the air!!!!!!!!! there was no way to get the camera & take his picture because as soon as he heard me come out, he was out of the hole! dang!!! it was just too cute!!!

here are close ups of the "hooks & eyes & tighteners" -- really neat contraptions! keep the line very taught!

and here's what that clothesline can do:

(i promise not to take pictures every time i do the laundry!!!!) (i've already done & hung about 8 loads!!!! i love it!!!) i put an old hook on one end & hung a bucket -- i'm going to plant some flowers in it - hopefully this weekend.

i made a clothespin holder from a couple dish towels. i hung it with velcro from an old wooden hanger. it looked real cute but i left it on the line & the wind blew it off. i caught geronimo chewing on the hanger! he chewed it all up. at 1st i was mad at him & was mad because i'd have to buy another wooden hanger & i didn't want to go to the expense of that but then a lightbulb went off!!! i could just hang the bag directly from the clothesline since i had put velcro on the entire width of the bag!!!! much better than a hanger anyways because now i can just slide the bag along with me & not have to worry about it blowing off the line! thanks geronimo!!!!! (and he didn't chew up the bag, just the wooden hanger -- miracle!!!!!)

original "design" with the hanger:

"new improved" bag:

my backyard is really country now!!!! it's so cute with the white sheets & bluebonnets!!! (which are fizzling out quickly. they've gone to seed & the blooms are fading away. i think God gives them to us for such a short time so we'll appreciate them more.)

growing up we had to hang laundry on the line --- it was one of my most favorite chores. that & weeding our HUGE garden! but hanging laundry was my FAVORITE. i LOVE the way sheets smell after they've hung on the line!!! they feel better too.

i LOVE it!!!! i'm so glad it's "summer"! i just can't wait for saturdays to do laundry!!!!!