It's very popular in Europe and all over the Midwest.  It was one of my childhood chores that I actually enjoyed.  But here in Alaska it is unheard of.  The simple joy of hanging your clothes out to dry.

When I was working for Alaska Magazine years back I saw the sunny start to the day had turned into rain showers. "Oh no!" I groaned. "I have clothes on the line!"  My co-workers looked at me with puzzled faces. " Clothes on the line?" one repeated back to me.  "You know, I hung my clothes on the line this morning." Seeing that didn't dispel their confusion I added "to dry".  ( were these people born under rocks?) There was a long pause and then someone replied  "Wow, I didn't know anyone actually did that."

With all the efforts to be green and love the earth this is the most simple and easiest was to save money and our planet.  My sketch pads state they are created on recycled paper.  One I have says it was created using 100% wind power.  My watercolors are environmentally friendly and recently I saw new oil paints without all the 'bad' stuff.  Being an artist isn't always terribly green.  I wash my brushes in mineral spirits and have to dispose of my dirty paint filled water.  I do try to pay attention to ways to improve my impact.  No one loves the great outdoors more than me.

When I crawl into bed and the intoxicating smell of the great outdoors wafts off my sheets I know I have done the earth proud.  And I feel a bit of a kinship with all those other women out there in the world who are right now clipping their husband's shirts on the line.  It's simple, it's an ancient practice and it makes the earth smile wide.