Saturday, February 4, 2017

Clothes Line Saga

As you might have noticed, from time to time, I like to put aside some photos and possibly revisit a couple of older ones which make up a theme of sorts. This is one of those time.

clotheline dish
The blog post title is one of Nobel Prize winner, Bob Dylan's pieces. And the quotes beneath each of the following photos are all from that song.

This is a ceramic dish I saw at the Art Gallery of Peterborough, and it's what gave me the idea of a clothesline/laundry theme. Thomas Aitken designs the ceramics and Kate Hyde does the whimsical art. I hope you enjoy my version of laundry day.

Don't worry - I won't ask you to fold.





laundry on the line
After a while we took in the clothes
Nobody said very much
Just some old wild shirts and a couple pairs of pants
Which nobody wanted to touch
Laundry drying in the fresh country air. As you can see the sun was setting and so it needed to come in before too much longer - though it probably stayed there until morning.





laundrymat

Mama come in and picked up a book
An' papa asked her what it was
Someone else asked "what do you care?"
Papa said "well, just because"
A bench outside of a laundromat here in Peterborough. I've posted this image before but at that time, I opted to display it in black and white.





clothesline2

Then they started to take back their clothes
Hang 'em on the line
It was January the thirtieth
And everybody was feelin' fine
I see this clothesline full of items regularly when I walk down to the lake. It seems like most days are laundry day at their house.





colourful laundry2
The next day, everybody got up
Seein' if the clothes were dry
The dogs were barking, a neighbor passed
Mama, of course, she said "hi"
These colourful towels belonged to Liz and Ron - my seasonal neighbours just down the road when I lived up on the lake. They're lovely, kind people. This photo was taken in May of 2015. I think they were just settling in for the summer.





clothespins7
"Have you heard the news?" he said with a grin
"the vice president's gone mad"
"Where?" "downtown" "when?" "last night"
"Hmm, say, that's too bad"
Colourful clothespins dancing in the wind.





towel line2
"Well, there's nothing we can do about it" said the neighbor
"It's just something we're gonna have to forget"
"Yes, I guess so" said ma
Then she asked me if the clothes was still wet
Another clothesline by the lake. And yes, the towels were probably still wet.





clothesline
I reached up, touched my shirt
And the neighbor said "are those clothes yours?"
I said "some of them, not all of them"
He said "ya always help out around here with the chores?"
This was in a public picnic area in a park near a walking path on the shores of Lake Ontario in Ajax.





bras
I said "sometimes, not all of the time"
Then my neighbor blew his nose
Just as papa yelled outside
"Mama wants you to come back in the house and bring them clothes"
Peterborough showed support with over 7000 bras which adorned the walls of a local radio station for the 6th annual Bras Around the Building fundraiser. The campaign raised over $16,500 for breast cancer research this year. After the bras were all laundered, Seeds of Hope donated them to relief efforts in Haiti and Honduras.





laundry in the sun2
Well, I just do what I'm told
So I did it, of course
I went back in the house and mama met me
And then I shut all the doors
See? I told you I wasn't going to ask you to fold. It's all done

37 comments:

DJan said...

Wonderful! Full of whimsy and delight. Thank you, Hilary! :-)

Red said...

I was not worried about the folding . The colorful laundry caught my eye.

Ruth Hiebert said...

Very interesting.Seeing a long line full of laundry makes me think that a large family lives there.

Marie Smith said...

I love that first photo especially. Great post.

Andy said...

Very interesting post. I enjoyed it.

Anita said...

Fun, colorful, and enjoyable post, Hilary! I'm glad you were inspired by the dish at the art gallery.
The clothes hanging on the line in the back yard stood out for me: specs of bright colors surrounded by lots of green nature and an old garage. :)
Also, the building with the bras hanging from it. How creative and an excellent cause, and you captured it well.

Tabor said...

Great whimsy and much appreciated on this gray winter morning. Love those photos. Let me know when the coffee table book comes out.

Linda said...

Great post, quite whimsical. I don't mind folding, but ironing is another story. I taught my girls early .. read the labels before you buy anything and you be prepared to follow them.

Cloudia said...

A wonderful country ramble! Thanks

ellen abbott said...

a fun collection of photos Hilary.

Shammickite said...

Delightful post! I'd love to have a proper washing line again. Had one at my other house, but here I just drape damp things over the backs of the patio chairs in the summer. What a great idea with all the bras, Looks like a giant booby trap!!!! heheheh

William Kendall said...

The bras around the building are quite a sight!

Grayquill said...

Ok I hope this is not a duplicate comment. I lost my first one.
I love how you have the ability to capture a photo, knowing what part of a scene will make that stunning photo. Immediately I was reminded of your talent. I need to stop by more often.... I hope all is well with you and yours.

Karen said...

ohhhh, I just remembered the load in the washer waiting to be dealt with. Thanks Hilary!

Bob Bushell said...

Beautiful creative washing line, I love them.

stephen Hayes said...

Love the abstract quality of that first laundry photograph.

Barbara said...

This is an awesome collection, Hilary. You have such an eye. How do you keep your photos organized? There are times I want to use an old one, but can never find it. Obviously, my organization style isn't working!

messymimi said...

The house with so much laundry -- that reminds me of how much i had to do when the children were young. Excellent shots!

Tammie Lee said...

wonderful theme and images.
we are not quite in that season here.
Well i do hang my clothes in the cabin to dry in winter. Just no breeze.

Anvilcloud said...

I think you are just stringing us a line.

Leah J. Utas said...

Absolutely wonderful, Hilary. The bench photo is utterly magnificent.

Linda at To Behold The Beauty said...

What a fun post, Hilary! I love all the colors and, as DJan said, the "whimsy" of the whole thing.

Daryl said...

ilove that whimsical dish but $110 even for art is a lot ..... i would worry about breaking it ... love all the laundry shots ... themed posts are such fun

Unknown said...

I wish I wasn't allergic to manual labor, doing chores the old fashioned way is much more photogenic than tossing things into a machine! Great shots, love the colors and composition.

Linda said...

I don't see clotheslines very often these days. Some subdivisions don't allow them! But at the beach, of course, you need to hang up all those wet towels.

Wendy said...

What is it about hanging clothes up in the fresh air? I don't know, I find it relaxing, calming and in the end, your clothes (or sheets -even better) smell of freshness and clean summer breezes!

Chucked at the bra building! And love those pink lake pics peeking behind the wet clothes hoping to dry before the sun goes down.

Looks like you had fun!

Maggie May said...

There's something about washing on clothes lines that appeals to me!
Loved the theme, especially the dish!
Maggie x

Lady Fi said...

Love these clothesline photos!

A Cuban In London said...

The close-up of the clothes peg deserves a frame and a gallery. :-)

Greetings from London.

sage said...

I've seen a lot of trees with bras (a bar in a town in Nevada with a year-around Christmas tree decorated with bras and a tree along the Au Sable River) but that building is something else!

Maria said...

I usually dread laundry day, which occurs about thrice a week for me. But you've turned it into poetry. So I guess it's true to say it'll never be the same again.

Jenn Jilks said...

You have such a keen eye. Great photos. We have to meet up again in spring!

photowannabe said...

Delightful drama, Hilary.
Each one tells a story and I can't pick a favorite....the clothes at sunset, the pins dancing on the line, bras around the building...
GOOD STUFF!!

Mage said...

I'm running late on everything these days, but I wanted to tell you that the photos with poem were wonderful.

Pauline said...

Absolutely delightful from beginning to end. I've never known anyone who can match words and pictures as well as you do!

Cloudia said...

thinking of you...

L. D. said...

It is a wonderful theme. I really like all the colors of the clothes on the line.