Sun Drying

 When I had a house, a rarity these days unless you are one of the lucky ones or just plain rich, I loved my clothes line. It stretched from a corner of my deck across to a cedar tree. On that line, I could hang a whole laundry load, that of a family of three. Living on the Salish Sea with a good breeze made the laundry not only dry, but smell very fresh. Now, it's but a memory and living in a condo with a deck, as I do, I yearn to use the sun and fresh air again, to dry my linens. And I do. I am sneaky about it as I break a condo rule that says we must not hang any sort of laundry out. Since my view is the back of another building and my glass deck front and side are covered with fake ivy fencing for privacy, I secretly do dry my sheets and pillow cases. It should not offend anyone because no one sees them out there. Guilt abounds but the good part is that when I slip between those sheets, I smell their natural aroma and revel in a sea breeze scent that is real, not added. My method is to use a couple of recycled curtain rods. I lay them from one deck chair back to the another. Along its length I lay folded a top sheet and a fitted one, side by side.  This entails turning them a couple of times as the sun does it work. but it is a pleasure. My environmental commitment is served as well.  I feel that this is a good way to use the sun rather than waste the energy that an electric dryer takes. And whyever not?  Of course, I have to put the other items into the dryer but I would much rather put them, also, on my deck. In Europe, laundry drying is practised and welcomed by the rest of their sensible world. Surely, condo regulators in their bylaws, can find ways of accommodating at least a small outside deck dryer system. How hard would it be to build in a wall unit that slides out in a rack for drying clothing or other items. It could be made hidden to view for the most part. Instead of putting in ridiculous things like bowling alleys, pool tables, and gyms that are little used, for everyone, a drying rack outside, would, in summer, be responsible and used by every and any one.  Newly constructed condos with living spaces ought to take this responsilibity in trying to preserve what natural benefits we can use instead of commercial social things we can find down the street.  If I were shopping for a new condo, it's something, among other environmentally responsible things, that would tempt me to buy. Rather than bars and barbecues and other visiting spaces in a condo, I care more about the world at large and what truly matters rather than silly "luxuries" that do little for us. More and more, condos are all that one can afford, therefore, let's make them homes to live in, rather than regulated units.