This post is meant to be a thought provoking post . . not a political debate post. Please don’t go off in the political direction. It has nothing to do with what the government is or isn’t doing . . it has to do with what we, as individuals, are or are not doing. Comments are welcome . . you can agree or disagree with me, but please make sure your comments are meant to add to the conversation and not put anyone down for their thoughts.
Our area is in pretty serious drought. Our local water district is considering going to Stage 4 water restrictions. We’ve been at Stage 3 since about September, 2011. Stage 3 means outside watering one day per week but Stage 4 will mean NO outside watering. It will also mean that water district customers are to cut their water usage by 50%. Figure that one out! Most folks have been pretty conservative already and cutting usage by 50% will be tough. This area gets water from Lake Brownwood . . total rainwater/runoff water. It isn’t coming from underground aquifers so those of us using well water isn’t affecting the lake levels.
Stage 4 will mean almost all grass and shrubs will die. Before anyone suggests greywater, it’s against the rules here to divert it to outside use. Makes no sense to me but . . that’s the rule.
I am not saying we do everything right around here but if you remember when we moved here, we had so much trouble finding a place. One of the reasons was because we insisted on finding a place with a good well. We were aware that we were moving into pretty much desert conditions, we wanted a garden and fruit trees and we didn’t want to have to be told how much or how little water we could use. Not only did we finally find a place with a well, but we’ve added a solar powered well for the orchard and we will eventually add a second solar powered well for the garden.
I think back to my grandparents’ days and I wonder what they would have said about (1) paying for water and (2) being told how much they could use and when they could use it. Once you’re depending on someone else . . whether it’s government or an individual or a business for your water, your food, your entertainment . . plain and simple . . you’re dependent on them for your water, your food, your entertainment and they’re in control.
Not everyone can have their own well . . I’m just using that as one example How many other areas of our lives are we dependent on someone else? Are there areas where you’re relying on someone else for something you could provide for yourself? Might take a little effort but anything I can control instead of having someone control it for me, that’s the direction I want to take.
We’ll never ever be in complete control of everything in our lives. We count on the medical community, most of us will never grow all our own food, many of us will never be able to live completely off grid so we’re relying on the electric company.
There are modern conveniences that I don’t want to give up ever — air conditioning comes to mind. Setting up a system to live off grid isn’t feasible here or at our age. So far, electricity here is dirt cheap and it would take more years than we have left to recoup the cost of a complete solar system and, as of now, we don’t have restrictions on our electric use so we’re sticking with the electric company.
Many of us will never do more than we’re doing right now but it is something to think about.
As I was hanging clothes on the line this morning, and trying to pat myself on the back for drying those clothes completely free of charge, I had to laugh about restrictions/covenants in subdivisions that prohibit clothes lines. We will buy hybrid cars, we will do all kind of measures to be more energy efficient, but because clothes lines aren’t “pretty”, they’re prohibited. That makes no sense to me. It makes no sense that anyone would agree to live under those rules. I know folks do. I know you have your reasons. Whether or not you ever intend to have your own clothes line, why do we agree to rules that limit our “freedom”?
We’ve lived in southwest Louisiana where it rained all the time and the humidity was always high but I had a clothesline. I hung clothes in Missouri, even when temps were frigid. There are places where clothes lines just won’t work — too many trees and I would never cut a tree for a clothes line, and I’m sure there are other reasons but because it’s ugly and the powers that be in the neighborhood don’t like it . . that one I don’t buy.
I’m fully aware that I think completely different from how about 99% of folks think but for some crazy reason, I feel like we bought the place, we’re entitled to do with it what we please. If my neighbors are so close that seeing their clothes on the line bothers me, I think I need a bit more space!
The other day someone on the radio was talking about potential issues and saying how many folks keep very little cash on hand and that people should keep more cash. I asked Vince if we needed to keep more cash and neither of us could figure out a reason why we needed cash. If things got bad or something happened and we were on a cash only system (I’m certainly not thinking that’s going to happen any time soon), we both said “what would we need to buy?” and we decided we weren’t going to worry about it. So, you see . . we’re not total alarmists! 🙂
As you go through the day, I encourage you to think of ways you could be more independent . . doesn’t mean you will do them but what are some ways you can think of — things that are cost feasible and things you would really use, even now?
Deborah says
When we moved to our home here we immediately had to hunt down and purchase a clothesline. It’s one of those umbrella type things, but it’s a clothesline. People act surprised when I mention getting home to take things down before it rains, or whatever.
Then I got to thinking. When was the last time you saw a commercial for detergent that featured laundry blowing in the breeze or the child running through the sheets and towels with joyful abandon?
Enough! I’ve got a load of laundry to hang!
CindyM says
We live in one of those strictly convenant controlled deveopments. There are positives and negatives. Of course we have to get permission to plant new bushes in the yard, we have to have our paint colors approved and originally we couldn’t have a clothes line. Because of the drought Colorado has experienced in the past 8 years or so, and the economic conditions, the rules have changed. Clothes lines are permitted (although no one I know has one). We can xeroscape our yards. But we still need permission to do anything. It drives Scott nuts, but I’m glad there can’t be a continual garage sale next door, or the house across the street isn’t painted neon orange. On the other hand, we own a few hundred acres of prime Iowa farmland, so we could live off the land if soemthing goes terribly wrong — an I do actullay know how to grow things and raise critters!
CindyM says
Yikes… hope everyone can read through the typos! And I’m a writer and editor by profession!
Janna says
We would be able to live with the help of no one if it came down to it. We can and plan to install solar. We get our water from a spring which even in drought years still ran well. The majority of our heating is done with wood. Growing our own food would require some planning due to the short growing season–plans are in the works for a greenhouse. Seems as if the work never ends when you own 40 acres!
Linda in NE says
Excellent post, Judy. Dependency is like a disease in our current society. I seems to me that so many rules & laws are designed to make & keep us dependent.
So many don’t know or care to know how to live more independently. It’s not just people, it’s the whole system. If one part fails the rest will go down like dominoes and then those who are better prepared will have the last laugh, at least for a while. If times get bad enough everyone will suffer sooner or later, but those who are totally dependent will suffer first and worst.
Nolene says
Go Judy and Vince! You have made me think of ways to be more self sufficient than my husband and I had thought of before. Instead of your solar powered well, we are making plans to put in a windmill for house, garden and fruit tree use. At least once a month from your blog, I have a duh moment of why hadn’t I thought of that. We don’t plan on getting radical about being self sufficient but we want to at least be thoughtful and not just leave in a dream state.
Nolene says
Ooops. I meant live in a dream state.
CindyM says
… just another random thought… can you be considered living independently if you still have a housekeeper come in once a week? *L*
Dot in NE Georgia says
Judy, because of you I now make my laundry soap, watch eveery drop of water I use , wash clothes only when I have a full load or run out of clothes/towels and I am making plans for next year to have some type of small garden to feed one. I live in a subdivision so I have county water and septic tank.. Drying clothes outside Icannot do as I have LOTS of trees but I do have a sunroom and I may start drying out there some of my clothing items. Keep up the good work and information for us.
Kim says
I agree with you in that I want to be in control of items/services that directly effects me and my family.
I am very surprised that the county would prohibit grey line use in the country, particularly as your area is in a severe drought. At the very least grey water can be used to keep the soil around/ under the foundation moist so that the foundation doesn’t move and crack. Such a lack of common sense!
A while back National Public Radio ran a story about an Arizona town that re-plumbed a neighborhood to capture the grey water and used it for non potable uses (flushing, yard watering). The project lessened the volume of water needing treatment, and the town was able to avoid building a new sewage treatment plant. The cost of re-plumbing the houses was a pittance when compared to the cost of a new sewage treatment plant.
Carol Harper says
Back in the day when we lived in northern California during a 7-year drought (all our water was snowmelt water from the mountains, piped to the coast where we live, so no snow, no water…) and the water district put rationing on the books which consisted of a set number of gallons per day per person in the household, no outside watering, no car washing, etc., We learned a few tricks. We had buckets in the shower to catch water until the water heated up and then did a “Navy Shower” (turning water on to get wet, then off, then on to rinse), another bucket in the kitchen sink for the same purpose before hand washing dishes (no dishwasher!), a large garbage can with wheels to which we added all that bucketed water and also drained all washing machine rinse cycle water (and then bailed that accumulated water back into the next load of wash for the wash cycle). At the end of the day, that full garbage can was used in the veggie garden instead of the soaker hoses. Best veggie yield we EVER had! And we kept our water consumption WELL below the 250 gpd our household was allowed (I read the meter every day and graphed our use the entire time!) True, the grass died but the major landscaping survived as we gradually xeroscaped it…
This lasted two or three years and after the restrictions were lifted, we found we were still being very conservative with water — although we did drop the garbage can routine. It’s doable — one just has to think outside the box.
Here, in NW Ohio, we get the odd drought but we have yet to be hit with restrictions. We keep our water use down by using the water from the lake we live on for irrigation and we still do navy showers and the like. I like to think I COULD do a strict water use thing again if necessary.
Water rights differ in different parts of the country but no matter where one lives, water is a scarce resource, and how one person uses it affects their neighbors as well…
Becky in Va says
Great post!
Our once great system is broken and moving in the wrong direction. . .NOTHING I can do about the ‘system’ – the only thing I can control is my little life – and thankfully, we have a deep well and attitude to live a good lifestyle. We should have ripe tomatoes by July 4Th!
Susan says
I try to be prepared for emergencies that are reasonable to expect. I have food and water, though not enough water, stored, and other essentials, like propane lantern and heater, and propane for them. I decided I would do everything I can to prepare, but there are things I can’t do, and I’m not worrying about it. I would have loved doing what you and Vince are doing, but Paul wanted the wandering life, and I’m happy with those memories. I’m happy with this life, too, and have prepared most things I can think of for an emergency. If we have such an outage that community services are out for extended time, we’re in real trouble. I want to get a rain barrel. I could have filled as many as I wanted the last few weeks! You need some of my rain down there.
Elaine/MuddlingThrough says
I totally agree with your thinking and wish there were more I could do. In Houston, it is just not feasible to hang clothes outside. I don’t really want to sleep on sheets that have been out in this air. Plus, I don’t have room in the yard. It’s being used to grow things. I do, however, have clotheslines in the garage, and I dry things in there a lot. It’s sort of like an oven in the summer.
Mary in VA says
My husband rails against dependency on “outside” systems. I agree with him, but I’m usually too busy to join in the rant. We garden (fruit, herbs, and veggies), keep chickens, can/freeze garden stuff, make soap, beer, cheese, and bake in the winter (the house gets too warm in the summer). We could easily expand what we do except for our work schedules. We use solar for most of our out buildings but have the house and a workshop on the grid. We lucked out on the solar system because my husband could rebuild panels that someone was getting ready to throw out after replacing them. We built everything on the property ourselves (including the house), We have three building projects left and then we are done. Would I voluntarily do all the building? No, but that’s what we can afford right now.
I have 2 step-children. The youngest stays with Mom and visits on a regular schedule, The older one stays with us. The youngest is a high-schooler who refuses to help with anything, even picking veggies in the garden, and believes that everything should be handed to them. They want to spend their entire visit going to McDonalds, or playing on their Ipad. They don’t want to get a summer job. They don’t want to help with yard work,or clean house, or even make their own bed, regardless of which house they are at. When something goes wrong they are shocked and don’t know how to handle even the simplest setback (literally a broken shoelace sparked a major crisis and a demand for new shoes). The other child is more self-sufficient. They willing help out with whatever needs to be done, appreciate the garden, are learning about chickens, and don’t let minor things mushroom into full-blown problems. Are there still issues? Yes, but they react better. Why? Because they aren’t dependent on someone else for every little thing they do.
I do worry about my water usage even though we’re not on water restrictions. We’re on a well, but I do everything I can to conserve water when watering the gardens, including planning them to be “water friendly” and maintaining them with materials designed to reduce water requirements while helping to maintain soil condition. Our closest neighbor uses a water-cannon system to water his lawn so that it doesn’t turn brown in the summer. I cringe when I go by his house.
Is being self-sufficient time consuming? Yes! Are there days when I wonder what I was thinking when I agreed to do something? Definitely! Does my family think I’m crazy? For the most part. Would I do it again? Absolutely!
Susan T says
Our condo townhouse development had a no clothesline rule. Our provincial government has passed a law making these rules void. We still had to approach our condo board and management to see what type of clothesline we can have. Their new rules make it impossible to set up a line that would hold more that a pair of socks or a dish towel, so although they have paid “lip service” to the new law, no one has been able to put up a clothesline.
At our winter home, my clothesline is the first thing that is set out, and I use it regularly!
Linda H says
Except for college, I have lived my entire life on a farm. Some days I wish we could live in town (small town 2000 people) and walk to work. But I love the privacy of our 1/2 mile long tree-lined driveway. I have a little garden. We raise grass fed beef and I use my clothesline every sunny day from April to Nov! except for socks, I despise hanging up socks. The rest of the year, or rainy days, laundry gets hung in the hallway on racks. I figure I save money on electricity and am doing my part being green. Also my clothes last longer….that stuff in the lint trap isn’t magic, its the fibers from your clothes flittering away. And when my kids were babies, the diapers looked so cute flapping in the breeze!
Connie says
I agree with you Judy, 100%. Some areas here it wouldn’t be practical to try to live off the grid, but not having a clothesline bugs me the most. I do think that we as a whole have become wasteful as well. We try to be frugal as much as possible, recycle, etc. Being mindful of what we have and being less wasteful, remembering to recycle what we can, fewer unnecessary car trips, etc., could go a long way to conserving resources so that there is enough to go around.
Howdy says
You know Judy – I’m not so worried about folks that are 50+ in age… it’s those that are 30 and under that will have the hardest time surviving if our way of living goes to hell in a hand basket. They (and yes this is a generalization and doesn’t apply to everyone that age) don’t know what it is like to do without – to have to plan or work hard to get what they need never mind what they want. I’ve done what I can to teach my kids to be independent and to use common sense – a skill lacking in a LOT of people.
Gwen says
We live in San Antonio, TX and are in the drought area also. We do not live in the city limits but do get our water and sewer from the metro water system. We have been in the water once a week restriction for so long I can”t remember anything else. You can hand water holding your hose anytime. We don’t do near enough to be independent but I am mindful of what we do. I need a new clothesline! The area where the current one is has become way to shady. The birds like the trees too well for clean laundry! I always enjoy the reminders and benefit from many of the suggestions from you and your readers.
Lee says
I’ve often wondered, why doesn’t some really cool smart inventor, maybe one of the highly ecologically minded, come up with a home treatment/filtering system that can be used for home waste water which in turn can be used for all those outdoor watering needs, if the concern that caused the ‘ban’ relates to ingredients in common things like soap, shampoo, detergent, etc.. Or install diverters on drains that can be switched during those times when you’re waiting for the hot water to reach the faucet and all that good water is heading to the sewer, divert it to a garden reserve tank.
I’ve heard in some areas where folks want to catch rain-water, that it’s illegal…guess they consider it stealing from the general public from what would normally seep into the aquifer, where they’d have to pay to obtain it if they didn’t have the rain-catchers. Fuzzy logic.
Theresa says
Very thought-provoking. Seems like the more crowded we are, the more rules are created. Over-regulation is strangling our economy and our ability to live green. A lot of times it seems like the “rules” don’t favor individuals, they favor cities, counties, etc. or companies.
I really applaud your self-sufficiency. When I retire I’d like to have a well and a large garden.
Is there some way to push back on the grey water?
Glenda says
Wow, what an interesting post and comments. They sum up a lot of the issues we have to deal with here in the US in the 21st century. I really admire your efforts to conserve. Not having seen your blog until a couple of months ago, your story was a surprise to me, especially the solar cooker! I don’t believe the government or the “system” are conspiring to make us dependent. The times are changing, though, and as we move from farm to city we have to adapt. We can’t be as independent in the city as we were in the country. When you have to live around people who have loud parties, etc, you appreciate some of those restrictions that if you were out in the country, would annoy you.
I don’t agree that those of you who live in the country shouldn’t have to conserve water. Here in Texas your well water likely comes from the Edwards Aquifer, a source you share with millions of others, in town and country.
I grew up in the 50’s and idealized the frontier ethos. But I’m glad to have indoor plumbing and running water and some of the mod cons. But back in the 50’s we thought the cheap oil would never end, electricity was cheap (not so in the Dallas area now),
And everyone should have cash stashed away in case of emergency! When the electricity goes out, ATM machines and cash registers don’t work. My daughter lives in downtown DC, and when there’s a hurricane or snowpocalypse or earthquake, she has to be prepared. And here in Texas, town or country, no one can live for extended periods without needing to pay for something. Even people who live in the country have to drive in to town a couple of times a week, so aren’t really independent. Great for those who are, but reality is that most aren’t. So be prepared!
JudyL says
I didn’t say we don’t conserve water. I think anyone on a shallow well is very aware of water conservation. I said that our water usage does nto affect the Brownwood water supply.
I also didn’t say that we don’t keep some amount of cash. As seen in Katrina and similar disasters, cash isn’t king . . being prepared with supplies to meet the needs of yourself and your family is more important than having cash. I can tell you that we could go weeks and weeks without having to buy one thing. If we have $10 cash, along with our supplies that we keep, we’re better off than many I know who might have $5,000 on hand. If there’s nothing to buy and when there’s a disaster, needed supplies are in short supply, cash doesn’t do much good.
You need to read the blog more before making such statements about driving to town a couple of times a week. Other than my husband’s trip to work each day, we often go 2 or 3 weeks (or longer) without making a trip to town.
Katherine says
We have a no clothesline rule, which we don’t like, but we get around it by hanging clothes out on hangers from the patio umbrella and putting out clothes racks. I have seen a few other people with lines, so it is not really being enforced. And in the winter I put the racks in front of the heating vents and the clothes dry overnight and help with the low humidity as well. Win- win.
We bought here knowing we didn’t like the clothesline ban, but wanting a neighborhood with kids as ours were very small then. I think/thought that not having to haul kids around all the time for play dates was worth it.
We’ve been under no outdoor watering restrictions several times, so even when we aren’t, I’ve gotten accustomed to collecting the warm up water from the shower or dishes and using it for watering or flushing toilets. Just makes sense to me.
JudyL says
In almost everyone’s situation, we can’t have everything. We have to pick and choose what’s important. Sounds like you made a good decision for your family.
Debbie says
Great post, Judy. Very thought provoking. I admire the way you & Vince live. It is inspiring. I’ve done lots to conserve but alas, my mother-in-law is now residing with us and energy saving has turned into a bit more consumption. I do chase down recyclable items, though!!! 🙂
Thanks for giving my brain some food for thought today! Sorely needed. 🙂
Helen Koenig1 says
There are several ways I can – as things are HERE – do more:
I want a clothesline – and really happen to like them. I also have a son who has promised to install poles for me maybe 3 years ago. I’m still waiting!
City DOES have zoning laws however – which I think are ridiculous – no farm animals (no pet bunnies, no goats, NO CHICKENS – drat it!) – and that drives me nuts! or nuttier, anyway! Because I REALLY like fresh eggs! (and fresh chicken “on the hoof” so as to say!)
Where I am there really isn’t a lot of consistent sunshine – but I still think that solar power cooking as an extra would be wonderful! Add to that, I would LOVE to have a wood stove (although son and I go around about regular wood stove, which is what I want, and one of those kind that will either automatically feed or can be hand fed – but have EXPENSIVE kind of wood (brain doesn’t work right now – I can’t remember what they are called!) which is what HE wants! Regardless – as long as I live in this apartment house – that isn’t going to happen – has to do with liability insurance and a chimney system that is DEFINITELY not safe for fires! Still – that’s on the plate for when I move into a single family house – because it sure does help with our winters here and the cost of fuel!
I DO need to get my bunions going and sew up my clothes – I have the fabric – just haven’t done it. Of course, right now the silly machine is BROKEN. One of many reasons I would like to get a second machine! (I DID have 4 – but gave 3 away – for good reasons! Now want 1 back! That works!)
Electric – uhmmm – AC I HAVE to have – I’m asthmatic and it isn’t the COOL I need so much as the FILTERED and cooler! Of course, having washed clothes by hand – I prefer the machine! Esp. for socks (Mine get NASTY!) And then, I love to read at night – particularly when I wake up and either can’t get to sleep again or hurt too much to get to sleep!
Hilary McDaniel says
I’m with you on legal watch dogs. I agree neighborhoods don’t need used car lots in the front, garbage sitting out all week, etc. BUT after common sense things like that, if we want to divert our washing machines and baths and showers for yard watering, I think we should. Clotheslines should be allowed and encouraged. It’s so proper to be “green and conserve energy and water” but they don’t like that? That makes no sense. Rainwater is discouraged by greedy water gurus that want o control the costs. If you don’t believe that, watch the documentary on “Water” and then Food on the PBS. It’s scary. We have been conserving natural resources all our lives. We were taught waste not want not and I just wish that was still the case. Texas is getting very low on water. My BF is on the water board and if the public knew how little reserve we had, they’d be more careful. I get livid when I see people just leaving water running. Geez, think!
We are no longer the land of plenty because we have exploded our borders with the rest of the world. I’m an emigrant so I can say that. All im saying is we have to be mindful that we are feeding and housing a much greater population that is exploding at rapid rate and these resources are being over burdened.
Diane says
Judy you do make me think!
Compared to many we are very conservative and careful and prepared, but compared to others we are sloths! We are working on being more prepared for emergencies. It took living through Katrina and a couple hurricanes later to open our eyes to the fact we depend too much on the grocery store being stocked and the gas station having gas, etc.
I probably will never be one who stores gasoline, but I know some who do. I hope to be better at food and water than I have been in the past.
Living in Florida we are on water restrictions year round since we have a small window of time where we get plenty of rain. Storing in rain barrels is the way to go for watering I the garden. Even with that, Florida has some of the most restrictive HOA rules I ave ever heard of, so you can’t have too many or very large ones that would actually hold enough. You do what you can.
Thank you for causing me to reexamine. It helps for me to do this probably quarterly so I can keep an eye on supplies and progress. We still have a long way to go.
JudyL says
I think if most of us think about anything . . sometimes we think we’re doing great and other times we think we’re not doing so great. We do the best we can and keep trying to do better. I grew up in a hurricane zone so being prepared has been a way of life for me as long as I can remember.
Trina says
Interesting thoughts. Monday there was rain coming down and as I was watching it, I was thinking of my great aunt who would collect rain water to water her houseplants. She and my uncle did not have indoor plumbing. they had a pump outside their house but the water apparently had too much of something so they would go to town and fill up jugs with water. They had chamber pots for the night time and there was the outhouse. And this was in the 1970s. I miss hanging clothes out and smelling the freshness on them. I remember hanging clothes on the clotheslines in the middle of winter in Ohio and having them freeze-dry. There is something about the simpler ways of life and not having so many rules that one cannot breathe.
I know about the water restrictions. We lived in El Paso, TX and there were restrictions there too. On even days it was the even number houses that can water their lawn and odd days odd number houses. And there was a time restriction too. And when we did have downpours and seeing the rushing water in the aquaducts, I wonder why no one thought of collecting that water.to help with the shortages
Trina
CindyM says
Thsi topic has so many elements to it! We seem to be so uneven when it comes to conservatioin… somethings we do with gusto and other things I seem to have total disregard for resources…. but today, as fires are destroying dozens of homes here in Colorado, I think of 2 things — #1 being prepared if you have to leave or are with services for an extended time, and more importantly, #2 appreciating what you have … knowing that it can be taken away from you at any time. We’ve had a few summers of horrible fires here in Colorado since my own father died in a house fire. My ongoing prayer is that no one loses family or pets in these disasters.
Vicky says
A very good post, Judy. I know that when I retire out of metropolis Southern California, that I can become more self-sufficient. On the cash issue, I agree with you whole-heartedly. (I think we read the same book!) If there are no supplies around, cash is useless. I sure hope it never happens, but bartering with home-grown food for other needed items is how it could be. Heck, I remember almost three weeks with no power after Hurricane Andrew. I was grilling meat from the freezer – and actually traded some burgers with a neighbor who was making coffee the old fashioned way over his little Coleman stove! LOL. Trust me, that gallon of cold coffee was worth a couple of pounds of hamburger meat!!
Micki says
All great ideas for thought! I know we aren’t prepared for any long term problems, but I applaud your efforts. My eldest daughter lives her life along your values and I am proud of her efforts. I just can’t do it anymore. Thanks for starting the conversation.
Mel Meister says
A few years back, we talked about getting off the grid. There were rebates for installing solar panels and storage batteries for power. We didn’t do it and I wish we would have.
But, other than that, I don’t feel compelled to be concerned about “end times” or anything of that nature. I really don’t think it’s going to happen. I want off the grid because I don’t want some huge power conglomerate charging me for power.
I’m of a mind that the big corporations are too big. They control too much and don’t want any regulations. Don’t get me wrong, I believe that people need to make money. Notice I said “people”… not conglomerates. Wish we could go back to “mom and pop” times.
Diana says
Ahh that is why we live here in Western Colorado and not in Suburbia Denver anymore .. I can have my clothesline and NO one can say a thing (well they can, but no covenants). There are chickens, a few cows, llamas, pigs etc.. and we are all content and happy !
Lynley says
This is very interesting – I agree with some bits but not others – and it took me a while to figure out why. I think I see myself as interconnected with the people in my city and country and even the world in a very direct way. Every decision I make affects them, and their choices affect me. I couldn’t even try to do things myself (internet! hospitals! roads! quilting fabric!) so my solution is to get much closer and more involved with others – get to grips with all the rules and the way they are made – to try and influence community norms rather than live outside their reach. But I have never heard of a ban on clotheslines! Not in Australia, and our grey water goes straight on the garden…
Terry L says
Washing was not permitted to be dried outside in a strata development where we had a unit in Perth, Western Australia. Those people with balconies weren’t even allowed to dry washing on those balconies because it could be seen by others!
reenie burke says
First, I am feeling a bit convicted because I have not used my clothesline in a while and I have a very righteous clothesline. That will change as soon as this bad weather clears. We have a desire to live on acreage and not depend on ‘others’ for our well being. So right now we have a small garden and sneak chickens in our backyard, but if things opened up and somehow there was a way we would definitely look around in Lancaster County, Pa, it would be fun, but husband would be slightly worried about me being near my favorite quilt stores. The funny thing is people who know us and how we are preparing for whatever may happen, often say well if such and such does happen the first place I’m going is your house. I don’t want to be mean but inwardly I think you’re not really welcome, you do some hard work and prepare for yourself I find it frustrating.
Eva Lyn says
I’ve had a couple of half acre gardens and fruit trees and I’ve lived on a well. I loved it! Now I’m older and live alone,in the city and don’t have any of that anymore. Well, I set out 2 tomato plants and 4 pepper plants – does that count? I have no fence and can have as many as a dozen deer in my backyard at a time. (I have built a cube out of pvc pipe and covered it with deer net to put over my veggies.)But I have become quite a miser. I just cannot let all of that water run down the drain while I’m waiting for the hot water. I save it and use it on plants or whatever use I can find for it – maybe fil the coffee pot, brushing teeth, whatever the need is at the time. I clean according to the natural daylight, I keep my air turned up a little and run a fan to circulate. I usually end up turning the thermostat up a little more. I miss my clothes line but I don’t think I can carry a basket of wet clothes up steps and around to the back yard. As you can probably see, Judy, I relate so much to your posts, but I never had chickens!
Louise says
Great post Judy. I live in town in north Alabama. We decided several years ago to turn our whole back yard into a vegetable garden. We have paths around the plants but that is it. We have enjoyed the vegetables much more than cutting grass. My Mom lives in the next block so I walk to her house to hang my clothes on her clotheslines since the garden takes up all available space. We are allowed to have hens in town but no roosters. That is what I want next.
Sharon Downey says
We need to relearn some of the old ways of water conservation. I live in a home built in 1926 that has a cistern built into the back 1/4 of the house. It ran clear across the back of the house from under the back porch to under the kitchen. The water that used to fill it came from the rain gutters that flowed into it. When the cistern was full the water was manually switched to another drainpipe to drain on the ground as is normal.
A good friend of mine and her husband has worked very hard putting in a system that uses several covered rain barrels connected togather with hoses. They are filled with the run off from their roof and that is what they use to water their garden. The water drains from the barrels with a hose fixed up to the bottom spigot. Since our cistern is no longer connected to our water pipes because the town has public water our cistern sits empty. But I am planning on adding two rain barrels at the rear of the house. These are made for this purpose so as to not attract mosquito’s. We all must be more careful with all of our resources.