Gus and the airer

Gus has a very long tongue and it seems to lengthen when he's excited - or apprehensive.

It’s easy to forget how young Gus is – just 16 months old. He’s a very exuberant pup and gives the impression that nothing fazes him, apart from the vacuum cleaner. He’s a bold and fearless guard dog, though we know that should any stranger come through the door, Gus would greet him with open paws rather than slavering jaws.

The infamous airer! Gus was convinced it was waiting to pounce.

So it came as a surprise today when the clothes airer spooked him. I have a backlog of washing to dry so decided to supplement the tumble dryer with the airer. There is absolutely no point in hanging the washing in the garden – it wouldn’t dry and would probably be brought in wetter than it went out. The solution Barry found last year in 2009 was hailed with much rejoicing but turned out to be less than satisfactory (slight understatement there!) 

As a refuge for the smaller forms of flying wildlife it was unsurpassed. It was almost a case of standing room only. Much as I admire and am interested in winged beasties, I have no desire to get up close and personal with them, but was forced to confront them as I wrestled the washing from the rotary dryer. Lifting the skirts of the cover to gain access to the laundry was difficult if even a slight breeze was blowing. Eventually, a stronger than usual wind happened along and tore the whirligig from its moorings. So now I have reverted to a naked carousel which is used only when rain isn’t falling.

Today, however, was not such a day. The ground is soggy, the dogs’ paws dig deep; consequently, things with which they come into contact when they come home – mats, chair covers, dog bedding – are soon rejoicing in a new guise, the ‘clean dirt’ look. Mud is ‘clean dirt’ – I leave you to imagine what might be classed as ‘dirty dirt’.

If damp items lie sullenly in laundry baskets too long, anticipating their turn in the drying machine, they sometimes rebel and develop an unwholesome odour. Then they have to be washed again because musty linen smells most unpleasant. Thus the task sometimes seems endless. I do occasionally complete all the washing so that none is left sadly awaiting its moment in the spotlight, its fifteen minutes of fame (actually, that should read ‘its moments in the washing machine, its anything from forty-five to ninety minutes of attention’)  

Gus relaxing during Frodo's ministrations

Anyway, as I was saying, Gus was frightened when the clothes airer appeared. No, it didn’t come stumbling out from the cupboard unaided but had to be wrenched from its lair under the stairs. It’s a harmless piece of equipment but Gus didn’t know that and had to be comforted by Frodo.

I’m linking to ‘Camera Critters’ and ‘Pets Forever’. Why not take a look and see what other folks have to offer?

Postscript to 'I live to launder' March 2009

One of the 'joys' of laundering is drying items in the fresh air. The trouble with living on a relatively small island (or collection of islands) is that the weather can and freqently does change rapidly bringing several varieties in the course of one day. Thus hanging out the laundry is chancy particularly if I intend to go out for the day - or even for an hour or two. Telling myself that soft rain will rinse the washing again isn't really very helpful especially if said rain drops relentlessly for hour upon hour.

I think I now have the answer. It is a rotary dryer, sometimes referred to by me as a whirligig, otherwise as a carousel, bringing to mind prancing fairground horses - now wouldn't that make a necessary chore more fun? Would I sit on each bright steed in turn, pegging clothes to ears and reins, stretching sheets and towels across the saddle pommels of the nags next to me and going UP and DOWN and UP and DOWN and ROUND and ROUND and ROUND and ROUND to the unmistakeably cheery sound of a fairground organ. Now that I think about it the flying chairs - Chair-O-Planes - could be brought into play. Think how quickly the washing would dry on those! Swing Boats would be all right for hand-held things - tea towels and dish cloths perhaps - hold on with one hand and flap the washing with the other? I don't think the Big Wheel would be much use, except at the immediate approach and departure of the zenith and at the zenith itself and the Helter-Skelter would barely have begun its work before the bottom was reached. Shooting Galleries and Lucky Dips wouldn't afford any help though perhaps the Bumper Cars might be called into action. The drawback with those would be the soiling that might occur as cars battered into each other! I remember my brother received a nasty cut to the eyebrow on a Bumper Car - blood everywhere and a lifelong scar! The Tea Cups might be useful for small light items - not enough height or space for larger things.

I digress - the rotary dryer we erected yesterday requires an extension pole as it appears to be designed for the (much) shorter woman but we purchased a rainproof cover with mesh skirts so that the washing can remain out in even the most inclement weather - apart from a howling gale, of course. (There's a boat at our marina called 'Owl in Gale'!)

This YouTube clip made me giggle - I'd like to see the house that has a garden like this!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mn0s9kTg2FM

Near the top of the instruction leaflet accompanying the DRYLINE is the advice - 'AVOID FITTING IN HIGH WIND'. Visions spring to mind of a Mary Poppins-style sailing up into the ether. Its efficacy is being tested today as drizzle is falling determinedly and the sky is grey. Wet weather gear will be required for walking the dogs. Barry chose the one dry spell to cycle with them earlier (and met a lady 'dog-scootering' of which more anon.)

Postscript: it is now definitely raining - no more of the wishy-washy precipitation that fools you into thinking you're not getting wet - this is the real, heavy-dropping stuff.