Tuesday, January 17, 2012

January Sky

These oak leaves were fighting hard to hang on the other morning. It was about zero. I was sitting in my truck in Deering Oaks, but I was really a ways away. I was thinking about freezing winter days like this when Mom hung out the laundry, even though the load would be hard pressed to dry, let alone thaw. Often after school when I flew through the door, she'd say, "Go grab the laundry on the line for me." This loyal son would do just that, and head out through the shed off the kitchen. On those bitterly cold, wind-blown days, I knew in advance what I faced. It took me a good five minutes attempting to corral the batch of grotesquely frozen long underwear caught in mid-stride, malformed long sleeved dressed shirts and blouses with arms dead still and yet intertwined for hours and countless pairs of socks iced over. I'd lug them in to the woodstove-heated kitchen and bury my face in the sweet laundry aroma mixed with ice. I remember kissing my shirts and taking in all that was fresh-washed clothes and that icy coolness, so soothing to my lips. For a few fleeting moments, each time I was asked to bring in our frozen apparel, I was in love with the laundry.

18 comments:

  1. on pourrait se croire a la fin de l'automne avec la couleur sur les feuilles

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  2. aww, birdman, what a strange and wonderful child you were.

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  3. A good photo image and a delightful story image, too.

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  4. Ahhh...another sweet memory. Mine doesn't include frozen laundry but, I do have great memories of spring and summer laundry and that wonderful fresh air smell that filled the clothes dried on the line.

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  5. During the summer I was the daughter in charge of hanging and gathering the laundry off the lines when I was young. I absolutely loved the clean smell and just the fact that I could work outside while my sister had some drudgery lined up for her inside. I can understand your feelings of love for the wonderful fresh scent. Nice photo -- barbara

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  6. Happy memories hey Birdman, loooooved Elenka's comment haha!!

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  7. Frozen laundry.....and I thought my summer lined dried clothes were stiff sometimes.

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  8. I always loved it when the laundry froze. All the things became magical!

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  9. I've never had to deal with frozen laundry myself, but you make it sound so romantic!

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  10. This is the most intriguing post! You capture such details - unexpected ones, like the long underwear frozen mid-stride and kissing the sweet, cold laundry. I'm blown away (no pun intended). Please make a book.

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  11. It's an interesting tale you tell, but I'm not sure it's gonna wash! I mean, really. "In love with laundry?" Did you have to actually wash the clothes, did you iron them, did you fold them? I don't think so. You just licked off the icing on the cake while your poor, hardworking mother baked the darn thing.

    Did that metaphor work?

    Sheesh! I find it is a lot of fun to tease you on a Tuesday afternoon!

    By the way, the word verification is "didled." Hahaha.

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  12. You're one weird dude, Birdman.

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  13. Nothing like a Pin Oak tree hanging on to it's leaves in the winter.

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  14. Strong little suckers! Beautiful shot.

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  15. interesting... frozen laundry? but how would it ever dry then.. ?
    i did lke to run through the laundry hanging outside, but my mum wouldnt allow it; then it would get dirty again.. :)

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