Electric bluejay
Austinite Michael Bluejay has an ever-growing Web presence addressing many topics, some Austin-specific and others of national interest. The money section of the February 12 Newsweek points readers to his pages on electricity usage and how to cut it. Popular reasons to visit his personal site and affiliated ones include an interest in bicycling, improving one’s safety as a pedestrian, and general curiosity to see what this gadfly-about-town has been up to most recently. One of our visitors had consulted his vegetarian guide to Austin and knew from the first where she wanted to dine. Newcomers are more likely to know about Leslie than about Mr. Bluejay. Anyone curious may search the Chron archives to learn more. If his pages on electricity are correct, we sure save a lot of money by doing without air-conditioning and by using clotheslines and racks to dry the laundry.
I can’t understand why more people don’t use one of the cheapest, easiest lo-tech solar devices ever invented: the clothesline.
The fact that some neighborhood associations are allowed to ban clotheslines should be cause for shame.
I’ll start. “Shame! Shame! Shame on you, you unpatriotic SOBs!”
I’ve always wondered who made those very heavy t-shaped clothes-poles from hollow metal that are all over town. Set into concrete, each pair is capable of carrying the up to four loaded lines. We saw a beautiful set of poles and lines just last weekend, carrying both strings of lights and a complete laundry. Diapers and towels and sheets, especially, benefit from a good exposure to sunshine and smell so much better for it. Breed & Co. hardware usually has several kinds of clothesline and both kinds of wooden clothespins.