There’s that moment

There’s that moment when you feel the season change. It’s something about the air – the quality of the air, not how warm or cool it is. I can’t exactly explain – maybe the normal smells change as things come into leaf or their foliage begins to wither, or how damp and cool or dry and warm the soil is, or maybe it’s the quality of the light. Something changes.

The other day I was putting the washing out (what else!) and I just sensed that shift was imminent, it wasn’t quite there, it was coming. The following day I was putting more washing out and I noticed the paving slabs beneath my feet were a different sort of cold, the sort of cold which wouldn’t properly go however much the rather feeble sun shone. I felt it through my feet because I was still barefoot and yes, still wearing shorts. The air against my skin felt thinner, somehow, my arms and legs weren’t exactly cold, but there wasn’t that denser feel of a warmer atmosphere. later, when I brought in the clothes, although there had been some wind, the things weren’t as dry as I’d expected for the amount of time they had been out, or the amount of flapping they had done.

Off the point of seasons and weather, but still with laundry, just recently I notice I’ve been pegging thigs out differently. Our whirligig drier has four arms, so four lots of washing line between them. Usually small things go on the shortest line, and I work my way up through size until shirts, towels, bedding go on the long lines. Sometimes I ‘play’ and put the clothes out by colour, but that’s just silly! recently, however, I notice I’ve been grouping clothes, nightwear on one section, t-shirts on another, boxers and undies along with small towels and tea towels together, and so on. I don’t know why. I’ll probably revert to doing it by size again! it won’t be for a while because I’m completely up to date now, all laundry baskets empty!