After going without for about 3 years, my good neighbour gave me a washing machine, It doesn't work yet, but I think I can fix it. The first job though, is to build a new Laundry as my old one is storing a couple of arm chairs, the hens are laying eggs in them and I don't want to disturb a happy routine..
It's all part of a bigger picture..
I need water for my trees which are suffering in this drought we're having on Waiheke. The thing is, I probably still have plenty of water in my water tank as I don't have a Washing Machine or Hot Water and my kitchen sink drains into a bucket which we take outside to empty, so we don't get through a lot of water around here. The thing is I'm reluctant to put clean drinking water straight on my trees without getting a little more use out of it first, so in that way my new washing machine will provide water for my thirsty trees.

My shiny modern washing machine next to the old bucket laundry system.
Behind, you can see a clump of weeds next to some pipes against the wall of the house. That is going to become my new laundry!
You can see how dry it is, the grass barely manages a hint of green.
On the right, you can see my mini food forest, actually more of a jungle, but it has the most delicious peaches as well as grapes fruiting at the moment.

.. A closer look at the weeds.. Note the rusty old mesh frames sticking out the bottom corner, 'There's no such thing as rubbish in nature, only resources and what we choose to do with them' I heard somebody say that on the radio one time, but I think it's worth adding that things, especially living things, have an intrinsic value of their own which goes beyond any use that we might want to put them to as 'Resources'

Next Day:
A quick trip to Placemakers for Cement and Builders Mix.
I grew up in Christchurch and learned there wasn't much that you couldn't do on a bicycle. Most of my life, I've not owned a car although I do drive them often enough.

See how that mesh came in handy, I love how that sh*t works out!

Now the framing is complete but I want to wait for the concrete to cure before I put any more nails in. I'm loving this little project and it's really getting me out into my back yard. There are so many really amazing blessings out there, many of them the legacy of an elderly couple who's home this was for so many years.
Tuesday 16th Feb..

Now at last our lovely washing machine is safe from the rain, and it is raining too. Not enough to end the drought but enough to give me shocks off the angle grinder I was using to cut the roofing iron. (Don't worry folks, my outdoor power sockets are RCD protected for safety.)
There is still a lot of work to do on the little wash room yet but now at least it can rest for a few days while I do other things..
... And many other things indeed I have done but..

Hey, I now have a functioning washing machine with it's own rudimentary gray water system! I've only used it twice in the last 3 weeks but hey it's cool I like it.
The End.
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