It’s amazing to see in this modern era of texts and twitters, DVDs, MP3s and HDTVs, that there’s also an apparent revival of several technologies from a simpler age. I’ve been noticing a heightened interest in rain barrels, clotheslines, rotary mowers, hunting, fishing, gardening, biking, yes, even walking! Yet some of this, in certain areas, is considered criminal.

For instance, I love my clothesline. My dryer costs about $85 a year to run. My clothesline costs nothing. It won’t break down or make any noise. But that’s not why I love it. Just a few steps from the house it’s quiet and relaxing. I listen to the bird songs and notice the garden. The clothes swing like flags in the breeze with all their pleasant colors. I love the way they smell when I bring them in. My clothesline improves my quality of life.

A friend told me her neighborhood has a covenant that won’t allow clotheslines. With our global warming crisis at hand, that seems insane. I advised her, “Just hang a line in a hidden corner of your yard and if they come and take you away, call me. I’ll make sure the clothes get taken inside before the next rain.”

Now, concerning rain barrels … any rain that falls on the state of Washington technically is owned by the state. I know, it sounds absurd. Imagine the sound of sirens peeling down your street as one of your neighbors, a 70-year-old lady perhaps, is caught watering her petunias. She’s shoved into the backseat of a patrol car clutching her watering can, while ripples still stir in her rain barrel out back.

Fortunately, that scenario is unlikely. The state Department of Ecology assures me that they aren’t interested in those of us with a couple of rain barrels for watering our veggies. The law is there to protect salmon streams and irrigation rights in other parts of the state. Rain-starved San Juan County has gone through a long legal process to get an exemption. Island County may follow suit. Already many people on Whidbey are using rain barrels and cisterns to collect water for gardens and livestock. By collecting rain water residents are taking some of the strain off municipal water supplies and private wells. Food grade barrels with a fine screen on top are inexpensive. If the neighbors object, hide them behind shrubs. Rain water is truly a gift from heaven!

The town of Coupeville wants to make the most of their rain water and waste water. The town has done a feasibility study on using waste water and storm water for irrigating Ebey’s Prairie. The prairie has been farmed since the first white settlers arrived over a century ago. But though the farms are rich in soil, they’re poor in rainfall getting only a few inches through the summer growing season. This community water catchment project would give local farmers an opportunity to boost their yields considerably.

Whether you’re interested in a simple rain barrel, or you’d like to find out about Coupeville’s cutting edge water projects, you’ll have an opportunity to ask the experts. Jill Wood of Island County Health Dept. and Rex Porter who is managing Coupeville’s water reclamation project will present at a free seminar on Tuesday, June 9, at Oak Harbor City Hall from 7 to 8 p.m. Call 279-4762 for details.

Maribeth Crandell is Oak Harbor’s environmental coordinator.