And now for something completely silly

Yup, that's me tossing swimsuits out of the bathroom window. It's all part of our new apres-swim routine on Saltspring.

 When our 50-year-old kitchen sink in Vancouver had to be replaced last winter, most people would have tossed it. But not John, who honours the salvaging of quality materials to the point that he got a thrill recently out of reusing a 40-year-old fencepost. Maybe the old sink belonged under the outdoor tap on Saltspring, he pondered. We could wash our swimming shoes in it – so much better than a bucket!

Fast-forward to our latest trip to the island. A first installation of the sink on somewhat wonky legs was too island-rustic even for Saltspring, offending John’s finely honed aesthetic eye.  A second version, made of solid salvaged (of course) wood and painted to match the house, was a thing of beauty.

Gazing out at it from the bathroom window one day, I thought how close, how tantalizingly close it was. Why, you could almost … and then came my stroke of genius. We had been thinking too small! Why use the sink just for shoes?

 After changing, we could throw our swimsuits out the bathroom window! No more washing them in the bathroom sink and wasting the water down the drain. Suits and shoes could both go in the outdoor sink and all that water saved for the thirsty roses! To understand the excitement of this, you have to know that water is a precious commodity on droughty Saltspring, and keeping plants alive a constant challenge.

And so began our new apres-swim routine – a model of efficiency, frugality and water conservation. Worked like a dream: suits out the window for a wash, dirty shoes second, drain the water into a bucket, then pour it on the roses.

 Win, win, win! But the best thing? It was all completely silly.

Washing the suits; shoes are next.

Pulling the plug. Notice the sophisticated capture system.

And... onto the roses. Every drop of water is reused!