Friday Favorites

U.S. Mailbox

U.S. Mailbox by Cliff Hutson

I was quite surprised to find a rural mailbox on the Remodelista 100 list. My thinking was that there would be no call for one in their neighborhoods of lovingly restored brownstone flats or trendy lofts. Then it occurred to  me that they probably have one at the weekend house in the Hamptons, the summer cabin in Sun Valley, and the ski chalet in Aspen.

My photograph is not the same as the mailbox the list shows. Theirs is the plain metal one which was so common when I lived up in the Central Valley many years ago. Every farm and ranch had one on a post at the end of their drive, or sometimes at a nearby crossroads. There would usually be a second box on the post for the newspaper, either the "Bee" or the "Daily Democrat".  I always felt that one could predict the outcomes of elections in a given area just by counting those boxes.

The standard for these mailboxes was set in 1915, and has stood the test of time.  When we first moved out here I installed one with a loon painted on the side. We found it amusing to give directions to our place by saying - "Turn right at the Baptist church and keep driving until you see the loon".  Sadly, it had to be replaced after it was backed into the second time, and we went with more economical versions after that.

They have served well, keeping the elements off our mail and magazines, and even holding many of the packages that come our way. The only weakness being that the flag is is a temptation for passing schoolchildren to twist. I would 'recommend one to a friend', assuming they don't live in the confines of an urban environment.