316) Yeah, I’ll get back to posing with mailboxes soon. Gotta take care of something else right now.

315) This is one of the most unique boxes in Seattle. What’s so special about it? Well, to the best of my knowledge, it’s the only mailbox that has been ADDED in recent years. Faithful readers will recall my many mentions of boxes that have been removed from the city landscape, but never before had I learned of one that was new to a location. This bizarre odyssey started a few months ago when Julie alerted me to a box mysteriously appearing in a spot she swore had been vacant the day before. Sure enough, my data did not include an entry for this location, meaning this was the rarest of all mailboxes… a newborn, if you will. When it came time to visit this box, I naturally had to have Julie in the shot with me. And also naturally, she donned her International Detective Woman of Mystery scarf to commemorate her investigative work.

314) This is a very, very nervous mailbox. Large construction projects tend to spell doom for many boxes in Seattle… everything can be hunky dory for literally decades, but then all of a sudden some construction fencing goes up and WHOOSH! The box is gone, never to return. So far, it looks like this box is escaping this fate, but as I said, it’s very nervous.

313) Mailboxes are very dutiful civil servants, so it shouldn’t be too surprising to learn that many of them have a military background. Take this fine double-wide, for example. He likes to start every day in perfect formation, and he has even successfully recruited a couple of friends to join him. The thing is, he keeps this up the full day, because this is one box that doesn’t know the meaning of “at ease!”

312) This box exists in a strange transition zone. In the area immediately around it we have low apartment buildings and even a selection of single-family homes. A very short distance away, however, and the buildings scrape the sky. Barely visible in this photo is the ribbon of I-5 that delineates the two, keeping one from encroaching upon the other. This mailbox doesn’t care about any of that. He just wants that green relay box to move over a step or two and give him some breathing space, man.

311) You’ll notice that this mailbox is very, very nervous. Absolutely shaking in his boots, he is. Why? Because the peace and tranquility that he has known for decades is rapidly being shattered by the constant stomping and buzzing of new humans in the area. Look at the street corners — each one of them has a Now Leasing sign, luring new tenants into the new apartments buildings that have sprouted all around this guy. It’s a new world, one he’s not happy about.

310) So, how’s your 2018 going so far? If you happen to be a mailbox on the western side of University Village, I’d say your 2018 is off to a great start. Just look at how happy this guy is! Sure, it’s rather cold out there, but he’s got a nice bike rack and garbage can to keep him company, and these days that counts for a lot.

309) To kick off the new year I visited this dedicated box in the heart of Pioneer Square. I asked the box if he had any resolutions for the new year, at which point he simply started weeping. The weeping gave way to full-on sobs. I backed away, knowing that I had crossed a line that was best left uncrossed.

308) For the last post of 2017, I thought I’d show you one of the most elusive boxes in Seattle. Oh sure, it looks like it’s right out in the open and easy to spot, but I assure you, that was not the case. All I knew was that there was supposedly a box on the Children’s Hospital campus, but I could not spot it using Google Street View, and my first venture exploring the campus turned up nothing. But when I tried again, I realized that I had overlooked an entire parking around back, and hey, there it was! And wow, that was a really dull story. I’ll have to do better in 2018.

307) This photo is a tribute to the survivors. In the foreground, of course, is this dedicated public servant that has been a key component of mail distribution for decades. In the far background, we have the Crocodile, an amazingly storied music venue that has avoided being shut down or torn down, also for decades. Between these two, we sense an invisible, but individual bond of respect.