Wait! You said you were done with the mailbox project!
Yes, that’s true. The Mailboxes of Seattle project officially ended in February when I photographed the 346th box. I decided that even if the USPS dropped a brand new box right in front of my house tomorrow, I would not add it to the project. But then a few things popped up, so I humbly present this section of bonus material!
Hidden Sand Point Box!
The list of mailboxes that I was working from sometimes had not-too-accurate address information. The list would say that a box was at a certain address, but then I’d find it around the corner and halfway down the block. Then there were the times the box would be flat-out gone.
The list not only showed that there was a box near the NOAA complex at Sand Point, but it implied that it was actually tucked back in with the NOAA buildings. When I went poking around there a few months ago, I wasn’t able to get past their locked fence, so I assumed that if there was a box that it was not publicly accessible and was therefore out of bounds. I crossed it off my list and moved on. That was the last I thought of it, until…
This morning I got an email from mail carrier Kenneth, who said he couldn’t find one obscure box on my blog, one located across the street from the NOAA entrance. Hold on… across the street? Had I gone looking in the wrong spot all those months ago?
Yes, I had indeed. For you see, this box is not located among the NOAA buildings at all. It’s on Sand Point Way, but tucked into an overgrown mess of shrubbery and is practically invisible to anyone passing by. But I found it, and I photographed it, and I’m making it a late addition to the project.
Just to add intrigue to this box, there’s something I didn’t even notice until I looked at the photo. It’s a full-on snorkel box, with the snorkel pointing into the bushes. My guess is that this box once did something very, very bad in order for it to be stuck in such a hidden spot with its snorkel rendered utterly useless. What a story it could tell.
Overlooked Northgate Box
Faithful readers know that I often cite the mailbox inside Northgate Mall as the saddest mailbox in all of Seattle. Not only that, but I was sure it was the only box at Northgate Mall.
I was wrong. I was so wrong.
Earlier this evening we were about to pull out of the mall parking lot when I spied – could it be?!? – a heretofore unknown mailbox, standing guard outside the doors on the east side of the mall. You can see the absolute shock on my face.
I really don’t know how this one escaped detection. Sure, it wasn’t on my original list of boxes, but in the past year I have probably walked right past this box a half dozen times without ever noticing it. So tell me, does that say more about me… or the box itself?
Mailboxes of… Croatia?
My wife and I spent a couple weeks bicycling in Croatia, and well… I couldn’t resist.
Mailboxes of… London?
They sure are big and red over there!