126) Is it illegal to climb on top of mailboxes? If so, is it doubly illegal to simultaneously climb on a mailbox and a relay box? If so, is it triply illegal to strike a smug, triumphant pose while doing so? I’m guessing the answer to all of these is a resounding YES, because it was surprisingly easy to get up there and if it were legal… well… I think we’d see a lot more people doing it.
125) Where’s Whittier Heights, you might ask? Well, it’s a little NE of Ballard, a little NW of Phinney Ridge, and a little south of Crown Hill. Interestingly, every single person in this neighborhood is named Whittier. Not John Whittier or Mary Whittier, just Whittier. Even this mailbox responds to being called Whittier. The pole, however, is the property of the city and refuses to be called anything.
124) I was recently discussing this project with someone, and they raised the idea of photographing pay phones. Well, that may have been viable a decade ago, but today you could probably visit every pay phone in Seattle in the span of a couple hours. I was actually quite surprised to find this one camped out in front of Safeway, resolutely standing proud next to his mailbox friend. The handset is long gone, so at least it doesn’t have to deal with pesky humans anymore.
123) I’ve been staring at this photo trying to figure out how to make some sort of “between a rock and a hard place” joke. It’s outside of El Gaucho, so maybe something like: Here I am, stuck between a box and a steak place! No, that’s not very good.
122) This is what I call a Box of Opportunity. Not because it is filled with opportunity (sure, it might be, but I didn’t look inside), but rather because of the way I came upon it. I had an appointment on First Hill, had to drive all over the place to find a parking spot, got out of the car and looked across the street… and there it was! And yes, I totally got photobombed, but I kind of like the way it looks.
121) This isn’t just a photograph, this is a work of art. And just what differentiates it from a mere photo? The fact that it tells a story… a deep, personal story. I don’t want to give away too many details, because it’s best if the viewer creates their own narrative, but let it be known that I have titled this masterpiece “It’s a 12-Second Walk to the Mailbox and My Camera Has a 10-Second Timer.”
120) Faithful readers will remember just a couple days ago when I learned of the existence of Hawthorne Hills, a nearby neighborhood that I had no idea sported its own majestic name. Given that excitement, I’m sure you’ll understand why I was even happier to find this box next to a sign that leaves no doubt as to where it is. This is, without a doubt, the least geographically-confused mailbox I’ve encountered in recent weeks.
119) One thing I’ve learned during this project is that the mailboxes are slowly disappearing. According to the Land Use signs posted at this Firestone location, this building will soon be coming down… and I can pretty much guarantee that will spell the end for this box. Mail ’em while you can, people… mail ’em while you can.
118) One of benefits of this project is that it takes me to parts of the city that I didn’t even know existed. Hawthorne Hills? Not only is that a real place, but it’s been hiding in plain sight all these years, just east of Bryant and south of Pontiac. This particular box sits at the tip of a pointy block on the edge of a lovely traffic circle, forever enjoying a majestic peekaboo view of Lake Washington. This is one lucky box.
117) I’m not sure why it has taken me so long to pop over to the charming Wedgwood neighborhood, but I’m so glad I finally made it! Just check out this graffiti-free mailbox next to a tidy bus stop along this shady tree-lined street. I don’t know if Wedgwood has an official slogan, but if they don’t I’d like to suggest “Wedgwood: We’re Swell!”