Thursday 14 January 2021

Maintenance during a lockdown

UPDATE

I did it! I found one piece of wood 1 x 10 and ripped it to size. I had a ton of wood under the workbench, but put it out for sale years ago with a sign for $50. The previous home owner was a cabinet maker. It was wonderful wood, but I knew I'd never use it. I needed the space under the garage workbench. A woman picked it all up (two trips in her truck) and promised to make me a woodpecker feeder. I've not seen it!


The Mailbox

Sunday night someone took out our mailbox. I don't think we were targeted, as Three-bay Road mailboxes were also smucked. Not as bad as ours. It was Mailbox madness, March 2016. It was right after a snow storm, so the plow probably took it out them. This time, it was deliberate. It had to be a baseball bat.


I cannot remove The Citizen box, we don't get it anymore, but it did protect the mailbox from the snowplows! 

Other mailboxes were damaged
People in my local Facebook group filed an incident report, as well.  They pried off the numbers of this box, four boxes damaged in total. Apparently, it happened at the other end of the lake community not long ago. We've all reported it. Apparently, an OPP member lives nearby.

I've been doing research. There are many How To videos. There are some things I needed to know. This strategy wouldn't make it high enough. The post is still there.

This is what I want, but Canada Post doesn't allow it!

I ordered a new one online from Home Hardware, but hadn't heard about the order in days. I figured, since we are going into lockdown (again - Won't MPP Hillier be ticked off now!), I'd best phone the store and see what they could do. Sure enough, they had the one I'd ordered. He offered to try cancel the other order for me, but I said don't worry, I'll do that myself. He instructed us to turn up at the door, and the box will be at the cash for pick-up. They aren't letting anyone in the store.
I assembled the new one.  

Mounting Plate
Last time it took me a long time to figure out how to attach it. I have the fun of attaching it in the cold, beside the busy highway. Until then, no mail! 

I checked out YouTube videos: my piece of wood is too slim. The box frame, that is supposed to fit over it, is 5 1/2", whereas the opening is 6 3/4".  They make wood 1 x 6", but actually is 5 1/2". It is most enervating. 
the mounting plate should be a 1 x 6"



As I stood here, the traffic was awful: noisy trucks roaring by, propane trucks, then, a car passed another car right behind me. My nerves are bad enough. 

I gave up. I don't know what to do. 

13 comments:

Tom said...

...knock on wood, my mailbox if doing well over all of these years!

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
...CP can dictate your style of letterbox? Mine in OZ was a brick pillar - well actually it was the left post of the gate! Here in UK, we all have them on our doors rather than at roadside, so there is a limit to variety. Hope you work out your problem soon enough. YAM xx

DUTA said...

You'll figure it out in the end.
I also try to fix things by myself; it's good for the brains and for the pocket. Youtube tutorials are of great help.

Kathy G said...

I've never lived in a place that had problems with mailboxes, but I've heard stories about people who buy two mailboxes (large and small), put them inside each other, and fill the void with concrete.

Anvilcloud said...

I did hear of mailbox baseball (I think that’s what they called it) when I taught at a rural high school.

Nancy J said...

Getting mail delivered to your own mailbox should be so easy, then the vandals come along. You'll get this done before you freeze!!!

Lorrie said...

Such a small thing to cause so much trouble! Isn't that often the way? Hope you find a solution soon. Now who would want to vandalize mailboxes - crazy.

RedPat said...

I feel you frustration! I'm sure you will solve the problem.

Olga said...

I put up a new mailbox two years ago with the help of my almost blind 80 year old neighbor. Had anyone been recording this project it would surely have gone far on Funniest Home Videos. It wasn't at all easy and there was a certain amount of bad language during some parts but it can be done. Then last year the HOA decided that all the mailboxes should match so they replaced them all, my new one included.

Out To Pasture said...

Sorry to hear about your mailbox vandalism, Jennifer. Been a victim of that myself several times. The worst part is knowing how sad the lives must be of these yahoos who destroy the property of strangers. I now have a molded, industrial plastic box that slides over a 4 X 4 post. Seems to be baseball bat resistant. Geez, isn't life hard enough without adding on wilful damage?!!

Karen said...

Our mail lady is very easy going. All she cares about is that she can reach the mail box. But that said, once in awhile the PO sends out an inspector with a measuring tape. Those yahoo's target mailboxes around here now and again too.

Marco Luijken said...

Hello Jenn,
Great to see how you have made a new mailbox. Fantastic!!
Let's hope that it is not destroyed by vandals.

Best regards, Marco

Kay said...

My classmate lives down the street and someone actually rammed their mailbox down a SECOND time. And this time, they crashed into their wall and car too. The thing is we don't have snow here so some neighbor is just a lousy driver.