Barbara S. from My West Sacracmento Photo of the Day sent in a picture featured on her blog last week.

These rows of mailboxes are fairly common in rural areas but what struck me about this picture is second redheaded stepchild of a mailbox. Not only is it completely rust covered, but it seems to have a “Hello My Name Is” sticker on it rather than vinyl numbers. It’s as if whoever owns it has said f’ keeping up with the Joneses.

The latest Witles’ creation and coincidentally I’m posting it a week before I go on my own European vacation!

This is another one of Ed Witles’ mailbox creations. He has a wonderful imagination!

Mailbox

Originally uploaded by shorty76

Ok wow! I don’t like to make it a habit of posting mailbox pictures from the flickr mailbox group. I prefer sharing new mailbox photos from my readers and of course the ones I find in my area. However, I couldn’t resist posting this flower mailbox. It’s totally nutty.

If you’ve been following along you know that this is the last day in what the USPS has designated as “Mailbox Improvement Week”.  This doesn’t mean you can’t turn that ugly mailbox into a presentable one any time of the year, just keep in mind that duct tape is not the solution.

Number four on our list:

1. Raising or lowering your mailbox to meet local height requirements.
2. Replacing or adding house numbers.
3. Loose hinges on a mailbox door.
4. Rusting or peeling paint.

For example, this could use a new paint job:

I also wanted to share with you, Mr. Witles’ new mailbox. This little shoe box car opens at both ends.  I’m betting those headlights work too.

Next on our checklist:

1. Raising or lowering your mailbox to meet local height requirements.
2. Replacing or adding house numbers.
3. Loose hinges on a mailbox door.

Let’s review our checklist:

1. Raising or lowering your mailbox to meet local height requirements.
2. Replacing or adding house numbers.
3. Loose hinges on a mailbox door.
4. Rusting or peeling paint.
5. Remounting a mailbox post if loosened.

We’ve taken care of how NOT to meet mailbox height requirements.

Next step replace or add house numbers:

NO

YES

Let’s review, spraying painting your house number all over your mailbox and mailbox post is bad. Using vinyl lettering made specifically for mailboxes, or neatly stenciling numbers on your mailbox is good.

The third week of May is Mailbox Improvement Week. The U.S. Postal Service is asking all homeowners to inspect and repair their mailboxes to improve the appearance of their mailboxes, as well as fix any issues that will bring their boxes up to official standards.

Common problems that need to be fixed:

• Loose hinges on a mailbox door.
• Rusting or peeling paint
• Remounting a mailbox post if loosened.
• Replacing or adding house numbers.
• Raising or lowering due to heaving to 40”-46” from the ground to bottom of box (height reqs vary so check with your local post office)

The Postal Service makes this annual request because of the wear and tear that occurs to mailboxes every year.

In honor of this week I’ll be posting some past and present attempts at “Mailbox Improvement” along with some tips.

Here’s my neighbors attempts at meeting the USPS height requirements.

and one that obviously isn’t tall enough.

We were visiting some friends recently in Palm City when we spotted this cute homemade blue tractor mailbox.

That should give you some ideas of what to do with old wagon and lawnmower wheels.