Posted in Homestead or Bust

Or at least you hope you will ~

Remember this?

"Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."

Herodotus, Inscription, New York City Post Office, adapted from Herodotus

Greek historian & traveler (484 BC - 430 BC)

When preparing to move to the country, you  may be surprised to learn that receiving your mail can prove to be a bit more challenging than what it once was.  Today's postal service is much more complex and strictly governed by an intricate system of regulations and tight budgets - especially in rural America.

Often you will find in lower populated areas that you may be required to obtain a post office box to receive your mail as there may not be rural carriers budgeted in that particular area.  If you purchase land to build and develop into your family homestead, you will have to establish an address where one never existed before - as was the case for our family.

It never occurred to us (...or rather Me...) that there was, potentially, any question about receiving our mail and where - until the county advised us that they would have to determine our address, assign a temporary number and then submit it to the local post master who would have to approve and thus and so.......

"Huh?" I though out loud.

When our builder cut our driveway where [we] wanted it, I bought a mailbox and post, my husband put it all together and we put it up on the right side of our driveway based upon where [me, myself and] I  thought it would, what else? "...be perfectly cute right there..."  I had no reason to think otherwise, would you?

The short version:  thankfully, it all worked out and our mailbox remains in its original spot where we placed it ~ receiving delivery of our mail daily.  But suffice to say that our local post master took great pride in telling us the first 20+ times we went into the post office to mail things that he, and he alone, "...had to ride out and determine the exact mileage of our driveway from the existing route because postal regulations will only allow extending the existing route by one mile..." and our driveway was, "...a half a mile in and a half a mile out..."

If I live to be 99, I will still see and hear that man reciting those words.

Likewise, it may be prudent if you contact the local UPS distribution and delivery location as well as Federal Express or other courier and delivery services that you may potentially receive delivery of packages by to determine if they can find your home and address.  My husband's office is here in our home and he receives a great amount of his business paperwork and media via these delivery services.  I eventually had to type detailed directions (including major landmarks such as large rocks.....I kid you not) and taking them to our local UPS post to ensure we received delivery of packages.  They gladly and willingly posted our directions on the bulletin board for our route driver (and any route substitutes) to easily know where to find us.  We still, however, have one courier service that can not seem to find us and we end up having to meet them in town.

Long before our home was finished and ready for us to move in, our postal carrier would leave us notes welcoming us and even gave us her home phone number to call if we needed her help in any way.  She was our first "new friend" here in this rural outback and as soon as our chickens began laying - I would send eggs home with her as often as I could.  Last summer, however, she retired from the Postal Service and I was heartbroken.  She remains one of my favorite people and she truly exuded all that the history of the rural free delivery and the nostalgic dedication of the postal carriers has ever been.

HomesteadBloggers ~ share your moving stories.  Blog about your moves to a simpler life in your homestead heaven.  Leave a link to your post in the comments section here.  We would love to read about your experiences.

Have a great week!

If you are interested in the history of the Postal Service and Rural Free Delivery, check out these web sites for more information:

http://www.usps.com/postalhistory/welcome.htm

http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blmailus2d.htm

http://www.geocities.com/fahsmn/post_office_history.htm

http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~stovpipe/Pipeline/Rural_Carrier.htm

Harriette Jacobs is a freelance writer living in rural East Central Georgia.  While she loves the modern conveniences of email, she still prefers handwritten letters received via the U.S. Postal mail service.  She and her family raise heirloom chickens, garden and continue to learn the homesteadin’ life.

Visit Harriette at:
South of the Gnat Line

http://www.homesteadblogger.com/southofthegnatline

Jacobs Academy: A Dirt Road Education

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/jacobsacademy