Nov 05 2009

Post Office

Published by at 1:27 pm under Uncategorized

cowsPost office cows

If you mail me a present – and I hope you do – I’ll pick it up at the local post office, about five miles from my house. It’s in the same building as the hardware store, and beside the grocery store and deli, where you can also get propane* for the house and gas for the car. It’s one of those old school gas pumps where you have to flip down the handle before the gas comes out. I wish it was still accessorized by a team of attendants rushing out to fill ‘er up, clean the windshield, and flirt – those were the days.

Though lacking in gas pump jockeys, it’s not lacking in bucolic charm. Across the road is a field full of cows (see above), and across the highway is the Pacific Ocean. Slightly more attractive than the BART station of death.

Over the post office door is a swallow’s nest, with a thoughtfully provided cardboard shelf underneath. Every spring, there are peeping babies and proud parents greeting everyone who enters the post office.

applesPost office apples

This time of year, when there’s an abundance of apples, people drop them off at the post office, so those who are apple-deprived can pick them up. Not everyone is as lucky as we are, having a tree to pick apples from and make into pie for Sunday dinner. Last Sunday, we had a barbecue, roasted potatoes sprinkled with herbs (both from Megan’s garden), salad, and apple pie. It was so fun! We have decided that we’ll all have dinner together every Sunday from now on.

*I already got a bill for the tankful of propane. Guess how much it cost? $435! To paraphrase Eric Clapton, she don’t like, she don’t like, she don’t like…propane.

4 responses so far

4 Responses to “Post Office”

  1. joyon 05 Nov 2009 at 4:52 pm

    Love the pastoral scene…

    How much do you pay per litre of propane? Just want to compare US vs Canadian prices ….As you have just moved in, this must be for an empty tank?:??

    jx

  2. suzyon 05 Nov 2009 at 5:37 pm

    It’s a 250 gallon tank, and they put in 150. So it’s 60% or so. It was $2.619 a gallon – don;t know what that is in liters. Also there was a “set up” charge. Ha!

  3. Guyon 06 Nov 2009 at 4:20 am

    I agree with you, the view is much better where you’re at, what a difference this must make. Ah the old Post Office, General Store where you can fill up, pick up what you need and go home with a smile, how nice. I see the family is going to get together once a week, now that’s precious.

  4. joyon 06 Nov 2009 at 11:08 am

    G. reckons you spent 57cents (US) per litre & we last paid 58cents (Can) per litre.
    So with the exchange rate it really is fairly similar – Except that our winters are so much colder than yours. So you shouldn’t have to use as much as us.
    Interesting.
    jx