{Mailboxes in Rural Georgia/USA}

• Probably not many readers from outside the USA do know the Mailbox system that we have here. Very convenient and with a red flag that we can raise for the mailman, to indicate that he has to take out some outgoing mail. He then will lower the raised flag and we know that the mail has been taken/delivered. No needless trips to be made to the road where the mailbox stands. 
• Our German 'son' did take such a US Mailbox home for his Grandmother so she didn't have to walk through rain or snow in vain for checking the mail. That was a very thoughtful gift from him! They had to educate their rural mail carrier how it was supposed to be done and it worked fine ever since. 
• So let's have a look at those mailboxes in rural Georgia/USA. 

• When people do come home from work, from their car they can open up the lid and take their mail or parcel out. Those boxes do contain quite a lot of mail. 
• Contrary to the narrow slit for pushing letter mail through mailboxes, mainly inside front doors, in The Netherlands. Anything that will not pass through the opening is considered parcel post and will be delivered at a higher rate and separately. 
• The green box is provided by the local Newspaper The Courier Herald.

• How many miles a rural mail carrier must drive on any given day?

• And how about delivering mail on rainy days?
• Just like we had a couple of weeks ago with 18" or 45.7 cm rain?
• Hats off to those rural mail carriers or UPS delivery, FedEx etc.!
• But anyhow, I am glad that we live in a sub division with paved roads...

Bet in Canada, Australia and New Zealand it can be very rural too. 

{Only 4 Magnolia Blossoms for 2013}

• This is the second year in a row that we missed out on our otherwise gorgeous Japanese Magnolia blossoms. We had some late frost and all the buds turned brown... 
• Sad sight as this is such a show case for early spring; mostly on my Mom's Birthday which is February 12. 
• In 2011 we had lovely blossoms on both of our magnolia trees and previous also in 2004. Below you see some photos of that lucky year... Also more links below post.
• Let me show you our 4 dreary looking, surviving blossoms that I photographed today. They were the late bloomers but still got some frost damage, as is shown below.

• Frost damage and also the color is not optimal. Their botanical name is Magnolia x soulangeana.
• This photo is taken on Sunday afternoon before we took a walk.
• Lovely weather.

• ONLY 4 made it somehow... This is our 2nd Magnolia tree.

• Our biggest Magnolia tree did not have a single blossom; all turned brown from late frost.

• This was quite a show case of blossoms in 2004... Magnolia x soulangeana

• Also in 2004, looking towards the gazebo.

• Closer towards the gazebo, showing the 2nd Magnolia tree in 2004.
• This Magnolia tree took  quite a blow when a big tree fell into it and broke off a big branch.

Are you having more luck with your Japanese Magnolia or Magnolia x soulangeana trees this year?


Related links:
{SPRING 2011 IS GRADUATING!} | Previous post by me
{Sculptured Watercolors by Patsy Gullett since 1981} | Previous post by me, showing our Magnolias too
{MORE BLOSSOMS IN OUR BOTANICAL GARDEN} | Previous post by me
{Our Camellia Sinensis Tea Plant and Japanese Magnolia} | Previous post by me

{Some Laurens County, GA Slave Houses from the 1980s}

When we came to the United States as immigrants, on August 29, of 1983 we of course started to explore the area in rural Georgia where we were living. Right here in Laurens County, Georgia we could still make some photos of former so called 'Slave Houses'. We were quite surprised to find them. I did come across these as I was scanning old slides during the heavy rains and the flooding in husband Pieter's work shop. February it was Black History Month so this is appropriate for showing them here today.

Husband Pieter took this photo in Laurens County, Georgia.

Probably in 1985 and yes, this was before the digital camera era...

Guess these are no longer around, which is a pity as it was part of history.

This one looks quite patched up...

It must have been raining a lot too, considering the water to the bottom right in this photo...

Do any of you recall those slave houses?

PS There are some comments on my FB Page (just click this link) by local readers and they  refer to them as being also tenant houses. Sure, I did NOT grow up here in this State. Any info is welcome! 

Just tried to archive some history by saving our initial photos.