handle with care

[asakiyume]

I arrived at the post office today as a postal worker was bringing a wide, low rectangular box out to a car. The box had holes, and I could hear peeping. As we both walked into the building, I asked, "Were those chicks?" And indeed they were.

The post office was very quiet at that time of day--except for cheeping and peeping! From the back room.

"I know I can't go back there," I said, "But can you take my phone back and take pictures?"

Well, he did better than that. He brought out a box of ducklings...



and then came a box of chicks!



"I guess these are all spoken for," I said wistfully.

"No, they're mainly going to tractor supply stores," he said.

But even though B'town is a right-to-farm community, I live in a neighborhood with a homeowner's association, and sadly, poultry is not allowed. We talked about backyard chickens, the price of eggs and the cost of feed, and homeowners associations.

I love my post office and the USPS generally. [That is your veiled political commentary for the day]

Comments

[asakiyume]

I would enjoy a couple of chickens... though with all the coyotes and bobcats around, would I really? Would I, who turned over my shed to squirrels rather than engage in proactive maintenance, actually build a chicken house and take care of the chickens? Maybe they're better in theory than in practice.

But bees. What about bees? Maybe I could do bees...

I should see how people feel about removing that restriction from the covenants, though.

At least I can have the laundry line! I know that's something you can't have. How large is your association? Maybe people would be willing to change and permit laundry lines...

[osprey_archer]

Right, I like the *idea* of chickens, but feel doubtful that I would actually enjoy the maintenance. The cats may be the extent of my ability to look after a living creature!

I think you would be an amazing beekeeper, but this is based purely on vibes, as I have a very vague understanding of the actual mechanics of beekeeping. But you'd be great at telling the bees all the family news, at least.

The association actually has a meeting on May 6, so I should saunter over and test the waters. For the moment I've been drying everything on the drying rack + the upstairs bathroom shower curtain rod + my metal bedframe, which works fine, and might be better in cold weather than an outside laundry line in fact... but there's something about sun-dried clothes in summer, you know?

I wonder if I could put the drying rack on the patio and argue "Well it's not a laundry LINE" if anyone argued.

[asakiyume]

The notion that laundry lines are unsightly is such nonsense--and/but even if one is offended by their looks, in this era it's just such a commonsense good thing to do. But yes, in terms of rules lawyering, I think your drying rack would be totally fine! It's not a line! It's a rack!

[osprey_archer]

One could argue that a laundry line is very attractive, in fact! Fresh clean clothes rippling in the breeze! And a pleasant indication that the place is safe, too, as no one is afraid of their laundry being stolen by marauders.

[asakiyume]

TOTALLY agree.