Sony Diaries #1041: In memory of Rhodie

Sometimes, if one is fortunate enough, someone comes into your life that makes the inevitable saying goodbye so bittersweet. Almost 5 years ago, we said our farewell to Rhodie.

Rhodie was a Rhodesian Ridgeback that Ben got through a kennel in Jordan, a hamlet in the Niagara wine region. He wasn't your classic, long-limbed Ridgeback; rather, he had more mastiff features: broad and deep-chested. He held on to his puppy'ish exuberance longer than usual, and at close to a hundred pounds fully grown, he was a handful on a leash. He had the gracefulness of a gazelle, the speed of a horse, and the strength of a bear. He was so gentle with Misha, the Shih Tzu and Moxie, the cat. He became a mentor to Diesel, the neurotic, hypersensitive Boxer-Spaniel. Rhodie was a match with any poodle, retriever, or shepherd in the intelligence department.

So it came as a surprise when he developed a lump in his neck. We learned that Lymphoma is the most common cause of mortality in dogs, particularly of mastiff-type dogs such as Ridgebacks. And so in 2016, we said our goodbyes to Rhodie.

So here is Rhodie, in an impromptu photo session 8 years ago (March 2012). He would be 10 years old at this writing.

Sony Diaries #1040: Clouds

the sky seen from a Greyhound bus on the 401

Sony Diaries #1039: Details in B&W

These and other selections will be available for print sales in May (2020)

Inferior By Design

A few months ago, the community mailbox situated on a slight bend on the street succumbed to an overzealous driver on that curve. A few weeks after that, a replacement was installed.

The previous model was the essence of minimalist functionality.

A slim profile with earth tones blends it well with the landscape. You'd never know a mailbox was there until you were right next to it. Mounted high on stilts allows for snow build-up. 

5"x5.5"x18" allows even the thickest forearm in a winter jacket to access the very back of the slot. 

Now here's the replacement community box. By definition, a newer design should be a better design.

The box measures 2.75"x10.5"x18".

 my thin'ish forearm barely makes it to the back with rolled up sleeves,

with a winter jacket, I'm lucky to go halfway in. This is an issue with flat mail that tends to stick to the bottom. You'll need a "claw'ish" device to pull flat mail from the back towards the opening.

The other issue is height. Too low on the bottom and too high at the top.

The bottom slot is only 14" from the ground: snow accumulation, especially since this is right beside the sidewalk, regularly goes up as high as 2 feet. Over the winter, soft snow turns to packed snow, to dirty ice. Furthermore, it's low enough for medium-to-large male dogs to relieve themselves.

The top slot is 5 feet from the base. Since it is raised on a mound higher than the sidewalk, this top box is effectively almost 6 feet high. Here it is shown next to a 5'10" tall person. 

It goes without saying that a shorter person will have difficulty accessing mail towards the back of a higher slot. Even more so with winter coats.

To add insult to injury, this light-coloured community mailbox is situated right in the middle of a beautiful view. It sticks out like a huge pimple. It should have been situated closer to the trees on the right. 

It also sits right at the top of a natural toboggan hill, a favourite of kids and their parents every winter.

And who had the brilliant idea to put gravel at the base. It certainly doesn't stabilize the soil, as I assume that was the intention. The gravel just gets scattered all over the grass and on to the sidewalk, esp in the winter when the snowplow doesn't discriminate on what it plows.

Finally, the installation itself. Already, the whole box is tilting forward. Fortunately, this has the unintended consequence of slightly improving access to the slots; but not by much. 

Hopefully, the installation will be redone, now that the ground is easier to work with. I don't have any hope that they'll redesign this clunker. This has been around for a few years now but I just noticed it when it came to my neighbourhood.