On Nick's to-do list for this weekend was installing a new post for our mailbox. We'd been thinking about it for a while, but when one of the neighbors kindly offered to lend Nick his post-hole digger because he'd noticed how badly the current post was leaning, it brought the issue to the forefront. The first trip to Home Despot ended up not being enough, as the 3-part "no dig" kit for installing a new post ended up missing one of its three parts. Home Depot was apparently unable to remedy this, so Nick exchanged it for a different setup. In digging up the old post, he discovered that it had, as suspected, rotted through where it entered the ground. He dug further, and found...concrete. A lot of concrete. Now, concrete is commonly used to set mailbox posts, but whoever set this one used about twice as much as they needed, in a wide radius around the post. Needless to say, the husband was not pleased.
Next ensued multiple hours of digging, first with a shovel and then with a trowel around the edges of the concrete through red clay and rock. I was able to spell him on and off with the trowel part, at least. Once we had enough of the bottom edges freed, Nick was able to use a pry bar (borrowed from the same neighbor who offered the post hole digger) to pry the concrete chunk loose.
Next, he placed the new post in the newly-vacated hole, and I held it it while we adjusted its position using a level. The base was anchored with a number of large heavy rocks that Nick had dug up taking out the old post, and we replaced all of the earth. We did not use concrete to set it, which may turn out to be a problem if it starts to lean or wobble. However, the same helpful neighbor who lent us his pry bar also has a small bag of concrete he's not using, and has offered it to us if needed. Plus, if it turns out that using concrete becomes necessary, it will be much easier to dig up the post this time. Once the post was adequately settled, Nick screwed the mailbox back onto the post. Screws, as opposed to the nails the original owners had used. I trimmed away the tree and shrub branches that had been threatening to overwhelm the area and placed some newly-purchased colorful chrysanthemums at the base, and we were done!
Not too bad, eh? Plus, chrysanthemums make everything look better. Especially in the fall.
