While traveling home along Horsetooth Road (yes, that’s a real street name, not to mention the name of a very distinguishing landmark in Fort Collins), a route I take everyday, I spotted the elusive, once thought to be extinct, bowling ball mailbox.

This isn’t the one, because it’s ill-advisable to slam the breaks, whip out a camera phone and take what would undoubtedly be a blurry picture of something. This will have to do. (It’s the idea that counts, right)? Incorporating the pins are certainly something I hadn’t seen before. And why hadn’t I seen that particular mailbox before? More importantly perhaps, how in the world did this concept even come about? I had another four minutes on my commute to ponder this and lo and behold, I drove passed Chipper’s Lanes not thirty seconds after spotting these striking spheres. (Ooh . . . great bowling team name)! Maybe the bowling ball mailbox belongs to the house that belongs to the owner that the bowling alley belongs to. If not, the homeowner must be thrilled to live in walking distance to the place of his/her’s favorite pastime. (Clearly, it’s their favorite pastime as evidenced by the bowling ball shrine at the end of their driveway).

Obviously, this is a dying trend because I haven’t seen these on Pinterest. Upcycled bowling balls? Repurposed bowling balls? Do bowling balls go bad? Wear out? There’s a use for just about anything, such as making baby clothes out of wire hangers and building a three bedroom house (to code!) out of empty toilet paper rolls. (I swear I saw those on Pinterest . . . should have pinned them).

What is the point to this, you ask? There really isn’t one, as far as I can tell, except to send this question out into the cyber void . . . Who came up with stacking bowling balls to create a mailbox post? I know you’re all more interested in hearing about the 8th Annual Northern Colorado Writers Conference, but there is so much to tell and I’m working on sifting through all the fun moments and putting together that post. Not a bowling ball post. Until then, enjoy this other creative alternative for using bowling balls.

The possibilities are seemingly endless.