You've Got Mail.

The first three days we spent in Bismarck were colder than any I'd ever experienced -- or imagined possible. Even under bright sunny skies, after just a few minutes outdoors at 24 degrees below zero, an almost primal panic kicks in and an involuntary flight for cover follows. I need to find that box with my warm hats in it and unpack it, fast!

Life does seem to go on, even on very cold days, as people motor gingerly along on icy streets to the gym, the grocery store, and inevitably the drive-thru Starbucks, which boasts the only rush hour traffic jam in town, it seems.

I am sure we'll learn some tricks to cope with the cold, and even some ways to use it to our advantage. The first advice of this nature was shared with me by my new friend Dave the Mailman.

I had some mail to send out Wednesday morning, so I braved the elements in search of our mailbox, which I expected to find in its customary spot on either side of our driveway. It had snowed a great deal last weekend, and the fluffy white stuff had drifted up to several feet high around our yard...and frozen solid. I figured the mailbox was under one of the drifts, but wasn't sure where to start shoveling.

Enter Dave the Mailman, who rang our doorbell around 1 pm. Mike's sister and her family had sent us a lovely box full of housewarming goodies (thank you, Trish!), which Dave delivered with a smile.

"Do you know where our mailbox is?" I asked him, after introductions were made. "I think I will try to shovel it out when it warms up a little tomorrow."

With a wry smile Dave answered, "You don't have one. The last family who lived here used a P.O. box in town. So you'll need to put one in if you want one."

Together we looked across the yard and did the same math. The snow was high, and the ground will be frozen solid for months. Digging a post hole for a mailbox was out of the question.

"Here's what you can do," he said. "Get a mailbox and put it on a post. Fill a five gallon bucket with water. Put the post in the water, put the bucket outside, and it will stand up just fine until spring."

He saw my skepticism and assured me people do it all the time. Other local folks who have heard this story have just sort of smiled at us indulgently, so we're not sure what to think.

All I know is that it's been nice to see Dave the Mailman each afternoon since, as he's hand delivered the mail that is slowly starting to find its way to our new address. In a world with so much electronic correspondence, there's something awfully comforting about that.

We'll get the box up soon, and keep you posted about how we get it done!