2023/2024 arrivals and departures

[karrr]

Hi dear Garry!
Woo hoo!! My incredible magic package full of lovely seeds arrived today safe and sound! Giant thanks for pulling it off once more despite the pain and to everyone who participated and all the amazing people who sent in my wishes! Thank you so very much!!

I never realized that so many zinnia varieties existed!! I wonder if it’s too late to plant zinnias or should I wait till next year?

In NJ, I think it's almost a bit too early to plant zinnias. They love the heat. I hear mixed results at starting indoors early, and transplanting out. Some say stunted growth and smaller flowers, others say no problems. And, I know I didn't send anywhere near the amount of varieties to cross my path over the past few years, as it's 100+ varieties (if I'm not having another senior moment).

A typical zinnia takes 65 to 75 days to bloom from sowing, some outside that range.

Awesome! Not too late then! All of the zinnia varieties sound amazing. I love them and so do the bees, butterflies and the birds! Thank you Garry!!

[BettyC-5]

My package arrived a few days ago, took awhile before I could check them out. Lots of new tomatoes to select for next year. New beans and peppers to try, and lots of flowers that I will direct sow. Lots to research. Thank you for all the work. And an extra thank you to the person that sent in the yellow envelope with many of my wish list items. That's a great idea.
Betty

[Tormato]

My package arrived a few days ago, took awhile before I could check them out. Lots of new tomatoes to select for next year. New beans and peppers to try, and lots of flowers that I will direct sow. Lots to research. Thank you for all the work. And an extra thank you to the person that sent in the yellow envelope with many of my wish list items. That's a great idea.
Betty

Later in the year, I'll be posting about such envelopes with wish list items.

[Tormato]

arrivals...

Well, this is really embarrassing, as I finally got to my basement, that is now starting to warm up. I was in search of my collection of winter squash seeds, which I still can't find.

Christmas cards...

from many people, unopened 'til now, some with seeds that I will be planting. Meanwhile, my tomato starts have been on hold until today, the longest I've ever delayed a start. And, I can't find many of the seeds that I set aside to plant. While winding down the swap, I'll have to go through everything one last time, and get it all in order for the summer inventory. Hopefully this means things will be set for a smooth and orderly next swap. Yeah, I can dream.

I've a bad cold, so what I planned to mail today will have to go out Monday.

And, wrapping up the swap is always the most difficult part, as there can be loose ends. This year has plenty of them, such as packages that never arrived, here, unknown on my end if a package was going to be sent or not, packages with just seeds and postage, no wish list, no T'junction user name or any contact info like email, etc...

On Sunday, I'll list packages to go out (hopefully) on Monday. I'll also list everyone that I still need to mail to. If someone doesn't see their name or T'junction user name, contact me via PM, or respond here.

[GoDawgs]

This huge screw-up due to major rehab of Post Office computer systems, new software and major incompetence has inconvenienced the whole country. I call the Atlanta Distribution System the Place Where Mail Goes To Die. Two months ago it took ten days for the electric bill to get here and it was mailed just 7 miles away.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-e ... rcna146479

[Tormato]

This huge screw-up due to major rehab of Post Office computer systems, new software and major incompetence has inconvenienced the whole country. I call the Atlanta Distribution System the Place Where Mail Goes To Die. Two months ago it took ten days for the electric bill to get here and it was mailed just 7 miles away.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-e ... rcna146479

Talking with people in various swaps, the past 3 years, Georgia and Alabama is where packages go into a coma. Several times, things sent out in December didn't get delivered until April or May.

Here, I have a new mailperson (I think), or maybe there is more than one new person delivering the mail. Already this year, I've received 3 packages (not letters) that were for neighbors. I generally get a wrong package about once every two years.

[karstopography]

Toby is our mail carrier and that’s been the way since we moved here in 2017. I feel like Toby knows me better than I know him. I need to ask more about Toby. Dawn and Frieda worked at our central post office. Dawn was a year younger than me and I was the same age as her brother Ricky. We all went to the same high school. Frieda was either married to or a common law spouse of my first cousin’s maternal uncle. Her family had a well known restaurant/gathering place in a neighboring town. Her husband had his own business that then sold that to my uncle and Frieda’s husband ended up working with my uncle and cousins. Both Frieda and Dawn have retired. I always felt like they took care of me at the Post Office. Frieda was a big fisherman/fisherperson and we’d swap fish stories. Dawn used to complain about her husband. The new folks at the post office that replaced Dawn and Frieda I don’t know very well. There’s been some turn over.

Mail that gets deposited in our mailbox at our post office gets routed to the big city to the north, even if it’s a piece of local mail. I could get Frieda or Dawn to keep the mail local as sending the mail to Houston to then come back here always seemed idiotic. Houston was the black hole of post offices. Mail would go there and never be seen again.