Leafed out (or under)

[altivo]

Almost all the remaining leaves on the large trees around the barns and house seem to have let go and fallen to the ground over the last 24 hours or so. We are buried knee deep in places. Because today looked to be the last sunny and reasonably temperate day for who knows how long, Gary went up and swept the leaves and debris off the house roof. There was a lot of it. Then I raked as much as I could well away from the house, leaving our front and back wooden decks pretty clear and getting most of the leaves out of the dog run. The wind will bring some back, but not as many as were in those places.

Addendum to yesterday's FedEx rant: Package with Archie's blanket in it, which was promised for delivery first on Friday and did not come, then re-promised for delivery today (Sunday? Right!) again did not come. FedEx tracking again shows that the delivery is "unscheduled." In other words, they don't know what they did with the package. It's too large to accidentally get lost, about 1x1x2 feet in size, sturdy corrugated cardboard. I'm sure it will show up eventually, and equally sure that FedEx will not apologize for their incompetence and dishonesty.

For a nice picture of Archie (Asher's half-brother) who is still waiting for his warm blankie, click here. (Art by friend Kelly James, available from her as a 5x7 in. gichlée print.)

Comments

[ranunculus]

Fed Ex here is reasonably reliable. Sounds like your distribution center is extremely poorly run. Wonder if that is, in small part, the reason Amazon started their own delivery service and ditched Fed Ex?

[altivo]

I don't think it's the distribution center. They are in Rockford, and once a shipment gets there, it always shows up here within 24 hours and is properly placed in the receiving box we have for UPS and FedEx. When we lived in Chicago, however, FedEx was always a problem. Leaving stuff at the wrong address, losing shipments, crushing them flat... That was more than 20 years ago.

Since we've been out here in the unincorporated boonies, FedEx delivery is fine. But their logistics for getting stuff to Rockford are apparently quite random and always seem to take longer than they should. It's not that they don't make many deliveries out here, though. I see their trucks two or three times a week at least. And the previous delivery they made to us came in an unmarked white van, so not all of them are even labeled.

[murakozi]

Sounds like UPS around here. They've got a couple ways of saying "Driver didn't feel like delivering."

FedEx is usually pretty decent here, though they've been getting a little annoying lately. If I know a package is coming during the week, I'll usually try to get it delivered either to a FedEx store on the way home or have it held at the big distribution center that's a half mile or so from my office. The phone people don't seem to comprehend that I'd rather stop at the store that's on my way home than have something sent to a different one that's 5 miles past my place, just because it's in the same zip code.

[altivo]

Oddly, I've had no complaints about UPS since we moved out here. Amazon and FedEx aren't nearly as consistent. USPS was very good too until Trump started his sabotage job on them.

[hrrunka]

A friend commented else-Net about a package travelling by USPS. Tracking appears to show that it has passed through his town three times so far without making it off the interstate to the local delivery office...

I hope Archie's blanket turns up soon.

[altivo]

Blanket finally arrived late this afternoon. Still haven't received the customary text confirming delivery, though.

USPS was doing well until Trump appointed a new postmaster with the Express intent of sabotage. (To make people lose confidence and keep them from using mail in ballots for elections.) Louis DeJoy has raised postage rates, dumped sorting equipment, closed offices or reduced their hours, etc.