Puppet Bodies are Tulsa Bound - plus news from the Coldham Front

Good afternoon once again Friends! Cy Bear back with you for this week's installment.   As Isobel is somewhat under the weather today - she's suffering from a bug that she's just described as "back to front" and isn't enjoying the experience - this post will be quite a lot shorter than of late, but we are determined to keep up our New Year's resolution to post at least once a week throughout 2015. 
 (By that I gather she means that the Post Nasal Drip with which she lives 24/7 decided to descend to her chest mid-week, so the Pharmacy was prevailed upon to provide a Chesty Cough Mixture to loosen it up.  That it did, but the whole caboodle now seems to have lodged on her chest and she seems to be developing a head cold which is not part of the normal pattern! So, it seems to me that  a visit to the GP Surgery is on the cards for as early as she can get an appointment on Monday morning!).

There are 4 Bodies here, but one White One isn't showing!

Thus, as the title implies, the first batch of Smith Puppet Bodies were posted on Friday - and Isobel is testing a theory. 
 In the past, when we've posted Cuddlies to their Adopted Homes in the  United States (or elsewhere for that matter, but particularly the United States) on a Friday they have tended to get to their destinations within the allotted time quoted by UK Royal Mail.  We offer our Buyers the option of using the quoted service (International Airmail Signed For - which is the most expensive journey on offer) or the customer can opt to go with the "normal" International Standard Airmail Package route, which is cheaper, but takes for ever to reach where it's headed.  The former is supposed to take only 5 Working Days from date of posting.  Recently, admittedly with Christmas postal services in chaos internationally, that has not been the case - Grandpere Tiger, as you may recall took 22 days, which is not much shorter than it would have been had he just gone Ordinary International Airmail.

So, as both the Tiger Puppets sent to JS in Tulsa were posted at the beginning of the week they left the UK, Isobel decided to try sending these Puppet Bodies on Friday of last week.  There is always a get out clause for the UK Postal Authorities.  Because provided the package reaches territory in the USA within the 5 Working Days, they then cannot track the package any further - so their part of the transaction has been fulfilled.  So, it is then dependent on US Post to take up the cudgel on our behalf, and of course they could say the contract was not with them!!!   On the other hand, a Baby Koala that was headed for Hong Kong who left us when we were in Heytesbury, Wiltshire on a Friday, was at his new Home by Monday afternoon the next week!  So it can, and does work! However, when Isobel, Peter and Girls lived in Canada they always told folks in the UK to try to send packages to them in Alberta (way over on the west side of Canada) on either a Thursday, Friday or Saturday - because usually there are more aeroplanes headed towards the American Continent at a week-end (whether just cargo or passenger) and therefore more chance of our parcels getting to where they've been addressed quicker.  Now, admittedly, that was way back in the 1980's and technological "improvements" in postal services have been introduced which are supposed to be better than ever for their customers.  We'll see, and I'll let you know how things pan out with the Puppet Bodies.

I do promise you that this Black version of the Smith Puppet Bodies is a new one, because as you can see it has matching black drawstring at the neck, where the one we showed you in last week's post - the one with Alan's arm in it, has a white one.

This latter Body is currently waiting to be attached to a Black and White Cat Head which has been completed as a Dry Run for a future Smith Puppet.  It's not ready for display, as one of the ears is definitely wonky, and Isobel has yet to figure out how to fit the head to the neck of the body!  She's waiting till she's feeling capable of the battle.  So far, the attempts have not been impressive!
Meanwhile, a pair of Grey Rabbit Head Slippers will be ready by close of play today to be sent to Huron, South Dakota first thing Monday morning (January 12).  It's a week later than planned, but still within the published "ready for dispatch" date requested by Etsy.com on their sales sites.
So, until next week, I'll let Isobel go off and huddle in her armchair - and finish the second Rabbit Head. Till next time - hopefully with everyone firing on all cylinders.
Your Friend, Cy Bear.