As usual my postal carrier left me a notice to pick up my latest SAL
shipment from China at the PO in town. For some reason I'm never
around when the first delivery is attempted. They never leave a time
on the notice so I can't complain even if I was around. Most of the
time they sit out in the driveway and honk and if I don't go to them
they drop the notice at the mailbox. I always point out to the desk
clerk it's the one with the wrapping tape that says China Post. Anyway
what seemed longer than normal the clerk returned with a box with
wrapping tape that said "Opened for Inspection by US Customs and Border
Protection Agriculture". This was my assortment of tea blossoms. I
was expecting the worse and expected to find some missing. It looks
like they opened the box and didn't even rife through it. All blossoms
accounted for. This shipment from Shanghai only two weeks. I've been
making the slow boat connection.

Jim

Isn't that green tape impressive.
Mine got opened by homeland security a couple of times.
Being a avid gardener I have seen the APHIS inspections.
Same deal with the posties- usually they at least leave me a final
notice.
I bet a few of the shapes of tea look a bit like military demolition
charges.
OK that did it- now we are really on a watch list!

Tom

Space Cowboy wrote:
> As usual my postal carrier left me a notice to pick up my latest SAL
> shipment from China at the PO in town. For some reason I'm never
> around when the first delivery is attempted. They never leave a time
> on the notice so I can't complain even if I was around. Most of the
> time they sit out in the driveway and honk and if I don't go to them
> they drop the notice at the mailbox. I always point out to the desk
> clerk it's the one with the wrapping tape that says China Post. Anyway
> what seemed longer than normal the clerk returned with a box with
> wrapping tape that said "Opened for Inspection by US Customs and Border
> Protection Agriculture". This was my assortment of tea blossoms. I
> was expecting the worse and expected to find some missing. It looks
> like they opened the box and didn't even rife through it. All blossoms
> accounted for. This shipment from Shanghai only two weeks. I've been
> making the slow boat connection.
>
> Jim