Out of order by request

I have long since given up on recording what number exchange I am up to. This is my 45th post, but not all 45 refer to exchanges. On the other hand, I've omitted several lots that I've won on online auctions (Trade Me and recently eBay) which you could regard as 'exchanges' of a sort. But anyway, when a fellow collector told me she was impatient to see me do a post about her latest letter I had no hesitation about writing about it out of order.

(See 'A' is from Austria) for the first letter filled with stamps that I ever received from a fellow collector. I believe that Edna is originally from Singapore, but she lives in Austria, a fairly dangerous place to live at least in a postal sense, as mail sometimes goes missing - gets diverted to Australia - unless 'Europe' is included on the address. 

That, we suspect, was what happened to my return mail. However, my friend and I persisted in our exchanging, and have now got a regular pattern of letters criss-crossing the skies (when they aren't filled with volcanic ash!). In return for my sending a cover with the set of NZ ancient reptiles Edna promised to send something special . . .

In the mail there wasn't one envelope, but two! Edna collects covers (FDC's too if they are addressed to her) and she kindly sent me a very nice couple. The stamps used for postage remind me of the ones on Behram's letter. They too have a marine theme, a topic that is much on my mind after listening to two TED Talks about the state of the world's oceans.

And what was enclosed? Two packets: 300 European stamps and 50 transport. I think that I owe at least a cover and some used stamps for that. I'll send a cover from Japan when I'm there later this year.