DECATUR - The postman doesn't have time to ring twice these days because he is too busy delivering packages from those last-minute Christmas mailers.

Wednesday and today are considered the busiest delivery days before Christmas for U.S. Postal Service letter carriers across the country.

Monday was considered the busiest mailing day. About 587,000 letters and packages were mailed at post offices in Decatur, Springfield, Jacksonville and surrounding rural areas, not including Bloomington and Champaign.

Letter carrier Jesse Angel expected to be hit with a high volume of packages Wednesday, but that wasn't the case.

"There is usually a lull period where people have mailed their Christmas packages and cards a week ago or they're waiting until the last minute," said Angel, 38, who is also in the Army Reserves and will be installed as incoming president of the National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 317 in January.

After spending an hour and a half sorting through mail and putting it in delivery sequence at the main post office downtown, Angel loaded his truck and headed out toward his route.

"Letter carriers are like cooks on Christmas day, someone has to fix the dinner. So we have a contract to make sure your mail is delivered," he said jokingly.

Angel braved the 34-degree temperatures without a coat during his mail delivery walk.

His route began off West Main and Austin streets. He quickly walked from one house to the next, dropping off letters and small packages that squeezed through mail slots or into mail boxes. He covered the entire block, both sides of the street, in less than 15 minutes.

He rang the doorbell at one house on Austin Street. "Ma'am, here is a package for you," he told the woman who answered the door. "And Merry Christmas."

A few houses down on the same street, he picked up a gift wrapped in shiny red wrapping paper and a silver bow left by the mail box.

The card on the gift read, "To our mail carrier."

"Usually, postal regulations say we can accept small tokens that are $20 or less in value. And if I'm given anything, I will make a note of the address and send the person a thank-you card," Angel said.

Some people left their favorite letter carrier, Angel, some peanut brittle, a can of peanuts and other Christmas gifts earlier this week.

Angel usually makes 270 delivery stops every day with a high volume of mail and picks up packages at several other postal outlets.

"Being a letter carrier is not a stroll through the neighborhood. You are constantly moving," he said.

"Letter carriers have to watch out for dogs, watch for mis-sorted mail where people have moved, watch out for cars while walking and make sure the postal van is parked with the tires turned into the curb, as well as other safety issues," he said.

Dorothy Kaufman, 79, has always had a soft spot for Angel and other letter carriers who deliver mail to her house in the 100 block of Westdale Avenue.

Her brother was postmaster in Blue Mound in the 1950s, her sister-in-law was postmaster in Harristown in the 1970s and her nephew delivered mail from 1968 to 1999.

Kaufman will drive around to find letter carriers on their route and offer them hot coffee or something to eat.

"I just like doing things for people. I see the mailmen out there in the freezing weather and try to bring them hot coffee to warm up," Kaufman said when trying to offer Angel some hot coffee and chicken nuggets from McDonald's that she had just purchased.

"I'm also fond of him because he has the cutest smile," she said and laughed.

Sheila Smith can be reached at sheilas@herald-review.com or 421-7963.