Small Update Today

Just a small update for today with 2 postcards. The first card is from China , PRC and was sent by Zhoufan of Fujian. He has a blog entitled Tian ya's Blog at http://www.ejiyou.cn . Give it a look. The postcard shows an island , but as to what the words underneath mean, I have no idea.
Zhoufan used 2 stamps , the large one was issued in 2001 and commemorates Mount Lionhan. The smaller green stamp was issued in 2001 also and was issued for the environment . Thanks Zhoufan.

The other card is from Switzerland. It was sent by Postcrosser Judit. The scenes on the card show a typical Swiss town. In the top left picture is a yellow mailbox and according to Judit, this is where this card started its journey. She used 2 different stamps on the card. One is a 2007 issue showing a bird. It was part of a set of 4 bird stamps. The other stamp from 2002, again from a set of 4, featured insects and butterflies. Thanks Judit.
That's it for today. Keep posting those postcards, especially if you want to see your card online here.

Entity # 193 and Other Cards

Well I'm back , just a day later than planned. I had a successful trip to Newfoundland. While I was away for the 10 days, quite a few postcards built up in the mailbox. Postcards arrived from Iceland, Austria, Germany, The United Nations in Geneva, Finland, Scotland, Switzerland, and Japan. Not a bad haul, maybe I should go away more often.
First up today is the card from Iceland. Jaana R sent the card , she recently also sent a card from Greenland. She has since moved on to Finland. Looks like she gets around more than I do. The card was posted from Reykjavik, the capital and largest city in Iceland. Iceland is a country in Northern Europe in the North Atlantic Ocean between the rest of Europe and Greenland. It is the least populous of the Nordic Countries, with a population of about 316,000.

The stamp is a 2007 issue , 1 of a set of 2 highlighting wild berries.

The second card today is from Graz, Austria. It was sent by Postcrosser Anita M. Graz is the 2nd largest city in Austria, with a population of around 290,000. The city has a long tradition as a student city with 6 universities and 44,000 students. Graz's old town is one of the best preserved city centers in Central Europe. In 1999 it was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. The card shows various scenes and buildings in Graz.

Anita used a special issue scratch stamp. It was issued in2008 amnd marks the 50th Anniversary of Austria Airlines. It is another addition to my airlines on stamps collection. The scratch stamp formed part of a contest in which one could win trips or airplane models. Unfortunately, as Anita used the stamp for postage, one can assume that she did not win a prize.

The third card is from Igor in Germany. It shows a scene from The Prince House in Heritage Park in Calgary, from where I am writing this blog. Igor used 2 semi-postal stamps featuring the A380 on one and a Ju 52 on the other. Both stamps have special commemorative postmarks from Friedrichshafen marking the 100 years anniversary of balloon flights. Two more stamps for my aircraft on stamps collection.

Next is a postcard from the United Nations in Geneva. The UN in Geneva is the 193rd stamp issuing entity from which I have received a stamped and mailed postcard. I have now received postcards from The UN in New York, Vienna and Geneva. The card sent by Laurent W shows the Universal Postal Union Monument in Berne. The bronze and granite statue commemorating the Union's founding in 1874 was unveiled on 04 October 1909. It is the work of the French sculptor Rene De Sain-Marceaux. The sculpture embodies the UPU's truly universal mission, depicting five messengers who symbolize the five continents as they pass letters around the globe. The UPU is the international organization that coordinates postal policies between member nations and hence the world-wide postal system.

The stamps that Laurent used are just beautiful. They were issued in 2006 and are a set of 2 showing world heritage sites. In this case it is Mont Saint Michel and Provins. Provins is a commune of France with a population of 11,667. Provins was listed as a UNESCO WHS in 2001.
Mont Saint Michel is a rocky tidal island in Normandy, France. It is located 1 kilometer of the country's north coast. It was added to the list in 1979.
The Eiffel Tower on both stamps is raised or embossed, adding to the beauty of these two great UN stamps.

The card from Finland was from a fellow Postcrosser. it is from Pietarsaari - Jakobstad. It has a couple of views of the town. Pierarsaari is a small coastal town . Most of its residents speak Swedish and its Swedish name is Jakobstad.

The stamp used is a 2008 issue , part of a set of 5 values, featuring music, greetings and wishing stamps.

The card from Scotland is posted from Sanquhar, Dumfriesshire, the site of the world's oldest post office. I wrote about this post office in an earlier blog, dated 26June. But, what is special about this postcard , is that it contains a special postmark denoting it as the world's oldest post office. So it's a real keeper for sure. Thanks to Frances Barbour of Newark Farm for this great postcard.

The Switzerland postcard shows a unique view of Zurich Airport. It was sent by Postcrosser Chris and the airport picture was taken by Chris's boyfriend. I think it is a very good picture and is a very different airport view.

The stamp , one of a set of 4 , was issued in 2007.

The last card for today is one that I picked up in Newfoundland on my trip. It shows Gander Airport on Sept 11, 2001. It shows many of the aircraft that were grounded at YQX , Gander, on 911. The picture was taken by local Gander photographer Charlie Falk.

That's all folks.

Next Posting 27July

No time for a usual update today. I am leaving tonight for 10 days or so in Newfoundland. I should be returning on 26 July. So, next update should be Sunday 27 July. There should be lots of postcards arrive in the time that I am away, so the next update should be great. Till then, enjoy your postcards, stamps and covers.
Be sure to drop by again after I return.

First Card From New Country #192 , Madagascar

Today I received my first postcard from Madagascar. It is country number 192 in my collection. By my count I now have 60 more to try and receive a postcard from. Today's card was sent by George S. who is currently living in Antananarivo, the capital. Madagascar is an island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa. It is the fourth largest island in the world and the country has a population , as of July 2007, of just under 19.5 million.

The postcard shows a Verreaux Sifaka. Verreaux sifakas are lemurs and like all lemurs, they are found only on the island of Madagascar. Sifakas are medium sized indrids, reaching a lenght of 45 to 55 cm and a weight of 4 to 6 kg. Their tail is just as long as their body. Their fur is long and silky and the round , hairless face is always black.

George used a 2004 stamp , 1 of a set of 6 definitives , issue for tourism. Thanks George for this card.

I have one other bit of news to write about today. Today, July 14, 2008 is the 3rd annivarsay of Postcrossing. If you love postcards , sending them or receiving them, log on to www.postcrossing.com and join. It's great fun and your mailbox will never be empty for very long. Postcrossing was started three years ago today by Paulo Magalhaes of Portugal. He now lives in China. Let's hear it for Paulo.

Two Postcards To End The Week

I have two cards to blog about today. The first is from Iowa, USA. It was sent by new Postcrosser Patricia M. I am the receiver of her first postcard sent through Postcrossing. The card was postmarked Waterloo, Iowa. Waterloo is located in Northeastern Iowa on the banks of the Cedar River. In 2006 it had a population of 65,998. Waterloo was first settled in 1845 by George and Mary Hanna. One of the biggest attractions in the town is a tour of the John Deere Tractor Assembly Plant.

Patricia used a single First Class stamp from 2007, the Forever Stamp, featuring The liberty Bell.

My other card for today is from Portugal. It was sent by Manuel M of Silves, Portugal. It has a picture of Silves showing the older zone of the town. You can see the old castle and cathedral, both built in the Middle Ages. Silves is a very old town. The history can be traced back to 1,000 B.C.

Manuel used a new 2008 stamp . It is 1 of a set of 3 issued for the Beijing Olympic games.

Thanks to Patricia and Manuel for thier cards.

A 2nd Christmas Island Card and Malaysia , Too

I found two postcards in my mailbox today. One was from Christmas Island, my 2nd card from there. This one was sent again by Mary G as was the first. See my last post for information about Christmas Island and Mary. She used 2 different stamps this time and I thank her for that.

The bird stamp on the left was issued in 2002 and is 1 of a set of 4 . They were issued showing different birds. The second stamp on the right was issued in 2001 and is 1 of a set of 2 featuring mushrooms.

The second card is from Malaysia. It was sent by Choong Chee Yen from Sarawak on Borneo.Yen blogs on Ian's Collection and Windows of The World, see my links and visit his sites. The card shows 3 scenes from Gunung Mulu National Park , a UNESCO World Heritage Site, having been designated in 2000. It shows The Pinnacles, Lang's Cave and Melinau River. I want to thank Yen for this , it's been a while since I heard from him. Nice to know he still reads my blog, as I do his.

He used a 2006 stamp , from a set of 3 , issued featuring festivals.

Enjoy your postcards, stamps and covers.

Christmas Island , New Country # 191 and Other Cards

The first three days of this week has brought a number of postcards, including another new country in my collection. Christmas Island is new country # 191 . I will get to that in a bit.
First up today is a card from Amersfoort, The Netherlands. Amersfoort is a municipality and the second largest city in the province of Utrecht in The Netherlands. The city's population in January 2007 was 139,017. The scenes on the card show some old sites from the historic city centre and the recently built train station. This card was sent by Postcrosser Caatje.

My next card is from Kaohsiung City , Taiwan, Republic of China. It was sent by Wu Wei Yi , who wrote that she reads my blog and is impressed by it. She hopes that the card will enrich my collection and I am sure it does. Kaohsiung City is a city located in southern Taiwan. It is also the most dense and second largest city in Taiwan, with a population of 1.51 million.
Kaohsiung is a major center for manufacturing, refining, and transportation. It is also home to a large Republic of China Navy base. Kaohsiung will host the 2009 World Games, a multisport event primarily composed of sports not featured in the Olympic Games.
The card show M V Doulos in the waters of Papua New Guinea. The send of the card picked up the card and the special postmark when Doulos called in Kaohsiung Port last March. MV Doulos is recognised in the Guiness Book of World Records as the world's oldest active ocean-going Passenger ship, having been constructed in 1914. Doulos visits port cities throughout the world supplying vital literature resources, encouraging inter-cultural understanding , training young people for more effective life and service , promoting global awareness and providing practical aid. M V Doulos's purpose is to bring knowledge, help and hope to the people of the world. The ship is totally crewed by over 300 volunteers from Captain on down. The stamp on the card are from 1978 and 2006. The flag stamp showing the National Flag was issued in 1978. The dog stamp, 1 of a set of 4, was issued in 2006. the set features house animals and the this case it is a St. Bernard Dog. The red round postmark shows Kaohsiung Port.

My third card today is from Christmas Island, new country #191 in my collection. That leaves 61 more to collect. The Territory of Christmas Island is a small territory in the Indian Ocean, 2600 km northwest og Perth, Australia, 500 km south of Jakarta, Indonesia, and 975 km east north-east of Cocos(Keeling)Islands. It has a population of about 800 residents. Captain William Mynors of the British East India Company named the island when he arrived on Christmas Day, 1643.
The card was sent by Mary G of The Christmas Island Resort. I wonder how many Marys are on Christmas Island.
The stamps that Mary used are part of a set of 5 issued on 10June2008 marking 50 years since Christmas Island became an Australian Territory in 1958. The three stamps show, a red crab, the Abbott's Booby and the Christmas island Spleenwort. The two missing stamps to complete the set show the Seal of the Union of Christmas Island workers and the Flag of The Territory of Christmas Island. Interesting to note is that one of the stamps is canceled with a First Day of Issue date stamp and the other two are canceled 26June2008 , the day Mary sent the card. Take note also of the special crab postmark. The face of the card shows a male Frigate with his red throat patch all inflated to attract a female.

My final card for today is from Atlanta, Ga, USA. It shows a number of athletic facilities in Atlantic. The city has major league basketball, football, baseball and hockey teams. I guess there's lots to do if one has lots of money. Postcrosser Natasha sent the card and used 3 of 5 of the new 2008 definitive stamps featuring tropical fruit.

My thanks today go to Caatje, Wu Wei Yi, Mary G, and Natasha.

More tomorrow I hope.

3 New Countries and Other Cards

I am writing today about the postcards I received on Thursday and Friday past. Included in those cards are 3 new additions to my collection. They make countries #188, 189 and 190. These are the first additions , country wise, since back in May. June 2008 was the first month that I did not receive a new country postcard since I started collecting back in March of 2006.
First up is Libya, country number 188. I previously had received 2 stamped cards from Libya, but they were not postmarked. They were sent from The Libyan Embassy in Canada. This new card is direct from Tripoli, Libya, sent by The Corinthia Bab Africa Hotel. Libya is officially the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. Located in North Africa it is the fourth largest country in Africa, with 1.8 million square km, 90% of which is desert. It's capital is Tripoli and the country has a population of 6.1 million. The Flag of Libya is the only national flag in the world with just one color and with no design or insignia. The card has 2 pretty nice stamps showing building types. Unfortunately , I couldn't find anymore about them.

Next postcard is from The Marshall Islands, The Pearl of the Pacific. It was sent by the Marshall Islands Visitors Authority, in Majuro.The stamp is 1 of a set of 4 featuring flowers and plants. It was issued in 2006.

Another card was from Norway. It was sent by Postcrosser Bente A. The card shows Sognefjorden, the world's second longest fjord. It extends more than 200 km inland. It is 72 km from Bergen. Cliffs surrounding the fjord rise almost straight up from the water to heights of 1000 m and more. Bente used a stamp from 2008, 1 of a set of 6 promoting tourism.

Another new addition to my collection, #189 is a card from Cocos (Keeling) Islands. I received it from The Cocos Islands Tourism Association. Cocos (Keeling) Islands is a territory of Australia. The islands are located in the Indian Ocean, about half way from Australia to Sri Lanka, or 2750 km north-west of Perth and 900 km west south-west of Christmas Island at 12 degrees 07 min S, 96 degrees 54 min E. Captain William Keeling was the first European to see the islands in 1609. A couple of interesting facts about the islands- the highest elevation in the islands is 5 meters and Cocos (Keeling) Island is located on almost exactly the opposite side of the globe as Cocos Island , Costa Rica. The 2007 population of the islands was 596 . The postcard shows Cocos Island's Jukongs. Jukongs are a traditional Cocos Malay sailing craft. They were once the main means of transport on the shallow lagoons. They are now used for ceremonial purposes during festival times.
A little about the stamps on the card. Of course I was hoping for Cocos Islands stamps but the sender saw fit to use 3 Australia stamps. I'll still try for another card with Cocos stamps. The stamps include a 1994 issue , 1 of a set of 3 featuring crocodiles, and birds. A saltwater crocodile is on the stamp in question. The other stamps used are from a set of 12 , issued in 2007, issued for Zodiac signs. The stamp shown is for Gemini and says Geminis are curious and impatient. Gemini is my sign and I wonder if that is correct. Perhaps my sons who read this blog can say if that is correct.

The final card for today is from Ohio, U.S.A. It was sent by Linda T of Barberton, Ohio. She writes that she reads my blog, enjoys it so much that she has subscribed to it. Let's hear it for Linda. The card show a number of lighthouses , 6 in fact, on Lake Erie, the shallowest of the Great Lakes. Linda used 2 Star Wars stamps from the set of 15 issued 25May2007. These show Emperor Palpatine on one and Princess Leia Organa and R2-D2 on the other. I now have 5 of the 15 Star Wars stamps. Thanks Linda and keep reading.

I mentioned new country #190. Well that happens to be Reunion Island. I wrote about this card and its stamp in my blog of Jan 24, 2008. Why I am just adding it to my collection will remain a mystery to all but me. By my count I now have 62 more countries to go .

That's it for this time. I am looking forward to what the mail brings this coming week.

Parker, how did I do this time with Star Wars?

HAPPY CANADA DAY 2008

Yes, today is Canada Day. It is the 141st birthday of Canada. Canada was born July 01, 1867. I want to take this opportunity to wish all Canadians a Very Happy Canada Day. In honor of this day, I thought I would highlight the Canadian part of my postcard collection. Since I started collecting postcards on March 01, 2006 , I have received a total of 594 postcards from around the world. Of this number 3 are from Canada. I show them here. One of them is from Newfoundland on the East coast, the province of Canada of my birth. It is a map card of the province showing my hometown of Grand Falls located directly in the center of the island. Another is from Vancouver Island on the West Coast, showing a killer whale. The third Canadian card is from Calgary , Alberta where I am located. It is a commercial postcard from a local pizza house advertising their product. Even though I only have 3 Canadian postcards I have the country covered, from the east coast to the west coast.

I also want to show 3 other Canadian postcards. These are cards I send to other collectors that I think truly represent Canada. In this group is a map of Canada card, a card showing Canada's Flag, The Red Maple Leaf, and finally a card showing a R.C.M.P. Mountie in the Canadian Rockies. These are great Canadian symbols.


Since this is Canada Day and a national holiday, there will not be any mail delivery today. I will wait for tomorrow and see what the mailbox holds then.

One more time "Happy Canada Day "