More of the Same 2 , to End off July

Yes I know it's now August, but I started this update yesterday, July 31 and had many technical problems. My scanner gave out , had to purchase a new one, hooked it up  , more problems and finally had to seek tech support from my son Stephen, late last night. I only got the pictures to load today, August 01. Sorry for any confusion regarding dates , etc. But as Jodi Foster said in the movie  Contact, " I'm good to go " .


Here I am again for the 8th time this month, yes July is passing into history. August moves in tomorrow.
As you might interpret from today's title, it more great cards and stamps.
Let's start the day off in Australia where it's actually tomorrow . This first card celebrates the Great Ocean Road and the Twelve Apostles. The Great Ocean Road is a 243 km stretch of road along the south-eastern coast of Australia. It is certainly one of the world's most scenic coastal drives. It was built by returned soldiers between 1919 and 1932 and is dedicated to soldiers killed during World War I. It is therefore the world's largest war memorial.

The Twelve Apostles are the magnificent limestone stacks found along the famous Shipwreck Coast. Some of the stacks tower 70 metres above sea level.

Natalie used a recent stamp from a 2 stamp set commemorating 150 years since the birth of Henry Lawson , one of Australia's early literary greats.

Featured on card # 2 is a sunset at Huntington Beach Pier in California. The pier , at 1,850 ft in length is one of the longest piers on the west coat and is the most photographed spot in the town. The pier dates from 1904 and has seen surfing demonstrations by the legendary Duke Kahanamoku of Hawaii. If I ever get to Huntington Beach, I'll be heading out to the end of the pier for a burger, fries and a milkshake at Ruby's Diner.

This card was a complete surprise. It's from Richard who wrote that he's a Big fan of my blog. Thanks Richard and welcome, it's good to know I still have a few readers out there. I hope you continue to enjoy GemsWorldPostcards. I'll try to keep it interesting.

Richard used 2 fine stamps. On the left , from 2013 is a beautiful Butterfly stamp. On the right is the new Total Solar Eclipse stamp.
This the first U.S. stamp to use thermochromic ink, which reacts to the heat of your touch. Placing your finger over the black disc on the stamp causes the ink to change from black to clear to reveal an underlying image on the moon. The image reverts back to black once it cools. The stamp uses a photograph taken by astrophysicist Fred Espenak of a total solar eclipse that was seen over Jalu, Libya on March 29, 2006.

The upcoming Total Eclipse of the Sun happens on August 21st. So if you happen to be in the path of it, be sure to wear protection for your eyes.

By the way, just so you know, when I held my finger over the black disc, it did change so I could see the underlying image of the moon.Then when it cooled , it went black again. Pretty cool !



As I mentioned in my last update, My Lovely Teena and I spent a few days in southern Alberta , at Writing-On-Stone. On the way , we stopped in the town of Claresholm for a couple of hours. Of course My Lovely Teena had to find a postcard for me. Here it is , an old photo of the town from 1907.

She used another of the Group of Seven themed ATM Post and Go stamps. This one shows an Emily Carr painting. It received a nice large, clear circular cancellation at the Claresholm Post Office.

One more postcard showing the hoodoos at Writing-On-Stone. Aisinai'pi as written on the bottom of the card is Blackfoot for " it is pictured/written " .
Canada's latest UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Maple Leaf shaped stamp , issued for Canada's 150th birthday , commemorates Marriage Equality which became legal in Canada in 2005. Cancelled at Milk River.

It's on to Germany next. Dominique's card shows St Bartholomew's Church, a Roman Catholic church in the Berchtesgadner district of Bavaria. The church dates from 1697 and is located on the western shore of the Konigssee lake.

Dominique used the 2016 stamp showing Sachsische Schweiz or Saxon Switzerland in English. This is a hilly climbing area and National Park around the Elbe Valley in Saxony.

The Last Card . One more Writing-On-Stone card to highlight the Blackfoot presence in the area. The carvings and paintings in the area tell not only of the lives and journeys of those who created them, but also of the spirits they found here. A beautiful World Heritage Site.

One more Maple Leaf Stamp. This one celebrates Nunavut, the largest, newest and northernmost territory of Canada. It was created on April 1, 1999.

That's it, the end. Hopefully it's been a good read. I've certainly enjoyed putting it up here. Thanks for today's cards go out to Natalie, Richard, My Lovely Teena, and Dominique.