One of many fascinating things to see and do in Rockome Gardens is The Bottle Houses. One house is made from 2,500 Fresca bottles. Another house is made of 7-Up bottles. Crafts and displays of many kinds are on display from the last weekend in April until the first weekend of November. Highlights of the year are Railsplitting Days in the spring and Horse Farming Days in the fall when craftsmen gather here to demonstrate and sell their products. West of I-57 Exit 203 near Arcola.
Color photo by Mike Coles
unused
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Rockome Gardens is a nationally known tourist attraction which features large formal gardens, concrete fencing and architecture, buggy rides, and many special events from May through October. It is located just outside of Arcola, Illinois.
Buying Quality Products is like buying oats...
If you want nice, clean, fresh oats, you must bay a fair price. However, if you can be satisfied with oats that have already been through the horse
Well . . . That comes a Little Cheaper
Samobor is a city in Zagreb County, Croatia. It is part of the Zagreb metropolitan area.
It is a place that many people go to for rest and relaxation. There are covered bridges and many two-story houses to walk around and look at. One thing many people like to do there is eat some of their famous food dishes. One is called Rudorska greblica is a special cheesecake. Another treat is Samoborske kremsnite, a cake of custard and flaky pastry.
Star Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. Set in the 24th century from the year 2371 through 2378, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager, which becomes stranded in the Delta Quadrant 70,000 light-years from Earth while pursuing a renegade Maquis ship. Both ships' crews merge aboard Voyager to make the estimated 75-year journey home.
Starring:
Kate Mulgrew, Robert Beltran, Tim Russ, Roxann Dawson, Robert Duncan McNeill, Garrett Wang, Ethan Phillips, Robert Picardo, Jeri Ryan, Jennifer Lien
postmarked in 2012 with two of the same Ukraine stamps featuring acorns and a leave for 2.00
the sender writes:
On this postcard is the Tower of Constantine in Feodosia. This is an architectural symbol of the city.
I love this place, looking at this tower is like being in the Middle Ages.
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The Genoese Fortress, 14th c., is located in the northern part of the city, above Feodosiya Bay. It was part of ancient Kafa's (Feodosiya) city fortifications. In the 18th and 19th c. most of the structures were dismantled.
It is a mailable postcard with a place on the back to write a message, address, and place a stamp. However there is a pull tab to open the card and pull out a DVD to see, learn, and explore the history and culture of the Hawaiian Islands. It can be watched in English and Japanese and features the islands of Aloha: Kauai, Maui, Molokai, Oahu, Lanai, and Hawaii's Big Island.
unused, bought in Hawaii in 2012, was made in 2006
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Postcard DVD Video
Pisa
Un viaggio tra immagini, canzoni e racconti
1 cartolina + diaporama di 16 mn su DVD commento multilingue in Italiano, Inglese, e Tedesco.
Questo filmato di 16 minuti e una passeggiata tra le meraviglie di Pisa, attraverso un percorso di interesse artistico e culturale.
Translation:
Pisa
A journey through pictures, songs and stories
1 postcard + slideshow of 16 mn DVD multi-lingual commentary in English, Italian, and German.
This 16-minute movie and a walk through the wonders of Pisa, through a series of artistic and cultural interest.
unused, bought in 2010
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The back has a place to put a stamp and write and address and message. The DVD on the front is thin and seams to be pretty secure, but I don't know if it would make it through the mail or not.
Belfast Harbour
during the visit of the Tall Ships, August 2009
The Port of Belfast is Northern Ireland's principal maritime gateway, serving the Northern Ireland economy and increasingly that of the Republic of Ireland. About 60% of Northern Ireland's seaborne trade and 20% of the entire island's is handled by the Port which receives over 6000 vessels each year. Belfast was the finishing port of the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge, with ships completing over 7,000 nautical miles.
Photo: Esler Crawford
This is an unused, John Hinde Postcard
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The Tall Ships Challenge is an annual event organized by the American Sail Training Association alternating in a three year cycle between the Great Lakes, the Pacific and the Atlantic coasts of North America.
The event draws hundreds of thousands of people to witness beautiful tall ships from the age of sail and provides a unique opportunity for the participants to interact with the crews of different vessels in friendly rivalry as they race from port to port.
The series began in 2001 on the Great Lakes and saw vessels from six countries and visited seven US and Canadian ports. It has since continued to grow. In 2009 the Tall ships which left from Halifax in Canada raced to Belfast, Ireland.
I love how the turkeys are harnessed as horses for the buggy. There is a printing error - if you look at the red on the faces of the children, the lips and hair highlights are off to the left.
Madang Harbour
In Madang and all over Papua New Guinea, South Pacific Lager is the most popular beer.
(yes, that is what is printed on the back of this beautiful postcard)
unused
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Papua New Guinea, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea. It is located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, in a region defined since the early 19th century as Melanesia.
Papua New Guinea is one of the most culturally diverse countries on Earth. According to recent data, 841 different languages are listed for the country, although 11 of these have no known living speakers. It is also one of the most rural, as only 18 percent of its people live in urban centres. The country is one of the world's least explored, culturally and geographically, and many undiscovered species of plants and animals are thought to exist in the interior of Papua New Guinea.
After being ruled by three external powers since 1884, Papua New Guinea gained its independence from Australia in 1975. It remains a Commonwealth realm of Her Majesty Elizabeth II, Queen of Papua New Guinea.
I always try to list nice cards and stamps, but Uganda is very hard to find. So even thought these are not in the best condition, I figured I would post them anyway, at least to have another one from this country. As I can get more from here, I will post them.
Ruwenzori, The Mountains of the Moon, Uganda
Photo by Aiden Southall
This is postmarked with an Uganda Independence 1962 stamp.
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The Rwenzori Mountains, previously called the Ruwenzori Range (the spelling having been changed in about 1980 to conform more closely with the local name), and sometimes the Mountains of the Moon, is a mountain range of central Africa. It is located on the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with heights of up to 5,109 m (16,761 ft). The highest Rwenzoris are permanently snow-capped.
Texas Size Polar Bear, Alaska
Same size as Alaskan Ermne
Photo Courtesy Bill Wyatt
The back says this is "Another ..."alaska joe" original' postcard -
so by saying this is Texas size, they are making fun of the fact that everyone thinks of Texas as this huge state when Alaska is soooo much bigger! .....
Alaska 663,267.26 square miles
Texas 268,580.82 square miles
unused
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The stoat (Mustela erminea), also known as the ermine or short-tailed weasel, is distinguished from the least weasel by its larger size and longer tail with a prominent black tip. Its range has expanded since the late 19th century to include New Zealand, where it is held responsible for declines in native bird populations.
The winter fur is very dense and silky, but quite closely lying and short, while the summer fur is rougher, shorter and sparse. In summer, the fur is sandy-brown on the back and head and a white below. In the stoat's northern range, it adopts a completely white coat (save for the black tail-tip) during the winter period. Differences in the winter and summer coats are less apparent in southern forms of the species.
ŽIVOJIN LAZIĆ, srpski vojnik, Solunac (arhiv Editions francophiles)
translation:
ŽIVOJIN LAZIĆ, a Serbian soldier, Solunac (Archive Editions francophiles)
the sender writes:
Hi Brenda, The man on this card is Zivojin Lazic who fought for Serbia in World War I. He got the nickname Solunac many years after WWI because he fought in the Macedonian Front. Actually, all soldiers who survived the Solunski front got the same nickname. But Zivojin was the most popular.
Funiculaire du Vieux Quebec (Old Quebec Funicular)
postmarked in 2012 with a Canadian 'Baby Wildlife - Caribou' stamp 1.05
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The Old Quebec Funicular is a funicular railway in the Old Quebec neighbourhood of the city of Quebec in Canada. It links the Haute-Ville (Upper Town) to the Basse-Ville (Lower Town).
The funicular opened on November 17, 1879, and originally used the water ballast system of propulsion. The line was converted to electrical operation in 1907. On July 2, 1945, a major fire destroyed the structure, necessitating a rebuild that was completed in 1946. Since then, major renovations have taken place in 1978 and 1998. In 2004 it celebrated 125 years of operating.
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In the center of this postcard you can see the strip of the funicular ....
Quebec
Vue de Bas-Quebec et du Chateau frontenac depuis le St-Laurent, par une journee d'ete ensoleille.
Lower Quebec and the Chateau Frontenac as seen from the St. Lawrence River on a bright summer's day.
unused, from 2012
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The Château Frontenac is a grand hotel in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, which is currently operated as Fairmont Le Château Frontenac. It was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1980. Prior to the building of the hotel, the site was the residence of the British colonial governors of Lower Canada and Quebec.
Postmarked in 2012 with four Belarus stamps from the Belarus Architecture Series
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Sovietskaya Street is truly the heart of the city and the main tourist attraction. It is a tree-lined pedestrian promenade, which runs through the center of the downtown shopping district.
It was laid out in the mid-19th century and in the 1970s it was closed to traffic and now is lined with shops, restaurants and outdoor cafes.
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One more postcard of this street from 2011
Savetskaya street in Brest, Belarus
Photo by S. Plytkevitch, 2010
postmarked in 2011 with two Belarus stamps, one of a wolf and one with flowers
Left: top to bottom:
- Gardjola overlooking Grand Harbour
- Aerial view of Vittoriosa
- Marsamxett harbour
- Fort St Angelo and Senglea
Right: top to bottom:
- Senglea point
- Valletta and the Three Cities
- Valetta on Marsamxett side
- Fort St Angelo from Senglea
postmarked in 2012 with a Malta stamp: 'Knights of St. John' 0,51 (from the Malta's Heritage series)
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This was the site of the Valletta Tornado that hit the Grand Harbour on September 23, 1551 or 1556 (sources conflict) with very intense strength. It began as a waterspout, and ended up destroying an entire shipping armada and killing at least 600 people.
Postmarked in 1972 with a Mongolia Olympic stamp from the Munich games featuring wrestling
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The Mongolian word for yurt, or ger, also means home, and a number of other words are derived from its word stem. For example, gerlekh means to marry.
A yurt is a portable, bent wood-framed dwelling structure traditionally used by nomads in the steppes of Central Asia. The roof is usually steam bent wood, supported by roof ribs which are bent down at the end where they meet the lattice wall (again steam bent). The top of the wall is prevented from spreading by means of a tension band which opposes the force of the roof ribs. The structure is usually covered by layers of fabric and sheep's wool felt for insulation and weatherproofing.
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Traditional Dress:
Mongolian dress has changed little since the days of the empire, because it is supremely well-adapted to the conditions of life on the grassland plains and the daily activities of nomads.
The deel, or kaftan, is the Monglian traditional garment worn on both workdays and special days. It is a long, loose gown cut in one piece with the sleeves; it has a high collar and widely overlaps at the front. The deel is girdled with a sash. Mongolian deels traditionally have five fastenings.
1969. Directed by George Dunning. United Artists. (error? - movie was released on November 13,1968)
This unused postcard was made for the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 2001.
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Yellow Submarine is a 1968 animated musical fantasy film based on the music of The Beatles. It is also the title for the film's soundtrack album. The film was directed by animation producer George Dunning.
The real Beatles participated only in the closing scene of the film, with the fictional counterparts of The Beatles voiced by other actors.
Plot:
The Beatles agree to accompany Captain Fred in his Yellow Submarine and go to Pepperland to free it from the music hating Blue Meanies.
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Here is a postcard of the album cover ...
The Beatles
Album Cover Collection
Yellow Submarine
This unused postcard was bought in 2010 at the Beatles "LOVE" cirque du soleil in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Rep. Di San. Marino
Panorama invernale della II Torre
Winter panorama of the 2nd Tower
This postcard is unused.
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The Three Towers of San Marino are a group of towers located in the small European country of San Marino. Located on the three peaks of Monte Titano in the capital (also called San Marino), they are depicted on both the national flag and coat of arms.
From a considerable area including Eastern South Dakota, Southwestern Minnesota, North-western Iowa and Northeastern Nebraska come those who are to be treated in the Royal C. Johnson Vet's Memorial Hospital at Sioux Falls, S. Dak. The United states Government expended approximately $5,000,000 to complete this 272-bed general medical and surgical hospital.
The sender writes, "Hi, will try and scribble a few lines today. Received your letter yesterday, they got me on a special diet, no coffee, tea and no smoking so its kind of rough now. Don't know how long I will be here, Write again sometime." the Return address is 'his name' patient at Vets' Hospital
postmarked with 4 cent Lincoln stamp in 1958
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Royal Cleaves Johnson (3 October 1882 – 2 August 1939) was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from South Dakota and a highly decorated veteran of World War I.
Walt Disney Collectors Society
Announcing the First Animators' Choice.
Finally, the unveiling of the 1993 Walt Disney Collectors Society's Members-Only sculpture. It's Mickey Mouse in Walt Disney's 1938 classic, Brave Little Tailor, selected by Disney feature animators as the finest moment in Mickey's animation career.
Special free gift: With this exclusive sculpture, you'll receive a "miniature" collectible book of "Mickey Mouse Tales," a $5.95 retail value. For membership information, or to order, come by or call
Created by the Walt Disney Classics Collection, "I Let'em Have It!" 7 1/4", is the Walt Disney Collectors Society's Charter Year, Members-Only sculpture. Available at the special suggested retail price of just $160.00
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Brave Little Tailor is a 1938 American animated short film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The cartoon is an adaptation of the fairy tale The Valiant Little Tailor with Mickey Mouse in the title role. The voice cast includes Walt Disney as Mickey, Marcellite Garner as Minnie, and Eddie Holden as the king.
Brave Little Tailor was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 11th Academy Awards in 1939, but lost to Disney's own Ferdinand the Bull. In 1994 the film was chosen as the 26th greatest cartoon of all time by members of the animation field. The list was complied in the book The 50 Greatest Cartoons
Plot:
Set during the Middle Ages in Europe, a king is seeking a brave warrior to kill a giant which has been terrorizing the small kingdom. There is much discussion in the village, but no one is willing to take on the task. Nearby in the same village, a young peasant tailor (Mickey Mouse) kills seven flies at once while at his work, and accidentally interjects several other peasants' discussion of the problems with the giant to brag loudly about his accomplishment:
Peasant (to his friends): "Say, did you ever kill a giant?"
Mickey (interjecting unwittingly): "I killed seven [flies] with one blow!"
Gossip that Mickey has killed seven giants with one blow quickly spreads around the kingdom. The king summons Mickey, and asks if he really "killed seven at one blow". Mickey goes into an elaborate re-telling of how he killed the seven (flies, not giants as the king believes), which impresses the king enough to appoint Mickey "Royal High Killer of the Giant". Upon learning the misunderstanding, all of Mickey's confidence disappears and he attempts to stammer his way out of the assignment. The king offers Mickey both vast riches and the hand of his only daughter, Princess Minnie, in marriage if he can kill (or at least subdue) the giant. Smitten with the princess, Mickey proclaims that he'll "cut [the giant] down to my size", and sets off for the giant's lair.
After only a few minutes, however, he is ready to turn back and give up, but the townspeople and Minnie are counting on him. "Gosh," Mickey sighs to himself, wondering what to do. "I dunno how to catch a giant."
Just then, the giant appears, forcing Mickey to scramble for a place to hide. The giant sits down to eat a cart of pumpkins (as if they were grapes), then a drink of water (using a water well as if it were a thermos) and a smoke (rolling a cigarette from a haystack Mickey was hiding in and lighting it with an oven) as Mickey briefly ended up in the giant's mouth. Mickey is caught in the giant's cigarette, and gives his hiding place away by accidentally sneezing. The angry giant attempts to squash the tailor, who quickly produces sewing thread and a needle and binds the giant's limbs. With needle and thread, Mickey swings about the giant, sewing him up and causing him to fall and knock himself out. The giant subdued, Mickey returns home and is hailed as a hero. An amusement park is built on the site of the battle (powered with wind power from the snoring giant). The short ends with the king and a newly married Mickey and Minnie enjoying a ride on the carousel.
The Ark is a Game-viewing Lodge situated at an altitude of 7,600 Feet, deep in the heart of the Aberdare National Park of Kenya.
In addition to regularly seeing elephant, Rhino, Buffalo, Leopard, and occasionally Lion, within unusually close photographe distances, there can also be seen the rarer forest animals such as Giant Forest Hog, Suni, Red Duiker, and the shy elusive Bongo, which was sighted no fewer than 133 nights in one year.
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The Ark - Kenya's Forest Lodge
Nyeri, Kenya
Both of these postcards are unused.
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The lodge is known as a ’Tree Hotel’ which is shaped to resemble Noah’s Ark, with decks and balconies in which to view the animals and the park.
Grannies riding a motorcycle with the driver wearing a hat with a toilet plunger and streamers stuck to the top.
It my humble opinion, this is the great Inge Look postcard ever!
The sender writes that in Finland the motorcycle is called a 'PappaMopo' (Grandpa Moped)
postmarked in 2012 with a FInland public transportation stamp
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click HERE to read more about Inge Look and her famous grannies
Luxembourg - with hot air balloons flying off into the sunset
1. Luxembourg de Nuit (Luxembourg by Night)
2. Site de l'Abbaye Neumunster (Neumünster Abbey site)
3. Releve de la Garde (Changing of the Guard)
4. Ville Basse du Grund (Lower City of Grund)
5. Circuit Wenzel (Wenzel Circular Walk)
postmarked in 2009 with a Luxembourg stamp
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5. Wenzel Walk ....
This cultural circular walk has another name - `1000 years in 100 minutes`, but it is not a route to be hurried. The route is named after Wenceslas 11, the Duke of Luxembourg who fortified the city. The walk starts at the Bock promontory and takes in the Chemin de la Corniche, old gates, the Wenzel ring wall, medieval bridges, the Alzette Valley and French military architecture. There are information boards along the way and a leaflet can be obtained from the City Tourist Office.
The magnificent Pink Flamingo is the official bird of the Bahamas. An endangered species, the birds were saved from extinction by the Bahamas National Trust.
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Bahamas
Nassau / Paradise Island
The Green Turtle Bahamas
Green Turtles are gentle and graceful creatures that thrive in our endless summer and clear warm waters. They can grow to 350 lbs. and live for up to 100 years.
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Bahamas
Nassau / Paradise Island
The New World
When you visit the Bahamas a rich magic fills the air. There's a sense of discovery with secret hideaways and coves; sunken Spanish galleons, pirate ships and buried treasure chests filled with gold dubloons. No wonder Columbus named his discovery the "New World" when he first made landfall in the Bahamas - in 1492.
This card is postmarked in 2012 with two Bahamas stamps.
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All three cards are from 2010 but bought in 2012 for $4.99 each. The are called, 'The Unforgettable Postcard'
They are plastic postcards that when held up to the light, you can see through. They are made by a company called Cardwin. According to their site the cards are produced on 'glass-clear' polycarbonate that is incredibly robust and waterproof.
