Leap-Year 1908, Music is the Food of Love

Leap-Year
1908

If music is the food of love,
As has been sweetly said,
Look kindly on me from above,
And let your soul be fed.

This postcard features a woman playing a song to a man with her guitar. It was postmarked, but the stamp is missing.

Lake Superior Sea Caves Postcard with Glitter

Lake Superior
Sea Caves

Centuries ago the glaciers sculpted these "sea caves" embedded in the rocks along the Lake Superior shoreline.  Seacaves such as these can be found in Tettegouche State park along Lake Superior's North Shore and in the Apostle Islands.

Photo by Tom Algire

unused postcard featuring glitter glued onto the water, ice and words - bought in 2013

Shaukeiwan Open Market in Hong Kong

Open market in Shaukeiwan, Hong Kong

The sender writes:
This postcard is an ordinary market in Hong Kong.  It has fresh ingredients, food, fruits, meat, fish,... for people to make their meal.  It is cheaper than in the supermarket.  These markets open at 6am / 7am, very early, and they close around 7/8pm.  You can visit this market when you come to Hong Kong.

This card is postmarked in 2013 with a Hong Kong bird stamp.

Hong Kong stamp 2006

From the series: Birds

Fork-Tailed Sunbird 1.40

A few Potato Recipes: Puff Potato Rounds and Potato Cheese Soup

Potato Cooking
Potato Cheese Soup

2 Potatoes peeled and cut in 12" cubes (about 2 cups)
2 cups water
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tsp. chicken bouillon granules
1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup butter
1 pint half and half
Garnish with paprika

Cook vegetables in water and bouillon until tender.  Place 1/4 square butter in pan, add 1/4 - cup flour.  Add 1 pint half and half to chicken, add to ingredients.  Add cheese.  Do not boil.  Serve sprinkled with paprika.
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Potato Cooking
Puff Potato Rounds

1 1/2 cup sifted flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup mashed potato
1 egg, beaten
Green onions or parsley chopped
(optional)

Combine flour, baking powder and salt.  Mix in mash potato and egg.  Use a tablespoon to scoop up mixture and drop into hot oil deep fryer.  Ready when brown.  Serves as side dish or appetizer with ketchup or mustard.

Both of these recipe postcards are from 2013. 

Houssa Horseman in the Republique Du Niger

Republique Du Niger

Cavalier Houssa

Houssa horseman

postmarked in 1976 with a Republique Du Niger, Ostrich stamp

the sender writes:

Dear All,

Arrived in Agades on Thursday.  Large market with lots of locally made souvenirs.  As soon as you arrive, lare numbers of local children attach themselves to you as guides.  

Dave

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The Hausa are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. They are a chiefly located in the Sahelian areas of northern Nigeria and southeastern Niger. The Hausa are a minority in every country they reside in except Niger where they constitute the majority. 

A few Hausa have also moved to large coastal cities in the region however, most are concentrated in small villages or towns in West Africa, where they grow crops or raise livestock, including cattle. 

Niger (Republique de Niger) stamp 1959

Autruches (Ostriches)

Protection de la faune (from the series, Wildlife Protection)  60 F

The Flatiron Building in New York City - Then and Now

Building New York Sky Scrapers

1902 and 1904 Detroit Photographic Co.  (This was postmarked in 1907)

(undivided back postcard)

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Any wedge-shaped building is given the name "Flatiron" because of its resemblance to a cast-iron clothes iron.

Note the date above is 1904, and unfinished, yet here is a card from 1903 .... 

Flat-Iron Building New York 

1903 Detroit Photographic Co.

(undivided back postcard)

Be sure to take note of the trolleys and horse and buggies too. 

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Flatiron Building
New York City

The Flatiron Building built in 1902 is considered to be one of the first skyscrapers ever built.  The building sits on a triangular island block at 23rd Street, Fifth Avenue, and Broadway.

The ad in the back of this postcard is for the Instinct phone from Sprint, and that came out in 2008.

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Dubrovnik, Croatia

This is postmarked in 2013 with two matching Croatia stamps. 

There is no description on the back, however, what is shown is this:

Top: Aerial View

Bottom left: Sponza Palace

Bottom Center: St. Blaise Church

Bottom right: Onuphrius' Fountain

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Dubrovnik is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea, in the region of Dalmatia. In 1979, the city of Dubrovnik joined the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.

Croatia (Republika Hrvatska) 

Stamp 2010

Posavina 

Flowers, 4,60

The Movie 'Signs' with Mel Gibson in Hungarian

Mel Gibson
A Hatokik erzek iro-rendezojetol (From the writer-dirctor of Sixth Sense)
jelek (signs)

This is a free advertising postcard from Budapest, Hungary.

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Signs is a 2002 American science fiction thriller film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan.

The story focuses on a former Episcopal priest named Graham Hess who discovers a series of crop circles in his cornfield. Hess slowly becomes convinced that the phenomena are a result of extraterrestrial life. It stars Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin and Abigail Breslin. 

A Ranch with Horses and a Purple Jacaranda Tree in Maui, Hawaii

Upcountry Maui
Ranch
A beautiful jacaranda tree watches as horses graze on the grassy slopes in upcountry Maui.
Photo by David Watersun.

This is an unused Hawaii postcard that was bought in 2013.  There are a lot of cows on the farm too, on the left hand side. 

The Pink Panther

Too Sexy For His Fur

The color of cool
Pink Panther

This is an unused, 1998, hotstamp, 'Free Postcard' (that I paid for lol).

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The Pink Panther is the main and title character in the opening and closing credit sequences of every film in The Pink Panther series except for A Shot in the Dark and Inspector Clouseau. His popularity spawned a series of theatrical shorts, merchandise, a comic book, and television cartoons. He starred in 124 short films, 10 television shows and three prime time specials. He is also known as Nathu and Pangu in East and South Asia and Paulchen Panther (Little Paul the Panther) in Germany.

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway in California - Then and Now

Aerial Tramway
Palm Springs, California

Looking down the cables towards Chino Canyon and the Valley Station (Elevation 2,643 ft.) some two and a half miles away.  This $8,000,000 project is an engineering marvel and opens the door to the rugged wilderness area of Mt. San Jacinto.  Mt. Station elevation is 8,516 ft.

This postcard is postmarked in 1965 with a 4 cent Lincoln stamp.

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The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway in Palm Springs, California, is the largest rotating aerial tramway in the world. It was opened in September 1963 as a way of getting from the floor of the Coachella Valley to relatively near the top of San Jacinto Peak and was constructed in the rugged Chino Canyon. Before its construction, the only way to the top of the mountain was to hike a number of hours from Idyllwild.

California
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

The World's Largest Rotating Tramway cars travel from the 2,643 ft. Valley Station to the 8,516 ft. Mountain Station high atop Mt. San Jacinto.  In less than 15 minutes the Tram car travels through four botanical and geographical life zones.  Similar to a trip from Sonora, Mexico to Anchorage, Alaska.

This postcard is postmarked in 2002 with a 21 cent bison / buffalo stamp.

Alfred Mainzer Cats Postcard: Wedding Photo

Alfred Mainzer, Inc.

This postcard is unused.  I love all the details in his work. The cats getting married are lovely, but the dog chasing the birds and knocking the camera over is my favorite part. From the looks of the kitten-of-honor and best-cat, I'm thinking their wedding is next.  

Prince Edward Island, Canada

Greetings from
P.E.I.
Prince Edward Island, Canada

Typical view of Prince Edward Island, Canada
Photo by A. Boily

If anyone knows the name of this lighthouse, please send me a message or leave a comment.  Thank you.

This Plastichrome Postcard is unused.

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Before the influx of Europeans, the Mi'kmaq people inhabited Prince Edward Island. They named the Island Epekwitk, meaning "resting on the waves".

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Here is one more view 

Charlottetown Hotel
Charlottetown, P. E. I.

Fishing on a High Tide

Photo by Free Lance Photographers Guild, Inc.

Florence, Italy

Veduta di Firenze
View on Florence

This is postmarked in 2011 from Italy.

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Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence.

It is famous for its history. A centre of medieval European trade and finance and one of the wealthiest cities of the time, it is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance.

From 1865 to 1871 the city was also the capital of the recently established Kingdom of Italy.

The historic centre of Florence attracts millions of tourists each year.  It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982.

Italy (Italia) stamp 2009

Federico De Pistoris

Donne e Ambiente

0,85

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Issued October 30, 2009 - 'Italian masters of the twentieth century' - the stamp reproduces the painting "Women and the Environment (1924 ca. private collection) by Federico de Pistoris

Zombies Love Valentine's Day

Zombies Love Valentine's Day
Especially the Crunchy Hearts

Crunchy hearts are yummy with ketchup.

This postcard is unused and from 2013. 

Bible Verse, 1 Corinthians 13:13 Love

And Now These Tree Remain:
Faith, Hope and Love.
But the Greatest of these is
LOVE
1 Corinthians 13:13

This is an unused postcard that I designed from 2013 that is for sale HERE.  

African Market in Daressalaam (Tanzania), Africa

Africa - African market, Daressalaam (in  Tanzania)

This is a Real Photograph with a Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika stamp postmarked from Dar-Es-Salaam Tanganyika in Nov. 1960

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The City of Dar es Salaam (literally "The abode of peace"), formerly Mzizima, is Tanzania's largest and richest city.

Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika stamp 1960

Flowers, Animals and Local Motives 

Gazella thomsoni (Thomson's gazelle) and Queen Elizabeth II in red 30 c

Belarus State Circus in Minsk

Welcome to Belarus

Minsk

Belarus State Circus

postmarked in 2013 with two stamps, one featuring Astronaut Yuri Gagarin

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The stone-built circus in Minsk was the first stationary winter circus in the Soviet Union. 

Construction started in 1954 and was completed in 1958. It was the largest circus that could host any kind of performance – from water shows to aerial acrobatics shows.

The opening night took place on 11 February 1959, which is now marked as the official birthday of the contemporary Belarusian circus. 

Belarus stamp 2011

Astronaut Yuri Gagarin - H

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Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin (9 March 1934 – 27 March 1968) was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut. He was the first human to journey into outer space, when his Vostok spacecraft completed an orbit of the Earth on 12 April 1961.

Gagarin became an international celebrity, and was awarded many medals and titles, including Hero of the Soviet Union, the nation's highest honour. 

Gagarin died in 1968 when the MiG 15 training jet he was piloting crashed.

Disneyland Tokyo's BraviSEAmo with Mickey Mouse

Tokyo DisneySea

BraviSEAmo!
This is an unused metallic postcard featuring Mickey Mouse the Sea Prince.

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BraviSEAmo! was a nighttime water show at Tokyo DisneySea. The show featured water, pyrotechnic, and firework effects and was performed on the lagoon of the Mediterranean Harbor. The show was directed by Yves Pépin and used little dialogue, instead featuring an orchestral score by Gavin Greenaway. BraviSEAmo! replaced Tokyo DisneySea's earlier nighttime show DisneySea Symphony, and was replaced by a new version of Fantasmic! in 2011.

Cambrils, Costa Daurada in Spain

Cambrils // 29

Costa Daurada

foto: Raymond, s.a.

This is postmarked in 2013 with four Spain stamps.

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Cambrils is a coastal town in the province of Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain. 

one of these..

and three of these..

Spain (Espana) stamp 2008

King Juan Carlos I - 0,05

Two Gila Monster Postcards

A Gila Monster

This is an unused Curt Teich postcard.

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Have a Monster-ously Wonderful Day!

A Gila Monster is one of only two known species of venomous lizards found in North America.  They grow up to 2 feet (60 cm) and live for around 20 years.

This postcard is unused and from 2013.

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Though it is venomous, its heavy, slow-moving nature means it represents little threat to humans.

Decal Postcards from the Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah 2002

Olympic Post Card Decals
Olympic Winter Games Salt Lake 2002

This is an unused postcard with four decals attached to it.  Peel off the protective plastic and the decals will easily be removed.

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The XIX Olympic Winter Games was a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout 165 sporting sessions.

Bob Marley Statue in Jamaica

Ocho Rios

Jamaica

featuring a statue of Bob Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981)

postmarked in 2013 with a 50th Anniversary of the Birth of Bob Marley stamp

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The Bob Marley Statue in Island Village is an artistic interpretation of Marley, sculpted by Jamaican Sculpture Christopher Gonzales. The statue portrays Marley growing from the ground, like a tree. His legs blending in to a trunk shape at the base, his dreadlocks joining with the roots of the tree and Marley is holding his microphone stand like a staff. Gonzales is quoted as saying that "the symbolism of the tree trunk from which the figure emerges represents Marley's ascent from the ghetto into international acclaim with the music he created".

The Bob Marley statue had a long and controversial life before finding a home in Island Village. Christopher Gonzales' statue was originally commissioned to stand outside of the national stadium in Kingston, to commemorate the death of the reggae legend. However, the public (and the Marley family) did not take well to Gonzales' artistic interpretation of Bob Marley and were highly vocal in their criticism. The statue was swiftly removed from its spot outside of the national stadium and the Jamaican Government commissioned Alvin Marriott to sculpt a replacement. Marriott's interpretation was more true-to-life and met with the approval of the Jamaican public; it can still be found occupying the spot outside the national stadium.

Gonzales' Statue was moved to the National Gallery in Kingston, where it was displayed for nearly 20 years. The statue was moved to Island Village in Ocho Rios on National Heroes Day 2002, originally on a one year loan. The statue remains there to this day. 

Dried Coca Leaf in Cochabamba, Bolivia

Cochabamba (Chapare)
Secado de la hoja de Coca (Dried Coca Leaf)

Fotos: Oscar Ruiz

This is unused and was bought in 2013.

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Cochabamba is a city in central Bolivia that is known as the "City of Eternal Spring" and "The Garden City" due to its spring-like temperatures year round.  It was featured as a location in the story in the 1983 film, Scarface. Powerful drug lord Alejandro Sosa resided there, governed large coca plantations and owned cocaine labs where upon further refining, would be shipped to Tony Montana in Florida.

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Coca is known throughout the world for its psychoactive alkaloid, cocaine. The alkaloid content of coca leaves is low, between 0.25% and 0.77%. This means that chewing the leaves or drinking coca tea does not produce the intense high people experience with cocaine.

Cocaine-free coca leaf extract is used in Coca-Cola. Extraction of cocaine from coca requires several solvents and a chemical process known as an acid/base extraction, which can fairly easily extract the alkaloids from the plant.

Thank You Postcard, United States Postal Service Stamp Suggestion ..

United States Postal Service

Thank you for your suggestion.  Each year, we receive thousands of proposals for new postage stamps and all are reviewed by the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee.  The Committee makes recommendations to the Postmaster General based on national interest, historical perspective,and other criteria.  Each new stamp you see in your Post Office began as someone's idea, sent to the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee for review.

This postcard is postmarked from the Capital District in Washington D.C. in 2013 with a USA 33 cent apple stamp.  The postcard may start with a thank you for your suggestion, but it ends with a lot of advertisements for stamps and a request to follow them on Twitter and Facebook.

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I send in postcards once in a while recommending Postcrossing or postcard related stamps. I put Postcrossing on my request, but one of the rules is no organizations on stamps.  However they seam to break their own rules often enough, so there is hope.  :D

If you would like to make a request - send it here...

Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee
    c/o Stamp Development
    U.S. Postal Service
    475 L’Enfant Plaza SW, Room 3300
    Washington, DC 20260-3501

Ulm, Germany on the Danube River with the church Ulm Minster

Ulm / Donau

Ulm an der Donau (Ulm on the Danube)

Blick aus der Vogelperspektive (View from the Sky)

This aerial view postcard is postmarked in 2013 from Germany.

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The church you see in the center is Ulm Minster, the tallest church in the world. 

 

One more view of the church... 

Germany
Ulm an der Donau
600 Jahre (600 Years) Ulmer Munster (In 1377 the corner stone of this church was laid)

The Groundhog Known as Unadilla Bill

Greetings from Unadilla Bill

Unadilla became "Nebraska's Groundhog Capital" in 1988 and celebrates every year on the 1st Saturday of February with a parade and other festivities.  Just 20 miles SE of Lincoln, with 300 friendly residents, Unadilla's unusual Main Street is on the Historic Register.

This is postmarked in 2013 with a 22 cent beaver stamp and a 13 cent raccoon stamp.

The sender writes:

I passed by Unadilla, NE before but never stopped until I found out about Bill.  Poor Bill got caught in someones garden and ended up stuffed.  Since then he has become Nebraska's official weather forecasting groundhog.  Unadilla even has a parade featuring Bill every year no matter what the weather!  The population swells from 300 to 500 during that time.