Oregon Lighthouses, USA

There is something really appealing to the eye (at least mine, even though it is short-sighted), when you have a series of postcards on a theme that come from the same designer/publishing house.

And here we have 3 of the kind, showing three beautiful lighthouses that can be found in Oregon.

First is the Cape Arago Lighthouse, first lit in 1934, automated in 1966, and deactivated in 2006. Today, only the third light remains standing, all other buildings having since been demolished. The site is not open to the public, and the entire area is fenced off.
Well good it exists on a card at least...

Four cool stamps, 2 from the set of 4 Paintings issued in 2014 representing artists from the Hudson River School. The first one is by Thomas Moran, while the second one is by Asher B. Durand.
Then below we have the Mariner 10 on a stamp, from a set of two Space Stamps issued in 1975, while the last one is from 1971, featuring the American artist, John Sloan.

Next is Cape Meares, an inactive lighthouse on the coast of Oregon, built and first lit in 1890, while the U.S. Coast Guard permanently switched it off  on  June 25, 2014, as it was no longer considered necessary for safe navigation of the seacoast.

here we have the other two art stamps from the above mentioned issue (here we have the works from Frederic Edwin Church and Thomas Cole. Below we have the two superb stamps from 1971, celebrating a Decade of Achievements for the US in Space. And lets not forget that red stamp, that is from a set of 4 issued in 1945, featuring Franklin Roosevelt

I was about to say that this series could've been called the Inactive Lighthouses of Oregon, but this one proved me wrong, cos it seems to be still active nowadays, the Yaquina Head Lighthouse. Being 28m tall, it is the tallest lighthouse in Oregon.
Made in Paris in 1868 and shipped to Oregon, Yaquina Head Light was first lit August 20, 1873, and automated in 1966. It is active with an identifying light characteristic of two seconds on, two seconds off, two seconds on, and 14 seconds off.

Another oldish red stamp, issued in 1958, to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Noah Webster (the Father of American Scholarship and Education). Right above it is a very nice stamp from a set of three issued in 1973, presenting the Progress in Electronics. And then two newer ones, from 2014. Two hot rods, or to translate it into understandable English - old, classic American cars with large engines modified for linear speed :))))))))))))))

Portland, USA

Next is a cool bikish card from Bryon..

The back of the card says that 'bicycling and rain are two things that Portland is known for'...and well,  as long as you have the right clothing, there is no problem when riding your bike in the rain...the only problem here is the lack of the cycling paths..and the streets and pavements are either in terrible condition or not cycling-appropriate...so by the time you get to your destination you are all wet, despite your rain coat...water is just splashing from all the cracks and holes.... =/

Just recently I realized that I should find a seat cover for my bike, so that when it rains, the seat won't get ruined...since mine is not made of plastic but it is kinda soft, and not so rain-friendly...and looking at this card keeps reminding me of it...so I guess I should be looking at it like more often until I finally get it done :)
Anyways, it's been a nice weather here recently...a while ago I came back from the Cycling Critical Mass - it was a nice ride...esp. now that the weather has gotten warmer but it ain't too hot yet...winter rides are always in the dark and there are not many people...but I think that today there were around like 300 cyclists maybe...yep, we are fighting for our rights...it has been a slow process but there have been some improvements after like almost four years that this event has been regularly taking place.

well, here are a few pictures from today's edition, photo credits go to my neighbour Dimitar.

me and my friend Sašo while waiting for the event to begin

somewhere down the road - the last Wednesday of the month,when the patience of the car drivers, bus drivers, pedestrians is being tested...and they seriously have failed on a number of occasions :)

and a number of nice stamps...and two different cancellations, a red and a black one...cant figure out the date on the black one though...I wonder if both cancellations bear the same date or just wondering whatever has happened here :)
As for the stamps, the bottom one is more or less familiar, the Navajo Jewelry from 2007...as for the rest...first we have one from 1974 from a set of 8 stamps that are part of the Universal Postal Union Issue - the set consists of paintings by different artists, this one is by Liotard. The one next to it shows Chief Josef, and I believe this painting can be found at the National Portrait Gallery - issued in 1968. The last two stamps are from the Vintage Circus Posters' set of 16 issued in 2014.

Thank you Bryon =)

Crater Lake National Park, USA

A breathtaking view...a splendid surprise...from Bryon's stock of artillery :P

seriously...this card is soooo magnificent, with the colours so nicely blending into each other that one starts wondering where does the Lake actually end and the mountains begin...you can actually feel the freezing cold by just looking at the card, despite it is sunny...as the back of the card says "Crater Lake reflects Wizard Island on a snowy afternoon"
It was established in 1902 and is considered to be the fifth oldest national park in the United States and the only one in the state of Oregon.The park encompasses the caldera of Crater Lake, a remnant of a destroyed volcano, Mount Mazama, and the surrounding hills and forests.

and of course, Bryon never goes wrong with stamps either =)
The large ones are the ones issued in 2012, commemorating the Civil War 1862 (the war lasted from 1861-1865, but I think that for each, or almost each year, the USPS has issued some stamps)These stamps here depict two pivotal Civil War battles from 1862; the Battle of New Orleans (top stamp) and the Battle of Antietam (bottom one).
The Olympic Decathlon stamp was issued in 1979, for the Summer Olympic Games in Moscow that were held in 1980.
And well, you are familiar with the American Toleware stamp =)

thank you Bryon..nice missile this was...even the stamps were corresponding :D

Crooked River Gorge, USA

next comes an extra cool card...not only coz it is railway related..the view is just jaw-dropping!

The Crooked River High Bridge is a steel arch bridge that spans the Crooked River gorge in Oregon, which is a 150 m deep gorge located around Warm Springs and Smith Rock State Park
. The bridge is 141 metres long with a main span of 100m. The deck is 90 m above the canyon floor. The bridge was eventually unable to keep up with the growing traffic demands of U.S. Highway 97, and was replaced by the wider Rex T. Barber Veterans Memorial Bridge. The old bridge is open to pedestrians. Too bad, coz it is really cool.
I remember when I was very little and i would go with my grandparents on a train visiting some relatives to Serbia...there was this bridge I ALWAYS dreaded somewhere en route....you could have simply seen the river in between the rails and you could feel how the rails themselves were all shaking under the weight of the train...i always had the feeling of 'now we're gonna crash..now we're gonna crash'...amazingly enough, the bridge did withstood all that burden..i guess nowadays it is a new modern one so (un)fortunately, you can't have an experience of that kind again :)

two stamps are affixed on the card. The top one was issued this year in a set of 5 Birds-of-prey stamps and it portrays the Northern Harrier. The other stamp is a definitive issued in 2011, representing George Washington...well, you all know who he is :)

Haceta Head, USA

next is an amazing lighthouse card sent by Geoff

the card shows the Haceta Head lighthouse, which is located 12 miles north of Florence on Oregon's picturesque central coast. The lighthouse was completed in 1894 after two years of construction. Made from local and imported materials, this lighthouse was built to withstand the harsh storms of this remarkable region.

Remarkable view for a remarkable region! I love the lights and colours!

...and the stamps too! Apart from the clock stamp, there are two other 44c stamps, coming from a sheet of 10 birds stamps, from the Hawaiian Rain Forest. The sheet itself is fantastic!

Oregon, USA

A very nice lighthouse postcard.

This is the Yaquina Head lighthouse on the Oregon Coastline, more precisely in Newport. It is said that it can be a spooky place on a dark, cold, windy night. Ghosts lurking, ship compasses not working.
The history of Yaquina is as shrouded in mystery as the cape is in foul weather. A persistent myth is that the lighthouse was mistakenly constructed in the wrong location, but mislabeled government survey documents seem to be responsible for this historical inaccuracy. In any case, Yaquina Head Light was built just north of Yaquina Bay Light, dooming the smaller tower to obsolesence.

Today the lighthouse is the centerpiece of Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, and is one of the most-visited lights on the west coast, with over 400,000 visitors each year.

well, in strong winds and rough seas, this definitely doesnt seem as the most comfortable place to be stuck in...but I guess thats what makes it even more beautiful and appealing....

here come the famous clock stamp, while the other two were issued in 2009, depicting playing cards....so here are the queen and the king...of hearts :)

Oregon, USA

My last card for today shows another of my favourite topics, lighthouses!

The sender says that here, all the Oregon lighthouses are shown, except one, which is privately owned.
So here you have:
Top row, from left to right: Heceta Head Lighthouse, Umpqua River Lighthouse, Cape Meares Lighthouse, Coquille River Lighthouse, Yaquina Bay Lighthouse.

Bottom row, left to right: Cape Blanco Lighthouse, Tillamook Rock Lighthouse, Cape Arago Lighthouse, Lightship Columbia, Yaquina Head Lighthouse.

the well known stamp showing the Grand Teton National Park. I think Im seeing this stamp as often as I used to see the 94c one showing the St. John Island from the US Virgin Islands....gets boring eventually :)

Oregon, USA

And a train card!! I hope you havent gotten tired of my train cards by now....coz let me warn you, i still have PLENTY of train cards to share with you :)

From the back of the card:
Oregon Coastline Express excursion trains follow the "Rock Coast Route" between Tillamook and Wheeler, Oregon - - 22 miles of rugged Pacific Ocean shoreline and peaceful dairy farms. The luxurious passenger cars, as well as the line's Alco C415 locomotive, were refurbished in Tillamook by innovator Bob Steele, founder of the new passenger service.

thats all for today. thanks for reading :)

Oregon, USA

No. 4 in the set of 5 lighthouses Addis had sent me.


This is Umpqua River Lighthouse.

It replaced a previous tower destroyed by erosion. Dedicated in 1894, the new brick sentinel was erected on higher ground south of Reedsport, Oregon.
Visible from a distance of 21 miles, the light from its first-order Fresnel lens flashes two white beams, one red.



of course, the matching stamp...dont think ive forgotten them ;)