Fort Lauderdale, USA

Glenn has been on one of his cruises lately, and as always, never fails to send me a card from wherever he is, regularly feeding my hungry mailbox.

This card is from Ft. Lauderdale, which if I got it right, was the embarking point, but seems it has arrived like, the last...  cos just the other day i received one from the Bahamas, saying it was the last stop - but then taking a look at the cancellations something doesnt make sense so I'm a bit confused,  but alas, what matters is that they have arrived :)

Ft. Lauderdale always associates me to my best friend from primary school who moved there back then. To the rest of the world it is this popular tourist destination with plenty of sunshine, lovely beaches at the Atlantic Ocean shores.
It is named after a series of forts built by the United States during the Second Seminole War. The forts took their name from Major William Lauderdale (1782–1838), younger brother of Lieutenant Colonel James Lauderdale. William Lauderdale was the commander of the detachment of soldiers who built the first fort. However, development of the city did not begin until 50 years after the forts were abandoned at the end of the conflict.
Three forts named "Fort Lauderdale" were constructed: the first was at the fork of the New River, the second was at Tarpon Bend on the New River between the present-day Colee Hammock and Rio Vista neighborhoods, and the third was near the site of the Bahia Mar Marina.

being disproportionate in size, the cancellations kinda overshadow the stamps and this is the thing that kinda got me confused - when I checked Glenn's blog, it said that he was already back from his cruise at the end of November, but the cancellation here says 04 December, so who knows what has happened.
The stamps are from a series of four Forever stamps issued in 2016, called, Sonbirds in the Snow. Featured on these three are, from left to right: the golden-crowned kinglet (or Regulus satrapa), the cedar waxwing (or Bombycilla cedrorum), and the red-breasted nuthatch (or Sitta canadensis).

Thanks a lot lot Glenn for this, and all the other surprises sent my way!!

Belize

Hello everyone from the rainy Friday evening in Skopje!
In some other occasion I may have complained about this, but tonight it feels so perfect to be chilling out at home and enjoy the rain and thunderstorm outside...it's been like this ever since the afternoon...just in time you know...finished all errands during the first half of the day and then just came back home and eagerly anticipated the forecast thunderstorm. After days and days of unbearably hot temperatures, this is like a real blessing...even though the drop of temperatures is kinda extreme, at least one can breathe comfortably now...

So as I said, it kinda makes it perfect for chilling out with a cup of coffee and some cards...and first comes one from Belize...yeah, one of those posted in a very timely manner :P

The first card for today comes from Glenn and his trip to Belize back at the end of 2013 (but the card arrived in 2014, hence the label...to avoid any confusion).

Maybe I have mentioned it before, no beaches for me this summer....well no travels at all in general...but I don't think I have the right to complain...I think I really went a bit overboard during the first half of the year so I have to bear the consequences now.

Not sure which beach in Belize this is, but I love that small house inside the sea....not appropriate for living maybe, but certainly ideal for getting away from everything from time to time....and the view to wake up to in the morning i am sure is unbeatable!

the stamp is from a set of 12 definitives issued in 2005 on the subject of Ecological and Cultural Heritage. It shows the Nohoch Che'en Archaeological Reserve.

Thank you Glenn! :)

Laguna Beach, USA

Well, one more card for today - it all started with a beach so lets ended with one too, this time with one from California.

from the back of the card: Crystal Cove is one of the many beautiful coves that line the coastline of Laguna Beach. These pristine covers make for some of the best swimming in Southern California.

Seems that I am on a streak of surprise cards today, sent throughout the years. Makes me feel kinda special, you know *I wish I had a blushing emoticon here*

Three great stamps - starting from left to right - an amazing The Wizard of Oz stamp! It comes from a set of 4 Classic Film Posters issued in 1990. The middle one shows the Johnny Cash stamp, issued in 2013, while the last one is also from 2013, commemorating the 150th Anniversary of West Virginia Statehood.

Who do I thank for this one?? Well, Bryon of course :) Go and take a look at this cover I received today :D (I'm a bragger, I know :)))

Well, that would be all for today! Have a great weekend ahead! :)

Liepāja, Latvia

One more card for today - it is an official I received recently...seems like today I've mainly focused on cards received this year....

LV-219181

The card shows the Liepāja beach at the Baltic Sea in Latvia. 

Liepāja is known throughout Latvia as "The city where the wind is born", most likely because of the constant sea breeze.
It is said that the wind blows over the blue waves of the sea, over the port, the modern architecture and centuries of history to continue on its way all through Latvia.
Well on the card it looks very foggy...I don't really expect so much fog at places with so much wind...or maybe it is just an artistic touch here, who knows...

Two stamps on the card, and a cute kitty sticker :)
Both were issued in 2015 - the right one shows the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, while the other one is from  set of 5 flower stamps - this one shows the Dahrlia sp.

So that would be all for tonight...

Have a great weekend ahead!!

Washington Coast, USA

Will close today's update with the Washington Coast...

received this card from Bryon recently, showing Ruby Beach which is the northernmost of the southern beaches in the coastal section of Olympic National Park.
And from the first glance it reminded me of a card I received time ago...see below

Bryon used three great stamps here..two from this year already...the Lunar New Year stamp and the other one shows Richard Allen, as part of the Black Heritage series. The South Dakota stamp was issued in 1989, commemorating the South Dakota statehood.

As I mentioned above, the first glance at Bryon's card reminded me of this one and I was like convinced they were showing the same place until I read that Bryon's card shows Ruby Beach...and that's when I got confused :) See, this card shows the Rialto Beach, which is also in the Olympic National Park...so it seems that there are rocks of this kind all along the Pacific Coast :)

the back of the card here says: "The wilderness beach from La Push, Washington to Cape Flattery is controlled by rules of the Pacific Ocean. There are no sheltered Lagoons. One must climb headlands cross numerous streams, enter cocoons of fog and watch for storm waves that could trap you against sheer cliffs. This beach can be an experience of solitude never seen before".

I received this one from Mary back in 2010 (hides in shame) for the Mini RR at the forum....that unfortunately doesn't exist anymore from what I know =/

Mary used three extra-cute stamps - the Peanuts one was issued in 2001 showing Snoopy. The Sylvester and Tweety stamp was issued in 1998, while Bugs Bunny is from 1997. Sylvester has always been one of my favourite Looney Tunes characters, along with Sylvester Jr. - Sylvester Jr. is just way too adorable!! :)))

thanks a whole lot to Bryon and Mary for the great cards and amazing stamps here!!

Wishing a great cozy Sunday to all...it is a rainy gloomy one here...the Icelandic people would say it is Gluggaveður, or window-weather - the one that is best appreciated indoors :)

 Stay well!

La Digue, Seychelles

So after my Angolan yadda yadda yadda last time, here we are back to the good old posts, and no new countries...yeah, Seychelles is a sort of rare thing out there, but not my first one shown here, so I don't think it should be too much of a thorn in the flesh =)
(btw, in case I start with some evil-rambling, I'll blame it on this glass of Jägermeister next to me....the drink full of magic! Those who know me are well aware about my...well, I wouldn't call it an obsession, but it kinda borders with it =) Those unaware about this relationship, well, more Jäger stories in some future post, preferably with some Jägermeister card...so if anyone has a spare one, hit my mailbox with it please! :D

Ok ok, back to the dreamy-beach card....

Alvin sent me this card last year (actually a year ago) from his trip to the Seychelles (among the number of other awesome countries he visited *jealous*...and dont get me started on where he is headed in a week time.....*jealous jealous jealous*!)
Anyways, the card shows us a view of La Digue, which is the third largest inhabited island of the Seychelles in terms of population (sometimes I forget that there are also people LIVING in such places, it is not just all tourists). (The name of this white sandy beach is 'Anse Source d'Argen', one of the two that this island is famous for).
What I found really interesting is that until recently people were not allowed to own a car here, and even now the main means of transport are, guess what! Yep, bicycles!! And, very important, tourists are requested to ADAPT to this kind of lifestyle! Hah! I will be the perfect La Digue tourist!

The island was named after a ship in the fleet of French explorer Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne, who visited the Seychelles in 1768.

beautiful stamps! beautiful! the one on the right shows a Parupeneus ciliatus - it is from a set of four Fish stamps issued in 2010.
The other one is from a set of 7 Flora and Fauna stamps issued in 2000.

Thank you thank you thank you Alvin!!

Cayman Islands

On this 31st day of the month, when we are about to bid farewell to August, I'd like to use my current good will and mood and post a few cards before we roll into September...seriously, ever since I've come back from the astronomy camp I've been doing nothing but idle, eat and sleep...and stare at some blank point in front of me...I don't remember when was the last time I felt so apathetic about stuff and life in general...but I think that this anxiety attack last night did get me sober, and got me back on track somewhat...well, the fact I've been all excited about writing and life today is an actual proof...and it does feel good to be back :)

I will give you more insight about the camp in some of the future posts...in a few words for now..it was FREAKING GOOD! They should definitely happen more than just once per year...but the prospects for now are that the next astronomy camp will happen one year from now...well, better something than nothing I guess...

and after a bit of rambling, as it usually goes, lets get down to business...and a great surprise card from the Cayman Islands, sent by Glenn last December..it arrived here in January though...ohh, now this reminded me I haven't really told you the latest stories about my new postman, but I think I've usurped enough of the chit-chat space for this post so, remind me next time :)

the card shows the so-called Seven Mile Beach in the Grand Cayman...I love it cos it is all soft and sandy...the beach at the astronomy camp wasn't sandy...and no, it wasn't seven miles long...but it was just perfect at 9 am when there was just me, myself and I there...and the waves...what more can you ask for?

don't you sometimes think that she is just omnipresent?! though at least these stamps are much much nicer than the ones issued in GB...issued in 2012 in a set of 4 stamps commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the Accesion of her Majesty....

thanks a lot Glenn!!

Palau

well, it's been over a month...a rather long time, though personally, i didnt really notice when it flew away..I was out of town due to work for like almost a month, with the weekend-scheme being at home, and then on the road again...it got extremely tiring towards the end, but now i have some time to recharge for a bit...i wanted to post during this past month, but the time simply didnt allow it...so now I have like a week to squeeze in a number of updates, send a bunch of postcards before I finally take off on holiday for two weeks...oh yeah, holiday time! It was just today that it actually HIT me I was going somewhere....you know, when you are constantly out of town you dont actually get to notice and feel it since you are not at home anyways...but now it is starting to feel real! Uh...cant wait! Though im having a list of worries regarding all that...And where Im going...hmmm, well, ill keep it a secret for now...in case you already know, dont reveal it please :).
But before I reach my planned (and WELL deserved) destination, ill show you some more beauties that have arrived in my mailbox....

and first we start with a new gem in my collection...an awesome card from the small island of Palau, located in the Pacific Ocean. I was about to give the general facts and figures about the country, but then a few information caught my attention...
the first one was that Palau, in 1981, voted for the world's first nuclear-free constitution which banned the use, storage, and disposal of nuclear, toxic chemical, gas, and biological weapons without first being approved by a 3/4 majority in a referendum.
This ban held up Palau's transition to independence because while negotiating a Compact of Free Association with the United States, the U.S. insisted on the option to operate nuclear propelled vessels and store nuclear weapons within the territory.
After several referendums that failed to achieve a 3/4 majority, the people of Palau finally approved the Compact with the U.S. in 1994The second one was that On June 10, 2009, Palau announced that it would accept up to all 17 of the remaining Uyghurs detained in Guantanamo "as a humanitarian gesture". Five Uyghur captives were released without being prosecuted in 2004, and transferred to Albania in 2006. The remaining seventeen were released due to lack of evidence in 2008. I have no idea how Uyghurs ended up in Albania actually and why...funny..
Palau seems like such a peaceful place to be at...i will certainly not have associated it with nuclear weapons and detainees.....

the thank-yous for this awesome piece of card go to Patrick...and he used a bunch of fantastic stamps too!
the one on the left is a definitive issued in 2009 in a set of 10 fish stamps, showing the 'scissor tail fusilier' the bird stamps next to it are definitives issues in 2002 in a set of 18 birds' stamps which here portrays the Rufous Fantail. The Euoplea butterfly is also a definitive issued in a set of 18 butterfly stamps in 2007, while the birdy on the right comes from a set of 6 endemic birds of Palau' stamps issued in 2006, representing the Morning bird.

Fort Lauderdale Beach, USA

a beautiful surprise from dear Jean-Pierre. Well, he always sends beautiful surprises...and you never know which part of the globe is gonna hit your mailbox :)

this is probably the most popular beach in Florida...at least for me...maybe coz Ive been hearing about it for ages...and in the lack of other info about Florida beaches, this one has remained engraved in my mind eternally.
Did you know that they call this place 'the Venice of America' coz of its expansive and intricate canal system? Ok, I doubt it has the charm of Venice...it is just too modern.
The city was named after a series of forts built by the United States during the Second Seminole War. The forts took their name from Major William Lauderdale, who was the commander of the detachment of soldiers who built the first fort.
(n.b - the Second Seminole War is also known as the Florida War, which occurred from 1835 to 1842 in Florida between various groups of Native Americans collectively known as Seminoles and the United States. It was a part of a series of conflicts called the Seminole Wars. The Second Seminole War, often referred to as the Seminole War, was the most expensive Indian War fought by the United States.

the stamps come from this beautiful Hawaiian Forests' mini-sheet, issued in 2010.

Maho Bay, St. Maarten

well, I was just reminded that it's been like 15 days that I havent had any updates here....which sounded a real lot to me...with all things going on, I seem to lose track of time (again)...plus I had several attempts to make an update, choosing cards and all, and then it all is left for the 'next day' and of course, the next day other things happen and the update is postponed again....plus we've been enduring awfully hot temperatures lately...of almost 40 degrees, and at times like that I just feel so lazy and so inspirationless...even my dear postman seems to be having difficult times with this heat and stops by just once a week...when he overflows my mailbox with fantastic stuff.....so yesterday I said to myself that it was about time to get out of that frame of mind and post some cards....

 

...and here is where I wish I was at the moment...or at least any place like this (though I would probably skip the plane-thing)...near the sea/ocean/lake..first of all to get away from this unbearable heat...second, I really need some mental rest...

a fantastic card sent by Jean-Pierre....who sometimes I think has the magic wand actually, since he manages to send postcards from all those different spots in the world...this one here in particular is the Maho Bay in St. Maarten (the Dutch side - the other one is French) and shows also how this plane lands at the Juliana Airport...as much as the plane seems surreal, if you take a closer look, you will actually see some people looking towards the sky, taking pictures with their cameras....so there IS something there, and this American Airlines guy hasnt been photoshopped.. ..Ive experiences something similar back in Montenegro...at one of the beaches we got the chance to see dozens of planes flying over our heads since the airport in Tivat was very near...however, none of them was THIS low and close to us...if i got to experience something like this, I cant tell if id be terrified or hyper-excited and feel the adrenaline rushing up through my veins...most probably, it would be the latter...you know, the scarier, the more exciting :)

people at the St. Maarten PO seems to have been rather lazy to open their stamps' folders...what makes me laugh about these stickers is that they actually weigh the postcards too.. though maybe they still dont have stocks of the new stamps, since this is a rather newly formed country, bearing its own stamps (St. Maarten used to be part of the Netherlands Antilles). Well, maybe there is no real stamp, but thats why there is a great cancellation, showing this was indeed mailed from St. Maarten :D

Thank you so much Jean-Pierre!! You are amazing!