Yellowstone National Park, USA

well, my last post for today is what I would call it, a Yellowstone treat =)
Ive had Yellowstone cards before, but it would be such a pity not to show this off...they are all so amazing and with such awesome stamps...and all thanks to the Bryon postcard fairy!

I think that if there is some kind of contest about people who have most frequently visited Yellowstone, Bryon should win something...seriously!

I hope I haven't overlooked a Yellowstone card in my piles...so will post these ones for now...and luckily, each one of them has text on the back..saviour! =)

The first one is sooo cool! Love it!!  And yes, this car is to take us inside the Yellowstone Kingdom, introducing you to the places and things you will come across inside

back of the card: 2007 marked the long-awaited "homecoming" of eight vintage White Motor Company buses to..(whoops, that is a bus, not a car...heh, oh well =)), ....to Yellowstone for in-park tours! The returning fleet includes two 1936 vehicles, four from 1937 and two from 1938. These buses were originally used as part of a large Yellowstone fleet that numbered in hundreds. Pictured in the window of the bus are some of Yellowstone's more popular animals and natural features: grizzly bear; Old Faithful geyser: bison w/calf; Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces; Lower Falls of the Yellowstone, howling wolf

an awesome Glenn Miller stamp issued in a set of 4 stamps in 1996 from the American Music Series representing Big Band Leaders.
The flower stamp is from a set of two Garden Bouquet stamps issued in 2004.



Next is that famous spring with such amazing colours!

back of the card: Grand Prismatic Spring, Aerial View. Yellowstone's geologic features offer a window through which both visitor and scientist may view into the very heart of Mother Earth. The Park is a unique area where her crust is thin, consequently geothermal basins are both fascinating and dangerous. Walkaways, like the one seen above the spring, are provided to protect the environment from many feet and feet of scalding water.

and a matching stamp among else! isnt that neat?!! That one, along with the one next to it (showing the volcanic crater) are from that fantastic Earthscapes issue from 2012
The other two are familiar I think.
I love that Yellowstone National Park cancellation =)



Next is this huge panoramic card with such beautiful colours!

back of the card: The Mammoth Hot Springs area contains many examples of constantly changing geology at work. Approximately 500 gallons of hot water per minute carry an estimated two tons of a form of dissolved limestone to the surface per day, to create these delicate features.

and look at that cool set of stamps! yep, it is the whole set indeed! Issued in 2012, showing Hawaii T-shirts..and the issue is simply called "Aloha!" =)




Another amazing panoramic card, where for some reason, the colours of the skies and the trees and the waterfall, are better manfiested on the scanned image...

back of the card: The thundering of the Lower Fall, drops 308 feet and sends a misty spray against the green moss walls of the canyon.

I can just be sighing at the stamps...an fantastic WHOLE set of lighthouses...this is from the 2013 issue...so you have New London Harbour in Connecticut, Portland Head in Maine, Portsmouth Harbour in New Hampshire, Boston Harbour in Massachusetts and Point Judith in Rhode Island.

Next two cards refer to the bison mentioned at the beginning of the post, when we took a ride on that bus..

back of the card: Bison refers to the North American species as opposed to Bovids in other parts of the world, which are called buffalo. Bison are related to domestic cattle, sheep and goats. Bison stand 5 1/2 feet high at shoulders. Adult males (bulls) weigh 1,200 - 2,000 pounds while females (cows) weigh 700-900 pounds.

Lesson learned - plural of 'bison' is 'bison' not 'bisons'

A Sylvia Plath stamp! ❤  That one, along with the Hayden stamp beneath, were issued in 2012 in a set of 20 stamps, representing 20th Century Poets.
And another matching stamp here...a bison stamp! It comes from a set of 50 stamps representing the North American Wildlife.



And some more bison..on a huge panoramic card

back of the card: Bison may appear to be slow-gaited because of their bulk and size but they are actually very quick and agile and can run at speeds of up to 30 mph. Bison herds, like this one pictured stampeding, are usually comprised of younger bulls, cows and calves. Except during the annual rut, mature males remain solitary or in small herds with other bulls.

not an unfamiliar stamp here...but I don't know if you have noticed that ALL the cards here came with different stamps!
Dont know how to ever thank you enough Bryon for all these efforts of my mailbox attacks...will be lying if I said I don't love the 'war' ;-)

Hope you all enjoyed the Yellowstone trip and the cards today in general.

Wishing you all a lovely weekend ahead!

Old Faithfull, USA

Here is one lovely huge card sent by Bryon...just that I too late noticed that the scan is not really in line..but I was then too lazy to do it all over again...so I hope you dont mind :)

well, slowly Im acquiring more and more lovely spots from the Yellowstone...this one here shows the Old Faithful Geyser, which was named in 1870 by surveyor - General H.D. Washburn, leader of the expedition of that year. Its height varies from 106 to 180 feet (33 - 55 m) and the interval between eruptions varies from 45 to 92 minutes.

amazing place this must be when seen live....I should definitely mark Yellowstone on the map...and visit it one day. Youtube can't even closely capture the magic of it...

and Bryon even found a fantastic matching stamp!! So awesome and thoughtful!

It dates back from exactly 40 years ago...issued in 1972! The silver coffeepot is from 2007 (comes in the set along with the Tiffany lamp), while the Indianapolis stamp was issued last year.


Thanks so much Bryon! Im envious that you get to visit this amazing place! :)

Kuranda Train, Australia

A fantastic card from dear Heather! Not only coz it is a train...but just look at those amazing surroundings! And the panoramic size really fits in here, capturing such a great length of the train!

Here is what the back of the card says: The classic scene of the Kuranda Train at Stony Creek Falls as it makes its way up to Kuranda. On its way the train will pass waterfalls, travel through tunnels and pass many dramatic views to finally arrive in the rainforest town of Kuranda; settled in the mountains behind Cairns".

The Barron Gorge National Park is a part of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, so I think this card is eligible to be labeled as UNESCO as well, no?

This brings the issue of why is it so hard for me to collect and keep track of my UNESCO received cards....coz in the UNESCO list you have one item called: Wet tropics of Queensland...but that item consists of a bunch of places....so i just dont know how it is possible to collect ALL the UNESCO sites in the world...I mean, same is with Macedonia...you have Ohrid and its region on the list, meaning the Lake, the city and the entire historical and cultural area belong to this list...and do you actually know how many such places Ohrid has?? A LOT!! So seems that now I have to disappoint some of the UNESCO collectors out there, but maybe you dont actually have the complete UNESCO regarding Macedonia....sorry =/

and as usual Heather uses lovely stamps!!! all the stamps were issued in 2010....the left one is a self-adhesive from a set of 4 representing the 150th Melbourne cup - Carbine 1890. The middle stamp portrays the Canonisation of Mary MacKillop while the third one is from a set of 4 self-adhesive stamps showing Australian Kingfishers and this is the Red-backed Kingfisher...so cute :) Thank you so much Heather!!!

Tongariro National Park, New Zealand

Next comes a fabulous card from New Zealand...showing the National park Tongariro....

I once wrote about it, so you can read some additional details about Tongariro here. The difference is that on this card the volcanoes are under snow which just makes the view extra beautiful...plus here you can see one more volcano, and that is Mt. Ruapehu, which is also one of the most active volcanoes in the world and the largest active volcano in New Zealand, with its highest elevation of 2,797 m.
The back of the card says: "This tranquil photo belies the fact that these volcanoes have been among the most active in the world in the 20th century".

btw, 'aoteaora' (the caption you can see on the card) is the most widely known and accepted Māori name for New Zealand

the stamp is from a set of 6 issued this year, under the subject of "kapa haka" which refers to the cultural dance of the Māori people.

Grand Teton, USA

Here is a card which cracked me up in a way

well, there is nothing funny about the card....on the contrary...it is breathtaking...but in case Grand Teton doesnt ring you a bell, i will get down to it later.

The Grand Teton Nation Park is located in northwestern Wyoming, named for Grand Teton which is the tallest mountain in the Teton Range. Records indicate that the first humans arrived here more than 11,000 years ago. Quite hard for me to imagine how LONG ago actually that was....and one of the American tribes related to this place are the Shoshone people.

To be honest, there is just too much info around both for Grand Teton and the Shoshone...and I have difficulties in order to pick details coz they all seem interesting and somehow related to each other so you cant just omit something just like that..so in order to avoid a real 45-minute history/geography lesson, ill let you just enjoy the lovely view...

and here comes the 'funny' moment....Bryon knows that i sort of dread and cringe my teeth at this Grand Teton stamp coz it seems that the majority of my US mail arrives with it...but despite that, he had to send it to me along with a matching postcard....the outcome? A fantastic card and few minutes of laughter....really...I just love those kind of moments...coz I know they are never ill-intended...and having fun is one of the parts of postcard-sending i totally love....and this one really was...I even love the Grand Teton stamp for a change :)

So thank you Bryon...this has got to be one of my favourite postcard moments! :)

Puerto Princesa, Philippines

A UNESCO card from the Philippines

The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is located about 50 kilometres north of the city of Puerto Princesa, Palawan. The National Park is located in the Saint Paul Mountain Range on the northern coast of the island. Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park was nominated for the "New Seven Wonders of Nature" Competition.
From what I know, it has entered the Finalists list.
If you want to vote, you can do it here.

The two bird stamps were issued in 2009 in a set of 40 different ones.

Yellowstone, USA

This is my third Yellowstone Postcard...you can read about the other two, here and here.

And a card with some text on the back...just as I love it....when I need a saviour :)

Lower Falls, at 308 feet is Yellowstone National Park's highest waterfall. The green colour of the water that extends part-way down the falls is caused by a notch in the riverbed at the top of the falls which allows the river to retain some of its natural green colour instead of immediately breaking into spray.

Well, Im off to read something or watch a move, or anything....ive overslept most of the day either way =/

Krka, Croatia

Here is a really great card sent from Roberto, and it actually came as an official..my first official from Croatia :)

 HR-10109

The card shows the National Park Krka (which shouldnt be mixed with Krk, the famous island). The first idea that comes to my mind when it comes to Krka are medicine and cosmetics....but that is actually related to Slovenia, not Croatia. The famous and so tasty Pikovit syrup comes from that company, as well as a number of sun and facial creams, shampoos.

As for Krka in Croatia, it is a National Park located in Dalmatia, named after the Krka river. It was proclaimed a national park in 1985 and is intended primarily for scientific, cultural, educational, recreational, and tourism activities.

Due to its special position and the mosaic distribution of various types of habitats, it is characterized by exceptionally rich and varied flora and fauna.
Eight hundred and sixty species and subspecies of plants have been identified within its territory including several endemic Illyrian-Adriatic species.
As for the fauna, eighteen species of fishes inhabit the Krka River, among which ten are endemic, making the Krka a natural landmark of the highest category.

the stamps are great as well...the bear one on the left, and the one next to it in the middle, were issued in 2009. The bear stamp was issued to commemorate The 50th Anniversary of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child & 20th Anniversary of the Convention on the rights of the Child.
The stamp in the middle comes from a set of 3 depicting Fine Arts,Croatian Modern Painting in particular and on this one you can see the "Gray Sail" by Zlatko Prica.
As for the red stamps on the left, they were issued in 2008, in a set of 5 stamps portraying Croatian Ethnographic Heritage. The 1st one, on the left, shows Local Customs from Sunja, while the one next to it, Local Customs from Bistra.

Hvala ti puno Roberto! :)

Møysalen National Park, Norway

So, today winter officially starts....and we are having even snow...well, ok, whats left of it..and the leftovers cant even be compared to the beauty we had on Saturday, but thats how things with snow always are...too good to last....well, if you thought i was gonna post some snowy pictures today, you are quite wrong....but i think that this may even be better than snow....see it for yourselves....

This has got to be one of the MOST magnificent cards i had ever received, EVER!!! Its so amazingly beautiful that at times it makes you wonder if this is actually real...the atmosphere is just so serene and breathtaking, that i dont even wanna write anything....just leave you enjoy it....and then you wonder why i so much love Norway? One of the pure examples lies in front of you!
This is the Møysalen National Park, located in Hinnøya, in North Norway and is said to preserve undisturbed coastal alpine landscape. The scenery is characterized by peaks jutting out of the ocean and fjords, the highest point is Møysalen, 1,262m.
Lovely lovely lovely!!!! And thanks a million to Sissel, my absolutely favourite Norwegian, for surprising my mailbox....as always! 

the stamp on the right is from a set of 4 issued in 2008, regarding Transportation (History of Communication), where the S/S Oster steamship is portrayed.

Utah, USA

My last card for today comes as an official...and speaking of them, im really annoyed with it, coz all my cards are either stuck travelling or go expired...or end up with people who just decide to stop logging in AFTER i get their address.....urghhhhhhhhh

US-530683

has a great text on the back, so im gonna use it, of course :)

Panorama Point

Capitol Reef, located in the slickrock country of southern Utah, takes its name from pioneers who saw the imposing rock ridge as a travel barrier, similar to an ocean reef. The reef is capped with golden sandstone domes, one of which resembles the U.S Capitol Dome. Capitol Reef is part of the Waterpocket Fold, a narrow, 100-mile-long rock formation that is one of the largest monoclines in North America's surface. Many rounded depressions pockmark the Fold; these "pockets" hold life-giving water after a storm, hence the Waterpocket Fold. A short walk to Panorama Point yields a breathtaking view of Capitol Reef.

This actually a huge panoramic card, but unfortunately, i dont think you are able to notice that from here

familiar stamp...

Banff National Park, Canada

A card that was waiting for me in the mailbox when i came back home.....and its one of those cards that make me go jump of joy!

You know how much i just love trains but these old steam locomotives have a special touch...they are just so stylish and beautiful....i mean, nowadays you have all those modern fast trains...but they dont come even close to these old-fashioned ones...
Funny thing about this card is that for a couple of days i was convinced it was called "The Tempest" and i was wondering if it was some Shakespeare etimology....then when i read better, it said "The Tempress"....until i finally figured out it was "The Empress"....i really need to see my optician...
The CP 2816 is a class H1b Hudson type locomotive built by Montreal Locomotive Works in December 1930. Initially the locomotive ran westward out of Winnipeg to Calgary and eastward to Fort William, Ontario (now part of Thunder Bay). Locomotive 2816 then moved into service on the Windsor-to-Quebec City corridor. Its last assignment was at the front of a Montreal-Rigaud commuter train, making its final revenue run on May 26, 1960. Having logged more than two million miles in active service, 2816's fires were extinguished.

Today, after a complete three-year rebuild, 2816 is restored to the original specifications with external details from the 1940/50s.

I dedicate this post to my dad, who is in hospital right now...i dont know if he had seen this card, but im 100% convinced he would love it...I also got him a train calendar and 3 railway-related DVD's from Germany...i hope once he comes home and has the chance to watch them, he would like them as well.

And I just wanna say the greatest thanks to Glenn for this splendid surprise....from both my dad and myself...its one card which makes two people VERY happy...

wohohohh, and a bunch of lovely stamps...you've already seen the ladybug one, issued in 2007.
Then, the stamp in the top right corner is of a very recent issue, October 19th to be more precise, called Lest We Forget, and i take the freedom to steal Glenn's post about this...being Canadian, i think you cant have a more appropriate person to steal information from. Great stamp!
The one next to it dates from September this year, and its called Mental Health. I wonder what kind of an image they would get if they happen to screen my brain some day....this stamp was issued in order to make the mental illness less of a taboo and something people should speak more freely about. The stamp, which features natural scenery flowing through the outline of a human figure, was designed by Vancouver’s Signals Design Group. A tree was chosen as the stamp’s central element because it symbolizes health, growth and maturity, all attainable for people affected by mental illness. The shape of the tree refers subtly to the human brain, while the path progresses towards better health and a fulfilled life.....amazing what kind of a story a stamp can bear.
The stamp next to it, the one with the egg, is one more of the Road Attraction series, issued in July this year, while the small stamp next to the lady bug...well, im not sure about this one...if i could read right, it is said to be issued in 1999...but then again, you know i can read things wrongly...and i couldnt really find some information about it, so i dont feel competent to give any further info...

Glenn, THANK YOU!!

Durmitor, Montenegro

One of the numerous cards i bought to myself during my stay in Montenegro this year.

And i really like this edition of huge cards they have...not only coz they are huge...but they have beautiful images as well!
This card shows the Lake Škrčko below the Bobotov Peak (2,523 m), the highest peak on Mt. Durmitor.
And Durmitor is also one of the two UNESCO whs in Montenegro, so now i finally have Montenegro complete...boy...this sounded as if Montenegro had 20 UNESCO whs and now, after loads of hard work, i had finally been able to collect them all.
Unfortunately, this is one of the places in Montenegro i didnt manage to visit even though i wanted to...but there were no excursions organized for there in particular, so unless you arrange it on your own, you dont have much of a choice of how to get there...so maybe next time ill be more lucky and have the chance to go there...it definitely is a beautiful place and more than worth seeing.