early bloomers

we are having a bit of an ice storm at the moment... so seeing spring flowers will have to wait

Trillium, provincial flower of Ontario, blooms late May, early June.  It is always exciting to see them in the woods, but it is illegal to pick them.

Daffodils, one of the very early bloomers.  Unlike the trillium, these are not native to North America, but aren't considered invasive.

medals

 

Crosses and medals awarded during WWII    Army (10,386 times), Navy (4,524 times) and Air Force (20,354 times)

 

scarlett

 

Vivien Leigh in 1939

one of four

 

Also known as 'Ragged Point' Lighthouse, this one is on the most easterly point of Barbados looking out over the Atlantic.  I read that there was a plan afoot to restore it, but I don't think that happened.  This is one of four (and the only one I have) stamps from 2013 celebrating the four lighthouses in Barbados.  None of them are open. 

lace and laughter

making lace in Malta
 

reading and laughing in Finland

winter fun

 

I've never skied downhill - and never will - too scared of the combination of height and speed.  But I enjoy watching others taking to the slopes.

dreaming

 

CATURDAY

daytripping

 

beach flamingo

 

walking on a sunny beach with flamingos would be a fun winter escape

gingham cat

 laundry day

CATURDAY

(more women's work?)

women at work

making bread in Mexico

 

 answering the phone in the Germany

iron lace

 

Lacework in iron in Old New Orleans

mardi gras begins

 

One of the oldest buildings in the Vieux Carre (French Quarter),  After three centuries, it is still catering to connoisseurs and discriminating drinkers from around the world

astronaut

 

Roberta Bondar, astronaut as well as neurologist, photographer and author.

She spent  8 days, 1 hour and 14 minutes in space (1992)

seas and gulfs

the Mediterranean Sea

the Tasman Sea

the Gulf of St Lawrence

the Gulf of Mexico

a sad anniversay

 

philosopher

  

If I didn't recognize his face, I'd have no idea this was Aristotle.  I'm sure the writing surrounding the stamp is very profound...

jetoy

CATURDAY

islands

 

Isles of the British Isles

leaves, flowers, stars

 

I know you've all seen the Canadian flag.  It is promoted shamelessly, endlessly, and is slapped on any and all products that are Canadian, as well as many, many stamps.  But, unlike the Americans, we are not a flag waving from your front porch kind of country.  That is changing as, in light of current ... issues, we are being encouraged to fly it proudly this weekend.  Flag makers have been furiously sewing like crazy to keep up!  This FDC shows the very first stamp of the flag that has its 60th anniversary on Feb 15th.  I like the 'simplicity' of this, though remember well having to learn how to get all those points right - which was challenging for a seven year old (but then getting the crosses correct on the Union Jack was equally challenging)

An even simpler design is the Japanese flag, which was adopted as a civil flag in 1858 and as a national flag in 1999. I like how this stamp includes the chrysanthemum imperial seal and the cherry blossoms.

Since 1972, New Zealand has discussed changing their flag, to get rid of the colonial Union Jack, but also to distinguish it from the similar Australian flag. (hint, NZ has red stars inside its white stars. It also only has 4 of these stars of the Southern Cross)

 

siamese

 extremely vocal with a low pitched voice

CATURDAY

lines of a city

 

 and because this isn't all about subways

translucent crystal

Scolecite from Teigarhorn, one of the most famous zeolite locations in the country.

Scolecite forms as sprays of prismatic needles, with large deposits in Iceland.  The crystals will curl when exposed to intense heat which is how it came to be named for the Greek word for worm.

Teigarhorn is a natural monument and nature preserve in the eastern part of Iceland.

the one that got away

 

CATURDAY

bonhomme

 Bonhomme Carnaval

2025 is the 70th anniversary of Bonhomme.  He is an incarnation of the joy of living by les québécois and is the official ambassador of the Quebec Winter Carnival which opens today.

topography

I like the 'quilted' look of this map of Germany and the fact that there is no other English.  It's always interesting to see how other countries are spelled in different languages.

Another topographic map, this one showing the directions the landscape takes (makes me think of seeing the bent trees from the prevailing winds) following the Mid-Atlantic Ridge which divides the county into the North American Plate and the Eurasian Plate

welcoming year of the snake

 of least concern

the common grass snake is 7" at birth and can grow to more than 3'.  It is protected in Denmark and in some Baltic countries is considered sacred with the myth that killing one might bring misfortune.

to a snake that is critically endangered

the ornate ground snake, or St Lucia racer, an endemic snake that was once found all over St Lucia, but now is the rarest with fewer than 20 individuals.

happy february

 

CATURDAY