sea creatures

 Four whales frolicking in the water

a whale, sea lion, sea otter, and dolphin

 

some graceful swimmers for Sunday Stamps

houses of god

First up is a wooden church built in 1765. The Lutheran church is popular for summer weddings

 

Next is this Catholic Cathedral of Djibouti built in the 1965.  

The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Good Shepherd  1969

 

Going way back in time, the Benedictine Affligem Abbey  was dedicated in 1086

three very different styles of houses of worship through the ages for Sunday Stamps

black

Things in the world go desperately wrong when I choose a 'dark' or 'black' theme! 

 

have some comforting fruit

black raspberries are only available for a few short weeks in the summer

 

 

and gaze on a floral display

 Johann Rudolf Bys was a Swiss painter who did most of his important work while in Prague. He seems to have been quite partial to black backgrounds in his paintings.

 

while thinking about the world and the time in which we live

the colour black for Sunday Stamps

festivals

 

 Before you know it, it will be time for Octoberfest

In the meantime, the Dragon Boat festivals are happening in September

for Sunday stamps - fairs, festivals, people having fun
 

callas

Calla Lilies from 2022 and 2004

flowers for Sunday Stamps

birds

Puffin!

a colourful kingfisher 

and a cheeky whooper swan

some birds for Sunday Stamps

trees

This thick, aged yew has a rugged beauty to it.

Some slender birch trees bathed in an autumnal glow

and cows resting under some very tall trees in Australia

some trees for Sunday Stamps

a walk in the snow

When was the last time you built a snowman?

or maybe that is too much work

 

 

Perhaps a long walk in the woods would be refreshing

 

A view in Haminalahti famous for hiking trails and birdwatching

 

One would be lucky to find this partridge on a walk

 

 

 

 

some winter scenes for Sunday Stamps

(on this stinking hot day where it will feel like 42C with the humidity by this afternoon)

picturesque

 

Luxembourg City as seen in 1995. I like the near uniform height of the buildings that allow the spires to rise above the rooftops. In the foreground you can see the casements, first built by the Spaniards in the mid 17thC, then enlarged by the French, then again by the Austrians.

a view of a city for Sunday Stamps

complicated

In 1980, I was living in Amsterdam and some friends and I had a much anticipated trip planned to go to Yugoslavia. Just days before we were to leave, Tito died. That cancelled trip has been my biggest travel regret, though it couldn't be helped. In reality, we all just had Eurail Passes and not much money, so who knows what it would have been like.

Josip Broz Tito as a head of state

travel

These new stamps "celebrate the golden age of travel". If anyone is paying attention to the news, this summer of 2022 is as far from the golden age as possible! Note that none of these celebrate flying. Air Canada and Toronto's airport have been reported to have the dubious distinction of being the worst for service, disruptions, flight and baggage delays ... in the world.

Mont Tremblant (1939) poster designed by Herbert Bayer

Royal York Hotel (1935) poster designed by Norman Fraser

Great Lakes Cruising (1937) poster designed by Tom Purvis

The Canadian (1955) poster designed by Roger Couillard

Picturesque East Coast (featuring the original Cape Forchu Lighthouse) (1950) poster designed by Peter Ewert

I'm hoping all of you in Europe and the UK find a way of staying cool - and safe.

some 2022 issues for Sunday Stamps

soaring

Soaring high to see

 

the spires of Brno

 

 

 

 

and the wildlife of the forest

 

 

two monochrome stamps, coincidentally in the same colour, for Sunday Stamps

a great man

I have tickets for the theatre next month.  To see a play by this guy

George Bernard Shaw

The Doctor's Dilemma.  I can hardly wait!

a literary great for Sunday Stamps

clouds

 Lenticular clouds

usually, when I think of Australia, I think of blue skies, like the one below in Tasmania, not the stormy sky of SA

some skies for Sunday Stamps

beards and moustaches

The legendary King Arthur and the wizard Merlin as imagined in 1985

Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden from 1611 to 1632, regarded as one of the greatest military commanders in modern history.

Humphrey Gilbert, half brother of Sir Walter Raleigh, (1539-1583) claimed Newfoundland in the name of Queen Elizabeth I. He arrived in August 1583, but by November, had died at sea while returning to England.

and, another legendary beard...

this was fun, and there are so many fine beards and moustaches out there, we should do this again for another Sunday Stamps?

Indigenous

Mbukushu from South West Africa (Namibia)

Xhosa from Transkei (South Africa)

Mohawk leader from Canada

some native women for Sunday Stamps

red

 

an infantry man resplendent in the kilt

a grenadier ready for action

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Montreal Canadiens hockey player, Guy Lafleur who recently passed away

some uniforms for Sunday Stamps

look up, way up

First UP, some balloons from 2001

followed by some roadside attractions

with a ginormous coffee pot, a town's mascot 'happy rock', the Wawa Goose, and a giant puffin

 

for Sunday Stamps - shaped

sails

sailing ships from Ukraine

and, something unusual from Bermuda - green sails!

sails for Sunday Stamps

post offices

 

Post Offices in India, from top left

Lucknow, Cooch Behar, Nagpur, Udagamandalam, Delhi, Shimla

Post Offices in Canada, from top left

Miramichi, Saint-Ours, Battleford, Toronto

 

some historic post offices for a postal themed Sunday Stamps

light upon light

one of the common inscriptions on Eid lanterns is "light upon light", a phrase referencing God's light illuminating heaven and earth as divine guidance for all humankind (from CanadaPost website)

my choice for Sunday Stamps

(and, I now realize this is the second time I've posted an Eid stamp/FDC this year!)

International Workers' Day

 From the traditional arts series, a bookbinder

and this fun series from Brazil which included a carpenter and a dressmaker

 

people at work for Sunday Stamps