flights

 

Birds are a favourite theme and I was thrilled to find this first day cover featuring a barn owl and a kestrel in flight.  This makes me think of those flip books.  Photography is by S Dalton and the series dates to 2003.

Wishing you all a year of fanciful flights in 2025

christmas in sweden

In Sweden (as well as other countries) the pig is a symbol of good luck.  It had its heyday in the 19th century and a pigs head was common fare for Christmas dinner. This card is illustrated by Jenny Nystrom (1854-1946) who became Sweden's most prolific painter and illustrator.

A few months after Jenny Nystrom died, Sven Nordqvist was born.  He also went on to illustrate children's books; his most well known being Pettson and Findus.

gingerbread

 

I managed to buy these Christmas stamps before the post office went on strike, but have not had a chance to use them. They went on strike Nov 15 ... update: they are back! and mail is moving.

Anyway, these gingerbread houses are different from the ones the USPS issued in 2013.  Ours feature a birdhouse (Canada), a doghouse (US), and a barn (International)

keeping warm

 after a long night...

a stylish squirrel having a break

even the deer are drawn to the flames on the candle

 

 

 

ski wear was certainly different in 1939

red

 

the male cardinal is a bright spot in winter, especially where I live when most of the colourful birds have moved south

red is a popular colour for mailboxes in many countries

and decorators often suggest a pop of red somehere n a room, so this red chair would be welcome

plus a bonus red envelope for your Christmas cards

life in snow

this ice is so comfy...

   seals, blending well with the snow

a Finnish reindeer, standing out in the snow in all their finery

some animals in the snow for Thursday Postcard Hunt

nature

 

glass

In 1999, this magnificent selection from the Corning Museum of Glass was issued

Free blown, mold blown, pressed, and art glass

From 1967, a view of part of Marc Chagall's Peace Window in the UN building, NY.  The full piece is 15' x 12' (which is larger than my living room)

snow

sometimes, the snows falls before all the leaves

sometimes, it doesn't fall on mountains in November, as has happened in Japan this year. snow fell on the 6th, but almost immediately melted away, unlike in this vintage postcard of Mt Fuji in winter.

 

 

But, maybe for more consistent views of snow in winter, you need to head over to Finland.
 

lost in translation

 

I'm not really sure what kind of fruit this is (mango?), though I suspect the Chinese script in the corner gives a clue (if I could read Chinese)

 

This one from Belarus was also tricky.  Turns out it is a 'common raccoon dog' which is not at all a raccoon.  Or a dog.  It is a canid that is closely related to a fox. They are widespread in eastern Europe and Asia.

 

The Moravian Museum is easily translatable.  Okay, I had to google translate 'zemske' (regional)

and, this is obviously the Bavarian Forest, in full winter  splendour

 

some foreign languages for Sunday Stamps