strawberry moon

 June, the season for strawberries

and the first full moon of summer 

vulture

 

French Somaliland existed from 1896 to 1967 when it became the French Territory of Afars and Isas.  In 1977, after independence it became known asthe Republic of Djibouti

a Vautour fauve is a Griffon vulture in English and can have a wingspan of 2.8 metres (or over 9'!). It is apparently Europe's most social - and populous - vulture.  Most of the ones in western Europe can be found in the Iberian Peninsula, while the ones in the Horn of Africa (where Djibouti lies) are migratory.

stamp from 1962, designed and engraved by Jacques Combet

take care of the day

 from Finland via Japan

CATURDAY

irregular shapes

 

from Germany

and from Norway

ungulates

I have full sheets of these stamps and have often thought they were rather strange...

When I did a little research, I found that they were designed by Emanuel Hahn (who has done several stamps as well as the caribou on our quarter) in 1956.  

They were not well received.

The above one is known as 'dancing caribou' by collectors (a Can-Can, maybe?)

this one was described as "the most diabolical animal I have ever seen" by a Member of Parliament (with similar, and worse, descriptions by a few others)

maybe these frolicking young goats are more pleasing

world weary

 

CATURDAY

lines

 I appreciate the crispness and precision of the lines in the windows above, though they might be too perfect

but then we head outdoors, and I could sit and look at this view for hours and not feel somehow the need to also be perfect in its presence

fresh water island

 

tulips

 Tulips are maybe my favourite flower. There are so many sizes and styles and colours.  And I love that they close up at night and reopen in daylight, so each one looks like two different flowers

By the time you read this, I will be off on a road trip for two weeks.  All Sunday Stamps and Thursday Postcard Hunt posts have been scheduled so nothing will be missed.  Carry on as usual and I will check in with you all when I return.

soccer

 

CATURDAY

Now that the World Cup is in my own back yard, I am, oddly, less interested.  The shine has worn off.  Doesn't mean I won't get caught up in the matches at some point...

swans, again

A cygnet from the Abbotsbury Swannery.  This time presented as a postcard, not a stamp

Some royal curves...

We have our own Stratford swans.  Many of these are descendants of of a pair of mute swans gifted by Queen Elizabeth in 1973, but the origins go back to 1918.

swans

1993 

illustrations by David Gentleman

Mute swans from Abbotsbury Swannery in Dorset, which has an interesting - and ancient - history!

hermitage cat

 

CATURDAY

fonts and letters

there are several fonts, and languages, in this message for our June theme of 'shapes', this week: the shape of letters

information cards are always interesting, even if you already know all the information...

and a busy movie poster from 1943