Sunday Stamps II - 15

2012, this stamp was part of the Tourism issue of stamps for the Olympics. The souvenir sheet conveniently had explanation notes of each of the destinations in several languages - English, French, German, Spanish, Chinese and Russian.
designed by O. Ivanova

Founded by  Sergey Hudekov in 1892 and designed by Kark Langau, the arboretum is located in Sochi National Park and at 60ha is the largest subtropical garden in Russia. The original plans for the garden had sections with trees and plants from the Caucasus and Mediterranean regions, Japan, China, Australia, Mexico, and more has been added over the years. In the 1930s a main thoroughfare was built which divided the park into two with an upper part on the hillside and the lower part near the Black Sea. There is a tunnel under the Kurotny Prospekt connecting the two parts and a funicular to get to the top of the hill.

for woodlands, forests, parks, or gardens
(my apologies for the delayed link.....)

Sunday Stamps II - 14

1961, Madagascar  (known as Malagasy 1960-1975)
Fourth largest island in the world
Showing a Ruffed Lemur. They are considered critically endangered (since 2008) having declined in population by 80% over the last 30 years mostly due to the fact that as much as 90% of the original island forest has been decimated.

St Paddy's Day

unsent, 1908
Blarney Castle

sunny Wales

unsent

Sunday Stamps II -13

First Day Cover 1962 for 5th anniversary of the launch of Sputnik 1 on October 4th 1957. 

The space age began with the Soviet Union having the first man made object in space and the first satellite to orbit the earth. Sputnik was a metal sphere, 23" in diameter with four external radio antennae and weighing 184lbs. Each orbit took 96 minutes and the signal went on for 21 days until the batteries ran out.

for next week's theme of islands, let's make it a bit more challenging by saying that Great Britain does not count.

for time of exploration: space

birthday greetings

sent Jul 8th, 1911
Rochester, NY to Albany NY

cable car

received 2015
Chongqing cable car across Yangtze River with Dongshuimen Bridge (opened 2014)

Niagara Falls in Winter

sent Oct 20th, 1905 (undivided back) from Aunt Sophia
postmarked from N.Y. N.Y.  at 2pm
arrived New Haven Conn 6:30pm

Sunday Stamps II - 12

unsent, 1991
Bophuthatswana, was a self-governing homeland within the 'old' South Africa of the Tswana people. Never officially recognized by any other country, these homelands were reincorporated into South Africa in 1994. Bophuthatswana was a vast territory stretching across the Transvaal to the Western Cape and bordering with Botswana (the country i originally confused this name with)

a steam locomotive, Class 6A, from the pre-union era, first run in 1896.


for riding the rails: trains and trams

violets

unsent, early 1900s

Violets are the birth flower for February and symbolizes faithfulness, modesty.
They are also associated with death and resurrection, so are often seen as Easter flowers.
I couldn't not post something for this week's theme, could I?!

SepiaSaturday

Mountie on running horse

sent
1960s RCMP

puppies and kittens

sent, 2014
A Ladybird book cover from 1960

ships on the seaway

unsent, 1970's
a John Hinde Original

1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada - New York, U.S.A. : in April 1959, traffic began using the St Lawrence Seaway. The seaway, in the broadest sense, is a huge waterway extending 2,300 miles from the Atlantic ocean to the head of the Great Lakes in the heart of North America. Here in the heart of a vacationers paradise is an aerial view of the 1000 islands section o0f the St Lawrence Seaway showing a 'Laker' and a 'Saltie' passing.

Canada map

reproduction of a 1950's map card
that omits Yukon, which became its own territory in 1898 and Newfoundland & Labrador which joined the confederation in 1949

Sunday Stamps II - 11

Brazil issued 2000
celebrating 25 years of diplomatic relations with China (joint issue)

faces of a different sort ...
showing Carnival mask and Monkey King puppet

Sunday Stamps II - 10

souvenir sheet, 2015, international rate stamp (showing the three rams from the domestic rate stamp)
Year of the Ram,
also known as Year of the Goat and Year of the Sheep

The ambiguity has whipped up discussion in the English world. Actually, when used without attributes, the Chinese character Yang can refer to all of the forgoing ruminants. However, in terms of traditional culture, the zodiac symbol is more likely a Goat. The images of goats often appear on Chinese New Year stamps and paper-cuts. To ordinary Chinese, it seems the confusion never bothers them. They may take the goat as the zodiac animal, but prefer to buy a sheep mascot, because it's more lovely and fluffy.

Sheep (or goat, or ram) is among the animals that people like most. It is gentle and calm. Since ancient times, people have learned to use its  fleece to make writing brushes and its skin to keep warm. The white cute creature often reminds people of beautiful things.
(source: travelchinaguide)

Sunday Stamps II - 9

issued 2007,
butterflies in the shape of hearts
as part of of the theme :  Holy Days and Celebrations (Personal Greetings)
Kocham Cie = I Love You

Wilt thou be my Valentine?

unsent,
Valentine's Day Postcard

Postcard Friendship Friday and Sepia Saturday

Sunday Stamps II - 8

issued 2013
for the series Historical Vehicles, theme Ships and Transport
designer: Pavel Sivko
Péčko-18 Steamboat

The widely used Péčko (or P-type for propeller type steamboats) boats were cutting edge technology of its time. They belonged to the most frequently used boats on the Czech stretch of the Vitava and Labe Rivers.

Just a note that I have difficulty commenting from this blog (or browser?) on some of your blogs, so, to make it consistent, all my comments will originate from the VioletSky blog. But, don't let that stop anyone from commenting here!

Next week for Valentines, the theme is anything that looks Valentine-y or romantic.
It could be anything from the traditional wine, chocolate, roses, or something that depicts a romantic get-a-way...

Sunday Stamps II - 7

 issued  2014 for Canadian Unesco World Heritage Sites
domestic P (permanent) rate (currently 85¢); postcard can be sent international rate (currently $2.50)
Virginia Falls, South Nahanni River, Northwest Territories
it's drop is 315' or 96m

Sunday Stamps II - 6

issued in 2014 as part of the Heartwarming Animal Scenes
(showing a cuddly koala in honour of Australia Day!)

Sunday Stamps II - 5

 

issued December 1971

25th Anniversary of UNICEF (United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund)

created in 1946 to provide food and healthcare to children in countries that had been devastated in WWII. It is now active in over 190 countries and territories.

Next week's challenge is shaped stamps, or if you don't have any shaped stamps, maybe a stamp from Australia as it is Australia Day on Jan 26th.

Sunday Stamps II - 4

issued 2009 to commemorate the German composer's 200th birthday
3 February 1809, Hamburg

Much of Mendelssohn's work was created when he was very young - Overture to A  Midsummer Night's Dream (The Wedding March) was composed in 1826 when he was just 17.

Sunday Stamps II - 3

issued 2014, astrological magic
artist - Ciou
 "her darkly charming works are creepy in a very charming way, a little bit of sweet and a little bit of sour in a friendly and dangerous world."
website

New Year Joys

 unsent
Happy New Year to all

New Year

unsent greetings, 1911

Sunday Stamps II - 2

issued 2012, Taiwan
Disney -Toy Story, featuring Woody the cowboy sheriff and the three eyed aliens
both valued at NT $5 (.18¢ CAD)

for next week - the first of 2015 - I thought a favourite stamp that makes you smile might be nice to feature. or, if you are up for the challenge, New Year's celebrations or astrology.

Christmas Pudding

A Boxing Day treat for our family
Merry Christmas to one and all
Sepia Saturday

Dec 25th

reproduction, early 1900's
PostcardFriendshipFriday

Best Wishes

reproduction 1906

Sunday Stamps II - 1

Sunday Stamps the second edition begins now, 

just in time for Christmas - or the rarer Hanukkah - stamps
next week, we'll continue the theme (in a way) with toys
Looking forward to seeing your selections 

 

these stamps from the Netherlands remind me of when I used to do my own cross-stitch embroidery

telegram

reproduction, possibly 1908

Christmas shoppers

received from Russia, 2012

Postcard Friendship Friday

sculptures

2012 Art Canada series
the domestic stamp features Fafard's bovine sculpture Smoothly She Shifted, the US stamp shows Dear Vincent and the international stamp has a trio of Fafard's Capillery laser cut steel horses
Sunday Stamps

a mountie and his horse

unsent, 1960s

sunflowers

received 2014

Southern Belle

unsent, 1960s Florida

the lambs

received Nov, 2014, Russia

village chapel

Chapel and cemetery
received 2013

rural postman in summer uniform

National Postal Museum Collection

the zoo

PHQ, Landmarks A-Z, 2012
(PHQ = Postal Headquarters; ZSL = Zoological Society of London)

Sunday Stamps

cheeky mermaid

unsent, 1940s
Sepia Saturday

Little Church Around the Corner

unsent c 1930s

the Bluffs

unsent, c 1912

zhurong

unsent, issued 5 November 1990

The Grand Mountain Zhurong
(written on back of card as The Loftg Peak of zhurong)

Mount Hengshan, near Hengyang City in Hunan Province, has 72 lofty peaks and winds for 400 km through seven counties and cities. The summit, Zhurong Peak, is 1,290 metres above sea level. Mount Hengshan is famous for its scenery and places of historic interest, such as the Seven Ancestors Daochang (place where Taoist rites are performed)

Sunday Stamps