iridescent abalone shell

Old Tono friend and mentor Suzuki Kei sent this card she painted of an abalone shell. She likens its wonderful luster to the iridescent wings of the beautiful beetle whose Japanese name is tamamushi. The tamamushi is a stunner even among the many jeweled beetles of the world.

new stamps

'too cute"

The London postcrosser who sent these darlings apologized for "the really cheesy cliche postcard but it's too cute!" Or maybe I should say too coodly. He also wrote that he has become a follower of this blog and of Diamondposte. Only goes to show that he is a man of wide interests! Meanwhile, I'm adding Coodle Pie to my fave list, though as kittens go, Indy is more my taste.

first card

This pretty card from Taiwan is the first one ever sent by a Taiwanese postcrosser named Jessie. She wrote that she was hoping to send her first card to North America and was delighted when the random selection landed her with my address. I wish her a long and happy postcrossing adventure.

garden love

The verses on these vintage (and vivid) garden cards are simple yet comforting. No matter how they are phrased, the sentiment is right on.

beaver island

A postcrosser in South Africa requested a card that carried some local information or history. I wonder what she will make of this one of St. James harbor on Beaver Island in upper Michigan. The view is innocuous, but the history of the place is bizarre. Beaver Island was once ruled by the only 'king' in the United States, the Mormon King Strang, who ruled his band of believers with a heavy hand. He was shot to death by followers in 1856. The island is now a resort area.

blauer fuchs

This card shows a wonderful painting called Blauer Fuchs (Blue Fox) by Franz Marc (1880-1916). The painting, done in 1911, is in the Von der Heydt Museum in Wuppertal, Germany. A postcrosser from Wuppertal sent the card, which I love.

oak palm hammock

Lynn B sent this card from her days living in Florida. It shows an oak palm hammock. Hammock is the term for a forested area that rises above a swamp or marsh. I took one look at the card and thought that Pennsylvania may soon look like this unless the weather gets back to what we used to think was normal.

girls morning ride

An Australian postcrosser sent a slice of local life via a postcard of a painting called Girls Morning Ride, by Bill O'Shea. The sender wrote, "I thought you would like something very Australian and some art." Her card does it nicely.

lo barroco, lo inefable

A Spanish postcrosser sent this vibrant postcard from a show that he much enjoyed.

just a patch of flowers

This postcard from a German postcrosser shows a backyard kind of biodiversity.

biodiverstiy in borneo

A Malaysian postcrosser sent this calendar postcard honoring the International Year of Biodiversity. He was writing from the city of Miri, in the state of Sarawak, on the island of Borneo. Sarawak, he noted, is the "land of the hornbills." He also wrote about the 12-hour trip it takes to reach the Mulu Caves, the largest limestone caves in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage site. The timing of this card was interesting as I have just started reading Lost Woods, a collection of discovered writing by Rachel Carson.

two shows

Willi Singleon will have a one-day show on August 14 in Yardley, Pennsylvania, at the home of Tom Conville and Martha Locke.

Jozef Bajus (see bears below) also sent this announcement card for a group show he is in at Kouros Gallery in New York. Called Accrochage, the show runs until September 5. The gallery is located at 23 East 73rd Street.

lost in conversation

Friend Jozef B. sent this sweet card of "bears lost in conversation". It is so cute! Not that I really want to run into a bear of any size.

big tiger

Sandy Sapienza made this humongous postcard from a tiger calendar she found, then a woman at her local post office gave her a hard time about sending it. Sandy prevailed. Grrrrowl.

sweet sleep

A Canadian postcrosser sent this sleeping grizzly bear. (At least, I hope it is sleeping, not stunned by a tranquilizer gun.) It is again too hot and sticky here at night to sleep--no, we don't all have a/c--and this image made me flat-out envious.

slovenska obala

I post this card, from a Slovenian postcrosser, because one side of my family is Slovenian.

lappi

Cards from Lapland are always welcome. A Finnish postcrosser sent this one.

three art cards

This postcard from a Russian postcrosser shows a wonderful painting made by a two-year-old boy, of chamomile flowers with a ladybug. Excellent.

Children feature in this postcard, of an ukiyoe print depicting the five important annual court events for children. The card was sent by a 14-year-old postcrosser in Japan.

A postcrosser who lives in a small village in the east of Germany sent this card of a lovely painting by paraplegic artist Serge Mandel.

These three cards arrived together yesterday. Quite a haul!

stamps and stuff