A Tree Lover's Monument

Muir Woods National Monument

24 Apr 2015 | From Abril of USA

OFFICIAL POSTCROSSING

Muir Woods National Monument is a unit of the National Park Service on Mount Tamalpais near the Pacific coast, in southwestern Marin County, California. It is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The Muir Woods National Monument is an old-growth coastal redwood forest. Due to its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, the forest is regularly shrouded in a coastal marine layer fog, contributing to a wet environment that encourages vigorous plant growth. It protects 554 acres, of which 240 acres  are old growth coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) forests, one of a few such stands remaining in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Sequoias and giant redwoods are often referred to interchangeably, though they are two very different, though equally remarkable, species of tree. Both naturally occurring only in California, these two species share a distinctive cinnamon-colored bark and the proclivity for growing to overwhelming heights. Both also require very specific, though very distinct, climates to survive.

Once widespread over the Northern Hemisphere, the Giant Redwoods or Sequoia Sempervirens survive in a narrow coastal belt in Northern California. They grow in dense forests with lush undergrowth of ferns.

A small town on Mount Desert Island

Bar Harbor, Maine

24 Apr 2015 | From William of USA

OFFICIAL POSTCROSSING

Bar Harbor is one best places to visit in Maine and New England. Located at the edge of the sea, Bar Harbor is a town on Mount Desert Island in Hancock County, Maine, United States. Bar Harbor is a popular tourist destination in the Down East region of Maine and home to the College of the Atlantic, Jackson Laboratory, and MDI Biological Laboratory. One of its many attractions is its close proximity to Acadia National Park—over 50 square miles of mountains, lakes, hiking, biking, views and dramatic coastline.

The town of Bar Harbor was founded on the northeast shore of Mount Desert Island, which the Wabanaki Indians knew as Pemetic, meaning "range of mountains" or "mountains seen at a distance."

The Heartbeat of Bristol through ESPN

The ESPN Headquarters 

24 Apr 2015 | From Cari of USA

OFFICIAL POSTCROSSING

ESPN, the worldwide leader in sports broadcasting, reaches 73.7 million homes across the USA and worldwide from its Bristl networ headquarters. The dozen of satellite dishes lining  Route 229 suggest that the roadway into Bristol is the roadway to the world - the world of sports, that is.

A beautiful, deadly bridge

San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge 

17 Apr 2015 | From Jimmy of USA

POSTCROSSING SWAP

San Diego is a city on the Pacific coast of California known for its beaches, parks and warm climate. It is a major city in California, on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California and immediately adjacent to the border with Mexico. San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest in California. San Diego is the birthplace of California.

The postcard shows the San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge, locally referred to as the Coronado Bridge, which quickly became an area landmark after its opening on August 3, 1969. The distinctive curve and soaring sweep of the San Diego-Coronado Bridge was the first structural conquest of San Diego Bay, joining the Island of Coronado and City of San Diego.

It is the third deadliest suicide bridge in the USA, trailing only the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and the Aurora Bridge in Seattle.

Oregon State Symbols

The Western Meadowlark and the Oregon Grape

17 Apr 2015 | From Janis of USA

OFFICIAL POSTCROSSING

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Nicknamed the 'Beaver State', it is one of only three states of the contiguous United States to have a coastline on the Pacific Ocean. Oregon is the ninth largest U.S. state. The capital of Oregon is Salem, and its largest city is Portland.

The Western Meadowlark was chosen as Oregon's state bird by Oregon's school children, who were polled by the Oregon Audubon Society in 1927. It is a medium-sized icterid bird. It nests on the ground in open country in western and central North America grassland. It feeds mostly on insects, but also seeds and berries.

The Oregon Grape was designated as Oregon's state flower by the Oregon Legislature in 1899. It is an evergreen shrub growing to 1 m (3 ft) tall by 1.5 m (5 ft) wide, with pinnate leaves consisting of spiny leaflets, and dense clusters of yellow flowers in early spring, followed by dark bluish-black berries.

Lawrence of Arabia

T. E. Lawrence, 1935

10 Apr 2015 | From Erica of USA

OFFICIAL POSTCROSSING

Thomas Edward Lawrence (16 August 1888 ~ 19 May 1935) was a British archaeological scholar, adventurer, military strategist, diplomat, and the writer of The Seven Pillars of Wisdom (1927). He was renowned for his liaison role during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign, and the Arab Revolt against Ottoman Turkish rule of 1916–18. T.E. Lawrence was better known in his lifetime as 'Lawrence of Arabia' because of the dashing role he played in helping the Arabs against the Turks during World War I.

Lawrence was born in Tremadoc, Caernarvonshire, Wales, the illegitimate son of Thomas Chapman. His father left his wife, who had refused to allow a divorce.  He set up a new home with Sarah Junner, a woman who had been governess in his household.  Lawrence was the third son of this union. At 31 Lawrence was an international celebrity but, embittered by his country's Middle East policies, he chose a life of obscurity and died at the age of 46 after a motorcycle accident.

Lawrence's public image resulted in part from the sensationalised reportage of the Arab revolt by an American journalist, Lowell Thomas, as well as from Lawrence's autobiographical account Seven Pillars of Wisdom.

Liberty Enlightening the World

The Statue of Liberty

10 Mar 2015 | From Brie of USA

POSTCROSSING SWAP (INSTAGRAM)

"The Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World" was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the United States and is recognized as a universal symbol of freedom and democracy. The Statue of Liberty was dedicated on October 28, 1886.  It was designated as a National Monument in 1924. Employees of the National Park Service have been caring for the colossal copper statue since 1933.

It is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor in New York City, in the United States. The copper statue, designed by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, a French sculptor, is of a robed female figure representing Libertas, the Roman goddess, who bears a torch and a tabula ansata (a tablet evoking the law) upon which is inscribed the date of the American Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776. A broken chain lies at her feet. The statue is an icon of freedom and of the United States: a welcoming signal to immigrants arriving from abroad.

An American Christmas

Christmas Day in the US

7 Jan 2015 | From Emma of USA

OFFICIAL POSTCROSSING

This is only the third Christmas-inspired postcard I have received from the official Postcrossing. The other two are a Christmas greeting postcard from Germany and a Santa's helpers postcard from the Netherlands. 

In United States the festive season of Christmas traditionally begins on the fourth Thursday in November, just after Thanksgiving. The United States of America has many different traditions and ways that people in celebrate Christmas, because of its multi-cultural nature. Many people in the United States celebrate Christmas Day on December 25. The day celebrates Jesus Christ's birth. It is often combined with customs from pre-Christian winter celebrations. Many people erect Christmas trees, decorate their homes, visit family or friends and exchange gifts.

Federal Art Project poster

Pneumonia strikes

16 Dec 2014 | From Bryon of USA

OFFICIAL POSTCROSSING

The postcard is part of 'A Picture of Health: 30 Health & Fitness Postcards' published in 2012 in the USA. The complete title of the artwork is 'Pneumonia strikes like a man eating shark led by its pilot fish the common cold Consult your physician'. It was created by G.S. Jr and published for the Federal Art Project, W.P.A., (1936 or 1937). The poster is to encourage citizens to "consult your physician" for treatment of the common cold, showing a shark. Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung affecting primarily the microscopic air sacs known as alveoli. It was regarded by William Osler in the 19th century as "the captain of the men of death," the advent of antibiotic therapy and vaccines in the 20th century has seen improvements in survival. Nevertheless, in developing countries, and among the very old, the very young, and the chronically ill, pneumonia remains a leading cause of death.

The Federal Art Project (FAP) was the visual arts arm of the Great Depression-era New Deal Works Progress Administration Federal Project Number One program in the United States. FAP artists created posters, murals and paintings. Some works still stand among the most-significant pieces of public art in the country.

Yosemite National Park

The Drive-through Tree

24 Nov 2014 | From Teddy of USA

POSTCROSSING SWAP

Yosemite National Park lies in the heart of California. With its 'hanging' valleys, many waterfalls, cirque lakes, polished domes, moraines and U-shaped valleys, it provides an excellent overview of all kinds of granite relief fashioned by glaciation. 

The park represents practically all the different environments found within the Sierra Nevada, including sequoia groves, historic resources, evidence of Indian habitation, and domes, valleys, polished granites and other geological features illustrating the formation of the mountain range.

This famous drive-through tree is in the Mariposa Grove of Giant Redwoods. Mariposa Grove is a sequoia grove located near Wawona, California, United States, in the southernmost part of Yosemite National Park. It is the largest grove of Giant Sequoias in the park, with several hundred mature examples of the tree. Two of its trees are among the 30 largest Giant Sequoias in the world.

A letter from the Bay Area

Postcard, comic, and a letter

24 Nov 2014 | From Teddy of USA

POSTCROSSING SWAP

Prior to this mail, I've received an official Postcrossing postcard from Teddy - a postcard showing the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Ferris Wheel. Through that postcard, he asked for a direct swap. And a month later, I've received this envelope from him. Enclosed are a letter, postcard, and a comic strip.

The card has a Nikki McClure art for its design titled 'Sometimes she talks to crows'. Nikki McClure of Olympia, Washington is known for her painstakingly intricate and beautiful paper cuts.Armed with an X-acto knife, she cuts out her images from a single sheet of paper and creates a bold language that translates the complex poetry of motherhood, nature, and activism into a simple and endearing picture. Nikki's images exude a positivity that revolves around community, sustenance, parenting, and appreciating both the urban and rural landscape, undoubtedly influenced by her home in the Northwest and specifically Olympia.

Teddy referred to the comic strip as the 'zine' as in magazine. A zine is most commonly a small circulation self-published work of original or appropriated texts and images usually reproduced via photocopier.A lot of people, especially the anarchist types like to make for all kinds of reason from politics, religion, to personal travels. The one he sent me is titled 'Breaking up with your bank'. I find it interesting since I work for a IT software banking company.

And in the letter, Teddy wrote about the place where he is from - The Bay Area of California. The Bay Area, or the San Francisco Bay Area, is a geographically diverse and extensive metropolitan region. He wrote about how his town, Santa Cruz, used to be laid-back and liberal. But is now becoming more expensive and lucrative. The dynamics of the town is being changed by this rich people. He added that he don't like how it is changing. But somehow he needs to accept it and deal with it.

Florida's Space Coast

Sunbathers

24 Nov 2014 | From Sandra of USA

OFFICIAL POSTCROSSING

The beach sunbathers is this undated photograph probabl lived in Eau Gallie (part of Melbourne today) and traveled to the beach to have some fun in the Atlantic Ocean. Even if a person could afford a car, getting to the beach in those days was a much bigger undertaking than it is today.

The Space Coast is a region in the U.S. state of Florida around Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Cities in the area include Titusville, Cocoa, Rockledge, Cape Canaveral, Merritt Island (unincorporated), Cocoa Beach, Melbourne, Indialantic, and Palm Bay. Most of the area lies within Brevard County. It is bounded on the south by the Treasure Coast. It is bounded on the west and north by Central Florida and is economically tied to that region. It is bounded on the east by the Atlantic Ocean.

My dear old couch

Sloshed. From Stay Tuned postcards

7 Nov 2014 | From Priyanga of USA

OFFICIAL POSTCROSSING

Nathan Fox is one of the most distinctive voices working in comics today, his colorful, rock and roll-infused work has been featured in works from Batman and Heavy Metal Magazine to the critically acclaimed series DMZ and Pigeons from Hell.

Stay Tuned is a collection of 30 postcards that showcases Nathan Fox's poppy fantasia of reckless color, cheeky pin-ups, and rock-and-roll-infused imagery. I suppose this postcard is a representation of a true couch potato. Seated comfortably on a chair, a drink and remote at hand, food and chips nearby, and spending so much time watching television.

Being a couch Potato may be more harmful than you think. The idea of "couch potatoes" tends to conjure up images of overweight, lazy unkempt slacker-types or idlers whose recreation consists chiefly of watching television and videos. According to studies, being inactive causes your body to create more fat within your already-existing fat cells, so the cells themselves become larger. The damage is irreversible. Even an hour at the gym will not counteract the irreversible, harmful effects that hours of inactivity have on your body.

Before things end up to anything worse, stop being such a couch potato - avoid a couch potato lifestyle. Keep away from the TV. Go out. Jog. Explore your neighborhood. Go to the gym. Meet your friends. Cut back all junk food and other stuff. And designate your couch for other specific and worthwhile purpose. Get healthy. Stay healthy :)

The Grand Canyon State

Arizona

22 Oct 2014 | From Dariusz of USA

OFFICIAL POSTCROSSING

Arizona's name is believed to have come from the Spanish interpretation of arizuma, an Aztec Indian word meaning 'silver bearing.' The name may also be based on the Pima Indian word arizonac for 'little spring place.'

Arizona is located in the southwestern region of the United States. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is one of the Four Corners states. It has borders with New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, California, and Mexico. Arizona is noted for its desert climate in its southern half, with very hot summers and mild winters. 

There’s so much to see and do in Arizona. Some of the destinations you shouldn’t miss are the Arizona’s Sonoran Desert, Grand Canyon National Park, Red Rock State Park, Alcantara Vineyard and Winery, Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village, Biltmore Fashion Park, Lake Powell, Four Corners, and Monument Valley.

What's in the stars

Today's horoscope

22 Oct 2014 | From Debra of USA

OFFICIAL POSTCROSSING

I sometimes read horoscopes just for the fun of it - if I have a newspaper at hand (which is only every Sunday or when I visit the bank) or if I've got no important e-mails that I decide to check my daily online horoscope (courtesy of Yahoo). I would try to connect them with the haps and nows of my daily life.

Sometimes they sound too general that everyone could relate to it. And sometimes it is me who tries to find the connection of it with my life - in a harmless, playful way. I must be really bored or without a thing to do to contemplate about it that far. But of course I not to take them seriously or trust them entirely. 

Today my horoscope says:

Your health is making life a lot more interesting today — which may not be a good thing! There is a silver lining even if you’ve got a cold or a bad back; you should start to see it really soon.

I don't feel particularly bad or ill today. Would I catch a cold? I have dextroscoliosis (not severe though). Should I worry about it? Does that make my life more interesting? Hahaha

Some people who follow their horoscopes claim that it's all just good fun. While others say astrology is potentially damaging to our understanding of science, relationships. Astrology offers a number of things which many people find very desirable: information and assurance about the future, a way to be absolved of their current situation and future decisions, and a way to feel connected to the entire cosmos. But studies show that, people who follow their stars are more likely to abandon their commitments and be self-indulgent if they're predicted to have a bad day. It is because believers are convinced they cannot change their fate so get tempted to drop their plans, while people who don't set any store by their stars carry on as normal.

Sources: io9, Daily Mail UK

Ferris Wheel at the beach

Ferris wheel ride at the Boardwalk

22 Oct 2014 | From Teddy of USA

OFFICIAL POSTCROSSING

Here's another postcard of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Ferris Wheel seen from a different angle through the lens of Peter Angelo Saporito - a professional photographer and artist in Santa Cruz, California.

The Ferris wheel is just one of the attractions in Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, seaside amusement park known for its warm sand, cool surf, hot rides and free entertainment.

A Jeff Ladouceur illustration

Plank Tooth

10 Oct 2014 | From Sarah-Cate of USA

THANK-YOU POSTCARD

This postcard is Sarah-Cate's way of saying 'Thank you' for the postcard I sent her. She sent me a 'thank-you' postcard before, and this is actually the second one. I guess it is now me who should thank her with a postcard. She wrote that she find this postcard quite odd and that I might like it. It's a Jeff Ladouceur illustration.

Jeff Ladouceu is a Canadian artist known for his meticulous draftmanship and his distinctive mix of melancholy and humor. The inhabitants of Jeff Ladouceur's meticulously rendered universe are a motley bunch, "always in metamorphosis," according to curator Jordan Strom.

Source: Artspace

On the road to San Francisco

Street view of San Francisco

4 Oct 2014 | From Mo of China

POSTCROSSING FRIEND | POSTCARD SENT FROM CHINA

San Francisco, USA is one of the cities that Mo hopes to visit some day. He described it as a beautiful, wonderful, and rich city - a city that has a little bit of everything. Though I have never dreamt of going to San Francisco, it may be a great cultural and pleasurable experience if I could. If given the chance to visit the city, I would definitely not let it pass.

San Francisco is a popular tourist destination. It is known for its cool summers, fog, steep rolling hills, eclectic mix of architecture, and landmarks including the Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars, the former prison on Alcatraz Island, and its Chinatown district. It is also the cultural center and a leading financial hub of the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California.

An Ian Huebert illustration

Molly Cornfield

26 Sept 2014 | From Sarah-Cate of USA

THANK-YOU POSTCARD

Sarah-Cate sent me this lovely postcard as thanks for the one I sent her through the official Postcrossing. She said that sehe decided to send me this postcard upon reading in my profile that I am drawn to the weird and the eccentric. I suppose seeing a girl on top of a flying humongous corn (or a little girl on top of a corn?) would count as weird.

Ian Huebert is a San Francisco-based artist. Huebert designed the cover for Matthew Zapruder’s newest collection of poems Sun Bear (Copper Canyon, 2014). He also created the cover art for Dan Chelott’s X (McSweeney’s, 2013), Jeff Alessandrelli’s Don’t Let Me Forget to Feed the Sharks (Poor Claudia, 2012), and is the primary cover artist for the chapbooks released by Dikembe Press. In addition to designing covers for collection of contemporary poetry, though, Huebert also is an accomplished cartoonist and minimalist poet. Over the course of the past year or two, he has self-published a limited-run chapbook series of his drawings and poetry, titled Comb.

Source: Vouchedbooks

The Missing Nose Flute and Other Mysteries of Life

And at dusk, we'd sit back and air our souls

10 Sept 2014 | From Rick of USA

OFFICIAL POSTCROSSING

This is probably one of the most fully-written postcards I have received in the official Postcrossing track - not to mention that the postcard is huge.

From all the things that Rick wrote in the postcard, what caught me the most is when he shared that I remind him of his son - mainly from the "attitude" of how I write and how I lay out my words. And then he continued that he lost his son 8 years ago.

About the postcard, it is from the unconventional collection of 'The Missing Nose Flute and Other Mysteries of Life'. It is a postcard book with a difference. Antique postcards, with their soft hand-tinting and naive world view, are given a new twist by the bizarre - even mordant - captions that accompany them.

I used to do the same, as shown in the postcard, when I was younger. I would sit on my back and see how long can I stay on that position. I would stretch my legs as high as I can as if reaching something with my feet. And then I will eventually get tired, just lie down, and stare at the ceiling or at the sky.