COVER N. 492 - UKRAINE

Postmark: Kyiv 184 Ukraina 04.07.2024

Posted on the 4th July; Received on the 24th July 2024

_________________________________________________________________________________

Who would have thought that I would get a Russian cover on one day and an Ukrainian cover the day after. I like to view it as another small sign of better times ahead….

That said, I cannot but admire the brave people in places like Kyiv who, amidst all the hardship and the constant threat of a treacherous bomb falling from the sky onto to their houses, still find the courage to carry out their normal day to day tasks, trying to accommodate abnormality and brutality into their lives. They have my utmost respect! 

Дуже дякую; Basil!

As I said yesterday, there are signs that things might be changing for the better.... Ukraine’s Foreign Minister was in China yesterday, there have been statements from both Russia and Ukraine about starting negotiations... a new Peace Conference is on the horizon.... let us hope these signs materialise into something palpable soon.  The sole drones that should fly over cities are those of photographers and skywriters; the sky is for birds, not bombs!

May Peace prevail and the only boots that step onto Ukrainian soil be those of peace loving people of all nations, for those who come in Peace will always be welcomed everywhere.

The Antonov An-178 is a medium transport aircraft, still under development by the Ukrainian Antonov Company.

Powered by two Progress D-436-148FM Turbofan engines, it has a range of 3,680km and  can accommodate 90 soldiers, for a maximum payload of 28 tons .

It can also be developed as a platform for  missions in the fields of military or civil transport, Search and Rescue, medical and purpose emergency situations.

The first flight took place on May the 7th, 2015.

On  11AUG2017,  Ukrposhta  issued a two stamp set (3 and 5.40 hryvnia) in the series dedicated to Military Equipment of the Ukrainian Defence Industry - Ukroboronprom. The 5.40 stamp depicting the Antonov An-178, was used on the cover.

On 28JUN2022, the "U" tariff stamp with a painting by a young artist featured on the cover was issued. The Russian invasion of Ukraine having taken place on the 25th March, the painting is an obvious call for peace and for Ukraine pride wherein several aircraft fly against a starry sky. One of them, decorated with flowers, is carrying a female figure which can be a child or a woman or even an angel, while the An-225 Mriya (dream) the largest aircraft ever operational, which was destroyed in its hangar  by the Russian aggressors in the first days of the war,  flies in its company, leaving Ukrainian flag tinted contrails in the sky.

The ennvelope for the cover is the official envelope for this stamp issue, being illustrated with the same artwork.

Tariff "T" stamp. part of the definitive series dedicated to the traditional hand painted Pysanka Easter eggs. Illustrated with an egg from Hutsulshchyna, this stamp was issued on 21APR2023.

Part of the definitive series dedicated to coats of arms of the cities of Ukraine, the "F" tariff stamp with the coat of arms of Kremenchuk, was issued on 29SEO2021.

Basil included this nice postcard in its cover, dedicated to the cities of Ukraine, although I can only Identify on it Kiyv, by the famous Monument of Independence, which is central to the illustration.
 

COVER N. 491 - RUSSIA

Postmark: ПОЧТА РОССИИ - УCОПО КАЛУГА  248097 (Russian Post - Kaluga Post Office 248097) 23.05.2024

Posted on the 23rd May; Received on the 23rd July 2024

_________________________________________________________________________________

Seems that mail to and from Russia is taking longer than it used to, no doubt as a consequence of the unfortunate situation that was created with the unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine. The war keeps dragging on  and, as in all wars, all that has been achieved is destruction, pain and suffering, wounds that will take generations, if ever, to heal. Compared to this, delays in mail are not worth mentioning, but they are a sign of  abnormality, of disruption... just like it was the case with the Covid-19  epidemic, when letters that normally would take a week would take months or could not be sent at all...

Small steps seem to have been taken, and more and more news of diplomatic efforts start to surface (and I am not talking here about the recent  distasteful and reproachable conduct of an European PM). Maybe this is a good sign. I sincerely hope this brutal and totally unjustified war ends for once and for all. Enormous damage has already been done and its nasty effects will linger, like an infectious disease whose vector will always be looking for the smallest opportunity to wreak havoc again. Just like some years ago, an urgent vaccine is needed. If only humanity could find it fast...

I have just received another of Julia's great cover/postcard combos. Postcrossing and cover exchanging is also a way to contribute for mutual understanding, for creating the bonds that bombs are so eager to destroy. Albeit small, I think it is a valid contribution for the discovery of the vaccine I mentioned above.

Большое спасибо, Юля! (I hope "deepl" got it right... :-))!

Julia informs me that the rocket whose image adorns the envelope is the Angara A-5, a three stage heavy duty launch vehicle. 

The rocket measures 55.4 m and is capable of putting a payload of 24,500 kg into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) or 5,400-7,500 kg into Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO). It is powered by four boosters which together generate a total thrust of 7,680 kN. (863 ton-force)

On the 11th April 2024, on its fourth flight and the first from Vostochny Cosmodrome, it placed on orbit a  cubesat designated as "Gagarinets", for Russian company Avant Space, which claims that a constellation of such satellites can be put in orbit to project images such as QR codes or advertisements, visible in the night sky from locations on the surface of the Earth.

- The 154th Preobrazhensky Independent Commandant's Regiment is the  honour guard regiment of the Russian Armed Forces and it is common to see its members on TV during the official commemorative parades that take place on the Red Square. 

It was formed in December 1979 and takes its designation from the original Preobrazhensky Life Guards Regiment, which was a unit of the Imperial Russian Army, effective between 1683 and 1917, having been disbanded just before the October Revolution.

On 20DEC2023, Russian Post issued a four x 29 rubles stamp set in the history of the Russian Uniform series, dedicated to the 154th Preobrazhensky Independent Commandant's Regiment. The stamp on the cover is illustrated with the image of mebers of a banner group of the regiment in current uniforms.

- Luna 25 was the heir to the Luna Soviet Space Programme of lunar exploration by robotic vehicles, which ran from 1959 to 1976.

The vehicle was sent on its mission on the 10th August 2023, atop a Soyus-2 rocket, with the aim of landing  (mooning would be more appropriat , but its place in semantics has long been captured by another not so science oriented meaning, as it is well known…) in the vicinity of the Moon's south pole. Unfortunately, due to an unsuccessful orbital manoeuvre, the vehicle ended up crashing itself onto the lunar surface, thus failing its intended objective.

Luna 25 is also the subject of the nice postcard, which I take would have been issued by Russian Post in connection with the stamp, that Julia kindly sent me inside the cover. Again, bol'shoye spasibo, Julia!

POSTCARD N.153 - SRI LANKA

Postcard sent on the 14th July; received on the 23rd July 2024

Postcard image: A tea picker somewhere in Sri Lanka
__________________________________________________________________________________

It’s turning into a habit.... I open the letterbox to find a letter or a postcard from Sri Lanka inside.... Ravindra just keeps feeding my curiosity about his country with image after image of places I'd like to photograph myself....Bohomȧ  sthoothi, again, Ravi. You really didn't have to, but I truly appreciate it.

Curiously enough, the postcard is once again an opportunity to relate Portugal and Sri Lanka through a third party, this of course being Britain.

In fact, there were no tea plants originally in Ceylon, Camellia sinensis - the tea plant - being native from China.

The first specimen to have been planted in the country was introduced in 1824 in the   Royal Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya (which I have already mentioned here thanks to another of Ravindra's amazing sendings), when Ceylon was under British Rule.

At the time, and all through the first half of the 19th century, Ceylon was the world's main producer of... coffee, but this would soon change and coffee would be all but wiped out of the country due to a disease in the plants, called “rust”.

As it is well known, (and here’s the connection to Portugal that will lead to the British interest in  tea, which, in turn, will lead to it being produced in Ceylon) had became an habit amongst the upper classes in UK, since its introduction by the Portuguese wife of King Charles II, Catarina de Bragança, in 1662.

So tea, with seeds from the original plant introduced in 1824, was first planted on a cofe plantation in 1866, by a certain James Taylor, a Scotsman.

The rest of the story is easy to guess: the tea plant adapted extremely well to local conditions and slowly, as new tea farms and processing facilities  were being established, it grew to be today's  most famous export of Sri Lanka, with a production that is now in the region of 300,000 metric Tons per year.

A tea picker. Tea harvest is labour intensive, since only some leaves are picked. Nowadays the process has been mechanised though, but I admit that for the production of certain types of teas hand picking is still the norm. 

Stamps:

- Quoting directly from Wikipedia: "The Kandy Esala Perahera (the Sri Dalada Perahara procession of Kandy) also known as The Festival of the Tooth is a festival held in July and August in Kandy, Sri Lanka. This historical procession is held annually to pay homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic of Buddha housed at the Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy"

On 25JUL2020, Sri Lanka Post issued a three stamp set (10;15;15 Rupees) dedicated to the festival, the stamps being illustrated with photographs of key moments of the festival. As common with Sri Lankan  commemorative issues, the stamps were also issued in one stamp souvenir sheets format, such as  the case of the 15 rupee stamp on the postcard, which carries the explanatory legend "The tusker carrying the casket entering through t he Mahawahlkada".

- World Post Day is celebrated each year on  the 9th October, with some postal administrations issuing commemorative stamps.

The 50 Rupee stamp is the 2022 Sri Lankan issue of a common design stamp which was issued by at least 13 countries, namely Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cambodia, Croatia, Egypt, Fiji, Russia, Serbia, Sri Lanka, , Syria, Thailand, Tunisia and Turkey.

- Sri Lanka's National Hospital was inaugurated in 1864. At the time it had a 200 bed capacity, installed in 21 wards.

Being the main hospital in the country, over the years it was expanded and, at present, this public health facility is equipped with  18 intensive care units, 21 operating theatres and 3,404 beds. It has a total staff of  7,500 professionals, 1,500 of which are doctors.

The 10 rupee stamp commemorative of the National Hospital 150th anniversary was issued on 20MAR2015.

The tea plantation of Gorreana, island of S. Miguel, Azores.

I have never been to Sri Lanka, BUT, I have been to what I believe is the only tea farm in Europe, and I'm sure this one would make Catarina de Bragança very happy, since the tea therein produced is top quality: Gorreana, in S. Miguel Island, Azores. If ever you go there, take the time to visit the farm and enjoy a free cup of the great tea varieties they produce there since 1883.

COVER N. 490 - SRI LANKA

Postmark: Headquarters P. O. Colombo Mail 10.07.24

Posted on the 10th July; Received on the 17th July 2024

_________________________________________________________________________________

Further to the postcards of the previous post, Ravindra also sent me a great cover with two quite interesting issues. Again, many thanks Ravindra! The number of Sri Lanka related posts on my blog is really growing fast... 😀

Guglielmo Marconi (1834-1937),  the man who made it possible for me to listen to Cecilia Bartoli saying good morning in Portuguese on the radio, every day, when I drove to work... 

In fact, the 7 o’clock program on the classical music station,  Antena 2, called Império dos Sentidos - The Empire of Senses - invariably started  - and I believe it still does - with a pre-taped spot featuring Portuguese Poet Mário Cesariny de Vasconcelos saying a short (in size but gigantic in content) poem of his: Ama como a estrada começa (Love just like the road begins) - and  Cecilia, who was interviewed by the programme when she was in Portugal to sing at Fundação Gulbenkian - an unforgettable recital, which I was lucky enough to have attended -  saying good morning in Portuguese to the listeners of the Empire of the Senses)... 

This is the magic of radio... of all wireless transmission, the invention for which Marconi became famous: to let people be heard far, very far,  from where they are, to  carry  voices, news, information, culture, on electro-magnetic waves...

I was tempted t go on a train of thought about radio, but I'd be digressing. Still this is really a fascinating topic. Will radio ever disappear, in these days of alternate communication media concentrated in a small device which was first invented to make phone calls? I don't think so. At least for as long as we drive. The imageless quality of the message radio conveys makes it possible and legal to enjoy it while driving. In fact it can even sooth you when you are about to experiment apoplexy from being stuck in a traffic jam for a couple of hours...

But, yes, I'm digressing.

All this talk about radio was motivated by the souvenir sheet containing a single 50 rupee stamp with the effigy of Marconi on it, side by side with a photo of his first transmitter. 

The souvenir sheet, illustrated with a photo of a ticker-tape telegraph was issued by Sri Lanka Post on 29APR 2024, being evocative of 150th anniversary of the birth of the Italian inventor and Nobel Laureate of 1909, a distinction he shared with German inventor Karl Ferdinand Braun.

When I first looked at the sheet and saw both the Sri Lankan and the Italian flags, I thought I was in the presence of a  joint issue, but further investigation in the usual stamp catalogues on the internet did not confirm my supposition.

The same holds true with regard to the other souvenir sheet on the cover, comprising two 50 rupee stamps, evocative of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and France.

Issued on 27OCT23, the stamps are  illustrated with images of the ancient city of Sigiriya  and Mont-Saint-Michel, both having in common the fact that they are perched atop natural ground elevations and that they both share UNESCO WHS status.

Diplomatic Relations between  France and Sri Lanka were established on 27 October 1948 and  75 years later, Emmanuel Macron became the first French President to visit the island state. 

As usual with Ravindra's mail, the Postmark hails from the central PO of Colombo.

POSTCARDS N.149/150/151/152 - SRI LANKA

Postcards sent on the 10th July; received on the 17th July 2024

Postcards images: Sigiriya UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sri Lanka
__________________________________________________________________________________

I opened up the letterbox to find another barrage of mail from Sri Lanka, in the form of 4 beautiful postcards depicting one of Sri Lanka's  eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Sigiriya, which I have already mentioned here on my blog, thanks to a previous exchange of mail with Ravindra. Bohomȧ  sthoothi, my friend!

The postcards issued by Sri Lanka Post depict several views of this wondrous mountain top fortification and city that was once Sri Lanka's capital, which are replicated in the stamps of the set, issued in 2023, celebrating this remarkable site.

- Aerial view of  Sigiriya, sitting on the top of a massive granite column protruding from the forest.

- 50 Rupee stamp from the four stamp set issued on 15JUN2023, dedicated to this UNESCO site.

- 35 Rupee stamp commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and Nepal, which occurred on the 1st July 1957.  

The stamp is illustrated with images of the Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy, Sri Lanka, (it is believed that the temple houses one of Buddha's teeth)  and the  Lumbini Temple in Nepal, erected in Buddha’s place of birth. Both temples enjoy UNESCO WHS status.

Sigiriya from the ground... Mr. Postman would have a hard time delivering mail to King Kashyapa, the founder of the fortress city in 477 AD.

- 100 Rupee stamp from the four stamp set issued on 15JUN2023, dedicated to this UNESCO site.

The access way to the site. Named the Lion Mountain, it  seems that there was once a lion figure guarding the entrance to the site, of which only the front paws carved in the granite now remain.

- 50 Rupee stamp from the four stamp set issued on 15JUN2023, dedicated to this UNESCO site.

- 15 rupee stamp, issued on 08OCT2019, honouring Soilis Mendis, a Sri Lankan painter. I have found very little information on this 20th century painter and sculptor, who was responsible for the restoration of the Kelani Raja Maha Viharaya Buddhist shrine, loated in the outskirts of Colombo.

This shrine is believed to have been visited by Buddha himself in the 5 century BC, and in the course of its long history it was subject to several destruction attempts, including one by my fellow countrymen, during the time the Portuguese occupied parts of Sri Lanka (1505-1658).

The current Kelani vihara building was constructed in 1946 and Soilis Mendis was tasked with integrating the then still existing walls and ceilling of the shrine into a new building reflecting the country's rich traditions of sculptures and wall murals.

Soilis Mendis worked on the site from 1927 to 1947 and the stamp features both his effigy and one of his mural paintings in the temple.

- 0.50 - Aires; 4.5 - Virgo; and 5 rupee - Libra stamps form a definitive issued themed on "Constellations", issued on 09OCT2007.

Detail of one of the outstanding frescoes at Sigiriya depicting feminine figures, yet to be identified.

- 100 Rupee stamp from the four stamp set issued on 15JUN2023, dedicated to this UNESCO site.

 COVER N. 489 - USA

Postmark: Protect Sea Turtles First day of Issue Corpus Christi, TX 78401 11.06.2024

Posted on ?; Received on the 15th July 2024

_________________________________________________________________________________

Sea Turtles. Those incredible beings that spend their entire life swimming across oceans and continents, only to return to the place where they were born, no matter how far,  to make sure their offspring will begin their race at at the same starting line as their forbearers, thus perpetuating an endless story, an endless circle ,....

When the ping-pong ball look alike eggs hatch the race begins... guided by instinct they begin their journey, and their ordeal, for only one in a thousand (some say one in ten thousand) reaches adulthood. And the first menaces they have to dodge are faced right along the few metres they have to cross to reach the water of the ocean, for all sorts of predators, from birds to crabs, wait to feast on them..If ever they make to the water, then sea creatures are added to the list of predators, like large fish and sharks...

many years later it is plastic, sea drifting nets,  and us, or just us, because we're also behind the plastic and the nests..... Turtle soup, turtle eggs...

In Mexico, I  once watched a bucket full of freshly hatched seat turtles being freed into the ocean.... They let me take a little loggerhead in the palm of my hand for a few metres before I laid it down again and watched her as she "swam" across the sand into the ocean.... I wonder if she is till around... 

On my first class of theory of literature at the university, the teacher gave me a poem to analyse. I think it was by Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and it was about a sea turtle which was laying eggs.... the first line was "you rise from the sea..." I cannot remember the rest. Sadly I cannot find it  anywhere...I'm sure it would fit in this post quite well.

Thank you so much for the great FDC, and stamps A.W..

On 11JUN2024, USPS issued the 5 "Forever" self-adhesive stamp set themed on sea turtles that cab be seen on the cover.

Species depicted are, Left to right, top to bottom:

- Loggerhead (Caretta caretta)

Probably the most common member of the species, it can be found in all the world's oceans. When adult, it can weigh up to 450 kg, and the carapace can grow up to 90 cm in length.

When I was a lad in the Azores these were not uncommon sights for fishermen and I remember going on a boat once with a local naturalist to tag and return a couple of them to the sea.

Classified as Vulnerable by IUCN

- Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata)

A critically endangered species which is also distributed all across the world in tropical and sub-tropical ecosystems.

when adult they average 1 metre in length and 80 kg of weight but a 127 kg specimen was once registered.

- Green (Chelonia mydas)

Another tropical and sub-tropical dweller with a world wide distribution.

Listed as Vulnerable, the Green Turtle's carapace can grow up to 1.12 metres, adults weighing up to  315 kg although there are records of a specimen weighing 390 kg.

- Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea)

The largest of the existing sea turtles, it can grow up to 2,7 metres in lenght with a weight of up to 500 kg, its main differentiating feature being the fact that the carapace is not hard and bony, like that of its cousins, being soft and leathery, hence its designation.

A global ocean dweller, it is listed as vulnerable.

Kemp's Ridley (Lepidochelys kempii)

The rarest of the sea turtles, listed as critically endangered, is an inhabitant of the Gulf of Mexico. Its carapace in adulthood can reach up to 70 cm, its weight topping at a meagre 45 kg.

The First day Postmark was applied at Corpus Christi, a coastal city in the Gulf of Mexico, on whose shores sea turtles come to lay their eggs.

Just hatched: Me grabbing a little loggerhead from the hand of the member of the staff of the turtle protection enclosure. In the back, someone is holding a baby green turtle. Flashes were prohibited and the photo was taken at 1600 ISO, making good use of an head lamp of one of the staff members. Most of the operation was done under red light, so as not to confuse the little turtles.

POSTCARD N.148 - BELARUS

Postcrossing Postcard sent on the 5th July; received on the11th July 2024

Postcard image: River Svolna, the right tributary of the Drissa, Vitebsk region.
__________________________________________________________________________________

It always pleases me to see that quite often postcrossers really go that extra mile to ensure that the card they are sending to someone else, somewhere, whom they don't know, is not just a square of paper with a nice photo on it - what would already be quite fine, since this corresponds to my definition of postcard - but also a friendly gesture by  trying to accommodate the receiver's own personal interests.

Elena, who sent me this lovely card, collects stamps. and she knows, from my profile, that I share her interest in this particular field, so she made sure she used a bunch of nice stamps to post the card  to me. Quite a nice and friendly gesture, which I trully appreciated. Вялікі дзякуй, Elena! 

River Svolna   originates in Russia, in the Necheritsa Lake, close to the Border with Belarus, where it runs meandering through forests (judging from the photograph)  for most of its path, before joining the Drissa, some 200km from Minsk, the country's Capital city..

Stamps left to right , top to bottom:

- Naratschanski National Parlk, establihed in 1999 and named after the lake it encompasses - Lake Narach - occupies a total area of 89000 hectares, in the northwest of Belarus.

It is featured on the photograph that illustrates the "A" tariff stamp issued on 05OCT2016 as part of a two stamp joint Pakisntan-Belarus issue themed on National Parks. The tariff "H" companion stamp of this issue,  is dedicated to Saiful Muluk National Park, in Pakistan.

- Foxes (Vulpes vulpes) are cute animals, even cuter as babies, of course. 

A baby fox is the subject of the"A" tariff stamp issued on 09JAN20202, as part of a mini-sheet dedicated to wild baby animals. 

- The Polesye State Radiation - Ecological Reserve was established in the aftermath of the horrific Chernobyl disaster and it occupies the area in Belarus right next to the Ukrainian Chernobyl Exclusion Zone,  most affected by radioactive fallout.

An eagle, a woodpecker, a linx and a wader bird which I cannot identify are present in th "A" tariff stamp issued on 01MAR2028, which in conjunction with an "H" tariff stamp dedicated to the  Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve constitute Belarus contribution to the Commonwealth of Independent States 2018 common issue, themed on Nature Parks.

- 5 Belarusian kapeyka stamp part of the definitive issue of 06JUL2016 illustrated with the Belarus Coat of Arms. The set comprises 12 stamps all identical but with a differing colour background.

- 1 kapeyka self-adhesive imperforated stamp illustrated with a cucumber, part of a definitive "vegetable" 14 stamp set, issued on 01JUL2020.

The Postmark hails from Minsk, Belarus capital.

COVER N. 489 - USA

Postmark: Ansel Adams First day of Issue Yosemite National Park, CA 95389 15.052024

Posted on ?; Received on the 11th July 2024

_________________________________________________________________________________

Tri-X forever, wrote Kevin on the subject line when answering my message acknowledging receipt of the beautiful FDC he sent me, with stamps from the USPS issue celebrating the work and legacy of the man who is absolutely revered by any aspiring, full fledged, amateur or professional photographer, with an interest in landscape photography.

Tri-X, a code word for the cognoscenti.. we're talking photography here - even if Ansel probably seldom if ever used the quintessential high ASA (notice I didn't use ISO)  film from Kodak known for its deep blacks, great tonal range and push processing capability.

Ansel Adams. The man behind the zone system, the photographic genius (and skilled pianist) who gave us all those absolutely incredible photographs taken at places such as Yosemite National Park or mount McKinley or New Mexico, so rich in dynamic range and depth of detail that they have to be seen to be believed.

And I have seen a good lot of them. 

I think I've mentioned it before here, but I'll do it again since it is quite an appropriate story: quite a number of years ago, I stayed at La Coruña, Galicia, North of Spain, with my wife and daughters for a couple of days, during one of our summer holidays. 

While driving through the town, I saw  some boards on the front of a building advertising a retrospective exhibition of the works of Ansel Adams.... I couldn't believe my eyes. Ansel Adams was my absolute photographic idol and this was an opportunity I could not let go. So the very next day I was again at the venue to visit the exhibition with my wife, while our girls stayed at the camping park or somewhere else, because I remember I couldn't convince them to come.

150 first generation Ansel Adams originals were on display.. everything from "Moonrise over Hernandez", to "Moon and Half Dome" or  "Tetans and Snake river"..... all the jewels I had only seen reproductions of in magazines and books (the internet was in its infancy, yet) were now there in large format, in front of my eyes..... and man, were they even grander than I had imagined them to be.... the contrast, the absolutely amazing palette of greys, the intricate detail, the harmony of the compositions....oh Joy!....

Thank you so much Kevin!, I was very , very happy to add this cover to my collection.

Ansel Adams (1902 - 1984), to me, is to photography what Keith Jarrett is to music. They both originated an expression style that became a sort of heritage, a legacy, that is carried on and on by others that came after them. But it is not the average photographer of piano player (and again, Adams was a very good pianist, although I have no idea if Keith ever dedicated some time of his to photography) who can make the harmonics of these geniuses works resound inside their own. You have to be extremely competent; you have to be extremely good to emulate the dynamics, the harmonies, the  irreproachable compositions, for both these guys built their work on tons of technical knowledge.

Photography is mainly a two stage process, which calls on two very different sets of skills. Step 1, you capture a photograph with your camera; step 2, you develop it. This holds true even in the present days of digital photography but today post-production is done in real time, with rather full proof software and mistakes can be easily corrected time and time again.

Back then, it was totally different. Most times, the man in the developing lab was a total different species than the man who pressed the shutter.  

Great photographers were and, to a point, still are, 2 in 1. Adams was probably 4 in one, because not only he came from the days when large format photography was shot with glass plates (I don't know, but he might even have shot with wet plates in the beginning), transitioning then to large format film and polaroids, but he also totally dominated all this different processes, to the point of devising, in collaboration with another photographer, Fred Archer,  his own system of capturing and developing: The zone system.

This theoretical framework  implied a profound knowledge of the way emulsions reacted during the exposure and development procedures, in order to obtain a pre-defined gradation across  11 luminance values from pure white to pure black.

Adams was also a  staunch conservationist and this is thoroughly transmitted by his photographs, where you very seldom see people... just nature, at its supreme best; just photography at its supreme best too!

Honouring Ansel Adams name and legacy on the 40th anniversary of his passing, USPS, on 15MAY2024 issued a mini-sheet comprising 16 "Forever USA" self-adhesive stamps reproducing 16 of Adams best known photographs.

On the cover two of these stamps can be seen: "Dunes, Oceano, California" (1963) on the left and "Half Dome,  Merced River, Yosemite National Park, California" (1938)

Postage was completed with another three stamps, two of them also dominated by the photography theme. From the left top corner:

- 15 cent "Photography" stamp issue on 26JUN1978. Illustrated with a folding large format camera and some other items related to photography like an eye magnifier, a lamp and some filters.;

- 3 cent stamp commemorative of the centenary of the birth of George Eastman, the founder of Kodak, issued on 12JUL1954;   

- USPS began issuing a series dedicated to American Design in 2002. Over the years additional stamps were issued and others  were reprinted featuring new dates on their frame. Such is the case for the 1 cent stamp illustrated with a Tiffany lamp, which was first issued in 2003, although the one on the cover is a  2008 reprint.

The stamps not pertaining to the Ansel Adams issue are obliterated with a normal day mark issued at Yosemite National Park, just like the First Day Postmark 

COVER N. 488 - FRANCE

Postmark: La Pétanque, sports de mediterranée - 13 La Ciotat  - la Poste - 1er jour 05.07.2024

Posted on the 5th July; Received on the 11th July 2024

_________________________________________________________________________________

It was a hot summer afternoon, one of those scorching dry afternoons that are becoming more and more frequent along the south of Europe. We were somewhere in France, my sister, my brother in law and their two young boys and my wife and I with our two daughters. These were the 90s of last century and the cars we had did not have the comfort of air conditioning... mine was a Fiat Uno, my sister's I can't really remember but even if bigger,  there was also no ac in it, whatsoever.

We needed an urgent break in the shade, and also to get some water,  so when we saw a  public water fountain by the side of the road we immediately decided it was time for a stop, to freshen up.

Behind the fountain there was this park with huge trees that generated some much appreciated shade, and below the trees there were  a couple of clearly defined and very smooth fine gravel rectangular areas, which I noticed but didn't care much about, since my priority was the water and the opportunity to wet my head to try and alleviate the effects of the very uncomfortable heat.

Children had the priority, of course, and after the four of them had drank as much water as they wanted, we grown-ups started to fill in our bottles and wet ourselves in the head and face, while they all went to play in the park. 

All of a sudden loud shouts were heard  and, by the tone of it, we immediately understood that these were not an expression of any friendly welcome....

We looked around: at the edge of the park, our four little pests were all very still inside one of the gravel grounds, wherein clear marks of their footprints and dragged feet were quite conspicuous. On the corner of the ground there was this gentleman who was shouting at them. I got it all clearly, then: the smooth even surface the children had just destroyed was a Pétanque ground and now it had to be levelled again with the instrument that the gentleman was holding in his hand.

I went to him and asked for his forgiveness and offered to level the ground again if he would let me do it with the tool he had, but he just looked at me and told me to get the children off the ground, and that he would do the levelling again (clearly he didn't trust my ability to do it...). Understandably he was not in the best of moods, so after apologising again, I did as told and led the offenders back to the cars, and off we went.

Un grand merci, Eric, for this FDC dedicated to that quintessential French sport and pastime: La Pétanque.

La Pétanque is one of those sports that I assume everybody is familiar with, since games involving impelling  balls towards a target, are an highly popular concept in all its derivations like bowling, bawls, etc.

Still I had no idea of its formal origin, which Eric informed had taken place at the French city of La Ciotat, near Marseille, from where he kindly took the trouble to send the cover, as attested by the first day postmark.

With my curiosity fuelled in by Eric's hint and by the beautiful stamp on the cover,  I went and checked the Wikipedia entry on the sport to learn that it had a very interesting origin.

Turns out that the original sport was called Jeu Provençal and even if the objective was the same as that of the Pétanque, putting your ball the closest possible to the target ball, the throwing method differed since, in this original version, the player would have to run three steps before throwing the ball (quite akin to bowling, again, I think).

Since a well known  player of the time from la Ciotat, Monsieur Jules Lenoir, had to stop playing because his rheumatism prevented him from running the required three steps, a friend of his came up with this revised version of the game, played in a court that was half the length of that of the Jeu Provençal, and where the players had to throw the ball from a stand still position, inside a delimitated area.

This revised version of the game was called "pieds tanqués" (planted feet), which over time would evolve into the designation in use today: Pétanque.

The very nice 1,96€ stamp was issued on 05JUL2024 as the French contribution for the 2024 Euromed common issue, themed on Sports of the Mediterranean, and it shows a couple of pétaque balls, as well as the little target ball, over a ground like the one my daughters and their cousins played hell with. On the background a player wearing a beret (which immediately tells us where we are) throws another "boule".

As I mentioned above the letter was postmarked at the place where the game originated, La Ciotat.

The celebratory postmark features a pair of pétanque balls in which the engraved groove pattern that makes it possible to distinguish the balls of the different players (I mean those they throw, of course 😀....) is clearly visible as well as the smaller target ball, called "cochonnet". On the background two tall palm trees again remember the viewer that we're talking south here....

Unfortunately, as usual with French FDCs there is a totally unnecessary mechanical obliteration on the stamp, which does not add anything to the cover, on the contrary....

COVER N. 487 - INDIA

Postmark: Basantia SO

Posted on ?; Received on the 10th July 2024

_________________________________________________________________________________

Once again Mr. Postman brought me two letters from the same faraway country on the same date, for  a second cover from India was resting inside the letterbox, after the long journey, when I opened it up. Thanks a lot Gianaranjan.

Not that long ago I had received another letter from India with the same four  local fruit stamps, so I'll just paste the notes I made at the time, here again:

Products with a Protected Designation of Origin, a EU and UK certified label, are products that are part of the culture and traditions (mainly gastronomic) of the restricted region in which they are produced, such a classification  being a way of ensuring their sustainability and preservation as well as contributing to their popularisation and market penetration.

I would imagine that a similar classification scheme is awarded by other countries in the world to products produced locally which have specific charateristics linked to the region wherein they are produced.

That is probably the case with the fruits that take the stage in the stamps  on this cover. In fact, the  mini-sheet comprising twelve 5 Rupee stamps of which they are part of, issued on 12FEB2023, is entitled "Geographical Indications. Agricultural goods".

The stamps on the cover correspond to the middle strip of the sheet and they highlight, from left to right, top to bottom:

Shahi Litchi of Bihar

The pulp of these fruits is considered to have a rose scented aroma, and they are produced in the Muzaffarpur District, in the state of Bihar. 

It obtained the Geographic Indication tag in 2018.

Naga Tree Tomato

Locally called Si Binyano or Khwüdi,  the Naga tree tomato (known as tamarillo in most places) is a fruit that has its origins in the Andean region of South America. In India, it is generally cultivated in the State of Nagaland in kitchen gardens, and amongst other culinary uses it is at the heart of a famous chutney. 

It was given the Geographic Indication tag in 2015.

Mahabaleshwar Strawberries. 

Quoting direct from wikipedia "Mahabaleshwar strawberry is a strawberry grown in the hilly slopes of Mahabaleshwar, [in the state of Maharashtra] accounting for about 85 percent of the total strawberry produced in India". Production reaches about 30,000 Tons per year, which is a lot of strawberries, by all accounts.

They obtained the Geographic Indication tag in 2010. 

Allahabad Surkha Guava 

The Allahabad Surkha Guava are distinct from the regular Gouava by the fact that they have a deep pink flesh, and an  apple red  skin. They are cultivated in Allahabad, in the sate of Uttar Pradesh.

It obtained the Geographic Indication tag in 2007.

Postage was completed with a 20 rupee definitive stamp issued on 01MAR2009 as part of a set of  6 stamps dedicated to the "Builders of India", featuring the effigy of Mother Teresa of  Calcutta, now Saint Teresa of Calcutta for the Roman Catholic (1910-1997), who was distinguished with the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.

Curiously, the cover is also marked with a rubber stamp calling on the attention to the Lok Sabha (House of the People, one of the two cameras of the Indian Parliament) election of 2024, which took place from the 19th April till the 1st June of the current year.

 COVER N. 486 - INDIA

Postmark: Illegible

Posted ? Received on the 10th July 2024

_________________________________________________________________________________

A great many thanks, Sayantan, for the  nice cover with stamps illustrated with traditional bridal costumes from India.

Coincidentally, the cover  arrived in my letter box at the time when news on TV has it that the wedding of the son of the wealthiest man in India is under way. The equivalent to a  meagre 121 to 143 million Euros, according to the BBC, has already been spent on the festivities which will have more than 1000 guests and have been going for four months... in India...

Reason, common sense, respect,... these are probably words that have different meanings according to the universe they gravitate in. Yes, it is but one world, but full of parallel universes...

The beautiful traditional bridal costumes of several regions of India, are the subject of an eight x 25 rupee stamp set, issued on 12FEB2023. Two of these interesting stamps are featured on the cover.  From left to right:

Bridal costume of West Bengal.

The Benarasi, a red and gold silk saree - a six meter long single piece of fabric - is the choice of Bengali brides, who complement it with gold jewellery and a mukut on the head, which symbolises prosperity and happiness.

Bridal costume of  Manipur

The distinctive element in the bridal dress of Manipur brides is the potloi, a bamboo and fabric skirt which is stitched into the bride's gown. According to the references I consulted in the internet, this is such an expensive element that they are usually loaned by the bride for the ceremony.

Unfortunately the postmark is totally illegible, so I have no clue as to where the letter was mailed from.

POSTCARD N.147 - FINLAND

Postcrossing Postcard sent on the 2nd July; received on the 8th July 2024

Postcard image: Brown County Sate park, Indiana
__________________________________________________________________________________

A fell, term which according to wikipedia, means a a barren elevation feature in the landscape, in Lapland,  northwestern Finland, called Saana, is the main subject of the picture in the nice postcard I got from Tiina. Kiitos paljon, Tinna.

Sanna fell has a maximum elevation of 1029 m and it lies adjacent to Kilpisjärvi lake, located 556 metres below it, bot being located near the town of Enontekiö.

The 0,05 € auto-adhesive stamp, is part of a three even priced stamp set "ripples in water" issued in minisheet form on 24JAN2008.

The 0,20€ stamp is part of a four  stamp set, issued in minisheet format on 09MAY2017, dedicated to arctic birds,  

Further to the  0,20€ - Velvet Scoter (Melanitta fusca) on the cover, the set included: 0,10€ - Long-tailed duck (Clangula hyemalis); domestic (no facial value) - Brent goose (Branta bernicla); domestic (no facial value) - Barnacle goose (Branta leucopsis).

The 1st class, self-adhesive stamp, illustrated with the image of a sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus) was issued on 27FEB2008 as part of the "Flowers" definitive series. Of note is the fact that the stamp information is overprinted in Braille.

POSTCARD N.146 - USA

Postcrossing Postcard sent on the 27th June; received on the 9th July 2024

Postcard image: Brown County Sate park, Indiana
__________________________________________________________________________________

The largest of the state parks in the State of Indiana, Brown County State Park extends over an  area of  15,776 acres (63.84 km2), its inauguration dating back to 1929.

It seems it is an excellent location to enjoy the spectacle of the Autumn colours, given that deciduous trees are dominant in its vegetation. 

The park is also equipped with cabins and camping sites, which makes it a popular destination for those aiming to immerse themselves in nature, just like Ally, who sent me this card, stating that she had been recently camping at the Park.

Thank you so much for the nice card, Ally, and I'm sure I'd love to spend some time there too.

Ally used a "Forever Global" stamp issued on 14MAR2022,  part of the circular stamp series dedicated to lowers initiated in 2017.

The flower on it is the African daisy (Osteospermum sp.) which numbers 70 species, which can be found in the wild in southern and eastern Africa and also in the Arabian Peninsula.

It is also widely cultivated, cultivars and hybrids of the species being a common sight in gardens, all around the world.

The mechanical postmark, issued at the city of South Suburban, Illinois, is nicely illustrated with a dog head and the legend Dog Bite Awareness. I had never thought about this, but mail deliverers are quite exposed to this professional hazard, it seems, at least in the USA, so much so that there is an annual campaign to call on people's attention to this fact. As I read on USPS site, in 2023, in the US, more than 5800 postal workers were attacked by dogs, while performing their public service. 

USPS lists some common sense measures that dog owners should take in order to ensure the safety of postal workers. I find it odd that dog owners have to be reminded of them....