Not Dwarfed By Time

The Old State House dates to 1713 and is the oldest public building in Boston, Massachusetts. All around it are tall skyscrapers, and, as Lynne notes, inside the Old State House you can hop on a train. Boston's marvelous, though ancient, public transit runs under the building.

Lynne also notes that the intersection here has recently been renovated, a fact I didn't know as I haven't been to this area of the city in years. It used to be wicked (as we would say in Boston) dangerous for pedestrians. And the marker for the infamous Boston Massacre, which used to be pretty much just a plaque in the middle of the road, is now more prominent. And, she also wrote that she was going to drop the card in the mailbox that is in the lower left corner, near what must be the one of the last pay phones in Boston. I love knowing that little bit of information!

Today begins my almost week-long tribute to New England. About a month ago I noticed I had returned "orphans" from five of the six New England states. I put out a call on social media and got the sixth state adopted, so now I can spend most of a week on the region I love. It should be noted that New York is not in New England, even though many people, even those in the US, seem to think it is. New York is its own little world, sort of like California and Texas. It should also be noted that New England is the only non-geographic regional name recognized by the US federal government.

Massachusetts starts the week because it is my home state. There is a song from the mid-1960s called "Massachusetts," sung by the Bee Gees, that mentions the night "the lights all went out in Massachusetts," which is an actual event. I remember it vividly. I was 8 in 1965, but the rumor was in that aliens from another planet had landed at Niagara Falls and caused the blackout.

Of Thumbs and Bumps

Such a contrast on this postcard ... the big modern city of Calgary and the bucking bronco reminding us of the city's history.

Dave hitchhiked to Canada from San Diego, California, via Vancouver, BC, then onto Calgary. He writes that "it was a small miracle they allowed me into the country." That tidbit got me to creating all kinds of stories about why the Canadians might have sent him packing, but Dave's actual story about his travels once in Canada is better than any I made up in my head. He climbed on a freight car and rode it east to Winnipeg. The train bounced so much he couldn't lie down. He asked if I've ever had to sleep standing up. I can't say that I've had, and I don't think I will. Riding a bucking bronco might be easier!

Dave made it home to Minneapolis, Minnesota, just in time for his 21st birthday. I hope he celebrated with a nice sleep in a comfortable bed.

Not Just Another Vista

Ellery Lake is in Yosemite National Park, California. It was one of the first parks in the National Park system. I have not yet been to Yosemite, but if I do go, I would love to go when I can just sit by this lake, and enjoy being there ... not rush off to see yet another beautiful vista. It seems we too often rush visits for fear of not getting to see everything. Sometimes it is best to just enjoy the vista in front of you and don't worry about that checklist. And maybe dip your toes in a mountain lake.

This area, Tioga Pass, is one of the most beautiful places Anna has ever visited. She thinks this is the crème de la crème for any visit to Yosemite. This view of the eastern side of the region is a bit too bleak for her, but on the other side of that mountain, paradise.

Don't Call Me Normal

This postcard is from a book called Secret Weapon: 30 Hand-Painted Spam Postcards by Linzie Hunter. The cards feature bits of real email spam message and some are quite lurid, as you can imagine. This one is one of the tamer selections.

Wolfey decided that her 6x4 story for this orphan would be about her marriage ... and a scavenger hunt ... and a wild night. All on this one postcard.

It seems Wolfey's college conducts a very elaborate scavenger hunt every year. The year she was a sophomore, one of the items was a Bedouin Wedding Feast ... and there were bonus points for a real wedding. Wolfey and a friend decided to go for the bonus points ... they staged a real wedding, complete with a real marriage license (though it was never filed ... Wolfey made sure of that) and they had their feast and a great time. Oh, the crazy things college kids will do, but what a fun memory.

Koala Smile

I could use a koala right about now. These odd little creatures make me smile with their grumbly, old man looks. It would be even better if I could have that koala in person, in Australia, while sipping a lovely beverage.

John was driving to work one morning in suburban Adelaide, Australia, and watched a koala saunter across the street. It wasn't sick or lost, just exploring the neighborhood. Perhaps it was looking to bring a smile to someone.

Koalas eat eucalypt leaves, pretty much exclusively. Eucalypt is low in protein, high in indigestible substances, and contain compounds that are toxic to most species. Koalas seem to have a diet similar to American teenagers.

I'm quite fond of the kangaroo postage John included on this postcard. It looks to be a baby kangaroo. Such big ears! Like the koala, kangaroos are only found in Australia. Or in zoos in the US, which is how I've come to know them. At the Pittsburgh Zoo there is an area where visitors may walk through a small yard where a few kangaroo play. They are rather shy animals, but sometimes they are curious about the human visitors and will hop over for a closer look.

Resistance

This statue is a memorial to WWII resistance hero Jan de Rooy, a Dutch factory worker who sacrificed his own life to save others. The statue is in the Waalwijk region, near Willemina lives. She describes the statue as a woman in chains, falling backwards. I am not sure if the woman is directly related to de Rooy, but I have a feeling she is meant to be a symbol for resistance.

Today is Memorial Day in the US. When I was younger, I thought Memorial Day was a day to honor veterans of WW II, but discovered it was originally a day to honor those killed during the US Civil War of the mid-19th century. Today it is meant to honor all men and woman who died serving the US. However, though there are many services and ceremonies today that do honor service men and woman, the holiday has mostly become the unofficial start of summer. The unofficial end of summer is Labor Day, which is the first Monday in September. That holiday has its roots in history, too, not in barbecue.

Art and Cats

Art and cats, a perfect combination according to Rusty, and I agree! I have one cat, and she loves when I get my art supplies out. Mostly she loves my fountain pens.

Rusty also notes that this card almost didn't make it back to me because she wanted to add it to her Mantle of Fame :-) She is more of an Impressionist than an Abstract Expressionist, but the combination of the postcard and Jackson Pollock postage that I included when I sent her the "orphan" made up for the lack of water lilies.

The postage is from a series called "Celebrate the Century," issued in the late 20th century. Each set of 15 stamps covered great moments from one decade of the 20th century. The Pollock stamp was in the 1940s set, which also included themes of architecture, history, politics, and technology.  The entire series is one of my all time favorite US Postal Service series and whenever I get a few in my monthly vintage postage order, I cheer.