Scent of Spring

Magnolias tried to brighten the early spring here, but our weather was just too cold for the delicate flowers. And, we had terrific winds, which scattered the petals like huge snowflakes.

Every state in the US has a state flower, and magnolias are Louisiana's. My home state, Massachusetts, has the Mayflower. There is an old rhyme that goes

April showers
Bring May flowers.

When I was a kid, living in Massachusetts, we always added, "What do may flowers bring?" And the answer is "Pilgrims." I think only kids in Massachusetts understood that play on words.

The scent of magnolias is very sweet, sometimes a bit too cloying. Shelita lives in Louisiana but she can't recall seeing magnolias of late. She does, however, recall the fragrance. It is a scent not easily forgotten ... one much stronger than the flower itself.

Majesty Reflected

One of my dear correspondents contributes to a weekly meme called "Weekend Reflections" on her blog. I don't contribute to memes because I can't follow through week after week, but when I saw this postcard, I thought of Marie and her reflections and made sure I scheduled this orphan for a weekend post.

Amy visits June Lake via a trip through Yosemite National Park, which only adds to the wonderfulness of getting away from the hustle of every day life. She and her husband's sisters' families camped in June Lake one year and they pitched camp by a spot near very steep rocks. Her sisters-in-law were not at fond of such a temptation with boys in tow, so the next time, the camp was by the road, with no steep rocks to tempt the boys. I'm sure that a few years later, access to the road and quick trip out to the nearest town to find girls would have been a more dangerous temptation ;-)

Balcony Romance

This lovely vintage postcard features a Mexican street though the street is not identified. I would love to hunt out this street, though I suspect the artist's perception is more romantic than the reality.

Melissa is an English teacher in Maryland. She writes that she visited Mexico for a wedding. I don't think it was her wedding, but I bet it was fun all the same. She remembers drinking way too much tequila, which is probably very easy to do in Mexico.

MailArt365 104/365

I decided to send Melissa one of my MailArt365 postcards to thank her for this return. All my MailArt365 cards are related to food and/or beverage, and I couldn't resist having a little fun with Melissa's memory of drinking too much.

The Oddest Castle

This odd building is known as Castel Sant'Angelo or Mausoleum of Hadrian, and is in Rome, Italy. It was commissioned by Emperor Hadrian (of Hadrian Wall fame) and it not only houses his remains, but that of his family and subsequent emperors, too.

Marie says this is the strangest castle she has ever visited. When you enter, you climb a long ramp that spirals, like the inside of a snail's shell. The rooms are at the top and the whole thing is topped by a gigantic angel. I suspect the angel was added at a much later date than Hadrian's time. Marie also wrote that the view of the River Tiber from the top of the castle is absolutely fabulous.

This castle has been featured in lots of popular culture, probably because it is so unusual. I know I've seen it in the old movie, Roman Holiday. And it was also one of the clues in Dan Brown's book Angels and Demons. I'm tempted to add Roman Holiday to my Netflix (mail order movies) queue....

Old Meets New

I'm not a fan of telephones ... I much prefer email, or better yet, a note in the mail, but this postcard of the camel at a pay phone is one of my all-time favorites. I have a small camel collection, many are wood sculptures, a few are fabric or ceramic, and lots of postcards. Camels are not a common collecting interest, so I suspect my collection will always be rather small.

Laura was in Israel in 2000 for her daughter's Bat Mitzvah. They rode camels in the desert and the guide was always on his cell phone. Imagine that ... ancient transportation and contemporary communication all at once!

Thin Air

A soaring bird over Cordillera Vilcabamba mountains in Cusco, Peru. The bird is a bit difficult to see against the snowy background, but it is a condor, and it is has the best view of the beautiful Cusco, a UNESCO World Heritage city, below.

Cusco is where the Vista Dome train departs for Machu Picchu. Dora took this train and writes about the special tea people drink to avoid altitude sickness, mate de coca. It is made from coca leaves, and Dora says it tastes awful. However, altitude sickness is much worse. Dora experienced it first hand and the feeling that her lungs would burst. It is amazing what we will put ourselves through to experience those things that we dream about.

Australian Vista

Kakadu National Park in Australia's Northern Territory is home to an amazing variety of wildlife. And in the season between dry and rainy (October through December), this is one of the most electrifying places in the world. This is where more lightning strikes happen than any other place in the world. 

Kerstin hasn't yet visited this park, but she hopes to someday have the chance. Kerstin has a very interesting career. She trains dogs to behave, and her business is called Mind Your Manners, which is what everyone wants their dogs to do. Kerstin is also studying psychology at university. She writes that her two interests often intersect as there are many similarities between how dogs and people learn.