Yemen Yellow

 

1970: World Cup, Mexico

The yellow stripe of the Belgium flag shows up on this stamp and a photo of Paul Van Himst, one of the greats of Belgium football, who played in the Mexico world cup

1990: World Cup, Italy

The Belgium flag also makes an appearance and features a match from the very first world cup in Uruguay 1930. All the games were played in Montevideo, 16 teams were planned to attend but only13 competed due to withdrawals.

1969: History of Outer Space Exploration

Now one might see the moon dust as grey but Yemen has decided yellow is a cheerier colour and gives us a sunny day on the moon.

Sunday Stamps A-Z  and Y here is for - Yellow and Yemen - See It On A Postcard

  

Winter Light

 See It On A Postcard's Thursday Postcard Hunt - Looking for light in Snowy Scenes

Light in the forest

Lighting up the night

"Manor Class No 7812 'Erlestoke Manor' departs on a very wintery morning"

A Santa Special train steams away in morning light on the Severn Valley Railway. The trains are asleep during January but will make an entrance after sunset in February with the Boogie Lights Express , a moving sound and light show.

X

 

1977: Birds

This woodpecker is so unique it decided that it would rather appear at X than W. It is the only species within the genus Xiphidiopicus.  The bird's full Latin name is Xiphidiopicus percussus or Cuban Green Woodpecker. The most widespread and common woodpecker in Cuba, endemic to the island.

1990: 25th Anniversary of the Oceanological  Institute

Cuba is fond of Roman Numerals on their stamps

1930: King Christian X -  60th Birthday

and monarchs like them too.

1970: Bulgarian History

Another king. Cyrillic has an X but with a sound as the ch in the Scottish loch. On the stamp Khan Asparerch and the 'Old Bulgars' are crossing the Danube. An x appears at at the beginning of his title XAH  (Khan) and the end of his name.

2012: United Kingdom  A-Z Part 2

The stand alone X of Station X, Bletchley Park home of the code-breakers who among other things broke the Nazi Enigma code, the result of which it is said cut the length of World War II by an estimated 2 years.

Sunday Stamps A-Z this week has reached X - See It On A Postcard 

Reflections

 See It On A Postcard's Thursday Postcard Hunt for Light and Reflections...

A serene swan swims over the still water of Ulverston Canal basin.

On the shifting tidal sands of Morecambe Bay early in the 20th century. The cocklers are softening the sands by rocking their jumbos which bring the cockles to the surface. The process would be the same today but it is no longer a main source of income for anyone. There would not be a large family group and of course instead of a horse and cart there would be a tractor or quad bike. When one is a mile out the local knowledge of tides, the continual changes in the channels and quicksand just as important today as in past centuries.

In contrast here is a city that looks as though it is floating between two worlds.  Joensuu is the regional capital of North Karelia in Finnish Lakeland. The city is on the shores of two lakes and at the mouth of the river Pielinen. 

Woodpeckers

 

2001: Woodpeckers (Artist - Erik Bruun)

  

An issue designed by Erik Bruun known for his iconic Finnish bird and wildlife stamps  Born in 1926 Finland's Posti will be celebrating his birthday in April with some of those stamp designs. Approaching his 100th year I believe he is still painting and drawing but just for pleasure.

The sheet features 6 woodpecker varieties. The top pair - lesser spotted and three toed woodpeckers, middle. white-backed and great spotted woodpeckers and lastly grey headed and a black woodpecker

1970: Birds (Design- Richard Gerbig)

Another Great spotted but living in Switzerland

1996: Birds (Design- Michael Matherly)

Flying to the USA and another species to add to this list, the Red-headed Woodpecker.

Sunday Stamps A-Z this week here for Woodpeckers and wildlife - See It On A Postcard 

Sun Light

See It On A Postcard's Thursday Postcard Hunt starting the year with Light and sunshine

"Sun with Huge Prominence"

The star that gives life (if you are on a planet 93 million miles away), a sphere of hot plasma. This ultraviolet photograph of the sun was taken on the 19th December 1973 during NASA's  third Skylab mission.

"Birches" - Hannu Hautala

Meanwhile on Earth in the depths of a Finnish winter when daylight is brief it gives us this magical image.

"The Tower and the Fountain" Robert Fouseau

Pisa, where the sun is warmer and the photographer does not suffer as much for his art to capture the sun's rays.

"Dove Cottage", Grasmere, Lake District

Sunlight and dappled shade. Once the home of William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy. When William married Mary his family would expand even more which meant that eventually they all had to move to larger lodgings and leave their sojourn of "plain living but high thinking" behind. Today it is  museum.

Étel River

 On a tiny islet of Nichtarguer on the Ria d'Etel is a much photographed little house bathed in sunshine.