Year of the Snake

 

2025:Year of the Snake (Artist - Jo Davies)

This year's Lunar New Year is one of the Wood Snake. The snake is perceived as having a dual nature representing danger but also good fortune, light and dark. Because snakes shed their skins it is also associated with transformation and rebirth.  Wood adds the elements of nurturing and growth.  The Isle of Man's FDC insert gives us Jo Davies' inspiration of the elements contained in the stamps.

Moving from the ethereal to the natural world

1989: Endangered Reptiles

and a grass snake (I'm guessing the endangered designation refers to Hungary). On the other hand Orsini's Viper are a rare species (also called Meadow Adders) which are found in France, Italy and much of Eastern Europe.  Although snakes are fascinating to me

these lizards are more endearing  - Sand Lizard and Green Lizard 

Sunday Stamps theme - Snakes and Reptiles - See It On A Postcard

Red Alert

See It On Postcard's Thursday Postcard Hunt is looking for the colour red...

Chocks away for Snoopy and Woodstock

2013: Europa - The Postman's Van

Fairy tale houses in Madeira known as casinhas de Santana.  An island that looks like the perfect place to ride on a post bike.

Fungarium - Illustrator Katy Scott

A postcard of one of the images from Kew Garden's 'Welcome to the Museum' series of books.  The Fungarium illustrations are by Katy Scott in collaboration with Esta Gaya, a senior researcher at Kew Botanical Gardens who is especially fascinated by lichen.  Guess what, the image is of a lichen - Umbrella basidiolichen.  The basidiolichens are a genius of lichen that are poorly researched according to wikipedia. 

The Write Stuff

 

2008: Nobel Prize Diploma

Dario Fo was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1997 which was welcomed by some in Italy but condemned by others, such is the hazard of satirizing and pointing the finger at politics, religion and inequality. He said he spent his life whipping up jolly storms through "freedom of opinion and happiness of expression through rage and laughter".

1951: 15th Anniversary of the Death of Maxim Gorky (1868-1936)

Another politically active writer but who could also win a best mustache contest. Clear eyed he said

"Politics is the soil in which the nettle of poisonous enmity, evil suspicions, shameless lies, slander, morbid ambitions, and disrespect for the individual grows rapidly and luxuriantly. Name anything bad in man and it is precisely in the soil of political struggle that it grows with particular liveliness and abundance".

1998: 900th Anniversary of the Birth of Hildegard of Bingen, Prioress  (Vision of Life Cycle)

The woman who was, as the Bible encourages us to be, in the world but not of it. Hildegard, abbess and polymath. Writer, composer and mystic. The stamp shows an illuminations from 'Scivias', a book of her religious visions It is unknown if she painted them herself or oversaw their creation. 

Sunday Stamps - Authors, Poets of Composers - See It On A Postcard

Pretty in Pink

 Thursday Postcard Hunt's Thursday Postcard Hunt is in the pink...

Time for a cakewalk, unknown dancers circa 1915. The cakewalk originated in the slave plantations of America in the 19th century but like all dance it travelled.

1972: International Rose Exhibition - 'Berger's Rose'

As did this Maxi Card. It is a East German stamp on a Cuban 'Special Delivery for Mother's Day  pre-stamped postcard.

Lets head outdoors to a misty pink tinged scene somewhere in Finland.  Sent in December 2016 saying 'This is how it looks now here"

Birds

 

2004: Migrating Birds

On last week's Sunday Stamps a lone bird flew past a lighthouse so here is the rest of the set with views of Alderney.

The FDC illustration increases the number of Yellow Wagtails to three, one of my favourite birds.

1988: Birds

Meanwhile in Bulgaria it is dinner time with a Yellow-legged gull and White Stork

A fishy treat for a Grey Heron, Peter Rabbit meets his end with a Goshawk and the Eagle-owl has found a country mouse.

Sunday Stamps is looking at birds - See It On A Postcard

Orange Glow

 See It On A Postcard's Thursday Postcard Hunt is looking for 'orange moments'... 

Its a lovely sunny day here and this cyclist is about to head out of the card and onto the road

A Good Start, Newmarket 1957 by Sir Alfred Munnings

Alfred Munnings was never happier than when he was painting horses, riding them, watching them or at the races. His lovely house in Dedham is now a museum and not only is there a large collection of his work but his collection of jockey silks. He considered Newmarket "the most beautiful course in the world" and was fascinated by how the weather and light effected the scene.  He said ‘Orange satin, cerise-and-white, blue-and-yellow, emerald green – a large field waiting, waiting, regrouping. At each start, determining to retain the picture in my mind, too often an incident, something a horse is doing distracts, and once again my purpose is thwarted. This is the best picture I have ever seen – why can’t I paint it?’ (Munnings quoted in S. Booth, Sir Alfred Munnings 1878-1959)

The Esplanade, Weymouth, Dorset

A nice block planting of colour leading one away from the beach. Helpfully the original buyer of this card holidaying on the south coast has dated it with their visit 23rd Sept 1986.  The crowds are on the sands here but I looked today at the webcam and all the sand is in full view with a handful of well wrapped walkers on the beach, shoppers on the esplanade and of course the obligatory dog walker and a person (male) in shorts.

Island Lighthouses

 

2004: Migrating Birds - Passerines

One of our earliest summer visitors, usually arriving in March, flying past Alderney Lighthouse. The Sand Martins will also be one of the first to leave and head south in September. No winter storms for these birds...

2016: Seasons

St Peter Port Harbour Lighthouse

2016: Lighthouses

The tiny island of Sark lighthouse at Point Robert, now automated, but when all lighthouses were manned perhaps

2014: The History of Manx Playing Cards

they would while away the time playing cards although a lone keeper would have to rely on a game of Patience. The playing card shows Bradda Head Lighthouse located on the Isle of Man's coastal footpath and Douglas Lighthouse with the ferry either making its way to England or Ireland.

Sunday Stamps is keeping a watch for Lighthouses at See It On A Postcard

Green Sward

 See It On A Postcard's Thursday Postcard Hunt is in search of the colour green

The Cricket Game by David Inshaw

In the middle of winter it is time to dream of the warmth and light of summer and the sound of ball on willow of a cricket match underway.

I wonder what games the Roman soldiers played here to while away the time at Hardknott Fort which guarded the Hardknott and Wrynose Passes at this isolated spot, protecting the supply chain that ran from what was then the port of Ravenglass inland. Today the passes 1 in 3 gradient and twisty narrow single track still make it a bit iffy in winter in fact they were shut at the weekend due to snow and icy conditions causing a multi car pile up.

 

Eden Valley - 1960s Railway Poster - Artist A J Wilson

Perhaps the time of year to be in the pastures by the Eden River (know to the Romans as Itouna, meaning rushing water)

2010: Endangered Species - Mammals

I think this water vole would agree.

Illustrators

 

2013: Winter

An attention to detail and design of this FDC is to be expected from Jetta Frolich whose company is famous for creating Christmas designs and decorations in Denmark.

These are the first stamps she had ever designed (at the time aged 73) and she explained her choices of subjects - the Christmas rose was inspired by Selma Lagerlof's short story  Legend of the Christmas Rose and when thinking about her childhood skating came to mind. The robin is a reminder to us all not to forget the birds in winter.

1978: Europa - Monumental Buildings (Design E 1Clemmenson; Engraving Czeslaw Slania)

Winter is a good time to retreat indoors on dull days and play with stamps.  Here is a Stamp Day cancel of 1979 using the previous year's Europa theme which featured the 17th Century Jens Bang House in Alborg and  the plan and front elevation of Frederiksborg Castle in Copenhagen

1986: Hafnia 87 (|Design - M Stage; Engraving Czeslaw Slania)

There were 4 mini sheets issued for the run up to the 1987 Hafnia International Stamp Exhibition. Mini Sheet number 2 is on the theme 'Postal Means of Transport' featuring a Holstein carriage circa 1840, an iceboat on the Great Belt (a strait between the major islands of Zeeland) circa 1880, the first Danish mail van 1908 and the first Danish air service 1919.

Sunday Stamps theme this week - Illustrations - See It On A Postcard

Blue Yonder

 See It On A Postcard's Thursday Postcard Hunt is looking at the colour Blue

A quiet day fishing in Moomin Valley

Lake Keitele by Akseli Gallen-Kallela (1905)

They might get lost in the huge expanse of Lake Keitele in central Finland. Gallen-Kallela painted the lake many times between 1904 and 1906. This is his third painting and is the only painting of his work in a British public collection. Some years ago the British National Gallery put on an exhibition of his works and brought together all four versions. This is considered his most elaborate, showing the lake under summer light.  I must admit the cool blue reminded me of icy waters but then in my experience lake water is rarely, if ever, warm. A beautiful lake to gaze across whatever the season.

La Grande Famille by Rene Magritte (1963)

A seascape from Rene Magritte of both tranquility and foreboding

Polynesia, The Sky by Henri Matisse (1946)

Time to relax on a Polynesian island under a blue sky.