More First Day Covers

My posts focusing on Stamp Collecting have generated more positive response than I anticipated. In my last post, I described the especially interesting (to me) part of stamp collecting known as First Day Covers. I scanned a few more ... take a look below ... be sure to click on images for a better view.

Recognition for one of my favorite parts 
of the US Government
Saluting the Library of Congres
April 21, 1982

Most of my followers are Seniors 😊
Don't mess with my Social Security!
50th Anniversary Social Security Act
1933 - 1985

History of Transportation is one of my interests.
Bread Wagon 1880s
Transportation Series of 1887 FDCs
Issued November 22, 1986

Sports!
Winter Sports Games
Calgary, Alberta, Canada, 1988
Hoping my blog friends in Alberta see this.

Monarch Butterfly
(One of my favorite Butterflies)
First Day of Issue May 17 2010

Hummingbird
(One of my favorite critters.)
The art goes beyond the stamp itself!

For those of us who enjoy writing
old school style.
Quill & Inkwell
February 14, 2011

In my earliest memories of politics this man was President.
I had a lot of respect for him.
This FDC In Memoriam Dwight D. Eisenhower
1890 - 1969

I'm guessing there are hundreds of stamps featuring
the United States Flag.
This 6 cent stamp was issued May 30, 1969

Honoring our partnership with our great neighbor 
 Canada - 50th Anniversary Migratory Bird Treaty - 1906

It's a good thing we bought Alaska when we did!
100th Anniversary Purchase of Alaska
1867 - 1967

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Update May 31 for Saturday's Critters

In Big Bear Valley, California, there is an Eagle Nest Cam, operated by Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV). This year, the mother Eagle, named Jackie, laid the first of 3 eggs on January 22. On March 2, the first “pip” on one of the 3 eggs appeared. Pipping is the crack in the shell as a bird begins to hatch. By the morning of March 4, two fluffy chicks shared the nest with mom, and Shadow, the dad. The 3^rd egg hatched on March 8th. A significant snowstorm occurred around March 13. The storm brought over 2 feet of snow to the area. One of the eaglets unfortunately succumbed to the storm and died around that time.

For the remaining two eaglets, FOBBV chat indicated that a “fledge watch” was started on May 13 ... about 10 weeks after hatch and the earliest expected date for the birds to take flight. The fledge watch is a wide window … May 13 to approximately June 10. Early this morning, May 31, both birds are still in the nest and appear to be read to fly away any day now. The eaglets are named Sunny & Gizmo. See link to YouTube below.

I did not discover the FOBBV nest cam until May 10^th when the nest made the ABC Evening News and David Muir advised of the webcam. Since May 10, I’ve spent hours watching the stream and it has been a complete fascination.

Here are a few screen shots moments of interest ... all photos credit Friends of Big Bear Valley ...

March 5

March 13

March 25

May 19

May 26

Thanks for stopping by John's Island!

Sharing links:

 Michelle's Thankful Thursday

and

Saturday's Critters

Stamps - First Day Covers

In my Friday, February 7, 2025, I mentioned my stamp collection and received positive comments leading me to believe it might be an interesting thing to include in more posts. Here’s a little background on stamps:

On average, the United States Postal Service (USPS) issues approximately 25 to 30 new stamp subjects each year. This figure refers to distinct stamp subjects or themes, such as commemorative issues honoring historical events, cultural icons, or natural landmarks. Each subject may be released in various formats or denominations, leading to a higher total number of individual stamp designs annually. For instance, in 2023, the USPS issued 132 different stamps, including 80 commemoratives and 42 definitives. In stamp collecting and postal terminology, a definitive stamp is a regular-issue postage stamp intended for everyday use over an extended period. An example is the American Flag.

In 2025, the USPS plans to continue this tradition with a variety of new stamp releases. These include stamps commemorating the 250th anniversaries of the U.S. Army, Navy, and Marine Corps, as well as stamps featuring cultural icons and natural wonders.

To me the most interesting part of stamp collection is/are First Day Covers. When the Post Office issues a new stamp, people like to put the new stamp on an envelope and get it postmarked on the first day of issue. The envelopes have usually been created to celebrate the occasion with special art work and/or images. One of my favorite FDCs is shown below. I found the art work delightful. If you are into stamp collecting please let me know in the comments.

Click on the image for a better view.

The First Day Cover for the Celebrate stamp issued 
on March 25, 2011. This particular one was
postmarked in Cleveland, Ohio
And, yes, I do like the art work! 😊

Thanks for stopping by John's Island!

Memorial Day 2025

 

Memorial Day Greetings
Vintage Postcard from my
collection of postcards.

Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for honoring and mourning the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is observed on the last Monday of May.

Memorial Day started in 1868, specifically on May 30th. It was originally known as Decoration Day and was proclaimed by Gen. John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic, a veterans' organization. The holiday was established to honor the Union soldiers who died during the Civil War. (Info above from Wikipedia)

Note the hat on the card is marked GAR (Grand Army of the Republic). I’m estimating the date of the card to be late 1800s.

Thank you for stopping by John’s Island. Comments are off today.

Backward, Forward — Just the Same

It’s five, two-five, two-five -

A date with flair, it feels alive!

No matter how you flip the page,

It mirrors back like center stage.

 

Not every day can pull this feat,

A date so neat, it can't be beat.

So give a grin, don’t look so grave -

Even numbers misbehave!

😉

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Comments are off and will return in June.  

Have a palindromically perfect day on 5-25-25! 😊

John

May Days

I decided the paw prints should stay. 😊
Haystack Rock near Cannon Beach, Oregon.
One of my favorite snaps from a recent visit.

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The Blogger I Am*

I wander through blogs like a garden in spring,

Stopping to ponder each post that they bring.

A tale of a tulip, a memory shared,

A chuckle, a sorrow, a moment laid bare.

 

With coffee in hand and a curious mind,

I follow the trails that others designed.

Sometimes a poem, sometimes a prose,

Sometimes just watching a bluebell close.

 

I pen a reply with humor or grace,

Trying to brighten a faraway place.

A note in return, a ripple of cheer—

Proof that a blogger has truly been here.

 

For blogging’s not merely words on a screen,

It’s building a bond in the spaces between.

We write, we reflect, we visit, we roam—

And somehow this circle feels warmly like home.

*Blogging friend Baili suggested I add a little poetry to my blog after leaving her a poetic comment she enjoyed.  I've left similar comments for other bloggers and they seemed to enjoy it, so I thought I would give it a try here.

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New Books

     Clouds

Clouds ... How to Identify Natures Most Fleeting Forms
by Edward Graham
I discovered this book thanks to an excellent review by
blogging friend David on his blog Travels With Birds
The beauty of this book is in the art of the illustrations.

     Sharp

I subscribe to a health newsletter published by
the Mayo Clinic Press. This book was mentioned
in the newsletter and I decided to add it to my Kindle.
This is truly an interesting book by 
Therese Huston, Ph. D
(I snapped a picture of the Kindle for the photo above.)

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Stamps

USPS Birds and Flowers for all 50 States
Stamps issued 1981 - 20¢

Fleetwood was a company, later known as Unicover, that specialized in creating and distributing stamp-related collectibles, particularly first day covers. The story of the stamps above begins in 1978, when Fleetwood hired father-son wildlife artists Arthur and Alan Singer to create 50 original paintings of state birds and flowers. When U.S. Postal Service officials saw the high-quality paintings, they immediately decided to issue 50 stamps, one for each State, showcasing the father-son team’s watercolor paintings. Arthur created the birds, while son Alan painted the flowers. Each stamp is unique – making it the first series of its size to feature original artwork for each different stamp. At the time of their issue, these stamps were the most popular in U.S. Postal history.

Enlargment to show detail.
For Washington State, our flower is the Rhododendron
and our bird is the American Goldfinch

In a previous post I mentioned my stamp collection and got a lot of postive comments. So, as we go forward, I'll be sharing more of it.

USPS 1996 Souvenir Sheet
Endangered Species

Collectors enjoy these “Souvenir Sheets” published by the Post Office. Souvenir sheets are essentially small sheets of postage stamps, often commemorative, designed for collecting or display rather than for postal use. They usually have a wide margin and an inscription or design commemorating an event. There isn't a strict definition, and they can be single stamps, small sets, or even larger sheets, as long as they are smaller than a standard sheet of stamps. The one you see here celebrates Endangered Species. The stamps were issued in 1995 and had a value of 32¢.

Enlargement to show detail.
Top left: Brown Pelican
Top right: California Condor
Bottom right: Woodland Caribou
Bottom left: San Francisco Garter Snake

See lots more critters at
Saturday's Critters

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Ships

Imagine my surprise when I spotted this ship.
I always like to get a shot of Coast Guard vessels.
Wow, zooming in, I noticed it is
Vietnam Coast Guard.
What are they doing in Puget Sound?  😊

The National Geographic Venture
At anchor, April 22, near the Marina, in this photo.

In another capture ... I didn't notice until looking
at the image on the computer ... someone out in a kayak.
It's fairly unusual to see this out on the Sound.

Holland America's Koningsdam
arrives early morning April 23rd.
The cruise ship season is underway. 

My first time to see the Hapag Lloyd MS Europa 2.
MS Europa 2
April 23rd

Washington State Ferry
on its run between Seattle and Bainbridge Island.
In the background ... West Seattle and in the distance
Vashon Island and Colvos Passage

Click to see the large view what I hope to show you ... 
a tug pulling a barge of containers ... probably from Alaska.
Notice the distance between the tug and barge.
Mariners beware of the tow cable! 😂

Looking out over the sailboats in the Marina, a
bulk carrier at anchor, and in the distance, a
Matson container ship. In the far distance,
the Olympic Mountains.

Early morning departure of MSC container ship on
May 2nd. Note the small load of containers ...
probably due to the tariff situation.

I always enjoy catching a sailboat. This is an
unusually large one. I could not identify a name other
than the 15 on the mainsail.

Maybe this should go in the SKIES section.
Afternoon sunshine on the water creates
an interesting look. There are literally
hundreds of sailboats in the Marina ...
and most of them STAY in the Marina. 😊

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Skies

April 13 Full Moon on Puget Sound

Just before sunset on a cloudy, somewhat
stormy, afternoon.
In next image, taken after sunset, note 
the rain in the far distance,
creating an unual sky effect.

Unexpectedly captured a chopper too.

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Blooms

Wrapping up this post with some blooms I thought worth sharing ...

These are tulips along my driveway.
I kept watching them as they bloomed
this Spring, and couldn't help stopping
 to snap a photo of them in bright sunlight.
So beautiful!

OK, I can hear you saying, What's this? 😊
This is my Cottonwood Tree which I
planted in June, 2023, as an expiriment to
see if I could grow a tree. LOL. I've posted
about it two times before. I think it's looking
pretty good!
Starting a Cottonwood Tree Experiment
and
More on my Cottonwood Tree

I am amazed at my neighbor's Wisteria. He is quite
the gardener and has been training the plant to grow
along the edge of his deck for years.

Here is what Wiki says about Wisteria:  Wisteria is a woody, deciduous vine in the pea family (Fabaceae) known for its fragrant, pendulous clusters of pea-shaped flowers, typically blue-violet, but also pink or white.

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Closing thought ... 

When I first saw this back in 2019
 I thought it was pretty accurate.
Today it is getting a little bit scary.
😊

Thanks for stopping by John's Island!