Poisson clown fish and Transparent stamp from France

Adeline André drew a heart in love, heart, hot, molten, a patch to apply love to fall in love " which is created as two fully transparent stamps to illustrate the hearts designer 2012. "the idea of a transparent stamp immediately imposed to me as it will for the background color of the envelope, parcel on which it is pasted. 's heart, symbol of love, the heart stamp used to send letters of love, wedding invitations. 

Clown fish stamp : The clownfish form a subfamily of fish belonging to the family of Pomacentridae . It contains thirty species , classified in one genre Premnas , the other part of the genre Amphiprion . These fish a few inches in shades of orange and black. Some species have stripes or white bars. They frequent the lagoons and coral reefs area Indo-Pacific and Red Sea where they usually feed copepods and larvae of tunicates. (From: Wikipedia)

Children Day - Olympic and Central Bank of India Stamp : Cover from India

Cover from India with Children Day stamp, Olympic stamp and Central Bank of India.

India issued London 2012 Olympic stamp which has  Rowing, Sailing, Volleyball and Badminton. This cover has rowing stamp.

Also this cover has 3 Children Day Stamp with Kite Flying, Spinning Top and Indian dolls stamp issued in 2010.

Central Bank of India stamp has it's founder and building picture on stamp. It was established on 21 December 1911 by Sir Sorabji Pochkhanawala with Sir Pherozesha Mehta as Chairman, and claims to have been the first commercial Indian bank completely owned and managed by Indians.

Thanks Avijit for sending me this cover with  beautiful stamps 

I had send you following cover  on October 2nd to celebrate International Day of Non-Violence. (My dad collect this.!!) To read more click following link.

http://gandhistampsclub.blogspot.com/2012/10/international-day-of-non-violence.html?spref=tw

XXX Olympic Games London 2012 stamps cover from Poland.

First cover with Olympic stamp.

Thanks Andrzej. This cover is from PolPostman (no introduction needed).

This cover has 2012 miniature sheet from Poland to celebrate XXX Olympic Games in London.  Nice sheet with background of City of London with most notable London bridge.

This sheet has 4 stamps of Rowing, Volleyball, Weightlifting and Discus Throw.

Also thanks for sending me postcard of "I Love Nowy Sącz"

Nowy Sącz is a town in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship in southern Poland. It is the district capital of Nowy Sącz County.

The town Nowy Sacz has many historic features, including: (From Wikipedia)

One of the largest marketplaces in Europe, after Kraków, the largest rynek in Poland. The late 19th century Ratusz (city hall) is centered in the square.

Saint Margaret's basilica, Bazylika kolegiacka Św. Małgorzaty (15th century). 

A 15th-century house Dom Gotycki containing a regional museum.

A gothic Franciscan church.

The Great Synagogue, dating from 1746, now the Galeria Dawna Synagoga, a gallery with some historical displays.

Saint Roch, a church of wooden construction from the 15th century, in the Dąbrówka district. The old cemetery chapel St. Helen's Church is another example.

The partially restored ruins of a mediæval Royal Castle from the 14th century during the reign of Kazimierz the Great.

The mountainous country around Nowy Sącz is also popular with tourists, hikers and skiers, especially the Beskid Sądecki mountains (part of the Carpathians), of which the highest peak is Radziejowa (1,262 m (4,140.42 ft) above sea level).

Looks like very nice town in Poland. I would like to visit one day.

M.M.Packoba : Russia Cover

First cover from Russia with M.M. Raskova stamp and Wrangel Island Nature Preservation stamp.

Stamp 1 : Marina Mikhailovna Raskova (March 28, 1912 – January 4, 1943) was a famous Soviet navigator. Raskova became a famous aviator as both a pilot and a navigator for Russia in the 1930s. She was the first woman to become a navigator in the Soviet Air Force in 1933. A year later, she started teaching at the Zhukovskii Air Academy, also a first for a woman. 

Stamp 2 : Wrangel (Vrangel) Island Nature Preservation : Wrangel Island in the Arctic Ocean, between the Chukchi Sea and East Siberian Sea. Wrangel Island lies astride the 180° meridian. The International Date Line is displaced eastwards at this latitude to avoid the island as well as the Chukchi Peninsula on the Russian mainland. The closest land to Wrangel Island is tiny and rocky Herald Island located 60 km to the east. The distance to the closest point on the mainland is 140 km.

Thanks Yuri for sending this to me. I already posted your cover with conversation stamps.

Also I had send you following cover  on October 2nd to celebrate International Day of Non-Violence. (My dad collect this.!!) To read more click following link.

http://gandhistampsclub.blogspot.com/2012/10/international-day-of-non-violence.html?spref=tw

Friedrich Tsander 125th Anniversary of birth : Cover from Lativa.

Friedrich Tsander  was a pioneer of rocketry and spaceflight in the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. He designed the first liquid-fueled rocket to be launched in the Soviet Union, GIRD-X, and made many important theoretical contributions to the road to space.  

Russia issued stamp on his 125th birth Anniversary. He was born on 11 August, 1987 in Riga, Russian Empire (now in Latvia).

I got a cover with his stamps from his birth place.

Thanks Oleg Skleinov.

I had send you following cover  on October 2nd to celebrate International Day of Non-Violence. (My dad collect this.!!) To read more click following link.

http://gandhistampsclub.blogspot.com/2012/10/international-day-of-non-violence.html?spref=tw

Korea flag stamp: Cover from Korea.

My first cover from Korea.

Thanks Kiyo (from Japan)for sending me from Korea while vacationing there. I really appreciate this.

His blog his http://jg2oaj.blogspot.jp/2012/08/cover-from-usa.html

I had send you following cover  on October 2nd to celebrate International Day of Non-Violence. (My dad collect this.!!) To read more click following link.

http://gandhistampsclub.blogspot.com/2012/10/international-day-of-non-violence.html?spref=tw

700 vyrocie bitky pri rozhanovciach : Slovensko cover

The biggest medieval battle in Slovakia took place at Rozhanovce. 

The 700th anniversary of the largest medieval battle in Slovakia from the time of the Tartar invasion is the basis for this huge celebration. The Battle ofcRozhanovce was fought on 15th June 1312

Thanks Robert for sending me cover with this stamp (miniature sheet) of this important event. I learned a lot from this.

I had send you following cover  on October 2nd to celebrate International Day of Non-Violence. To read more click following link.

http://gandhistampsclub.blogspot.com/2012/10/international-day-of-non-violence.html?spref=tw

Algeria 50th Anniversary of Independence

Algeria is an Arab country in the Maghreb region of Africa. Algiers as its capital and most populous city. Algeria is the tenth-largest country in the world and the largest in Africa. The country is bordered in the northeast by Tunisia, in the east by Libya, in the west by Morocco, in the southwest by Western Sahara, Mauritania, and Mali, in the southeast by Niger, and in the north by the Mediterranean Sea. 

As of 2012, Algeria has an estimated population of 37.1 million

On the pretext of a slight to their consul, the French invaded and captured Algiers in 1830. After 132 years of French rule Algeria got independence from France on July 5th 1962.

Algeria celebrates its 50th anniversary of independence, inviting everyone but France to the party. To celebrate this event they also issued stamp with special cancellation. 

Above is a First Day Cover with  a "50 ème anniversaire de la fête le  I'indépendance et da la Jeuness" stamp, cachet, special cancellation and mailed it to my address.

Thank You Ben Mohamed for sending me this special cover which is very important for all Algerians. Click following link to see his blog.

http://algeriastamps.blogspot.com/2012/06/50eme-anniversaire-du-premier.html

Also thanks for sending above postcard to me.

I had send you following cover(find yours) on October 2nd to celebrate International Day of Non-Violence. To read more click following link.

http://gandhistampsclub.blogspot.com/2012/10/international-day-of-non-violence.html?spref=tw

Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands National Park is a U.S. National Park located in southeastern Utah near the town of Moab and preserves a colorful landscape eroded into countless canyons, mesas and buttes by the Colorado River, the Green River, and their respective tributaries. The park is divided into four districts: the Island in the Sky, the Needles, the Maze, and the rivers themselves. (Read more at Wikipedia) 

Things to see in Arches National Park

Arches National Park is a U.S. National Park in eastern Utah. It is known for preserving over 2000 natural sandstone arches, including the world-famous Delicate Arch, in addition to a variety of unique geological resources and formations. The park is located just outside of Moab, Utah, and is 76,679 acres  in area.

Among the notable arches are :

Delicate Arch – a lone-standing arch which has become a symbol of Utah

Double Arch – two arches that share a common end

Landscape Arch – a very thin and long arch with a span of 290 feet (88 m)

Wall Arch – located along the popular Devil's Garden Trail.

Skyline Arch - located along 

Things to See : 

Balanced Rock – a large balancing rock, the size of three school buses

Courthouse Towers – a collection of tall stone columns

Dark Angel – a free-standing 150-foot tall sandstone pillar at the end of the Devil's Garden Trail

Fiery Furnace – an area of maze-like narrow passages and tall rock columns

Petrified dunes – petrified remnants of sand dunes blown from the ancient lakes

Devil's Garden – with many arches and columns scattered along a ridge

I also send this cover to my friends.

1) http://polpostman.blogspot.com/2012/08/2-covers-from-usa.html

2) ?

This cover has 34 cents stamps issued in 2002 "Greeting from America" (UTAH, where park is located). This stamp has Arches, flower and mountain lion.!!

THINGS TO DO : ( I did it all of the following)

Balanced Rock Hiking : A loop trail around the base of a fragile, picturesque rock formation.
Length: 0.3 mi/0.5 km round trip
Time: 15 to 30 minutes


The Windows :A gentle climb up a gravel loop trail leads to three massive arches (North and South Windows and Turret Arch). An alternate return, slightly longer, is by way of the primitive loop around the back of the two Windows. The primitive loop trail starts at the South Window viewpoint.
Length: 1 mile (1.6 km) round trip
Time: 30 to 60 minutes



Double Arch : A relatively flat, sandy trail leads to the base of two giant arch spans which are joined at one end.
Length: 0.5 mile (0.8 km) round trip
Time: 15 to 30 minutes


Skyline Arch : We did partial hike as it was so hot. A short hike on a flat, well-defined trail.
Length: 0.4 mile (0.6 km) round trip
Time: 10 to 20 minutes



Sand Dune Arch : Trail leads through deep sand to a secluded arch among sandstone fins. (Hike for little kids.)
Length: 0.4 mile (0.6 km) round trip
Time: 15 to 30 minutes



Broken Arch : We saw this while hiking Sand Dune Arch.

Landscape Arch : A relatively flat, gravel-surfaced trail (usually heavily populated with hikers) leads to a spectacular ribbon of rock, whose span is more than a football field in length. Short side trips to Tunnel and Pine Tree Arches. Trail guide available at trailhead.
Length: 1.6 miles (2.4 km) round trip
Time: 30 to 60 minutes

Delicate Arch Hike : Most Popular trail and must hike for photographers. (Starts from Wolfe Ranch parking area).
Length: 3 miles round trip (don't get lost and if you get lost don't try to hike the arch. it's very risky.!!)
Time: 2 hours
Note : In addition to this there are other two viewpoint 100 yards round trip and another (moderately strenuous) hiking trail climbs one-half mile (0.8 km) toward Delicate Arch and ends at the rim of a steep canyon that separates the viewpoint from the arch.

Crazy Horse Memorial : World's Largest Sculpture in Progress.!!

The Crazy Horse Memorial is a mountain monument complex that is under construction on privately held land in the Black Hills, in Custer County, South Dakota. 

 

It depicts Crazy Horse, an Oglala Lakota warrior, riding a horse and pointing into the distance. The memorial was commissioned by Henry Standing Bear, a Lakota elder, to be sculpted by Korczak Ziolkowski. It is operated by the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation, a private non-profit organization.

The memorial consists of the mountain carving (monument), the Indian Museum of North America, and the Native American Cultural Center. The monument is being carved out of Thunderhead Mountain on land considered sacred by some Oglala Lakota, between Custer and Hill City, roughly 17 miles from Mount Rushmore. 

The sculpture's final dimensions are planned to be 641 feet  wide and 563 feet high. The head of Crazy Horse will be 87 feet  high; by comparison, the heads of the four U.S. Presidents at Mount Rushmore are each 60 feet high.

The monument has been in progress since 1948 and is far from completion. If completed, it may become the world's largest sculpture, as well as the first non-religious statue to hold this record since 1967. The most recent is Russia's Mamayev Monument

This postcard has circular hand cancellation of Crazy Horse, SD.!!

Who was Crazy Horse : Crazy Horse was a Native American war leader of the Oglala Lakota. He took up arms against the U.S. Federal government to fight against encroachments on the territories and way of life of the Lakota people, including leading a war party to victory at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in June 1876. 

After surrendering to U.S. troops under General Crook in 1877, Crazy Horse was fatally wounded by a military guard while allegedly resisting imprisonment at Camp Robinson in present-day Nebraska. 

The Future of Crazy Horse :

Mount Rushmore : Things to do and look

The Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a sculpture carved into the granite face of Mount Rushmore near Keystone, South Dakota, in the United States. Sculpted by Danish-American Gutzon Borglum and his son, Lincoln Borglum, Mount Rushmore features 60-foot sculptures of the heads of former United States presidents  George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.

Grant Entrance of Mount Rushmore National Memorial. 

I also send this cover tomy philatelic friends.

1) Japan : - http://jg2oaj.blogspot.jp/2012/08/cover-from-usa.html
2) ?
3) ?

Yellowstone National Park

World's Largest Collection of Geysers

It's wonderland. Old Faithful and the majority of the world's geysers are preserved here. They are the main reason the park was established in 1872 as America's first national park—an idea that spread worldwide. A mountain wildland, home to grizzly bears, wolves, and herds of bison and elk, the park is the core of one of the last, nearly intact, natural ecosystems in the Earth’s temperate zone

Following postcard was inside my hotel room ("Old Faithful Inn") and I mailed it to myself.!!

It has a special cancellation of OLD FAITHFUL STATION.!!

The Old Faithful Inn is a hotel located in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States, with a clear view of the renowned Old Faithful Geyser. The Inn features a multi-story log lobby, flanked by long frame wings containing guest rooms.

With its spectacular log and limb lobby and massive (500-ton, 85-foot) stone fireplace, the inn is a prime example of the "Golden Age" of rustic resort architecture, a style which is also known as National Park Service Rustic. It is also unique in that it is one of the few log hotels still standing in the United States. It was the first of the great park lodges of the American west.

Initial construction was carried out over the winter of 1903-1904, largely using locally-obtained materials including lodgepole pine and rhyolite stone. When the Old Faithful Inn first opened in the spring of 1904, it boasted electric lights and steam heat. (From Wikipedia)

The structure is the largest log hotel in the world; possibly even the largest log building in the world. In 2007 the American Institute of Architects conducted a survey to determine the 150 favorite buildings in America; the Old Faithful Inn ranked 36. The Inn, which was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987, is itself part of the Old Faithful Historic District.

Uncle Tom's Trail was first constructed in 1898 by "Uncle" Tom Richardson. The five years following its construction, Uncle Tom led visitors on tours which included crossing the river upstream from the present day Chittenden Bridge, and then following his rough trail to the base of the Lower Falls. The tour was concluded with a picnic and a return trip across the river.

Today Uncle Tom's Trail is very different from the simple trail used by Mr. Richardson and his visitors. It is still, however, a very strenuous walk into the canyon. The trail drops 500 feet (150 m) in a series of more than 300 stairs and paved inclines.

Artist Point : The name Artist Point is believed to have been given to this location around 1883 by Park Photographer F. Jay Haynes. The name appeared in print for the first time in Mr. Haynes guidebook, published in 1890.

I also send covers to my philatelic friend.
1) To Croatia : http://stamps-croatia.blogspot.com/2012/09/usa.html
2) ?
3)?

Things To do in Yellowstone: Trip Day 2, West Thumb and Mud Voclanos

After Upper Geyser Basin, we began to drive down the road toward Yellowstone Canyon through West Thumb. So called West Thumb because of its shape, it is an extension of Lake Yellowstone.


     Where the road from Upper Geyser Basin meets the Road at West Thumb, a geyser basin exists. Called West Thumb Geyser Basin, it has roughly 20 geothermal features.
 

     However, it did not look all that interesting. So, after visiting the visitor's center and getting information, we moved on.

The next stop was the Mud Volcano Area. The mud volcano area was one of the most bizarre areas in the park. Its extremely hard to do just to it through words. There were places where there was boiling, super fluid mud.

One of the better known attractions of this area is Dragon Mouth Spring.Dragon's Mouth is a turbulent hot spring with a cavernous mouth. Water sloshes rhythmically in and out of the cavern giving the impression of a large overflow; however, the actual discharge is quite small. Much of the activity and energy is located within the cavern. As hot water rises to the surface, hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, and water vapor gases expand creating a pressure explosion in the cavern. The resulting activity is sloshing, belching, and steaming.

The 1871 Hayden Expedition named this thermal feature. At that time Mud Volcano was a very active mud spring with bellowing and exploding mud. In later years since its discovery it has not shown the same forcefulness. It has since been a quiet caldron with occasional churning caused by rising gases.

The Sulphur Caldron in Yellowstone National Park is one of the park’s most acid hot springs, with yellow and turbulent waters reminding one of an evil witch’s brew. It is almost as acidic as battery acid, but is a pool of life all the same. Bacteria live within the ultra-hot waters, creating the colors you see. 

Things To Do in Yellowstone National Park's Upper Geyser Basin: Trip, Day 2

     Yellowstone National Park, the first national park in the world, is located mostly in Wyoming, though parts extend into Idaho and Montana. It is famous for both its geothermal activity and its natural beauty and animals.  It is home to 2/3's of the worlds geysers and the worlds most famous geyser, Old Faithful. It is a staggering 2,219,791 acres and home to 2,430 bison.

One of the most famous parts of Yellowstone is the Upper Geyser Basin.Upper Geyser Basin is the world's largest and most concentrated geyser basin.

Among the notable geysers In the Upper Basin:

Old Faithful: Old Faithful is, undoubtedly, the most famous geyser in the entire world. Its moniker was coined in 1870 because of its regularly occurring eruptions, one every 91 minutes.

Castle Geyser: Castle geyser is thousands of years old and rest upon the remains of even older geysers. It is named for its distinctly castle shaped cone.

Grotto Geyser: Grotto geyser is famous more for its cone then its eruptions. Grotto geyser has an extremely spooky shape due to the cone having swallowed up various tress during its younger years.

Riverside Geyser: Riverside Geyser is one of the most picturesque geysers. During its 20 minute eruptions, a 75 foot column of water arches gracefully over the river.

My Experience

     After hitting the sack at old Faithful Inn, a very rustic, charming place, we fell asleep immediately. The next day, though, we were up bright and early to walk about 20 steps and see Old Faithful erupt.

      Since, however, the next eruption was not for another hour, we had some delicious breakfast at the restaurant inside the Inn. Since we still had some time before the eruption, we decided to explore the nearby Upper Geyser basin.   After peering at various geothermal features, we hurried back to the boardwalk near Beehive Geyser to watch a magnificent eruption of  Old Faithful. 

     We got a lucky break after watching Old Faithful. We had front row seats for a much rarer eruption of Beehive Geyser,  which launched water 200 feet into the air, almost twice that of  Old Faithful. Try not to get wet! And unlike Old Faithful, Beehive's boardwalk lets you get much closer to the action.

     After getting drenched to the bone, we forayed much deeper into the Upper Geyser Basin, looking at interesting geothermal features like Morning Glory Pool, which was colored much like a sunrise. We stared openly at the incredibly weird Grotto Geyser, which, as a young geyser swallowed a couple trees. I looked wishfully at Castle Geyser, which looked much like 15th century castle.

     Inside Upper Geyser Basin, we watched an eruption of Riverside, a geyser on the far side of a river. This eruption lasts for 20 minutes, but we did not watch the whole thing. Word of advice, if you have under 10's traveling in your entourage, this would be a good place to turn back. They get tired just around here. 

I sent matching covers to myself and another 2 of my philatelic friends. Let me know if you are one of them.!!

Grant Teton Best Scenic Drives and Roadside Views : Things To Do in Grand Teton National Park: Trip, Day 1 Continued

After spending almost 2 hours in Jackson hole we started driving towards Grand Teton National Park. We stop near the entrance to take some pictures at park entrance and also we saw Moose grazing near the river.  After that we stopped at Craig Thomas Discovery & Visitor Center (Moose Visitor Center). I think this center is a must -stop information hot-spot about the park. Everyone needs a  free map of park and some souvenirs such as a postcard!!

Mountains of the Imagination

Rising above a scene rich with extraordinary wildlife, pristine lakes, and alpine terrain, the Teton Range stands monument to the people who fought to protect it. These are mountains of the imagination. Mountains that led to the creation of Grand Teton National Park where you can explore over two hundred miles of trails, float the Snake River or enjoy the serenity of this remarkable place.

The Grand Teton is the highest peak at 13,770 feet.

Best Scenic Drives :

• Teton Park Road : The winding Teton Park Road highlights splendid mountain and valley scenery , allowing close-ups of the mountains.
• Jenny Lake Loop :  This narrow one-way roads winds at the base of mountains and along the shore of Jenny Lake. This scenic spur of the Teton Park Road offers access to hiking, bicyclying and provides  outsanding views.

Best Roadside Views :

• Cathedral Group Turnout : Just north of Jenny Lake, this turnout offers one of the most impressive panoramas of the Cathedral Group  : Grand Teton, Teewinot Mountain and Mt. Owen.
• Snake River Overlook : Enjoy an unforgettable view of the Snake River and Jackson Hole valley floor.
• Oxbow Bend Turnout : Early  morning and late afternoons are best for viewing osprey, American white pelicans, river otters, grizzly bears and beavers.
• Teton Glacier Turnout : This turnout offers a view of one of the last glaciers remaining in the Teton Range.

Signal Mountain Road :

No driving tour through Grand Teton National Park is complete without a drive to the summit of Signal Mountain for sweeping vistas of the Teton Range and surrounding valley. (it's like seeing like safari in Africa without animals.!!)

The scenic Signal Mountain Road is a five mile, 1,000 foot climb of switchbacks to an observation area at the top of Signal Mountain. Set far apart from the next highest mountain peak, Signal Mountain provides breathtaking views of the Tetons’ towering peaks, the flat glacial plains below, Jackson Lake and the Snake River beyond.

I send cover to myself  and my collection mentor ( polpostman and rainbowstampclub) with rubber stamp of Grand Teton NP.

This cover has 55 cents semi-postal stamp (charity stamp) - 11 cents more than First-Class Mail stamp for helping to save vanishing species  — specifically tigers, African and Asian elephants, rhinos, great apes and marine turtles.

Also there is a stamp of Grand Teton.!!

Things To Do In Jackson Hole, Wyoming : My Trip, Day 1

Arch of Elkhorns

 I Recently Made a "road" trip to various national parks and monuments. My first stop was old-town Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Jackson is a town located in the valley of Jackson Hole. It was named after  David Edward Jackson,  a fur trader. Due To its proximity to Grand Tetons National Park, Jackson Hole is a tourist haven. It is filled with quaint, olden styled  stores selling everything from curios to t-shirts to boots. Our original plan was to drive through Jackson Hole and head to Grand Tetons.


However, the lure of old town was too great and we decided to spend a little time to explore the meandering roads. A major attraction is the Series of Elkhorn Arches located in what could be considered The main square, seen on the postcard above.

I mailed myself a couple other postcards from Jackson Hole  which clearly show how much of Jackson Hole is affected by the nearby national parks and the wildlife they contain, although in a good way. Jackson Hole Just Likes to have a lot of  fun!

This postcard was mailed from Jackson Hole but it has automatic cancellation from Rock Springs, Wyoming which is 180 miles from Jackson Hole.!!

This postcard has 55 cents semi-postal stamp (charity stamp) - 11 cents more than First-Class Mail stamp for helping to save vanishing species  — specifically tigers, African and Asian elephants, rhinos, great apes and marine turtles. 

The net proceeds from the sales of the new Save Vanishing Species semipostal stamp will be transferred to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to support the Multinational Species Conservation Funds.