The End of Daylight Saving Time in 2019

On 2 a.m. today, we turned our clocks back one hour, marking the end of daylight saving time (DST) in 2019.

Postcard US-4002383 to Russia shows Hoover Dam with Arizona side on the right and Nevada side on the left, with the state boundary running across the dam.

Since Arizona is in the Mountain Time Zone (GMT-7) whereas Nevada is in the Pacific Time Zone (GMT-8), Arizona is one hour ahead. Therefore, if you stand across the state line on the dam right now, your left-side of body and your right-side of body will be in different time zones with one-hour time difference.

However, because Nevada observes DST while Arizona does not, during the summer there is no time difference. Interesting? Confusing? Next time when you visit the dam, pay attention to the clocks on the two intake towers; you will see.

Daylight saving time will return at 2:00 AM on Sunday, March 8, 2020.

12th Annual Vegas Valley Comic Book Festival

This ad card promotes the annual Vegas Valley Comic Book Festival, celebrating the illustrated world that takes place on the first Saturday in November every year. In 2019, it will be held at the Clark County Library on November 2, 2019 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m, featuring publishers, vendors, film screenings, panels and workshops, special comic and animation guests, live music and cosplay.

Los Angeles International Airport

Postcard US-6254988 to Malaysia shows Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).  With 87,534,384 passenger counts in 2018, LAX ranked fourth busiest airport in the world and the second busiest airport in the US.

A Happy Halloween!

Postcard US-6314090 from Maryland shows a vintage Halloween image from the early 20th century of a boy with his dog, checking out three funny pumpkins.

The US Postal Service issued four Forever stamps at the Milford Pumpkin Festival in Milford, NH on October 11,2019 for Halloween. The Spooky Silhouettes stamps feature a cat, two ghosts, a spider, and three bats rendered as black silhouettes against eerily backlit windows.

Point Wilson Light, WA

Postcard US-4002452 to Luxembourg shows the Point Wilson Light, an active aid to navigation overlooking the entrance to Admiralty Inlet, located in Fort Worden State Park near Port Townsend, Jefferson County, Washington. Built in 1914, the lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 24, 1971.

Tortoise: Guinness Ad Campaign

Postcard US-4015876 to Germany shows "Tortoise" from a vintage Guinness ad campaign poster. The tortoise was an appropriate candidate to promote Guinness beer as a pick me up, circa 1936.

Catalina Mountains, Arizona

Postcard US-4029693 to Belarus shows a storm brewing in the Catalina Mountains at Tucson, Arizona. Snow can be seen on the mountain peaks behind the Saguaro Cactus. Photo by Ray Manley.

Western Horseman: July 1954 Cover

Postcard US-4002384 to Japan shows the July 1954 Western Horseman magazine cover. It captures that tense, explosive split-second after the chute gates open and the cowboy says "Turn 'im out!" This photo was shot by Clarence Coil, a frequent contributor to the magazine during the 1950s.

Tropic of Cancer Monument in Rueisuei, Hualien

Postcard TW-1957358 from Taiwan shows the Tropic of Cancer Monument in Rueisuei (瑞穗) Township, Hualien County (花蓮縣), Taiwan.

The Tropic of Cancer is the most northerly circle of latitude at 23.5ºN on the Earth that may have the Sun directly overhead at the time of the Northern solstice (夏至). In 2016, this "shadowless" effect occurs at noon local time on June 20 at 23.43715°N when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun to its maximum extent.

The.Tropic of Cancer Monument was originally placed to the west of Rueisuei Train Station in 1933. It was relocated to to the Wuhe (舞鶴) Terrace on Provincial Highway No.9 in 1981 due to expansion of the Eastern Line Railway. However, the new location is actually two kilometers south of the Tropic of Cancer.

Two additional Tropic of Cancer monuments can be found in Taiwan at Shuishang (水上) Township, Jiayi County (嘉義縣), and Fengbin (豐濱) Township, Hualien County respectively.

Tel Aviv Pride Parade

The 18th annual Tel Aviv Pride Parade took place on June 3, 2016 with more than 200,000 participants from Israel and oversea. It's the largest event ever in the Middle East. The theme for the 2016 event was “Women for Change,” highlighting the role of women in the LGBT community.

Postcard TW-1958271 from Taiwan shows the Tel Aviv Pride Parade from a previous year. The 2017 Tel Aviv Pride Parade will be held on June 9, 2017.

In the United States, thousands turned out in Columbus, OH, Denver, CO, Olympia, WA, New Orleans, LA, Portland, OR,  Chicago, IL, Albuquerque, NM and Providence, RI. for pride festivals and parades over the weekend. The mood for many people was somber as forty-nine people were killed and more than 50 others were wounded in a mass shooting inside the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, FL last weekend on June 12, 2016. Security were tightened at events over the weekend. Participants declare that they refuse to live in fear, with more people come out to show support.

Disney Adds Signs Warning of Alligators and Snakes

A private swap to Pennsylvania shows a card produced by SFWMD. It reads on the back: "The broad-snouted American alligator navigates freely through rivers and lakes in southern Florida. Remnants of a prehistoric ear, alligators are a protected species that continues to flourish." The number of alligators living in Florida is estimated at 1.3 million. Central to state's identity, it was featured on  a 32-cent commemorative stamp, issued in Tallahassee, Florida on March 3, 1995, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Florida Statehood.

Although alligator attacks are rare, properties at Walt Disney World are adding signs warning "Alligators and snakes in area" at their beaches after an alligator dragged a 2-year-old boy from Nebraska to his death in a lagoon near the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa on June 14, 2016. At the time of incident, only "No Swimming" signs were posted without any specific reference to alligators.

Embed from Getty Images

VA Medical Center, Washington DC

Postcard US-3989690 to Russia was a linen vintage card showing the new VA Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland as of 1948.

In 2011, the Walter Reed Army Medical Center was combined with the National Naval Medical Center to form the tri-service Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, named after yellow fever researcher Walter Reed.Located near the headquarters of the National Institutes of Health  in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, it is one of the most prominent U.S. military medical centers in the United States.

Juneau, Alaska

Postcard US-4015824 to France shows an illustration of steps of all sizes, shapes, and colors weaving between hillside houses in Juneau, the capital of Alaska. Located on the Gastineau Channel in the Alaskan panhandle, it is the second largest city in the United States by area, larger by area than both Rhode Island and Delaware.

There are no roads connecting Juneau to the rest of Alaska or to the rest of North America due to the extremely rugged terrain surrounding the city, although automobiles can reach the city by ferry service. Planes and boats are more important transportation methods than cars.

The Golden Eagle

Postcard US-2711124 to the Netherlands shows a golden eagle soaring over the Mount  Charleston near Las Vegas in Nevada.

One of the best-known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere, the golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Although considered hawk-like, these dark brown birds have a stance and bearing much like that of an eagle, with a soaring wingspan of 76-92", eyes with an "eagle look", and a "golden" nap. They build their nests with a large mass of sticks on a crag, ledge or in a tree, with a pair alternating between several nests in different years.

Photo by Alan & Sandy Carey.

Vista of Engineer Mountain

Postcard US-4005401 to Thailand was a vintage card from the 1960s, with a view of Engineer Mountain Vista in autumn from the Million Dollar Highway, US 550 between Durango and Silverton in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado.

Wellington Cable Car at Sunrise, New Zealand

Postcard NZ-146552 from New Zealand shows a stunning sunrise with the Wellington Cable Car in the forefront. Established in 1902, Wellington’s historic Cable Car is the only cable railway currently in operation in New Zealand.

For visitors, no trip to Wellington is complete without a ride on the famous cable car; for locals, it's more than a commute. A good way to spend a morning is to get to the top of the Botanic Gardens early to watch the sunrise and view the cityscape. You will need to check the local sunrise time and the cable car timetable to plan the trip. Stop at the Cable Car Museum that was the original winding house. Then walk down to the city's central business district through the beautiful gardens and old houses.

The Cable Car is currently closed from June 7 to July 31, 2016 for upgrade.

F Line Streetcar in San Francisco

Postcard US-4010006 to Germany shows the F Market & Wharves line, one of several light rail lines in San Francisco, California, that runs as a heritage streetcar service. Distinctive from most other lines in the San Francisco Municipal Railway (Muni) system, the F line's operation uses exclusively historic equipment both from San Francisco's retired fleet as well as from cities around the world. Market Street Railway, a nonprofit organization of streetcar enthusiasts, provides a support role by raising funds and helps to restore vintage streetcars.

Alcatraz is Spanish for Pelican

Forty five years ago on June 11, 1971, the U.S. Government forcibly removed the last holdouts to the Native American Occupation of Alcatraz that lasted 19 months.

This Alcatraz Island postcard shows the weathered and deteriorating laundry facility used when Alcatraz was a Federal Penitentiary. It was sent in for a pictorial postmark dated on August 8, 2015 at Alcatraz Island Station in San Francisco, CA that commemorated the 81st anniversary of the opening of the infamous penitentiary in August, 1934.

A unique Alcatraz Alumni reunion was held at Alcatraz  between former prison guards and former "residents" on Sunday August 9, 2015.

Algarve, Portugal

Postcard PT-257988 from Portugal shows a beach scene in the Algarve, the southernmost region of continental Portugal. Known for its sunny Mediterranean climate and its beach and golf resorts, it is the most popular tourist destination in Portugal in the summer. It has half a million regular residents, with visitors and seasonal residents adding to another million during the peak holiday season. The Algarve receives near 10 million visitors annually, including 7 millions from overseas.

Today is Portugal Day. To recognize the contributions of Portuguese-American community in California, the State Senate adopted a resolution, declaring June 10th as “Portugal Day” in the state.

Water Lily vs. Lotus

Postcard US-4015954 to Canada shows a maxi card with a Water Lilies first-class forever stamp issued by USPS in Cleveland, OH on March 20, 2015, and a first-day-of-issue postmark.

The card was produced by SFWMD. It reads on the back: "Lovely fragrant white water lilies are abundant throughout much of southern Florida's ecosystem. The floating aquatic plant provides fish habitat and aquatic wildlife food and cover, and stabilizes sediments.

The Water Lilies stamps, priced at 49 cents at the time of issuance and valued at 47 cents now, have four designs based on existing photos taken by Cindy Dyer of Alexandria, VA in midsummer at the Kenil­worth Park and Aquatic Gardens in Washington, DC.

Cindy Dyer is also the photographer of a Sacred Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) image, taken at the Kenil­worth Park and Aquatic Gardens, that was used to produce the 11th of 16 stamps in the National Park Service’s Centennial stamp series. Sacred Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera), with its blooming period from late June to early September, can grow a bloom in the size of a basketball.

I used to have some confusions between water lily and lotus. The Pond Plant Girl has an excellent article to describe their difference.

Meanwhile, Duanwu Festival 2016 happens today. Eating Zongzi, rice balls wrapped in reed leaves or lotus leaves, is one of the traditions during the festival.

One of the most popular ancient Chinese poems about lotus was Ode to the Lotus Flower (爱莲说) by Dunyi Zhou (周敦頤) (1017-1073). Duanyi wrote: "I just love lotus because she grows in mud, yet never contaminates with it. She floats on waving water, yet never dances with it." (出淤泥而不染 濯清涟而不妖)  In this metaphor, the lotus flower represents someone who remains ethical and noble in spite of general corruptions.