Diesel Train in the Royal Gorge

Postcard US-3689818 to Russia shows a diesel train in the Royal Gorge, on the Arkansas River, passing underneath the Suspension Bridge - "The World's Highest Bridge", near Cañon City, Colorado, Cañon City, with a population of 16,400 as of 2010 and known as the "Corrections Capital of the World for having nine state and four federal prisons and penitentiaries, is one of the few U.S. cities that have an eñe in its official name.

Two train stamps, among others, were affixed to the card. One was a 33-cent "The Congressional of the Pennsylvania Railroad" from a set of five 1999 stamps entitled All Aboard! 20th Century American Trains. The other “Untitled (Trains on Inclined Tracks),” showing a gouache, colored pencil, and graphite drawing on pieced paper from circa 1960–1963, was one of the five Forever stamps, issued on March 26, 2015, featuring the work of Mexican artist Martín Ramírez who had been confined to psychiatric hospitals for more than 30 years.

I had the sender's address since November 6, 2015. However, the card didn't get posted until December 4, 2015 due to delay from my training for my first half marathon and my encounter of a failed armed robbery. The card had since expired after 60 days, and it was automatically registered by Postcrossing on May 11, 2016 when the account of the receiver was closed.

Wright Brothers' First Controlled Flight

Outgoing postcard US-3772207 to Brazil has a 37-cent First Flight commemorative stamp in the front, issued by USPS on May 22, 2003 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first controlled, powered, and sustained flight in a heavier-than-air flying machine. At Kill Devil Hills near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina on December 17, 1903, Wright Brothers tested Flyer I with a four-cylinder engine for the first flight that lasted 12 seconds and 120 feet or 37 meters, followed by three even more successful flights later that day.

The miniature souvenir sheet has ten pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) stamps. The card has address, messages and additional postage on the back. It was sent to the Post Office in Kitty Hawk, NC for the 2015 edition first flight pictorial postmark in a package with several other postcards. Tracking shows the package left Las Vegas on January 16, 2016 and was delivered in January 19, 2016.

I did an inquiry on February 22, 2016 for the service update via USPS.COM, and got a prompt call back the next day asking me for more information, and another call the day after informing me that the cards were mailed out on Monday, February 22, 2016. Sure enough, I received the one addressed to myself today on February 26, 2016.

However, the SURPRISE was that they used the 111th anniversary edition rubber stamp from 2014 with a date of "DEC 17 2014", rather than the 112th anniversary edition on Dec 17, 2015 !!! Interesting.

See Impossible

The 2015 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) opened today in Las Vegas with a record of more than 3,600 exhibitors. CES is known as the place for the vendors to showcase their most-recent cutting-edge technologies. However, the recent trend is that, in addition to the usual hardware displays and technical demos to the buyers and industry affiliates, exhibitors are highlighting what those technologies can do in terms of enhancing creativity, stimulating social changes, and improving people's life.

One example is Canon U.S.A.'s PIXMA PRO City Senses Interactive Gallery that features images created by local photographers, Heather Gill and Emily Wilson from Las Vegas. Visitors can experience through the senses of touch, taste, smell and sound with a Las Vegas theme that have inspired the photographers' work. So far, the PIXMA PRO City Senses Interactive Galleries have featured seven cities: Boston, Austin, Seattle, New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, and Las Vegas. "See Impossible" is the theme for the Canon booth at the 2015 CES.

Audiences are asked to compare their visions with photographers' after listening to the sounds from casino floors in a dark room at the 2015 CES in Las Vegas.

Postcard US-2323219 to USA shows a loving couple with a street bench formed by dancers at Canon Theater in the 2012 CES.

Countdown to 2015

The countdown to 2015 is on, and LasVegas is expecting a record of 340,000 visitors in this New Year's Eve, despite of a forecast of freezing temperature and snow.

More than 80,000 fireworks will light up the night sky, shooting from the rooftops of MGM Grand,
Aria, Planet Hollywood, Caesars Palace, The Venetian, Treasure Island and Stratosphere, in a 7 minute and 11 second synchronized show.

Postcard US-3087107 to China shows a collage photo that includes many major landmark hotels and casinos in Las Vegas under the fireworks.

Update: The anticipated snow did not materialized. Only bursts of spectacular fireworks filled the sky, ushering in a brand new year.

Fireworks from Planet Hollywood and Aria after countdown to 2015.