Lipno, Czech Republic

Postcard CZ-806944 from Czech Republic shows Lipno, a village in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It is located along the Vltava River next to the Lipno Dam. The dam was built on the Vltava River between 1952 and 1959 as a flood control measure. With an area of 46.5 km² or 4650 ha and a capacity of 306 million m³, it is the largest reservoir in the Czech Republic. Lipno Hydro Power Plant has two turbines with a combined capacity of 128 megawatts.

Cherry Blossom in DC Signaling the Start of Spring

The National Park Service announced last Friday that the cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin in Washington DC were officially at peak bloom on March 25, 2016 with 75% of the trees in full bloom. It was peaked more than two weeks earlier this year than last year.

Postcard US-3373353 to Czech Republic shows the cherry blossoms around the Lincoln Memorial with a matching USPS Gifts of Friendship stamp.

Pink Elephant at Diamond Inn Motel

Outgoing postcard US-3841683 traveling to Czech Republic, shows a pink elephant in front of the Diamond Inn Motel on the Las Vegas Strip across from Mandalay Bay Hotel. Built in 1940s, the motel was originally called the Desert Isle. The ceramic elephant came from Disney World in the 1950s. The courtyard style motor lodge offers older rooms but one of the least expensive room rates on the Las Vegas Strip.

I took this photo on October 14, 2015 when I got myself familiar with the Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon routes. The starting line was less than 100 feet or 30 meters away to the south.

There is a Pink Elephant Car Wash in Seattle.

Here are several phases relating to "elephant:"

• "The elephant in the room" is a problem that everyone knows about but refuse to acknowledge;
• A "white elephant" is a trouble that's difficult or expensive to get rid of;
• A "pink elephant" is a hallucination seen by drunk people.

Orlík nad Vltavou

Postcard CZ-600263 from Czech shows Orlík nad Vltavou, a village in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. According to Wikipedia, the village was formerly called Staré Sedlo, named after the castle. In Czech, "nad Vltavou" means "upon the river Vltava" and both the castle and the village are located on the left river bank, on the shores of the Orlik reservoir as a result of the construction of Orlík Dam. The Orlík Castle, standing right next to the water, is surrounded by a huge park and a game preserve. It belongs to the House of Schwarzenberg, a Bohemian and Franconian aristocratic family, but it is open to the public on most summer days.

Horoscope for Pisces

Postcard US-2421441 to Czech was a Horoscope card for Pisces (雙魚座), courtesy of Yuanta Securities Investment Trust Co., Ltd. from Taiwan in 2011. Pisces is the twelfth astrological sign in the Zodiac, originating from the Pisces constellation, which spans the 330° to 360° of the zodiac, and between 332.75° and 360° of celestial longitude. Under the tropical zodiac the sun transits this area on average between February 19 and March 20. A pair of fish dressed in colorful costumes are shown on the card. The symbol of the fish is derived from the ichthyocentaurs, a pair of creatures in the Greek mythology with the upper body of a human, the lower front of a horse, and the tail of a fish who aided Aphrodite when she was born from the sea. The card suggested that the lucky numbers for Pisces were 4, 8, 3 and the trending colors were blue, black and gold.

Delphi: The Theatre

Outgoing postcard US -3223052 to Czech Republic shows the Theatre in Delphi, Greece. Located on the south-western spur of Mount Parnassus in the valley of Phocis, the site of Delphi was said to be determined by Zeus when he tried to find the center of the Earth by sending two eagles flying from the eastern and western extremities. The flight paths of the eagles intersected over Delphi in the myths dating to 510-323 B.C.E.

On the back of the card, it reads "Lyrical and dramatic contests were held in the theatre which is near the temple of Apollo. The theatre seated an audience of five thousand. The Phaidriades provide not only a splendid setting but also perfect acoustics, which combines the echo of the Phaidriades with the quiet Pleistos river."

In the news, Greece government was talking with other countries from the Euro Zone in Brussels seeking an international bailout.

Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

Outgoing postcard US-3202778 to Czech Republic was a vintage card showing the Municipal Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio, one of the early multi-purpose stadiums built in 1930. Opened on July 1, 1931, with a capacity for baseball of 78,000, it can also seated 81,000 for football. The stadium was closed on December 17, 1995 and demolished on November 4, 1996 to make way for the new FirstEnergy Stadium that currently occupies the site.

True Love is Born from Understanding

Postcard CZ-561866 from Czech shows "Buddha Moon" produced by Tushita, a Germany based calendar and card publishers of ethnic and spiritual editions in the last 30 years, as a Sangha Edition. In Buddhism, Sangha (僧伽) means the monastic community of ordained Buddhist monks or nuns.

At the beginning of the New Year, I found one of the Budda quotes especially telling: "Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth."

America's Party at Fremont Street, Las Vegas in the New Year's Eve

The Fremont Street Experience in downtown Vegas will again to hose the New Year's Eve America's Party to ring in 2015. The adult-only (21+) party starts at 6:00 p.m. with 9-hour live concerts on three stages, performed by 13 tribute bands: Crimes of Passion (Pat Benatar Tribute), Doobies Inc. (Doobie Brothers Tribute), Rio (Duran Duran Tribute), Don't Look Back (Boston Tribute), Generation Idol (Billy Idol Tribute) Jumping Jack Flash (Rolling Stones Tribute), Led Zepagain (Led Zeppelin Tribute), No Duh (No Doubt Tribute), Queen Nation (Queen Tribute), Fan Halen (Van Halen Tribute), Aeromyth (Aerosmith Tribute), Bonfire (AC/DC Tribute) and Red Not Chili Peppers (Red Hot Chili Peppers Tribute),  as part of the “TributePalooza.” The giant Viva Vision screen will feature a spectacular light show and virtual fireworks at the count down.

Postcard US-2545733 to Czech Republic shows the light of the neon reflects off the cars parked along the Fremont Street, adding to the feeling that it was never dark in downtown Las Vegas, even in its early years. From neon circles under the Fremont Hotel to the Indian head atop the Hotel Apache sign, Fremont Street is a destination 24 hours a day. At the end of the street, the neon sign for the train depot can be seen.

Venetian Tower at Christmas Time

I sent this card to Czech on December 26, 2014 as a replacement of US-2566010 that was posted on December 26, 2013. The original copy was the same as US-2518598, showing the tower at The Venetian Las Vegas with a round shaped USPS Evergreen Wreath Global Forever Stamp issued on October 24, 2013. It was apparently lost in the mail and had expired since. When the Postcard ID was dropped from the PostCrossing system after one year, it has formally entered my postcard graveyard. The replacement card has a new USPS Silver Bells Wreath Global Forever stamp that was issued on October 23, 2014 along with the Winter Fun stamps.

The Venetian Tower with Christmas Tree as seen on December 27, 2014.

S.A.S. Rainier III and Miss Grace Kelly

Outgoing postcard US-3128753 to Czech Republic was an original 1956 vintage postcard showing Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, and his wife American actress Miss Grace Kelly, Oscar winner for Best Actress.

Rainier III (May 31, 1923 – April 6, 2005) ruled Monaco for almost 56 years, which made him one of the longest ruling monarchs of the 20th century. He was credited for reforming the Monaco's constitution and diversifying the Monaco's economy from traditional gambling industry. When Rainier took the throne in 1949, Gambling accounted for more than 95% of the nation's annual revenue; today it has only 3% share.

Bee Rock Tunnel, Virginia

Outgoing postcard US-3125851 to Czech Republic shows the Bee Rock Tunnel, a former railroad tunnel located Appalachia and Big Stone Gap, Virginia. It was built in 1891 by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. At 47 feet 7 inches or 14.50 meters, It was once known as the World's shortest railroad tunnel. However, it was soon realized that both the Westmoreland Tunnel (46 feet or 14.02 meters) in Gallatin, Tennessee and the Backbone Rock Tunnel (22 feet or 6.70 meters) near Crandull, Tennessee were shorter than the Bee Rock Tunnel. The Bee Rock Tunnel is now part of the Bee Tunnel-Roaring Branch Trail.

Moon Rise

Postcard CZ-363191 arrived today from Hrob, Czech Republic. Hrob is a small town with a population of 2,092 as of 2006 census. However, the town has a long history that can be dated back to 1282.

Giant Panda Cams Off During the US Government Shutdown

The Smithsonian National Zoological Park at Washington D.C. is home to 2,000 animals of nearly 400 different species. It is best known residents for the giant pandas, along with great apes, big cats, Asian elephants, and many others in residency.

Postcard US-2413118 to Czech Republic shows a pair of beloved pandas at the National Zoo. However, the visitors to the zoo today was greeted with a sign that read: "All Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo are closed today due to the government shutdown." In addition, its AnimalCams, including the Giant Panda Cam 1 and Cam 2, were also shutdown.

According to the Huffington Post, many people were surprised that the zoo was affected by the government shutdown. To find out how it affects you, visit NPR's blog "a Guide to What would and wouldn't Close".

Červená Lhota State Castle in Czech Republic

zámku Červená Lhota

I received a postcard CZ-297722 from Czech Republic today. It shows the Renaissance styled Cervena Lhota State Castle that is surrounded by the Deštná Creek with its castle lake. The castle is located on a rock that forms a dam to the creek. It has a square courtyard closed by four wings. An entrance tower locks access road leading through a stone bridge.

Červená Lhota means "Red Village", and the name was changed from the original Nová Lhota ("New Village") in the early 17th century when it obtained a new red brick roof.  The facade of the castle got the same color later. It's a popular tourist destination and filming spot for several movies and television series.