Where Did My Week GO??

I honestly had planned on writing posts as soon as I returned from my trip this past week, but I was feeling under the weather and I had some craziness going on at work. I feel like I am allowed to take a bit of time away as I want this blog to be fun. If it becomes work then I probably will not enjoy it as much. Anyway, let me tell you about my trip!

We were stopped at a red light in Salem Oregon and I loved the color combos (and subjects) of this painted wall. I must say I have seen more wonderful murals out in the wild on the west coast as compared to the midwest.

The weather was good for our trip for the most part and even though it did rain a little we were still able to visit a few of my favorite shops while on the coast. We went into a store called Astoria Hardware (that I of course forgot to take pictures of....next time!) that has lots of vintage hardware, books, furniture and more. I didn't purchase anything from there this trip but I know there are a few things that I will pick up if they are there next time.

From there we stopped by the Astoria Post Office and Customs House.

This was as good a picture as I could capture without crossing the street and possibly drawing some odd stares. The outside of the building is what I would consider very typical of post offices I have been to back in Ohio. You could tell the building has been there for quite some time.

The inside was gorgeous. It was clean and friendly and almost a bit regal seeming. One of the big differences from the inside of other post offices I have been to was the marble. It was everywhere in this post office. I wish I had taken a picture of the inside room. *sigh* Add that to my list for next time.

The post office boxes themselves have a very vintage feel to them. I love the numbering on them and in my opinion are much better aesthetically than the gray box that I now get my postal love in. Oh well. We can't all get our mail in beautiful boxes like that.

This post office also had lots of stamp variety. Which is amazing! I am telling you I wish all post offices did! My local post office doesn't carry much variety, even when the stamps are released here (that is for another post though). I picked up another sheet of the intercontinental railroad stamps as well as Scooby and Cactus Flowers stamps. The lady who helped me was warm an inviting and even gave me a glassine envelope so my stamps wouldn't get damaged.

I went to another post office in Seaside proper and they didn't have as much variety for stamps, but I did pick up the Little Mo stamps as well as a copy of USA Philatelic. The lady working the counter was not as friendly (quite honestly she seemed like she hated her job). Overall, I would go to either post office again as the Astoria one is beautiful and the one in Seaside is near other shops I frequent.

Before we arrive and as we are leaving we always stop at a convenience store called Snack Jacks. I think I take a picture of this set of dilapidated po boxes every time we pass them. There is something about the weathered blue and red that I just love.

Do you look for postal items when you travel? I think my new favorite thing is visiting the post offices and seeing what they have to offer. I will be doing that again in a few weeks on a trip to Arizona to see family. :)

More Soon!

Stamp Sunday

CIPEX Souvenir Sheet US #948

Issue Date: May 19, 1947

I am not sure where I found these stamps, though I am pretty sure I didn't pay much for them. ( I am a bargain hunter after all). They were issued at the Centenary International Philatelic Exhibition in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the first every postage stamps released in the United States. The two stamps featured are actual postage and were valid for mailing (and I suppose still are) though I could understand why no one used them. 

It is interesting to note that the first postage stamp released in the US wasn't actually released until July 1, 1847. So technically these released just shy of the actual 100th anniversary, but who is actually nitpicking?

Have you ever seen these?

Weekend Trip!

Caution this post is not mail related! I am leaving today for a long weekend to the Oregon Coast. We usually go a few times a year and this will be the first trip of the year for us! I am super excited! I haven't looked for postcards or any supplies for mail art there so I will be visiting shops with new eyes! Keep a lookout for a post about the trip. If you are interested in a postcard from Seaside or Astoria please let me know (leave me a comment below) and I will do my best to send some off. :)

Enjoy your weekend! More soon!

(pictured above are some sea lions that take over the piers in Astoria each year)

This Date in Postal History: Airmail

The first official flight of the United States Airmail Service was done 101 years ago today. There were flights before that time, (some by balloon), but they aren't considered part of the official airmail service that was offered by the Post Office Department (precursor to the USPS).

Above is pictured a cover that was carried on that first trip sporting the 24 cent Jenny stamp. This first trip was between Washington D.C., Philadelphia and NY. George L. Boyle, a pilot with the US Army was selected to fly the first northbound leg which did not end as anticipated. After takeoff he got disoriented and ended up flying south. Eventually he landed in Waldorf, Maryland and busted a prop on his plane. The mail from that trip had to be trucked back to Washington. Torrey Webb and James C Edgerton were successful in their flights south and flew Boyle's mail to Philadelphia on May 16th (the next day).

Domestic Airmail service in the United States ran until 1975 when it was officially ended by the Post Office dept. After those first few dodgy flights Airmail hung around for 57 years giving us lots of neat stamps, envelopes and labels that we use on our mail art today.

I suppose this just goes to show that sometimes things don't start off how we would like them, but through perseverance they can be something good.

Tracking Salmonella Using Postmarks

I am sure many of you are aware that you can actually mail some forms of animals, though not like in the picture above. But did you know that they are now piloting a program that helps cut down the amount of time between a salmonella outbreak and finding the origin of the outbreak simply by looking at a postal label? Pretty neat huh?

The problem with the way hatcheries have been mailing chicks in the past is that they drop ship them. Meaning the labels that are typically affixed do not actually contain the right information about where and when that particular set of chicks was shipped off. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has been running a new set of procedures. They have been testing the bedding and lining of boxes and taking detailed pictures of the postmarks on each box. The postmarks on the packaging allow them to efficiently trace those boxes back to the hatchery of origin and allow for the MDHHS to find the source of an outbreak quicker. This allows them to contact that hatchery and it gives farmers increased time to take action and therefore mean less people get sick as a result.

Who would have thought that something as simple as a postmark could save lives. If you want to read the original article about this process you can find it here.

Mail Call Monday

So I definitely spaced and did not take a picture of my incoming mail but here is a picture of my outgoing mail! So many wonderful things going out in the post. I like to think they bring smiles to the faces they are heading to.

I still have one more letter to reply to that was not in this pile, but then I am all caught up again. Being on top of the mail is definitely a wonderful feeling (especially with a long weekend planned this weekend). Hope everyone is having a wonderful Monday!

More Soon!

Stamp Sunday: Mother's Day Edition

Happy Mothers Day to all the mothers out there! Did you know that Mothers Day was invented by a lady named Anna Jarvis in 1908 and was made an official holiday in the US in 1914. Anna was not very happy with the commercialized path the holiday took and eventually attempted to get the day removed from the calendar. There is a longer history of the day which you can read about here.

The stamp above was released in 1934 and pictures and famous painting by James A Whistler, "Portrait of My Mother". I was quite disappointed when going through my stamps that I did not have a copy of this one to put on the card I mailed to my mother. Maybe next year.

How are you celebrating the day?