Assateague Island, Virginia/Maryland

I loved Marguerite Henry's books when I was little. The most famous of her books is Misty of Chincoteague, which told the story of a pony captured from Assateague Island in the annual pony round-up. These are the only wild ponies in the USA east of the Rocky Mountains, and they are descended from mustangs that swam ashore from shipwrecked Spanish galleon in the 1500s.

The island is divided between Maryland and Virginia, and nowadays there is a fence at the border, with each state having its own herd of about 170 ponies. Each state has its own population control method. In Virginia they still hold the annual pony round-up, from which many foals are sold, decreasing the pony population to a level the island can support. In Maryland, they shoot some of the mares with darts containing a contraceptive vaccine.

Because the Assateague ponies eat mainly salty marsh grass, they also drink a lot of water, and thus can appear bloated or fatter than other kinds of ponies.

Thanks vagirl for this great card. :)

Bangkok, Thailand

Wat Pho, or the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, is the largest and oldest temple in Bangkok, Thailand. His 46-meter-long, fifteen-meter-high body is gold-plated, his eyes are mother-of-pearl, and the bottoms of his feet are inscribed with 108 auspicious scenes. (You can just see the start of them in the far right of the picture, next to his toes.) In addition to the compound housing the Reclining Buddha, the Wat Pho grounds also include a working Buddhist monastery with monks in residence, and a garden featuring a tree grown from a cutting of the Bodhi tree under which the Buddha achieved enlightenment. It is also a center for traditional Thai massage - the walls are decorated with everything known about massage in the reign of King Rama III, and if you travel to Wat Pho, you too can enjoy a massage (150 baht, or about $4.80, for 30 minutes).

A postillion landau (left) and a 4-wheeled dog cart (right), from a series of four stamps on royal carriages, issued in 2009.


And from a set of four stamps issued in 1998 "to campaign for Thai people to recognize the importance of Thai arts and culture and celebrate the 1998-1999 Amazing Thailand year."

Bamberg, Germany

"Bamberg, Klein-Venedig" von Ludwig Mössler

This card shows Little Venice, an row of 19th century fishermen's houses along the Regnitz River in the city of Bamberg in southern Germany. Bamberg managed to avoid being destroyed by bombs in World War II because there was an artillery factory nearby, and the Old Town of Bamberg, including Little Venice, is a UNESCO world heritage site. This card is a painting by Ludwig Mössler.

Instead of a stamp, it came with a postage label printed from the internet. Kinda cool.

Palagruza Island, Croatia

Located in the middle of the Adriatic Sea, Palagruza Island is Croatia's most remote, and is uninhabited except by the staff of Palagruza Lighthouse (pictured) and tourists staying there. The island is a nature reserve, and home to some plants that can't be found anywhere else. The Greek hero Diomedes is rumored to be buried somewhere on the island - potsherds inscribed with his name were uncovered in an archaeological dig on Palagruza.

The stamp is from a 2010 issue of four featuring famous Croatians. This is Marko Antun de Dominis, a Catholic priest and scientist.

Australian Critters

A wombat.
The wombat is the largest burrowing animal in Australia and is common in Tasmania. It is a solitary animal which grazes at night. The Tasmanian devil is found only in Tasmania and was so named because of its frightening growl. It eats small animals and scavenges dead animals of all kinds.
A wombat and a Tasmanian devil.


The top card was a postage-paid card from nop-nop for the Big Groups Midmonth August 2010 RR, and the one on the bottom came in an envelope with three other cards as an official from a very enthusiastic postcrosser. These are the stamps from that envelope.

The stamp on the left shows Tasmania's Maria Island, and comes from an issue featuring Australia's various regions. The one on the right is Kuranda Scenic Railway in Queensland, from the Great Australian Railway Journeys set.

Karbala, Iraq

I received this card today in a private swap with Milad from Iraq. I had two previous private swaps with rare countries go AWOL and never send me a card in return, so I resolved not to get too excited when this opportunity came up... but today I got the card!!! YAY!

Anyway, it shows the Imam al-Abbas shrine in Karbala, Iraq. Karbala is about 100km southwest of Baghdad and is the historical site of the Battle of Karbala in the year 680, when two of Mohammed's grandsons were killed. Each is entombed in a shrine bearing his name, and this is the less well-known of the two. It features a golden dome and two minarets.

Written and stamped! The one on the bottom is from a 2010 issue of four commemorating Arabian Brotherhood Scouts Day; the one on the top is from 2008, on the theme of "National Reconciliation." I'm not sure I would choose a skull to represent such a theme, but maybe it would make more sense if I could read Arabic.

Finland

FI-870676
I don't know where in Finland any of these pictures were taken. There is no info on the back of the card, other than the name of the photographer, Markku Wiik. He doesn't appear to have an online presence, at least in English.

The stamp is from a set of three featuring the northern lights.