Now That's A Parade!

When you live in the country on a gravel road, you don't see much for traffic.  And when you do, you know nearly every vehicle that goes by and who is likely sitting behind the wheel.  If you don't recognize a vehicle or a driver/passenger, then you probably have a few questions - the first of which is "are they lost?"

So, it is a strange thing for the farmers to be somewhere different, where there are more vehicles passing by.  But, you can imagine exactly how odd it might be to have brightly lit vehicles with loud music (of all types, some Christmas, some not) go by not just once, but multiple times.

photo from 2019 Waimea parade

Well, that is exactly what happened last weekend in Kekaha.  Various members of the community put lights on trucks, trailers and whatever else they felt like towing around.  They hooked up music to loudspeakers for each float and one even featured a live band.  We both laughed pretty hard when the sewer/septic system truck rolled on by - well festooned with holiday decorations and lights.

The timing and the route just sort of "happened," with the parade taking a couple of streets more than once.  Members of the parade stayed in touch with friends in the community, letting them know where they were heading next so people could be on those streets to watch the parade go by.

It was clear that it wasn't planned in great detail.  And it was abundantly clear that there was a great deal of positive energy and a joyous spirit being shared by the participants on the floats as well as those who got to see them.

I am not a person who is big on parades.  But, this one had me smiling.  It felt right.

Now THAT'S a parade.

Mele Kalikimaka

Surrounded by Gifts

Look around you and observe the gifts that are there.  They don't have to be grand things, or big things, or flashy things.  These gifts can be as simple as a warm meal, a well-loved and often used pocket knife, a hedge of bushes that cuts down the biting wind when you step outside, or a picture of you and a friend from many years ago.

I won't pretend to know what things mean something to you and I can't know if you are struggling mightily in such a way that gifts seem to be few and far between.  But, I will remind us all that our our willingness to feel gratitude, awe, and wonder can suddenly make so many things feel like pretty darned good presents!

Over the past year, we have taken the time to observe and appreciate more of the gifts of the natural world beyond those we experience on the farm.  This is not to say that we don't have plenty on the farm to enjoy.  But, sometimes the work on the farm obscures the beauty that can be found there.

So, we took some short trips and took a few walks - hauling a camera along for the ride.  The camera isn't the reason for the trips, but it sure does help us pay more attention to what we are seeing and it makes us slow down so we can get a real feel for a place.

We actually visited Backbone State Park twice this year, during two different times of year.  Once when green was a prominent color and once when brown was the dominant hue.  

It was as if we were visiting two different places.  Yes, we did concentrate on different parts of the park, that is true.  But, everything felt and smelled and (of course) looked different during the second visit.  It really was as if we had never opened this gift in the first place and we had been given an entirely new one - whether we deserved it or not!

We had a rare opportunity to get off of the farm in the middle of the Summer this year for a couple of nights.  Now, before you start to think a couple of nights isn't much - two nights in the middle of the production season on our sort of farm is actually a VERY big deal. 

We do know a few growers who have made a point of taking a short break in the middle of the season and leaving the farm for others to manage for a short while.   We, ourselves, have managed it sporadically.  And, every time we succeed, we get so much benefit out of it that we wonder why we don't force the issue a bit harder.  (Well, we don't wonder too hard when we consider what it takes to get someone to manage the farm for us)

This year we had a couple of days at Korsen Cabin on Seed Savers Exchange property near Decorah.   While there, we experienced the gifts that are rolling hills, trout streams, and the distant voice of a meadowlark.  Things our farm does not feature.
 

Even our Fall trip to Chicago found us seeking nature at Busse Forest, not far from the location we were at during our short stay in November.  The weather cooperated and allowed us to stroll and observe at our leisure.  

While the event we attended was a huge positive, I am certain the whole trip would have been something much less if we had not taken the opportunity to go outside and commune with nature and the world around us.

Tammy and I even managed to find her "annual birthday present" with a nice, late Fall hike at Malanaphy in northeast Iowa.   

While we enjoyed that hike immensely, it comes with a sense of satisfaction that does not necessarily follow from the hike itself.  Instead, it has more to do with the fact that our hike led me to share a blog post about Pileated Woodpeckers.  Then, suddenly, several other people started to recognize these amazing birds.  My bro even sent me a text with a picture from their back yard of one such sighting.

Have I mentioned that giving gifts can be every bit as satisfying as receiving them?

Some views the world affords us are a bit more spectacular than others.  A rainbow in the Kalalau Valley certainly qualifies.  But, the sheer magnitude is often enough for some who visit to miss out on the gift as they dash to the overlook, take their selfies and their quick snapshots and then dash back to their vehicles to see the next wonderful thing.

It is good to go see.  But, it is better to go and absorb, feel, hear, smell and fall in love with the land around us. And, if you are not currently somewhere where this is possible, then I hope you can extend your senses to all of the gifts that DO surround you right now.

Listen to your partner as they tell you a story.  Play a game and appreciate the companionship that comes from it.  Gaze at the coffee mug a friend gave you that you really did not need and still appreciate the humor and the connection you have with this person that is reflected on the saying that is on the side of that mug.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Rob & Tammy

Genuine Faux Farm - Tripoli, IA

Gifts Left on the Table

We have a couple of young crabapple trees on our farm that managed to be moderately successful again this year.  Last year at this time, most of the fruit remained on the trees - available for a hoar frost to decorate as it saw fit.  And, like last year, the birds have not availed themselves of the gift these little fruits provide in the Fall.  

This is not unusual as I have noticed this for many of our fruit bearing plants as we enter the coldest months.  Even though the Cardinals and other berry eating birds have been present in our bush lines, it is normal for some of the fruit on the highbush cranberries to remain into the winter. Most years, we have sunflower stalks still standing and presenting their seed heads for the Goldfinches and other small birds.

In the early stages of Spring, the earliest returning birds will find these wrinkled fruits and a few remaining seeds and consume them at a time when this will be part of a limited food supply.  These gifts left on the table serve a purpose.  The time for opening the gift is just - not now.

Last year, Tammy worked to arrange for lunches from a local restaurant to be brought to students at Wartburg who were fighting food insecurity.  The whole story includes generosity from a local church and efforts by some Wartburg staff members who help run the St Elizabeth's Bread Basket at the college.  

A certain number of students signed up to receive these meals - and many showed up and were, I assume, appropriately gracious in accepting the help this provided.  But some who signed up did not show up at the designated time to accept the gift of food - some of the meals were left on the table.

Who knows what the reasons might be for someone missing the pick-up time?  I am sure the list of circumstances and events that might cause a person to miss any event is quite long and I am hopeful that every meal got where it needed to go eventually.

Don't take me wrong.  I am not criticizing or judging.  A person could be ill in body or mind, making the trip too much.  Someone could be overwhelmed by work or concentrating on a task or distracted by any number of things.

This too is how gifts may be left on the table.  It is not necessarily because there is a future purpose - like the crabapples on a tree.  It is because we are not ready - or not able - to receive a gift just now.  Or maybe we just can't manage that particular gift at this specific moment in time. 

Then we have the gifts that are left on the table because we aren't so sure they were something we wanted in the first place.  Gifts like... the years 2020 and 2021.

It continues to be a running joke or a common theme that people just can't wait until 2021 is over and done with.  Well, sure.  There were (and are) some significant events that have been (and continue to be) very difficult.  The last two years are like the gift that was left on the table and got shoved behind the napkin holder and that jar that holds all of the lids, bolts, caps and other oddball items that we are sure we'll figure out what they belong to some day (but we likely never will).

Let me remind me (and you) that each year we live is a gift that needs to be opened and enjoyed for what it is - and that includes 2020 and 2021.

Let me also remind you (and me) that it was just two years ago at this time that numerous people said things like "thank goodness 2019 is over... I am sure 2020 will be better."  And they said it about 2018 and 2017 and.... just pick a year.

No, I am not making light of anyone's troubles.  And yes, I understand that sometimes we just want to get past difficult and horrible things.  In fact, I am fully aware that sometimes, things are really, really so terrible that it is all one can do to just endure.  But, one of the best ways to endure is to find the things that make living worthwhile and hold onto them.

If we leave the gift of our present lives on the table, unopened - we fail to give ourselves the chance to see those good things.

It's not too late.  Open the gift.  Dig through the packing peanuts and balled up paper and you'll find a gift card that you can spend.  How you spend it is up to you.

------------------

If this blog seems familiar to you, then good for you!  You read the 2020 version posted almost exactly one year ago.  This post will be, in my opinion, relevant every single year - so it was worth doing a little updating and re-sharing as a Throwback post.  

So, how will you be spending your gift card?   Use it well.

The Sun Sets on Another Year - December

There is still some fire left in the year, but it tends to show up only at dusk and dawn.  But, what a fire it is!  Painting the sky in so many variations on a theme.  While I know that the turning of the calendar is just a constructed event we humans have created, it comes with the weight of generations of experience.

Let us celebrate the year that has past - remembering the events that shaped us, both good and bad.  And the good Earth celebrates with us, once again with fire in the sky.

I am glad you are here, reading this blog.  And, in case you missed it, I actually endeavored to write a post for each month of this prior year.  If you are curious about how this small-scale, diversified farm operator sees the course of a year, these are a worthwhile read.  If you are another grower or agriculturist, you might find some similarities to how you feel - or maybe you will see something that contrasts with your experience.

For those who have interest, here are the other entries in this series:

• January
• February
• March
• April
• May
• June
• July
• August
• September
• October
• November

I hope you can find some good things that happened in your life during the past year.  And, if there were challenges (and I am sure there were) I hope that you were able to grow and learn from them.  But, if all you could do was survive, we can still celebrate that survival with the hope that there are good things available to us simply because we did make it through the year that has been 2021.

Exercising the Senses - November

I am not certain what it is about November days, but it seems like they tug at our senses in ways that are different than many of the other months.  January freezes your eyes shut and makes an Iowan shiver just a little when they merely think about it - that month is a bit like a like a sledge hammer that smacks you once and that's all you remember.  May is an explosion of color and smells and the sounds of birds singing - it is almost as if you put yourself right in front of the speakers for the concert and you forgot your earplugs.  But November...

The sound of dry leaves in a light breeze has a subtlety to it that still demands your attention.  And, interestingly enough, there is a smell...and a texture....  You only need one of the three and you are transported to a moment where the leaves swirl around your feet and you stand there - transfixed.

Maybe it's the air in November?  One day, the air can have a bitter hardness to it and the next can be soft, with just enough comforting warmth to invite you to stay outside just a bit longer.  But, that's not just it.  It's the fact that a person can actually feel the subtle difference in the air each day in November.

Perhaps the absence of some of the other noises that have been clamoring for our attention in the prior months has something to do with it?  There aren't many birds singing their songs and most of the waterfowl that flew overhead in September and October are no longer interested in passing over our farm.  The leaves are down from all but the most stubborn oaks now, so the wind makes a different sound when it passes through the trees.  There is less traffic in the row crop fields and even our vegetable/poultry farm is a bit less busy.  We find ourselves noticing the songs of things we don't hear during other months.

Or, maybe it's the simple fact that sunshine provides a bit more emotional value in November than it did in the months just prior to it?  The cats in the house seek out the sun-puddles that move slowly across the room.  A day that reaches the 40s with a bit of sun and little wind provides us with a treat that is hard to dislike.

Then, a day comes along that announces itself with heavy clouds and a biting wind.  The chill can reach your bones if you aren't prepared for it.  The time for subtlety is over and we get a preview of what Old Man Wynter likes to bask in.  Maybe a few snowflakes fly by on the edge of our vision as we pull up the hood and wish we had our warmer gloves on.

In the end, November is like all of the other months.  There is so much to experience, as long as we let ourselves do so.

The Shadows Lengthen - October

It feels like it happened so suddenly.  One day, were weren't seeing too much for shadows in the middle of the morning.  The next, there they were there - with a decided slant to the North.  When did this happen?  And how did it sneak up on us?

The sun is no less bright.  In fact, just like March, there is often a brilliantly blue sky that makes you want to stop, look - and breathe for a while.  But, those shadows are troubling.  They are harbingers of days that have too few hours of daylight and too many hours of the full dark.

On the other hand, shadows provide us with contrast.  Textures we miss when the sun is high overhead and the heat radiates from every surface are suddenly more visible.  Light and dark play against, and with, each other.

As always, there is plenty to do on the farm.  But, there is a difference in the tasks we perform this month.  A harvest often results in that particular bed being prepped for the cold months.  There isn't so much of the repeating harvest crops.  The number of poultry flocks steadily decline on the farm and the equipment is cleaned and put away - until next year.

This past October, I found myself enjoying my time on the farm more than I had in a while.  We weren't as absorbed with the extension of the season for vegetable production as we had been in past years.  I noticed that I had a little more room to breathe - and live.  We still didn't "get it all done" and we still had our moments.  But, there were more times where I could stop, be awed by the world around me, and observe the play of shadow with light.

Author's Choice - Postal History Sunday

The farmer wanted to take a day off of Postal History Sunday and the farmer did NOT want to take a day off of Postal History Sunday.  He discussed this with himself and came up with a compromise.  There will be a PHS for today, but it will be a slightly easier post to write because it will be a traditional "count-down" blog post.  A little easier for me and hopefully fun for you as you compare/contrast your own feelings about particular Postal History Sunday writings.

For this year's count down, I thought I would share the top 10 blog posts from MY perspective.  The criteria is that these are the entries that I learned the most from, those I really enjoyed putting together, and/or posts that I feel are some of the best finished products from the whole batch.  This might actually be a bit tougher than it sounds, because I've got 50+ selections to choose from!  If I miss one of your favorites, feel fee to speak out.

And, to make this more of a challenge for you - I've included a question for each blog.  Can you answer it?  I have a suspicion I know where you could find the answers too! 

People's Choice.  Borderline Benefits

 Which well-known philosopher called Ferney, France, his home?

Here is the post that recorded the most visits on the GFF Postal History blog (this does not include traffic on the Genuinely Faux farm blog).  I feel like this might be one of the clearest and most direct teaching blogs I have on Postal History Sunday right now.  There are others with a similar goal, of course, but I like how this one presents itself.  The topic is a quick exploration of some of the special letter rates for border communities in Europe in the 1850s, 60s, and 70s.

11. Pirascafo sul Lago

If you saw a postmark that read "Verbano," what would it likely be referring to?

First things first - lists on my blogs go to eleven.  It's a thing with me - really.

This Postal History Sunday may have been one of those where I had to climb the biggest learning curve just to get something that was accurate AND interesting out in the world.  It makes the list because I think I did a pretty good job finding the information I needed and putting it all together.  And, on top of it all, you get to explore steamship travel on some of the deep lakes in the Alps between Italy and Switzerland.  

To make this one even better, it takes a lesson from the People's Choice blog and extends it to mail that traveled on these lakes.  Yes, that's a teaser.

10.  Poo d'Etat

The illustration on the envelope reads "Napoleon, Friedland, 1807" - what is it referring to?

How could this one NOT make the list?  A title like that?!?  

This one was extremely enjoyable for me to research and write.  The connection to farming is hard for me to resist, given my real life occupation as owner/operator of a small-scale, diversified farm (the Genuine Faux Farm, if you must know).  This is one of the joys of writing your own blog - you make the rules as to what makes it in and what doesn't.  Poo for the win!

9.  Too Late Again?

Why did Eric W Pierce choose the route via Panama?

There will be 24 cent US 1861 issue postal history in this blog.  That's all there is to it - because that's what I do.  But, I sure will do my best to make it entertaining for everyone!

Too Late Again? features one of my favorite items that lets us explore multiple story lines and leaves us wondering - why in the world did Eric W Pierce send this item on a steamboat when the overland mail would have been faster?  Why?

8.  Unforgotten

 

The colorful design touts the Lease-Lend Act - what did that act do?

If you prefer a bit more modern postal history, then this one is for you.  A letter to Geoffrey Charles French goes on a merry chase that travels the globe, only to be returned to the sender once it is determined French went down with his plane in 1944.

In some very real ways, this post had a "leg up" on the others because I actually tried my hand at writing this one up in a blog several years ago - before there was a Postal History Sunday.  What?!?  There was life before PHS?  Nope!  Not possible!

7.  Thurn & Taxis

 

Why did mail coaches in Germany carry a post horn?

For many of us who study postal history in the 1850s through 1870s, the German States can be a bit of a puzzle, especially if you do not speak or read Deutsch at all well.  This is one of those entries where I probably stood as much to gain by getting it all organized in my head as anyone else.  For the effort alone, it might come towards the top.  It's even better that I think it presents itself quite well.

So, if you want a blog sized look at how the Thurn and Taxis mails worked in the 1850s and 1860s, this is the one you might enjoy reading.... or maybe if you want to learn about post horns.

6.  Run Aground!

 Why are compass readings around Anticosti Island potentially unreliable?

The steamship carrying the featured cover ran aground on Anticosti Island in the St Lawrence Seaway making the journey this letter took to get to its destination that much more interesting.  You can learn a little bit about the Allan Line, compasses, and even how a couple who are stranded on an island can make due with flotsam from the various shipwrecks over time. 

5.  There and Back Again

 

 This letter crossed the St Georges Channel between which two ports?

At this point, it may seem that I favor the posts that feature a single postal history item, and this is another that falls into that category.  But, when the story is compelling, it is hard not to enjoy the process of uncovering it and sharing it with others.  This particular cover was sent to England, but it had to follow the recipient back home to the United States before it caught up with him.

For those who might care - this is one of my favorite postal history items - which is saying something.

4. For What Ails You

 

What do I mean if I say a postal artifact has a "mute cancel?"

I like this blog post because it felt so different from many of the other topics I was considering at that time.  It was fresh for me, so it probably felt fresh for those who read it.  On top of it all, I renewed my interest in postal history items after 1875 and the formation of the General Postal Union.  That's not a bad thing in and of itself.

If you would like a quick exploration into the mailing of packages in 1893/1894 and you think it might be fun to learn a bit about some of the medical industry at that time - here's a reading for you.

3. Business, Madness, and Social Betterment

  Who is this person, and why do they have a statue?

One of the comments on this blog post is that it was more of a "social history" post than a postal history post.  Of course, they were correct.  But, what a social history post it was!  It just goes to show you that you can take a fairly common, if clean, cover and take it all sorts of places with the story lines encourages me to discover.  Alas for Mad Jacques and hurray for Amicie Lebaudy!

2.  Up, Up, and Away

  Balloons often carried pigeons out of Paris during the 1870-1 siege.  Why?

There have been times that I have been so pleased to actually acquire a certain item that it did not take me all that long to produce a Postal History Sunday featuring that item.  Sometimes, the rush to produce something and "do it justice" resulted in a good enough, but not superb, post.  But, with this one, I think I got the balance right.  I learned a host of new things, I provided some interesting information to those who were reading, AND I think it reads pretty well.  We'll take it! 

1.  The Price of Bread

 What percent of a common worker's income could they expect to spend on bread in 1788?

It all began with a single item that caught my imagination, and once I researched that, I had an idea of what to look for.  A couple of items later and we have a nice blog post for Postal History Sunday.  Once again, we have a connection to agriculture and food production, which is bound to get at least a little of my attention.  This one reaches number one because I learned many new things and came to understand several other things I had learned at some point earlier in my life.

-------------------

There you have it!  The farmer's picks for the top Postal History Sundays in 2021 up to this point.  Feel free to enjoy (or re-enjoy) none, some or all of these at your leisure.  They'll be here when you are ready for them.  And maybe... just maybe... you too, will learn something new.

Fruits of Our Labor - September

Whether it deserves it or not, September is the month we typically associate the most with the harvest.  The Harvest Moon typically lands in September since a Harvest Moon is the full moon that lands closest to the Autumnal Equinox.  The absorbing process of bringing in field crops usually begins in September and rolls on into October (and sometimes later).  We place shocks of corn, pumpkins, and other symbols of a fall bounty prominently as reminders to us as to what season we are in.

It doesn't matter that a small-scale, diversified farm, such as ours, has probably been pulling in the veggies for months prior to September.  Even we allow ourselves to think about September in this fashion - as long as we actually recognize what date it is.  Sometimes, the only reason I can remember the date is because I have to be aware of when I need to make deliveries.  Otherwise, I am not as concerned about the month as much as I am paying attention to where we are in our growing and work cycles.

On our farm, September has often been the peak of diversity and quantity when it comes to our produce.  It is now cool enough that the lettuce gets back to peak quality.  The tomatoes become impossible to keep up with.  The squash are ready to harvest and cure.  And the multiple harvest crops, such as cucumbers, green beans, and peppers still require picking each week.

There isn't time for weeding - at this point, if there are weeds (and there are), they will be there until the end of the season.  While we know we should plant some of our over-wintering crops, we often run out of daylight and energy to do so.  The garlic also needs planting, but we never can manage to find the time in September to get to it.  

So, maybe we've got it right.  September on the farm has always been all about the harvest.  There is rarely any time for anything more.

Perilous - August

A person never quite appreciates the weather so much as when they move to the country and undertake a profession that has them outside every day - through all sorts of weather conditions.  A city or town dweller who has a job that typically places them inside will hunker down in a safe place when the tornado sirens go off.  Or maybe they are the sort that steps outside or stands by a window to view the event until it becomes obvious, even to them, that it is time to seek shelter.  But, once the event is over - and as long as there is not apparent injury to them or theirs - it is typically thrown into a pile of barely memorable experiences.

Why am I allowed to say this?  Well, I've been blessed with the opportunity to live both lives at times.  I know that my appreciation for the peril that is a strong weather system on our world was not always the same as it is now.  And, now that I have a job that sits me at the computer more often, my attitude has changed yet again.

There is a smaller set of people on this world that have remembrances of multiple times working in a field - cultivating, planting, harvesting - and looking up to see storm clouds on the horizon.  Even fewer still are the people who experience this often enough to be able to make fairly precise estimates as to how long it will be before that line of storms will arrive.  I still recall more than one instance where Tammy and I pulled everyone out of the field and got all of us under shelter just prior to the arrival of whatever was heading our way.

We only got caught in the middle of it when we ignored the warnings in our own heads and tried to do "just a little bit more" before we went in.  Or, worse yet, we realized there was something that was going to do very poorly unless we dashed out to tie it down or close it up.  If we didn't want that high tunnel to fly into the next county, we HAD to get out there and shut it down.  That's one way to get thoroughly scoured by a driving rain.

Each strong weather system brings with it perils for a small-scale, diversified farm such as ours.  A little bit of hail can shred the lettuce and pierce the fruits we are toiling to grow.  A poof of wind can lift paper mulch and cause it to beat the newly planted vine crops to a pulp.  Any harvest containers left out to dry are potential missiles and freshly washed farm towels can catch enough wind to tear the entire laundry line down.  And, heaven help you if you left a doors open on both the windward AND the leeward side of an outbuilding!

Nothing compares with the sizzle and boom you get with a lightning strike that makes the hairs on your arm stand on end.  Nothing exfoliates your skin better than a seventy mile an hour wind that is carrying a few counties worth of dirt and debris while you struggle to get inside after closing that high tunnel "just in time."

And nothing makes you appreciate the peril - and the beauty - of a storm than living in a way that makes it matter to you.

Storm Clouds - July

The gardens are at their peak and the sunflowers are just starting to show their true colors.  The hard work of the previous months is starting to bear fruit as the green beans come in and the early tomatoes tease us with a few ripe fruit.  But, the storm clouds are forming on the horizon and we know that our gardens will begin their great decline soon.

My, my.  Doesn't it sound a great deal like the farmer is being prematurely pessimistic?  Didn't he just say the gardens are looking beautiful and the harvest has only just begun?  Indeed he did.  And he is looking very much forward to all of the goodness that is to come.  But, while he does this, he also knows this cycle - he has seen it many times before.

The healthy leaf cover in the winter squash we see in mid-July will slowly deteriorate over the next month and a half as the vines concentrate on ripening fruit and spending less time on new leaves.  Broccoli plants will produce beautiful heads of broccoli that will then be cut and sold or donated.  The plants themselves will never look as good as they did in those moments just before harvest.  I know this was the purpose of growing these plants in the first place.  Yet, I cannot help but grieve a little as I recognize that the beauty they hold for that moment in July is fleeting.

One moment, the sunflowers and sweet corn are standing tall.  The next moment, a storms barrels through and flattens their once proud stalks to the ground.

In the end, the farmer reconciles all of this by cherishing that moment when he witnessed these crops in their very best clothing.  And, he reminds himself that they dress for the seasons.  While winter squash may not have the green, lush cover they had in July, they are no less beautiful when they offer up their tan fruits in early September.

It's Easy - Except, um, For That

There are times in your life when you aren't going to be there to do that thing that you always do.  And, when that happens, you have to find someone else who is willing to do that thing.  It's at that moment that you realize, you and the things you do just aren't normal.

These feelings of being abnormal are exceptionally strong if you happen to run a small-scale, diversified farm.  In the first place, if you are this type of farmer, it's actually outside YOUR norm to be away from the farm at the moment the chores (or some other farm task) needs to be done.  But when you are going to be away, as we were when we took a breather in July, you find yourself having to explain to someone else exactly what it is you MUST do every day - and how to do it.

The must do actually isn't so difficult because, if we are like any other person who does this sort of thing, we work extra hard leading up to the moment we will be away so the "must do" list is as short as it can possibly be.  It's actually the "how to do" part that makes us wonder what people think of us AFTER we give the full explanation.

Case in point:

Farmer:  Ok, you need to feed the chickens in the morning.  

Kind Helper Person: Sure, I can do that.  Doesn't seem hard.

F: No. No, it isn't all that hard.  But, let's run out and I'll show you where everything is.

KHP: Ok.  Sounds good.

**** F and KHP both head towards the granary ****

F: Alright.  The food bin is in the granary.  The hard part is going to be opening the roll up door on the granary.

KHP: Ooooookay?

F: Yes.  The door has a latch here.  But, that latch won't release unless you push the door down there first.  You see, the cement is uneven here and you need push down to remove some of the tension on the latch.  Let me show you once.

**** F easily opens the door successfully and then closes it.  ****

F: Ok, you try it.

**** KHP reaches for door ****

F: Um, before you do that, I should warn you.  Don't let go of that rope when you open the door.

KHP: Oh.  Yeah, I guess I saw you holding on to it.

F: Yes.  You need to hold it firmly.  This is a roll-up door and if it gets away from you it will shoot up to the top and slam into the roll.  That could be bad.

KHP: Bad?

F: Yup.  I suppose it could jump off of the mount up there and come crashing down on your head.

Concerned KHP: On...my... head.

F: Oh, don't worry too much about it.  That's never happened since we've been here.  Well, there was that one guy, but that doesn't really count.  Just hold on to the rope and don't let it get away from you.

Very CKHP: Sure.... hold on to the rope....

F: Well, I mean.  If it SHOULD get away from you, step quickly away from the door in case it DOES jump off of the mount.  

VERY VCKHP:  I'm not sure I should do this.

F: Ok.  Look.  It's safe.  You just need to slow it down a little.  Even if it slips out of your hands a bit, it won't have enough momentum to hop out.... I think.   Anyway, you'll be fine.

All of this could be very amusing to the farmers if they didn't REALLY NEED someone to provide the help.  And, so far, no one has been crushed by a falling roll-up door, even if they did let it get away from them.  And, if they did, none of them have had the courage to report that this has actually happened.

Now - wait until I tell them they should not stand where they are because they could fall through the floor. 

Bang for Your Buck

Well, I've gone and done it again.  I have been thinking.... and that's a dangerous pastime.  

I have been thinking about the difference between getting a good value for something versus getting a service or object that is cheap.  You can probably guess how I typically feel about the subject if you know me or you have read prior blogs - but let's just go through it anyway!

Full value ice storm!

There are two kinds of ice storms in my world.  There is the kind that really blusters and produces a fair amount of ice, only to melt off of the trees and power lines almost before the sun comes up.  Of course, those storms can still cause damage, including power outages, bruised buttocks, vehicle accidents and the like.  But, in my mind those are cheap storms - gone almost before we knew them.

The other type of ice storm is like the one we got on Friday.  Not only does it include power outages, accidents and a bruise on one or two person's bums, but it makes sure the ornamentation on the trees sticks around for at least a couple of sunrises.  After all, you've got to give the farmer more than one chance to take a picture of it all.

And, while we are at it, let's make sure a decent swath of the Upper Midwest gets some fresh snow cover.  After all, if you HIDE the ice underneath some soft, beautiful snow, farmers everywhere will be taking their first and last steps of the day just outside of the farm house in a matter of seconds.  Add a little bit of downward slope from the farmhouse and you can go bowling for farmers.  Or is that bowling WITH farmers?  I always have confused the two. 

Unfortunately, this was a "full-service" storm system that also provided some extremely violent tornadoes in Kentucky along with twisters in surrounding states.  While I can't get behind the damage and loss of life, I will say this storm gave us plenty of bang for the buck.  It packed enough wallop that we'll all be thinking about its "quality" for a while.  

So, let's hope we can provide some quality human compassion for those who are struggling after these storms - that's some "bang for the buck" I can also support.

Strong Internet presence

I had an individual send me a note that asked why I didn't do more to promote my online presence so I could get more readers.  They argued that I clearly put effort into my farm and postal history blogs, so clearly I should find ways to increase my readership.

Well, social media agrees.  I could get UP TO another 87 people daily if I give them $14.  I don't know if this is fourteen dollars a day, a week or what?  But, WOW!  Another whole eighty-seven people (maybe - it does say "up to") who can be "reached."  By the way, a "reach" in social media terms simply means your post scrolled onto their screen.  It doesn't mean they read what you produce, nor does it mean they even notice what rolls on by as they scroll to the next video of cats falling off of counter tops.

I suppose "bang for your buck" is a relative term and is prone to our own interpretations.  

A case in point is the series of signs on a street post shown at the left.  In my book, these sorts of signs were a precursor to electronic social media.  Anyone who has attended college or been in a college town has probably been amused at least once by the things that show up there.

It is one thing for a person to scrawl a witty saying on the wall of a toilet stall or clever reply on someone else's sign.  But, it is entirely a different thing to create your own piece of work and put it out there for the world to chortle at.

And here, I resort to the cheap way out by simply posting someone else's photo of a signpost with clever signs someone other than the photo taker put up (I am guessing, of course).  

Would I have put this in the blog if the only two signs were "Mole Catcher" and "Frog Juggler?"  Probably not.  "Chicken Whisperer" might have encouraged me to share this picture in a blog post on our poultry...but I would probably forget to do so.

But, when you add "Squirrel Matador 1800-800-OLE" to the list?  There's the bang for your buck.  Hoorah for the squirrel matador!

Quality thought provoker

The internet and all of the social media platforms are full of flashy things that work to grab your attention.  And, to be perfectly honest, most of it just annoys me.  

Why?  Well, most of it is recycled material that has been around for years in some form or another.  Many who share these things barely put any thought into sharing them AND they certainly did not put any effort into creating them.  

The straw that breaks this proverbial camel's back, though?

Many people seem to consume these cheap things more readily than they do the things that have a little depth and quality to them.  Or, at best, they see no distinction between the two.  

Yet, once in a while, something gets my attention because it DOES make me think.

I remember seeing a sign like this when I was a kid in some sort of shop and it displays some real wisdom in a very concise way while still maintaining a sense of humor.  And, on top of it all, it actually speaks to some of what I've been saying in this blog post with considerably more words.

I wonder how long it took the original author of this to refine it so it could do its job so well?  It was certainly more time than it took for me to save and share the file.  I guess that's some real bang for your buck - but for whom?

End of Year Giving - 2021

This is my second year working with the Pesticide Action Network during the "end of year giving" period that so many non-profit organizations rely on to make their work possible in the coming months.  I have been on "both sides of the ball" now and I fully understand how everyone feels when they get yet another appeal for money.  However, I also recognize that this IS the season when more people are willing to make a contribution.  And, I have also learned that an organization that fails to ask for support will most likely not get it.

So, here I am, once again - reminding us all to be patient while the organizations we support inundate us with requests.  Don't take your name off of their mailing lists in disgust.  Instead, watch more carefully for the other things they ask you to do and the resources they provide.  Use those metrics, among others, to determine to whom you are willing to provide support.  Then, if you don't like what you see there, take your name off of the list. being told when you want to provide that support, figure out where and when it fits in your budget.

Just remember, many of these organizations exist because you and I don't have the space in our lives to do things like look out for the environment or provide a food resource for those who need it or.. pick your topic that really speaks to you.  They put people on salary so they can focus on trying to make these good things happen.  But, if they don't have the money, they can't have the people.  If they don't have the money, they can't provide the food.  If the don't have the money, they can't monitor legislation and inform you when something important is happening

And, hey... if you don't like being told WHEN you should give, then take matters into your own hands.  Make a budget and a schedule for your giving and send the money on your own terms.  Then you can blithely ignore the additional requests for money while paying attention to the requests to help make change happen.

It is really that simple.

Ten Recommendations To Support Environmental Initiatives

Last year, Tammy and I recently received a request to identify organizations with Iowa ties that promote the health of our environment - whether it is by encouraging/discouraging particular farming practices or supporting wild areas in the state.  What follows will NOT be an all inclusive list and I will only include organizations for which I have some personal knowledge.  You should do some of YOUR OWN research on any organization so you know exactly what you are supporting.  I can speak now from personal experience that involved donors are even more of a benefit to an organization than you might think!

We took a moment and checked our recommendations out on Charity Navigator, which does not have complete ratings for every organization, especially if they are smaller.  We encourage you to look beyond the number ratings to see what the rating is based on.  You can decide what, if anything, in these ratings matter to you.  

What we can say is that, in our opinion, all of these organizations would be worthy of your attention.  Read on for some of our opinions and experiences regarding each.

This list is provided (after the first entry) in no particular order.

Pesticide Action Network

Charity Navigator - 88.34 (up from 84 last year)

I am going to get my (Rob's) direct affiliation taken care of first.  Full disclosure - I work as the Communications Associate in Iowa for PAN.  Iowa is one of four states (California, Minnesota, Iowa and Hawaii) that have focused campaigns - even though PAN does do national and international work.  PAN (North America) is actually a part of a much larger, international organization that was initially formed to address the export of banned pesticides to poorer nations.

In Iowa, PAN has a strong focus on trying to reduce (and eventually remove) our reliance on chemical agriculture and the inequities it maintains in our farming systems.  If you are interested in donating to PAN, please make sure you tell them that you want them to continue work in Iowa.  While you are at it, sign up to receive our newsletters!  You'll hear from me more often (ooops, maybe that's not a good sell?). 

Seed Savers

Charity Navigator - 82.41 (up from 80)

If open pollinated seed access and preservation are important to you, then Seed Savers should be an organization you consider supporting.  This organization maintains some beautiful land in northeast Iowa, sustainably managing natural areas as well as a heritage orchard, seed production gardens and display gardens.  

Our farm has relied heavily on a number of heritage and heirloom seed varieties for our vegetable production over the years.  If you love Black Krim tomatoes, Thelma Sanders Acorn Squash or Grandpa Admire's Lettuce, you can thank Seed Savers for making them available to farms like ours and gardeners like yourself (if you garden).  Our farm has pushed back against the increased reliance on F-1 hybrid seeds by trying to use open pollinated varieties whenever we are able to - we support Seed Savers mission, in part, by simply working to grow and sell those varieties rather than relying on an increasingly small number of seed producers.  Diversity in seed is important.

And, in 2021, we started raising crops to produce seed for Seed Savers.  So, I would say we feel like we have a strong alignment with the values Seed Savers Exchange promotes.

Iowa Farmers Union

Charity Navigator - N/A

IFU has been a force for pushing alternative policy approaches in a state that does not seem to want to listen to ideas that don't come from corporate agriculture.  IFU has pushed back against the process of farm consolidation, which results in larger farms.  You may notice that IFU has taken a stand to stop pesticide drift, reduce agricultural runoff into our waterways and encourage diverse farmscapes.

The people at IFU have the energy to push for policy change and they need support to maintain that energy and make some progress.  I have had the privilege to speak at one at their annual conventions and have participated in their policy discussions.  I appreciate the heart and tenacity of the people that make IFU work.

Xerces Society

Charity Navigator - 92.91 (up from 91.34)

The Xerces Society is a national organization that has had a strong presence in Minnesota and has also had some good connections to Iowa.  Once again, you can let them know how much you appreciate their attention to a state, such as Iowa, by pointing out how much we need help maintaining our pollinator and invertebrate populations.

Xerces is my "go to" resource when I need to learn more about pollinators and pollinator habitats.  In fact, we hosted a field day with Xerces and Practical Farmers of Iowa in 2016.  Xerces has also helped other farmers (not just veggie farmers) install pollinator strips, beetle banks and other habitat areas.  Our pollinators need support now and Xerces is a key organization.

Scattergood Friends School (and Farm)

Charity Navigator - 85

This recommendation may seem a bit out of place if we are talking about environmental issues, but this is where our personal connection gives us an inside scoop to understand what the non-profit does.  We have friends who teach at the school and run the farm that is attached to the school.  We are aware of how the school uses its farm and surrounding natural areas to educate young people with hands-on experiences.  Exposing young people to nature and to how food is grown (they raise vegetables and meats for consumption at the school) is an excellent way to make a difference in how we care for our world now and how we prepare to care for it in future generations.

Rodale Institute Midwest Organic Center

Charity Navigator - 96.81

Rodale is synonymous with organic.  We have at least two Rodale books that have been in our reference library from day one at the Genuine Faux Farm.  While Rodale is centered on the East coast, they recently (in the past three or four years) opened their Midwest Organic Center in Marion, Iowa.  

In my opinion, it is important that organizations such as Rodale, PAN and Xerces put a focus in a state such as Iowa.  Why?  Well, Iowa may be one of the most unfriendly states (in general) for their efforts with the overwhelming strength of corporate agriculture in opposition to their goals.  The strength of these larger organizations are needed if we want to make headway.  If you decide to donate to Rodale, please tell them that you support their center in Marion.

Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation

Charity Navigator - 100 

Here is an organization that works on preserving natural areas in Iowa by supporting the process for lands to be protected by easements.  I have been a supporter of INHF from the time I took my first job in Cedar Rapids until the present day.  I have watched their efforts as they have helped to preserve the Loess hills in western Iowa and set aside larger contiguous pieces of land in the Upper Iowa River Valley (among others).  

I won't pretend to be perfectly knowledgeable about such things, but I suspect we would have even fewer natural areas in this state if INHF didn't exist.  Oh, and some of the beautiful photography on their magazine is quite worthwhile.

Practical Farmers of Iowa

Charity Navigator - 100  

If you have read our blogs over the years, then you have heard about Practical Farmers of Iowa.  PFI supports on-farm research, which encourages farmers of all types (row crop, grazing, orchards, horticulture) to 'stay curious' about farming and continue to look for better ways to do things, rather than simply accept what agribusiness tells us to do.  Our farm has participated in several research projects and we have held multiple field days for PFI.

PFI strongly supports the increased use of cover crops to reduce erosion, supply fertility, suppress weeds and provide alternatives to current agricultural processes.  It was PFI who helped create videos on pesticide drift and resources for those who have been drifted on.   Spoiler alert, you might recognize one of the two farmers featured in those videos.

Iowa Organic Association

Charity Navigator - N/A

The Iowa Organic Association is a smaller organization that has been around longer than you think - yet its impact is being felt more and more in recent years.  One of its biggest contributions has been various workshops to help farmers figure out how they can transition to organic production. Even more recently, they have been combining presentations with farmers who certify organic as schools throughout the state.  I was honored to join them in Cedar Falls as the farmer who paired in the presentation with IOA at the University of Northern Iowa.

If we can find ways to encourage more farmers in row cropping systems to adopt organic practices, we can make a big difference in our environment.

Iowa Environmental Council

Charity Navigator - 85 

The Iowa Environmental Council is probably the organization with which I have the least amount of personal connection in this list.  We can say that some of IEC's work helped us through the process of putting solar panels on our own farm.

If you are concerned about the health of Iowa's land and waterways, support renewable energy and want to take action to respond to climate change, IEC is a good place to look.  IEC is a policy oriented organization, looking to advocate for changes at the governmental level to support renewable energy, clean water and land stewardship.  So, if you are looking for legislative change, this is one you should consider.

-------------------------------------

I hope you found this review worthwhile to read and I hope you found some of the information useful.  Tammy and I are both happy to support each of these organizations as we are able throughout the year.  We are also pleased to support other organizations, such as the Northeast Iowa Foodbank and Cedar Valley Friends of the Family.  We also have traditionally supported Iowa Public Radio and Iowa Public Television.    

Don't get us wrong - we aren't trying to say we are key supporters for any of these organizations, we don't have that much money or influence.  And we are definitely NOT saying we are better than anyone else.  What we are saying is that if you were asking our opinions (and someone did), this is where much of our money and support flows when we are able to give it.

Have a great day and thank you for lending your support to others in whatever way you are able.  Kind words mean something.  Careful and thoughtful actions are important.  And, when you can, donating resources (time, money, etc) is also important.  When we care and put effort into HOW we care, we help make this world a better place.

Follow-up - Postal History Sunday

Welcome to this week's Postal History Sunday on the GFF Postal History blog or the Genuinely Faux farm blog.  Everyone is welcome here, whether you have years of study involving postal history or you are merely curious what it might be that gets a small-scale, diversified farm operator interested in old envelopes that have already served their primary purpose in life.  Let's send those troubles off on a merry chase somewhere, and hope they never return, while we explore something I enjoy.  And, if we are lucky, you will be entertained and we will all learn something new.

-------

Learning a truly new thing is actually very difficult, especially if you do not have a place in your personal experience to start from.  I recall exactly how frustrated I was when I first decided to try and learn things about letter mail during the 1860s.  I had very little idea as to where I should start.  I didn't know the terminology, I didn't know where to go to find people or books or other resources that could help me learn.  I didn't even know what questions to ask to even start with the topic.

I could have just stopped - and I was tempted to do so.  But, if I have learned anything about myself, I can be pretty stubborn about learning.

Each new thing learned gives you a stepping stool that lets you reach out to other, related things.  Sometimes, the stepping stools you select lead you one way and you end up missing something that becomes obvious when you look back.  Today's post is dedicated to things I have been able to reach because of an earlier studies or things that I missed while I was there.

If you wish to visit the related Postal History Sunday to each topic, you can take the link I have placed in the title of each section.

"For What Ails You"

Back in March of this year, Postal History Sunday featured stamps from the US Columbian issue of 1893.  The title was For What Ails You because the items featured were from packages that probably contained various pharmaceutical or medical supplies.  

Sadly, this particular envelope did not qualify to be included in that post, both because it didn't clearly fit the theme and because it wasn't in my collection at the time.  But, the fact that I had recently explored packages in this post led me to consider adding this item in the first place!

The postage on this larger envelope from August of 1893 includes eleven copies of the 4-cent denomination and six copies of the 3-cent stamp, giving us a total of 62 cents of postage paid.  The red label with the letter "R" in the center tells us this was sent as a registered item, which cost 8 cents (effective Jan 1, 1893 - Jun 30, 1898), leaving us with 54 cents in postage.  And, if you look towards the bottom, you will see the number "54" in pencil, which is a nice confirmation that a postal clerk came to a similar conclusion.

This large envelope was apparently mailed at the foreign letter rate from the US to Germany at a cost of 5 cents per half ounce, but the Universal Postal Union guidelines were based on one rate per 15 grams (Jul 1, 1875-Sep 30, 1907).  For the curious, 15 grams is a little more than a half ounce (.529 ounces).

If you are paying attention, you probably are now saying "Wait!  Fifty-four cents is NOT divisible by five!  What's going on here?"  And that's exactly what I said.  One clue just might be the pencil "11" at the bottom left.  The 11th rate step would be for a weight over 5 1/2 ounces and no more than 6 ounces in the US.  So, the amount due would have been 55 cents.

The 11th rate step in Germany would have been measured in grams - over 165 grams (5.8 oz) and no more than 180grams (6.35 oz).  Is it possible that this thing actually weighed more than 5.5 ounces and less than 5.8 ounces?  From the US perspective, an item that weight would require 11 postage rates, but the Germans would only see it as ten.

Either way, the US postal clerk should have noted it was one cent short UNLESS they were aware of the difference in weights and made a decision to send it as paid using the 15 gram increments as a guideline.  It is most likely that the single penny wasn't going to be worth the extra effort and it was ignored.

We'll likely never know, but it is fun to speculate.  And this gives me something to stand on that may lead me to explore this item more.  If I do, you may see it again in a Postal History Sunday!

"Hyper"

Here's a case where you wonder how things happen the way they do.  In the original blog post, I give a summary of how postage rates rapidly increased in Germany during the period of hyper-inflation in the early 1920s.  I don't typically go searching for this sort of item, but if I run across something and it looks interesting to me and it is very inexpensive, I might go ahead and add it.

Oh!  Ugh!  Why would I add THAT?!?  It looks pretty beat up and.. what's going on here, Rob?  Have you led us all astray?

Oooooh!  Ok.  The back of this cover has another 14 postage stamps at 5000 marks each for a total of 75,000 marks in postage.  I guess I was feeling like adding another piece of postal history that had a lot of stamps on it.  

This postage rate was for internal letters in Germany that weighed no more than 20 grams and this particular rate only lasted from September 1, 1923 until September 19 of the same year.  This letter is postmarked from Hanau on September 12.  So, I thought to myself, "Yay!  I got an example of a rate in 1923.  Those were usually effective for short periods of time!"

Then, I looked at what I had again (go visit the Hyper blog) and I found I actually had something for this particular date range.  In 1923 alone, there were seventeen DIFFERENT rates for domestic letters.  I pick up two - and they both fall in the same rate period.  What are the odds?

So, what did I learn here?  I guess I learned why some people have checklists or some such thing when they are looking at items they might want for their collection.  But... that's no fun!  And, this cost less than the drink you have in your hand... and I had fun researching it.

So, I win again!

"Cruising Along"

Just a couple of weeks ago, I wrote about some letters that traveled across the seas in the 1930s and one of the pieces of mail I featured traveled from the United States to Finland.

I did a cursory look at the addessee, Mr. J.G. Sihvola, but I did not find anything.  That's ok, the blog and the story for the cover still held up nicely.  However, I recently shared this cover with an online acquaintance who lives in Lahti and I immediately got confirmation that this correspondence is fairly well known by postal historians in Finland.  Score one for sharing what we enjoy!

Jorma Sihvola worked at the Finnish Legation in Washington, D.C. for over ten years, starting in the 1930s and remaining through World War II.  His correspondence to family in Lahti is colorful, suggesting the possibility that there was a collector or two in the family, and has been distributed to collectors of stamps and postal history over time.  

J.G. and Aino Sihvola (husband and wife) had a wool clothing factory in Lahti.  Their son, Jorma, had probably not been in the United States for terribly long when he sent this letter.

Just having a name to refine searches brought me to an old newspaper where the likely sender of this letter was featured as a guest for the Singer's Guild in Washington, D.C.  That's one way to add a little color to the story.

My thanks to Tapio Hakoniemi for pointing me to this article that  features numerous items from the Sihvola correspondence during World War II, including a 1944 letter that suggests Jorma Sihvola had been in the US for a little over ten years.  After reading that bit of research, I now have something else to keep an eye out for if I am so inclined.  

Another step and something new I can reach out for.

"To and Fro"

In June of this past year, I took a look at how mail traveled across the Atlantic between the US and two European entities, the United Kingdom and France.  I kept it simple there and looked at some of the most common examples of mail that was sent when there was a postal agreement between the United States and these two nations.

But, what was it like when there wasn't a postal agreement between the United States and France?

Here is a folded letter that was sent in December of 1855 from France to Boston, Massachusetts.  The postal convention was not going to be in effect for another year and a half, so there was no way to fully prepay mail to the US from France.  Instead, mail travel relied on the agreement France and the United Kingdom had to pay for all of the postal services UP TO the point the letter was placed in the hands of the US postal system.

Since the British Post Office also had an agreement with the United States, they were able to act as an intermediary between the two nations that did not have a working treaty for the mail.

The cost?  One franc and thirty centimes (130 centimes) covered both the French and British postal costs.  An additional 5 US cents were due from the recipient in Boston to pay for the US postage costs.  That explains the nice bold "5" marking on the cover.

Once France and the United States had a postal agreement, starting in April of 1857, the postage cost for this same piece of mail would have been 80 centimes (15 US cents) and it would have covered the whole trip!  This is a case where I stood on my knowledge of mail during the later postal treaty to help me explore backward into years prior to that agreement.

"Second Childhood"

In August of this past year, I wrote about some postal history that showed stamps from the National Parks issue from the 1930s.  These are stamps that drew my attention when I was a very young collector, so it makes some sense that I find myself attracted to them even now.  When we combine it with my interest for mail that travels from one country to another - we have a winner!

The initial post focused on letter mail that was classified as "surface letter mail."  In other words, these were items that used transportation methods that stayed on the Earth's surface (boat, train, carriage, etc).  But, air mail was beginning to make its presence known in the 1930s, so it shouldn't be surprising that I might show an example of that mode of conveyance here.

Here is a letter that actually used the air service in the United States, crossed the Atlantic on a steamship, and then used air mail in Europe to get to Athens, Greece in 1935.  The cover itself gives me a multiple confirmations that my reading of its travel is correct.  A blue label (Par Avion / By Air Mail) states that air mail is to be used.  Red and blue parallelograms around the edge also indicated to the post office that air services were desired.

We also have this docket at the bottom of the envelope that may have been a directive to simply confirm what the postage was for.  It is also possible this text was added AFTER the letter had gone through the postal services by a collector.  I have no sure way of telling, but air mail was new enough that some direction in the form of a docket might have been useful.

The postage costs for air mail went through a number of changes in the early years and some of the calculations could get a bit complex.  Happily, this one is not so difficult.  We can start with the fifteen cent fee for a registered letter.  That leaves us with 11 cents for the letter mail postage.

The US required 8 cents in postage for each ounce in weight (Nov 23, 1934 - Jun 20, 1938), which included postage for the air carriage to the Atlantic port city as well as the Atlantic crossing on a steamship to England.  An additional 3 cents was added for each half ounce for air carriage in Europe (Jul 1, 1932 - Apr 27, 1939).

Well, I sure am glad that one added up properly (15 + 8 +3 = 26 cents)!  After the big Columbian envelope, I was beginning to wonder.

"In the News"

About a year ago, I featured items that were newspapers and other printed matter items that qualified for a cheaper postage rate.  While I am still in the process of researching this one, I felt like this might be a good follow up to show us all another way that we might NOT want to be "In the News."

What you see here is a good, old-fashioned "wanted" notice, which could have been posted publicly.  Wanted posters weren't just a "Wild West" thing and Theobald Pouth had better have been covering his tracks because the authorities in Amsterdam were looking for him on November 16, 1836!

A rough translation of some of what you see here follows:

Description of Theobald Pouth

Birth and last residence Trier (probably Trier near Luxembourg)

Profession: Tobacco fabricator (makes cigars, cigarettes, etc)

34 years old, 5 foot nine inches, black eyes, brown hair, heavy eyebrows and a sunken chin.  Full face and a black beard. An oval forehead

Special characteristics - muscular

Crime: Fraudulent Bankruptcy

The notice was sent from the prosecutor for the North Holland provinces to public prosecutors and offices of the police in the area.

Unfortunately, this item has lost some of the text at the bottom right.  When you combine that with the fact that I do not know Dutch well enough to fill in missing words with good guesses, we just have to go with what we have.

The outside of the document shows evidence of travel in the postal services from Amsterdam to the mayor (Burgemeester) of Limmen, which is northwest of Amsterdam.  The red postmark probably reads "Beverwijk," which was a larger town south of Limmen.  

There is a "10" by the red town marking that likely indicated the postage paid in Dutch cents.  At present, I do not know the postal rates for this area in 1836.  So, I do not know if this was a printed matter rate or a letter rate. That just shows you that I continue to seek out and learn new things.  Maybe once I learn more this one will make a return to Postal History Sunday?

Put It Out There and People Will Help

The danger of putting things out for anyone to read is the fact that people who know more than I do about something will roll their eyes at my feeble attempt at figuring it out.  The benefit is that many of these people take the time to help me to learn something new (or unlearn something that's wrong).

For example, Sören Andersson was very kind to point out an error in my analysis of the fourth item in Sneaky Clues.  The registration fee for incoming mail from the Netherlands WAS 10 cents, which makes the whole thing far easier to understand and, sadly, a little less interesting - in my opinion.  But, it is always better to make it right!  So, I'll be fixing that blog post at some point in the future!  He also advanced the idea that the "8" on the last cover could have been a room number in the hotel.  We'll still never know, but it is another option!

John Barwis pointed out that I left the passengers on Newfoundland in Run Aground!  Passengers took the St George (a steamship) and got to Glasgow about the same time as the mail (July 11).  That helps close this story a bit better.

In the post titled Business, Madness and Social Betterment, I included a small section about the rapid collection of mail by mail trains.  Rick Kunz mentioned a short documentary from 1936 titled Night Mail.  For those who might enjoy learning more about efficient ways to put mailbags on and off trains, here you go!

And then, Winston Williams has also been kind enough to provide useful thoughts and information.  In There and Back Again, he points out that a big reason for the US Notes marking is that the agreement with the British did stipulate that compensation be done using specie (essentially precious metal) which had a different value than paper money.  And, in Poo d'Etat, he pointed me to a resource and a rate for an item I did not successfully dig out for myself.

Thank you to everyone who provides me with corrections and additional information!  I may have missed a few of you here, but it has all been appreciated.

------------------------

There you are, another Postal History Sunday has been released "into the wild" to find audiences wherever it will!  I hope you enjoyed today's mishmash of items and that you were entertained and, perhaps, learned something new.

And, a quick reminder that I do accept constructive feedback, including corrections, additional information, and pointers for resources.  There will certainly be times when I will omit information on purpose for the sake of readability or due to time restrictions on my part.  But, that doesn't mean you can't point omissions out!  You honor me with your responses and care in providing them.

Have a wonderful remainder of your day and a productive week to come.