okefenokee swamp, georgia-florida

The Great Okefenokee Swamp, one of America’s most fascinating natural areas is the largest Swamp in North America. "Okefenokee" what Seminoles called "Land of Trembling Earth" is approximately 700 square miles located in the southeast corner of Georgia and extending into north Florida. Most of this Eco system has been officially protected since 1937 as the OKEFENOKEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE and in 1974 a portion was designated National Wilderness Area. Two rivers have headwaters in the Okefenokee, the Suwannee, flowing south through Florida to the Gulf of Mexico and the St. Mary's forming the eastern boundary of Georgia and Florida on it’s way to the Atlantic Ocean.

desert saguaros

Symbolic of the desert and all its mystery are these Giant Cacti whose grotesque silhouettes add character to the Southern Arizona landscape. They can attain heights of greater than 50 feet and the ages of some have been estimated at least 250 years. The blossom of the Saguaro is the State Flower of Arizona. Harming one in any manner (including cactus plugging) is illegal by state law in Arizona, and when houses or highways are built, special permits must be obtained to move or destroy any saguaro affected.

folsom, california

Folsom is a city in Sacramento County, California and is most commonly known by its famous Folsom Prison. Folsom started as a small town called Granite City, mostly occupied by gold miners seeking fortune in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Though few amassed a great deal of wealth, the city prospered and has preserved its historical frontier appearance along this "Mall on Sutter Street" in the old historic district, suggesting years of the Mother Lode.

florida scenic beauty

Further narrative not required.

arizona cliff dwellings

Montezuma Castle National Monument, located near Camp Verde, Arizona, in the Southwestern United States, features well-preserved cliff dwellings. They were built and used by the Pre-Columbian Sinagua people around 1400 AD. Several Hopi clans trace their roots to immigrants from the Montezuma Castle/Beaver Creek area. Clan members periodically return to their former homes for religious ceremonies. The last known Sinagua habitation of the sites was around 1425 AD and reasons for abandonment are the subject of much speculation.

name this tree

Time for quiz # 3 - The tree depicted above is located in The Petrified Forest, a sanctuary of ancient trees. In 1912 it was estimated by Luther Burbank to be "HOW OLD?" Also, what is the "NAME" of the tree? For the correct answer we will need both the estimated age of the tree and the name. We will accept "either" the age as given by Luther in 1912 or the present age as based on his estimate. Winner will receive another of our fabulous food gift certificates. Send answer to: jul8quiz@postcardfile.com.

independence day

Have a fun but safe Holiday!!!

vintage modern transport

A little early 20th Century humor. Don't know how old this one is but from the style, look, and condition, its gotta be from way back there.

cherokee, n.c. drama

This is the entrance to Mountainside Theatre, the 2900 capacity show place in Cherokee, N.C., where the great Cherokee Indian drama, "Unto These Hills," is shown each summer through Labor Day. It is the third oldest and the second- longest-running outdoor drama in the United States. The 59th season of Unto These Hills debuted on Friday, June 13, 2008 and will run through Saturday, August 30, 2008.

smokey bear

Did you know??? - The living symbol of Smokey Bear was an American black bear who in the spring of 1950 was caught in the Capitan Gap fire, a wildfire that burned 17,000 acres (69 km²) in the Capitan Mountains of New Mexico. Smokey had climbed a tree to escape the blaze, but his paws and hind legs had been burned. He was rescued by a Game Warden after the fire and given veterinary aid and loving care by the family of a local Dept. of Game and Fish Ranger.

The story was picked up by the national news services and Smokey became an instant celebrity. Soon after, Smokey was flown in a Piper Cub to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., where he lived for 26 years. Upon his death in November 1975, Smokey's remains were returned by the government to Capitan, New Mexico, and buried at what is now the Smokey Bear Historical Park.

churchill memorial

The Christopher Wren Church was moved from London, England, to the campus of Westminister College in Fulton, Missouri as part of a Memorial to Winston Churchill. He made his great "Iron Curtain" speech here in 1946. The famous address built a legacy, enticing such world leaders as Lech Walesa, Margaret Thatcher, Harry S Truman, Gerald R. Ford, Ronald W. Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Mikhail Gorbachev and NATO representatives to Westminster College.

banyan in fort myers, florida

Did you know??? A banyan is a fig that starts its life as an epiphyte when its seeds germinate in the cracks and crevices on a host tree (or on structures like buildings and bridges) and send down roots towards the ground. It may envelope part of the host tree or building structure with their roots, giving them the casual name of "strangler fig". The first banyan tree in the U.S. was planted by Thomas Alva Edison in Fort Myers, Florida. It was given to Edison by Harvey Firestone after Firestone visited India in 1925 and was planted in the Edison and Ford Winter Estates. The tree, originally only 4 feet tall, now covers well over 400 feet in circumference.

gator seeking revenge???

Spook Hill is a gravity hill (an optical illusion where cars appear to roll uphill) in Lake Wales, Florida. The attraction is adjacent to an elementary school that adopted Casper The Friendly Ghost as their school mascot. Spook Hill received national media attention when an article about it appeared on the front page of the Wall Street Journal on October 25, 1990, and was also featured in a segment on CBS Morning News. Click on card to enlarge and read sign.

scotland's belted galloways

Did you know?? The Belted Galloway breed, prized primarily for its high quality marbleized beef, originated in southwest Scotland, where unlike most modern breeds, they were able to thrive on the sparse pastures and windswept moors of the region. Leading U. S. livestock authorities have stated that on poor land Belties are unrivaled, and that there is no other breed worth more by the pound weight than a first class Galloway.

first nuclear submarine

The world's first nuclear powered vessel shown here as a designated National Historic Landmark, on the river Thames in Groton, Connecticut. The city that built her now displays her, officially retired and basking in her limelight. Nautilus celebrated the 50th anniversary of her commissioning in 2004 and now serves as a museum of submarine history. She is the sixth and most famous U. S. Navy ship to carry the name Nautilus and is perhaps best known for the history-making arctic journey that carried her under the North Pole on August 3, 1958.