Albacore Tuna Postcard

As a postcard and cat lover, I love when I can combine these two passions. Meet Albacore Tuna, a charming feline that is part of the Amazing Acro-Cats, a traveling troupe of the Rock Cats Rescue, a 501c3 organization.

Albacore Tuna is a lovely white cat with gorgeous amber eyes. He starts out the show, and he plays cowbell in the Rock Cats band. As you can see, he loved posing with his instrument of choice for the postcard. He likes to ring a bell on command (and sometimes without a prompt)! His birthday is July 7.

From the set of 20, this is one of my favorite Acro-Cats postcards. I purchased it from their shop and sent two out (written and stamped). One to an artist and cat lover in Oregon, and one to a cat lover in Atlanta. Since these adresses were generated by Postcrossing, they're random. As luck would have it, the second recipient told me a cool twist upon receipt of the postcard (you'll see).

Here are the replies I got:

"Thank you so so much for your card! I love it!! Tuna looks like she's born to play that cowbell. I love cats and have 2. ... I'm pretty sure they would be great in the Acro Cats. I don't think they would like all the touring though. They are homebodies. I've always wanted to see the Acro Cats and almost got to go see them with a friend of mine a few years ago but I had to work that day so my friend took her little boy and they absolutely loved it. ... Your card is delightful"

“Thank you so much for this postcard! It’s special to me in a few different ways. My husband is from Park Ridge (adjacent suburb to where I live). Also I am very familiar with the Acro Cats and have seen their show once. But most of all my husband & I even visited Meowy Manor (the cat's home in Atlanta) in person last year. We went to pick up our foster kitten in September 2019. We got to meet Samantha, many of the cats and other animals. Thanks for spreading the word!”

My pictures were taken with an inexpensive, moderately intelligent phone, so they're not the best quality. The postcards you get from the store are professionally done. The unwritten backside looks cool too. (pointy finger)↓↓

Baby Bobby the Acro-Cat

As a postcard and cat lover, I adore when I can combine these two passions. Meet Baby Bobby, a lovely feline that is part of the Amazing Acro-Cats, a traveling troupe of the Rock Cats Rescue, a 501c3 organization.

Baby Bobby is Captain Patch's best feline friend. His birthday is April 6. So technically he isn't a baby anymore, but the name stuck. He lives with one of the assistants of the Acro-Cats (and of course with Captain Patch, another feline rescue). When not performing, they love to explore the outdoors, safely harnessed of course.

I purchased this postcard from their shop and sent it (written and stamped) to a cat lover in Michigan Here is the reply I got:

"Thank you for the cute postcard, Alexandra. We have three cats ourselves, all strays that found us. I've never heard of Amazing Acrocats, but I'll definitely watch out for them now.

Wishing you and yours peace, love, joy and good health."

My pictures were taken with an inexpensive, moderately intelligent phone, so they're not the best quality. The postcards you get from the store are professionally done. The unwritten backside looks cool too. (pointy finger)↓↓

Roux and St Claude, a Cool Set of Cat Twins

As a postcard and cat lover, I love when I can combine these two passions. Meet Roux and St Claude, a lovely set of feline twins that is part of the Amazing Acro-Cats, a traveling troupe of the Rock Cats Rescue, a 501c3 organization.

Roux and St Claude look so much alike that I can't tell them apart. Well, they ARE twins, after all. I have been told that Roux is slightly bigger and has a tiny dent in his tail. I saw them in person before I knew this and could not tell them apart. Their birthday is September 30, 2017. As you might have guessed by their names, they were born in Louisiana.

They usually train together because they are inseparable. Their signature trick is pictured on this postcard, but they do other things as well. If you're wondering who is who on the card, that I do know. Roux is always pushing while St Claude enjoys the ride.

Here is a fun fact: These cool cats are already movie stars. They starred in a Lowe's commercial and got to shred blinds.

I purchased this postcard from their shop and sent it (written and stamped) to a cat lover in the Netherlands. Here is the reply I got:

“Hello Alexandra, thank you very much for your nice postcard - featuring adorable Acrocats Roux and St. Claude, which arrived today ! ... :-)

 I was fond of your interesting description of these two very special cats, since i am madly in love with all feline darlings, and just cannot imagine a life without them, meoww .....

All best wishes to you and all your loved ones, be they 2- or 4-legged,

and warm greetings."

My pictures were taken with an inexpensive, moderately intelligent phone, so they're not the best quality. The postcards you get from the store are professionally done. The unwritten backside looks cool too. (pointy finger)↓↓

A Tuna Story

When you hear the word "tuna," you probably immediately think of fish. As the post has a cat picture, you most likely already guessed that this is a cat story, however. How Tuna ended up with her name - that I don't know - but I do know she is the reason the Amazing Acro-Cats exist.

Tuna was adopted by Samantha Martin, chief executive human of the Amazing Acro-Cats and the Rock Cats, aka Rock Cats Rescue (501c3 organization). While original Tuna was ornery around people, she was an intelligent feline that loved to learn tricks. Her desire for learning was a big catalyst to start the performing cat troupe.

I was lucky to see Tuna in 2016. She rang a bell to open the show, performed timed leaps and jumps, and played cowbell to close the show as part of the Rock Cats band. "Tuna, more cowbell" rings forever in my head!

She now goes by Original Tuna because she passed away from cancer January 2017, but her legacy lives on. Not just because she has a sculpture that adorns the show's cat-mobile, but she functioned as prodigy for two new Tunas: Albacore and Ahi. They now have their own bell-ringing duties, and I saw them live as well.

How did Samantha find two new white cats so conveniently? The animals find her because they are all rescues of some sort. Only a few get to stay, the others get forever homes. So far, over 200 cats found loving humans all over the USA.

To explain the picture above: Original Tuna (and other purrformers) were recently honored with their own postcards. I was first in line to buy a set (or two), and sent them out to recipients on Postcrossing (an international postcard exchange site).

For obvious reasons, this card was reserved for someone special - a cat. Yes, there are cat accounts on the site who love to send and receive postcards. I was lucky to draw the address of one in Germany (the addresses are all randomized). I chose to send this card to her because the recipient's favorite food is ... tuna. Here is what this lovely feline had to say about the card:

"Hello, your card came today. Thank you so much. I like it soo much, wow a cat circus you are crazy, all the best for you, "

My pictures were taken with an inexpensive, moderately intelligent phone, so they're not the best quality. The postcards you get from the store are professionally done. The unwritten backside looks cool too. (pointy finger)↓↓

Jax Postcard

As a postcard and cat lover, I love when I can combine these two passions. Meet Jax, a lovely feline that is part of the Amazing Acro-Cats, a traveling troupe of the Rock Cats Rescue, a 501c3 organization.

Jax is a cool black/white cat that was rescued from a cooler outside a truck stop. Her birthday is March 17. She is called a trouble maker because she kind of does what she wants and often wanders into the audience during a show. Jax also doesn't like getting picked up.

She loves sitting on her skull and catching treats. I have met her, and it's actually quite impressive because she catches them from high up in the air while sitting on her favorite perch.

I purchased this postcard from their shop and sent one (written and stamped) to a cat lover in California. I also sent the card to an animal lover (owner of a rescued dog, but she also has cats and a hedgehog) in South Dakota. Here are the replies I got:

"Thanks for the awesome postcard!! I think that my son saw the Acro Cats on tour around 2009. unfortunately, he went with his other parent, and I did not get a chance to catch the show."

“Thank you thank you THANK YOU for the postcard of Jax the Troublemaker! I checked out the Amazing Acro Cats so cool, and watched the videos, it IS amazing. I'd never heard of them before."

My pictures were taken with an inexpensive, moderately intelligent phone, so they're not the best quality. The postcards you get from the store are professionally done. The unwritten backside looks cool too. (pointy finger)↓↓

Asti Postcard

As a postcard and cat lover, I love when I can combine these two passions. Meet Asti, a lovely feline that is part of the Amazing Acro-Cats, a traveling troupe of the Rock Cats Rescue, a 501c3 organization.

Asti is a pretty tabby that reminds me a bit of my cat (same coloring). She loves to climb (so does my cat), and she plays the role of head drummer for the Rock Cats. The Rock Cats are the only real cat band in the world and are part of the Amazing Acro-Cats. However, her signature trick is a hurdle jump.

Why is Asti a sneak? Because she loves to steal food! She also has a fondness for tortilla wraps. Her birthday is October 11.

I purchased this postcard from their shop and sent it (written and stamped) to a cat lover in Massachusetts. Here is the reply I got:

"Thank you so much for the amazing card. I had never heard of acrocats, but now I need to look this up. I have 5 cats (long story...) and could never imagine training them to do acrobatics beyond what they naturally seem to do at 4 am."

My pictures were taken with an inexpensive, moderately intelligent phone, so they're not the best quality. The postcards you get from the store are professionally done. The unwritten backside looks cool too. (pointy finger)↓↓

Captain Patch Postcard

As a postcard and cat lover, I love when I can combine these two passions. Meet Captain Patch, an adorable feline that is part of the Amazing Acro-Cats, a traveling troupe of the Rock Cats Rescue, a 501c3 organization.

Captain Patch was found in an alley in 2007. Though only a kitten, he already had a terrible eye infection, a respiratory illness and a deviated septum. The eye was surgically removed, and he found his furever home with a tour assistant of the Acro-Cats. Matter of fact, he is their important ambassacat and loves to work the merchandise table when they tour.

His birthday is July 3. I purchased this postcard from their shop and sent two of them (written and stamped) to animal lovers in the United Kingdom and Netherlands, and one to a cat lover in California. Here are the replies I got:

"Great cat card and excellent associated story thank you Amanda” (UK)
 
"Thank you for the Captain Patch card and the story about him and the acro cats on the back. I'm goin to look them up on youtube." (Netherlands)

"Dear Alexandra,
I just love 'Captain Patch'♥♥♥
Thanks so much for choosing such a perfect card for me.
Best wishes to you and those you love -
... (your cat loving friend in California)
P.S. 'Thank you' postcard headed your way!” (California)

Despite his difficult kittenhood, Captain Patch is one of the most lovable, people-friendly cats you will ever meet. I met him in person and can attest to that! He likes bow ties and looks very handsome in them.

My pictures were taken with an inexpensive, moderately intelligent phone, so they're not the best quality. The postcards you get from the store are professionally done. The unwritten backside looks cool too. (pointy finger)↓↓

Ahi Tuna Postcard

As a postcard and cat lover, I love when I can combine these two passions. Meet Ahi Tuna, a lovely feline that is part of the Amazing Acro-Cats, a traveling troupe of the Rock Cats Rescue, a 501c3 organization.

Ahi Tuna is a lovely white cat with gorgeous blue eyes that was rescued from a shelter in Houston. She is in charge of lighting up the applause sign at the show. She also likes to ring a bell on command (and sometimes without a prompt)! Her birthday is July 31.

I purchased this postcard from their shop and sent it (written and stamped) to a cat lover in Texas. Here is the reply I got:

"I love the Ahi Tuna cat post card. I will have to look the show up on the internet - it looks like so much fun!"

My pictures were taken with an inexpensive, moderately intelligent phone, so they're not the best quality. The postcards you get from the store are professionally done. The unwritten backside looks cool too. (pointy finger)↓↓

Postcards, Cats and Corona

Some of my readers know that I love postcards, and some might know that I love cats. I am especially happy when I can combine both passions. As it is, the Coronavirus has affected every avenue of daily life since early 2020. One of these problems relates to the Rock Cat Rescue, a 501c3 organization that showcases the Amazing Acro-Cats.

The Amazing Acro-Cats used to travel the USA, but they are not allowed to under the nationwide restrictions that were put in place during the Corona crisis. Since that's their primary source of income, they now have to find alternate ways to make money to feed all the animals (mostly cats, but also a groundhog and a chicken). Many of them also have ongoing medical needs.

One of the ways they earn is through their online store. Until recently, it did not have postcards. The only postcard they used to have available was by going to the show and to get one onstage after (for a small donation). It showed three of the cats from their cat band (yes, a real thing). However, with the Corona problems in place, people send more postcards now because they make an inexpensive way to keep in touch with people.

So, the Acro-Cat owner created a set of 20 different postcards. Each card highlights one of the cats doing its most-loved trick. There are also two logo designs. Since the Acro-Cats feature a chicken and a groundhog too, each of those animals got its own card as well. All of the designs were professionally done and feature high-quality photographs.

Of course I ordered a couple of sets and started sending postcards out right away. Since I am a member of Postcrossing, an international postcard exchange site, this worked out perfectly. Many of the names I send to are cat, chicken or all-around animal lovers, so of course they make ideal recipients for these postcards.

The response has even been better than what I could hope for. People absolutely love these postcards! I also write a lot on the cards about the cat, the organization and its rescue efforts (all animals of the show are rescues, and they continually foster abandoned cats). Since the response has been so favorable, I decided to showcase each card on my blog. Until I get to work on that, here are some of the messages recipients have sent me:


"Thank you for the Captain Patch card and the story about him and the acro cats on the back. I'm going to look them up on youtube."

"Hey Alexandra, thank you very much for your nice postcard and stamps.
I love your postcard and the story of rescued animals. ...Greetings from Germany,"

"Hello, your card came today. Thank you so much. I like it soo much, wow a cat circus you are crazy, all the best for you, "

"Hello from Albuquerque, New Mexico,
What a fun card and cheers to the group that rescues the animals. I love Griffin (the groundhog) . ... I'll have to watch for the Amazing Acro Cats."

"I love the card. I have birds, but I love cats too. I've had quite a few in the past. I was watching the Acro Cats on youtube. Great stuff."

"Thank you so much for the amazing card. I had never heard of acrocats, but now I need to look this up. I have 5 cats (long story...) and could never imagine training them to do acrobatics beyond what they naturally seem to do at 4 am."

"Thanks for the awesome postcard!! I think that my son saw the Acro Cats on tour around 2009. unfortunately, he went with his other parent, and I did not get a chance to catch the show."

"I love the Ahi Tuna cat post card. I will have to look the show up on the internet - it looks like so much fun!"

"Thanks for the adorable postcard. I have never heard of these acro cats, but now I will have to learn more. =^.^= "

A to Z Road Trip

So, last month (April 2020), I participated in the A to Z Challenge. I try to do this every year. My theme was postcards from countries and independent territories A to Z. If you missed this, here they are in alphabetical order.

A is for Andorra

B is for Bangladesh

C is for Christmas Island

D is for Dominica and Dominican Republic

E is for Egypt

F is for Falkland Islands

G is for Greenland

H is for Hungary

I is for Iceland

J is for Japan

K is for Kazakhstan

L is for Laos

M is for Mauritius

N is for North Korea

O is for Overseas Territories

P is for Palau

Q is for Quebec

R is for Romania

S is for Sao Tome & Principe

T is for Togo

U is for Uruguay

V is for Vatican City

W is for Wales

X is for Xenophontos Monastery

Y is for (House of) York

Z is for (New) Zealand

A to Z Challenge 2020 Reflections

My theme this year for the A to Z Challenge 2020 was postcards from countries and autonomous regions that I received. In regards to reader participation, my page views ranged from 20 to 50, but very few readers commented. And yes, I visit all the readers who leave comments and leave a comment for them on their blogs. Still, I do this every year.

I did learn one thing from the comments: What is exciting to one person might not seem interesting to another. For example, my post for V was about Vatican City. In it I mentioned that my partner Tom has a co-worker who used to be a papal guard.

One reader commented that this co-worker must have a lot of stories to tell. As it is, I don't know! I barely got the fact that this person was a member of the guard, and that happened weeks/months after he said it. I asked Tom for some details (like how long ago that was), and he said he didn't know.

They have known each other since May 2019, so it's not like you would be talking about inappropriate stuff. Perhaps it's a male/female thing and us females ask too many questions? Hah!

Anyway, I pre-wrote most of the posts in late February/early March 2020. It was a good thing I already had the postcards because the coronavirus had a big impact on the postal service. I am  missing a bunch of postcards, including trades that were arranged in February or even earlier.

I didn't mention the virus situation in my posts on purpose because I wanted them to be positive. I wanted the posts to function like a quick virtual escape around the world. I only touched on the situation briefly in a couple of entries - only to explain why I didn't have the actual postcard of that particular country to show.

As it is, the mail problems originate because of suspended air travel. The USPS actually has a page that updates frequently and shows exactly why the mail suspension for each country occurred (over 110 at this time). It all seems like a complicated game of cat's cradle on steroids - and a big feline got a hold of it and unraveled it all.

So, that's that, and I was happy I did get to share something that has meaning to me. Until next year!

A to Z Challenge 2020: Z is for (New) Zealand

Most people probably know that New Zealand is located in the South Pacific Ocean, near Australia. This country actually has 600 islands, but the main population resides on only three of them. Volcanoes, lakes, valleys, fjords, beaches and mountains - you can find it all there.

It's the land of sheep because they outnumber people 9 to 1. While there are less than 9 million people in New Zealand, it translates to a lot of sheep. However, you won't find any snakes here. The country has three official languages: English, Maori and Sign Language.

Fun Fact: New Zealand was the first country to allow women to vote in 1893.

This postcard was randomly sent to me through Postcrossing.

A to Z Challenge 2020: Y is for (House of) York

Since my challenge theme is postcards from countries or autonomous regions, Y provided quite a challenge. That's because the only country that starts with Y is Yemen. There used to be Yugoslavia (until 1989), but I don't have a postcard from there.

I didn't want to go the easy route and settle on a city nor did I want to highlight Yemen because I don't have a card from there, so I came up with the house of York. Since Queen Elizabeth has the royal bloodline of York, here we are. I do have several postcards of her, but they are blank. That's why this post shows a postcard that has the Buckingham Palace on it (bottom photo), which is ... the home of said queen, plus Prince Andrew who is ... the Duke of York. I have no idea how all this royal stuff works, I simply looked it up online.

Now, a palace might not seem to fit this theme, but Buckingham Palace does have its own post office and police station.This lovely postcard was randomly mailed to me as part of the Postcrossing project.

Buckingham Palace has

- 775 rooms
- 760 windows
- 40,000 light bulbs
- 77,000 square meters of floor space

Impressive!

A to Z Challenge 2020: X is for Xenophontos Monastery

I was so excited for X because I thought I would have a unique card to show that I was supposed to receive as part of a trade. Well, I can still show it, but I don't have it because the Coronavirus situation has severely impacted international mail service. At least my trading partner received the copper postcard I sent, something I reserve for extremely rare trades.

The Xenophontos Monastery is located on Mount Athos, which is an autonomous region of Greece. It was founded in the 10th century. Its oldest surviving church dates back over 500 years. The monastery houses icons that are even older than that and thousands of ancient books.

Xenophontos is one of 20 monasteries on Mount Athos. The total population of the mount is about 2,000 - so that's about 100 monks per monastery. However, not all monks actually live in a monastery and choose to exist in relatively total isolation.

Women have never been allowed to visit the land, so you have to be male to set foot on there. Even the coastline is off limits for 500 feet. My research shows that even female animals aren't allowed. How that works I don't know.

Perhaps it applies to animals brought by visitors as in the case of service dogs? Anyway, all visitors must abide by a certain etiquette in order to not disrupt the serenity. You can't just show up either.

Any visit takes weeks of planning, paper work and a passport. You must be appropriately dressed and can't have a hairstyle that attracts attention. (For example, my pink hair would not be allowed, even if I was male).

Fun fact: Most of the food is grown on the island and consists of fish, vegetables and wine. Each monastery has their own winery. 

I really do hope my card will show up some day because it's so rare. It was supposed to have been mailed by a male friend of my female trading partner. Said friend was going there on a pilgrimage.

A to Z Challenge 2020: W is for Wales

As you can imagine, the latter letters of the alphabet make it more difficult to find appropriate topics. There are only two countries that start with W: Wales, and Wallis & Futuna. The latter is really an autonomous territory, and Wales is part of the United Kingdom.

This means that Wales does not have its own stamps. None of the UK countries do, including Scotland and Northern Ireland (I have mail from all UK countries which indeed has the same stamps). However, the Welsh tongue is alive and well, and it's still the official language there (in addition to English). Street signs even list Welsh first and English second. Some even lack the English translation.

At one time, Wales was an important political and cultural center of Celtic Europe. While it borders England and isn't far from Ireland, the Welsh still pride themselves on their unique cultural aspects which differ from their British neighbors. If you have ever known a Welsh person, you understand. Its fantastic landscape, characterized by various grasslands, woodlands, mountains, valleys and rugged coasts, allows some mammals and birds that are extinct elsewhere in Britain to thrive.

This postcard was sent blank to me in an envelope by a former pen pal. Strangely enough, I don't have any other mail, including stamped postcards, from Wales.

A to Z Challenge 2020: V is for Vatican City

Vatican City, also known as Holy See, is the smallest country in the world. Located in Rome, Italy, it is one of the most fascinating places in the world. While it's only one-eighth the size of New York's Central Park, this independent city state prints its own currency and stamps, issues license plates and passports, and even has its own flag and anthem. In 2019, about 1,000 people lived there.

Fun fact: With so much unique stuff that I already mentioned, it seems difficult to come up with a special fun fact. You probably know that the Pope has its own mercenary force called the Swiss Guard (made up of Swiss citizens since 1506). While the guard is ceremonial, each member is highly skilled and especially trained in marksmanship. Well, my partner Tom works with someone who was a member of that guard. 

You might think that cards from the Vatican City (mailed from there) are difficult to come by. However, it's not quite as hard as it might seem. You simply need to know someone who lives in Rome and is willing to take public transportation to the Vatican to mail a postcard from there.

That's what I did. This postcard cost me 8 quarters. That's it. My trading partner collects coins, and among those are the quarters that have the state's names on them. I love the stamp and cancellation that came with the card.

A to Z Challenge 2020: U is for Uruguay

Uruguay is nestled between Brazil and Argentina on the southeastern area of South America.  Most Uruguayans are descendants of Spanish and Italian immigrants. This country has a pleasant, temperate climate with four distinct seasons. Since it lies in the southern hemisphere, spring and summer fall into the months between September and March.

Uruguay is a safe place to live and has a stable government. There are hardly any muggings or personal assaults, and you can even keep your car unlocked without fear in some places. People here are friendly, but you must know Spanish to get around (the Uruguayan, not Mexican, Spanish). It's not cheap to live here, but people live simply and are generally happy.

Fun fact: The Uruguay anthem is the longest in the world at six minutes.

While mail from South America has a notorious reputation for traveling slowly, this postcard got to me in just over a week. (No wonder because Uruguay is the least corrupt country in Latin America). It was a trade. My card was equally fast getting into Uruguay from the USA.

A to Z Challenge 2020: T is for Togo

Togo, short for the Togolese Republic, is located in West Africa. It is not to be confused with Tonga (situated in the South Pacific Ocean). It is a narrow, long country wedged in between Ghana and Benin.

While its official language is French, people generally speak ethnic languages, including numerous African tongues. People from approximately 30 ethnic groups live in Togo. Almost one-quarter of the residents have Nigerian roots.

Togo has a tropical climate. Winter is the dry season. The rainy season usually lasts from May to September.

Fun fact: People in Togo wear sandals made from recycled tires.

This postcard was obtained in a trade. The person traveled to Togo, she didn't live there.

A to Z Challenge 2020: S is for São Tomé and Príncipe

I actually had plenty of choices for S because a lot of countries begin with that letter. I decided on São Tomé and Príncipe because I liked that postcard the best. Officially called the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, it's a country in Central Africa that consists of two major islands. It is described as obscure.

Sao Tome is way west (160 miles or 260 kilometers) off Gabon while Principe is just west of Equatorial Guinea. Both islands are in the Atlantic Ocean but specifically in the Gulf of Guinea. The total population is about 172,000. While African in geography, the official language is Portuguese. That's because the Portuguese discovered the uninhabited islands in the 15th century and eventually colonized them.

It's a very safe country with almost no violent crime. Despite this safety factor, it's one of the least-visited places in the world. The tourists that do make it there dub this country "heaven on earth."

This postcard shows Pico de Sao Tome (it's the country's highest mountain peak). I received this postcard as a result of a trade, but it was still a surprise. That's because I didn't know which card I was getting as I let the sender choose.

A to Z Challenge 2020: R is for Romania

Located south of Ukraine, Romania also borders Hungary, Moldova, Serbia and Bulgaria. To the east, you have the Black Sea. One-third is mountains, one-third is forests, and the remaining landscape consists of hills and plains. Its name means "citizens of the Roman Empire."

Fun fact: The Palace of Parliament, which is located in the capital of Bucharest, is the world's heaviest building. (As you can see below, I have a postcard of this fantastic building).

Romania really isn't a rare country as far as postcards are concerned, but it took me about two years to get a postcard from there. I only have a handful, and the ones you see I received as random cards through postcard exchange site.