Wouldn't this be absolutely perfect in the time of COVID? Yes, I know we have mailboxes with snorkel openings now, but this is just too cool and we all remember having to pull the handle down twice (the second time was to make certain our precious mail went down).

Although the same basic style of large collection box has been used since the early 1900s, experimental designs were tested over the years, with some being better than others. In 1956, a foot-pedal mailbox, designed for hands-free operation, was tested in Washington, D.C., in 1956. The tests were not a success. A postal official later explained, "When there's snow, you can't see the pedal. And when there isn't snow, there are kids who love to pull the works apart." Interesting stuff indeed!

Some things call my name and Postcrossing is one of them.

What is Postcrossing? The goal of this project is to allow anyone to send and receive postcards from all over the world! The idea is simple: for each postcard you send, you will receive one back from a random postcrosser from somewhere in the world.

-Leonard Lauder

If you haven't noticed, I'm missing Disneyland, big time, and while on a walk, I found a Hidden Mickey reminding me of how often I'm reminded of the Magic Kingdom.

Oh man, don't we all need a little more LOVE right now? The United State Postal Service has issued a new stamp, just when it's needed most.

This colorful stamp was the first Love stamp to be released after Valentine’s Day. The U.S. Postal Service reasoned the stamps could be used all year. Artist Corita Kent created the design. Interestingly, the First Day of Issue ceremonies took place on the soundstage where the television show, Love Boat, was filmed. Cool.

Three new Love stamps were added to this popular series in 1994. This Heart Rising stamp has a contemporary design, and has the distinction of being the first ever self-adhesive Love stamp. Oh man, I do love non-licking stamps!

I have always enjoyed the history behind stamps. This one is particularly delicious. In 1866, Daniel Chase, brother of Oliver Chase – who founded the New England Confectionery Company (NECCO) – invented a process for printing sayings directly on candy. Love notes on the small NECCO hearts were very short, like Be Mine, Marry Me, and Cutie Pie. Candy hearts adorn the 2004 Love stamp.

The 100th anniversary of the chocolate kiss was commemorated on the 2007 Love stamp. A gift of this rich, melt-in-the-mouth candy has long carried messages of love between sweethearts. It would have been delightful to have been in Hershey, PA when this stamp was released. Yum.

Skywriting has been amazing people with its beauty and mystery since the early 1900s. It was first used by British Royal Air Force pilots to send messages to the ground when other communications failed.  It then became an advertising tool for companies, like Pepsi. In more recent years, people have hired skywriters to write personal messages to loved ones. I remember this unique stamp from 2017 and appreciate the memories of summers at the beach that skywriting evokes for me. Do you have a favorite stamp?

No trip is complete without an explore of a town's cemetery, and unbeknownst to us, Fallbrook's is pretty interesting and officially 100 this year.

My first hike as a newly healed woman was at the Santa Margarita County Preserve, a new trail for us.

The intriguing 1920's residence site is extremely overgrown with vegetation obscuring most of it. What remains is mainly the basement, including a staircase to it. Debris surrounding the structure includes mesh with plaster, stone rubble, plumbing pipes and electrical conduit and wire. Although once recently recorded as a structure, it has been almost entirely demolished and is now considered a historical archaeological site with limited standing structural remains.

“A river seems a magic thing.

A magic, moving, living part of the very earth itself.”

-Laura Gilpin

We saw only two other couples during our 2½ hour explore. This was an ideal place to meander, picnic and discover. We will be back.