AUSTRALIA 2013 - BLACK CAVIAR

 The six-year-old mare, Black Caviar, leaves an extraordinary legacy of 25 wins from 25 starts, including 15 Australian Group 1 victories. Her consecutive wins constitute a world record for horses of the modern age competing at the elite level.

 She first showed promise as a two and three-year-old with five wins from five starts. As a four-year-old her career blossomed when she faced her first Group 1 challenge in what was wonderfully described as "an astonishing demolition job". On 28 April 2012, Black Caviar, established a new Australian record of 20 consecutive wins when she took out the Robert Sangster Stakes in Adelaide.

 In June 2012, journeyed overseas to compete in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot. Australians watching the race held their breathe when, after taking the lead with some 200 metres to go, jockey Luke Nolen eased her back enabling second running horse Moonlight Cloud to momentarily draw level. In the final strides before the line Black Caviar surged forward to win by a head and examination would reveal that she had incurred injuries during the race.

 Black Caviar returned to the track in 2013 with wins in the Lightning Stakes, William Reid Stakes. Her connections announced her retirement from racing on 17 April 2013.

 

FDC: ALAND 2004- Natural environments in Åland

The beautiful  scenery depicted on the first stamp of the new series is a flowery meadow, which can be found in the nature reserve called Prästgårdsnäset in Finström in central Åland. The dominating flower on the photo, which was taken in the spring and shows a colourful floral splendour, is a fumewort, also known as a bird-in-a-bush (Corydalis cava).

 

FLOWERS AND BIRCH LEAVES

The design on the first day cover is the fragile wood anemone (Anemone nemorosa), which also adorns the stamp sheet. For the collector's sheet we have chosen a photo of birch leaves (Betula verrucosa). Andy Horner took the photos used for the stamp, collector's sheet and FDC. The first day cancellation depicts the flower yellow star-of-Bethlehem (Gagea lutea) and has deen designed by Cecilia Mattsson of the Post's marketing department. The denomination of the stamp is 1st class or the equivalent of the postage for a 50-gram 1st class letter within Åland (at present €0.60).

The second stamp depicts the beach of the solitary islet of Storklyndan in Brändö, situated eight nautical miles north of the island Jurmo. The islet measures around 100 hectares and is today uninhabited and privately owned. Storklyndan is the northern-most point of Åland and a popular recreational area. The vegetation on this islet of wind-swept rocks consists mainly of shrubs and bushes; however, you can also find an abundance of cloudberries.

BEAUTIFUL ROCKS

Erkki Santamala took the photos used for the stamp, collector's sheet and first day cover. The FDC is adorned by a tree-trunk on the beach whereas the motif on the collector's sheet is that of rocks on the beach, artistically formed by the sea. All motifs were found on Storklyndan. The first day cancellation shows a cairn and it has also been designed by ceccila Mattsson. The value of the stamp is 2nd class or the equivalent of the postage for a 50-gram 2nd class letter within Åland (at present €0.50).

FDC: ALAND 2004 - LINGONBERRIES

 

The lingonberry plant (Vaccinium vitisidaea)  is the most prevailing type of shrub in dry pinewoods and Finland's most important type of export berry. This type of shrub is common in all of the Nordic countries and can be found in all of Europe except from the most southern countries. The plants grow up to 30 centimetres tall and have evergreen leathery foliage. They flower during spring and develop clusters of red berries in August and September. Of all our wild types of berries, lingonberries ripen last.

OLD TRADITIONS

Berries have been picked and used for centuries. Remnants and traces reveal the domestic use of lingonberries as early as during the Bronze Age. In a good year, an estimated 500 million kilos of lingonberries ripen in the woods of Finland, however, only 25-27 million kilos are picked. As much as 10 million kilos are sold commercially, depending on the yearly supply.

A HOUSEHOLD FAVOURITE

Fresh lingonberries are rather sour and are in general not eaten au naturel. usually, the raw berries are stirred with sugar for preservation or used to make fruit-syrup, deserts, pastry or tarts. Lingonberry jam and fruit-syrup can be found in most Nordic households. Furthermore, this type of berry freezes well. In former days, lingonberries were sold by the pharmacies as an antipyretic and as a medicine against inflammation of the bladder among other complaints. The leaves of the lingonberry shrub are even used for making tea in some places.