STAMP COLLECTING AND HOW I BECAME A HISTORIAN

Back in the post WWII days of the 1940’s all of the neighborhood kids had some kind of collection. These were the days of shortages and rationing and frugality was how you got along back then.

When things wore out, you did without or repaired it.

Postage stamps were popular but matchbook covers were abundant and free for the picking up. Nearly everybody smoked back in those days and it was the time before you could flick your Bic…so, matchbooks were everywhere. 

The matchbooks were fun and abundant but soon I found out about the fascinating stories that were behind postage stamps.

 I became hooked on stamp collecting.

Through my own experience I found that postage stamp collecting proved to be interesting, entertaining and broadened my education. I learned the names and facts about all the presidents, historical events, fascinating information about legendary personalities and all. Some stamps commemorated and chronicled with their colorful and artistically designed depictions intriguing cultural incidents.  A new captivating world was about to open for me.

My challenge became where to find the stamps.

I remember rummaging through the storeroom of my dad’s drug store and cutting off postage stamps from all of the shipping cartons. I tore stamps from all of the discarded envelopes at his business plus I asked all of the family and friends to save their stamps for me.

Carefully I soaked the stamps free and pressed them flat and dry between the pages of the phone book.

An old Indian man that my dad took a liking to and hired as a handyman gave me a little ring notebook that he had carefully glued full of postage stamps from all over the world including many from Russia. I was thrilled at that treasure but always felt sorry for the old gentleman with his trembling hands.

His gift inspired me to dream of those distant lands and far away places where strange and interesting people lived. Some stamps had curious depictions of foreign leaders like Joe Stalin and Adolph Hitler, so my stamp collection brought the rest of the world a little closer to me.

After my initial interest was perked by that gift from the old Indian man I bought a stamp catalogue for 25¢ from H. E. Harris Co. This illustrated little publication was many things. First and foremost it documented and officially numbered each and every postage stamp ever issued by the United States government. In addition historical significance was described along with the date of printing.

The catalogue listed all the stamps for sale, new and used and offered a number of collector related items.

My first order was for a United States postage stamp map that included a few stamps for $1.00.  That map was wonderful.  Each state had a place for its own commemorative stamp. All the national parks likewise had places for mounting their appropriate stamp.  The border was for stamps of the presidents and famous Americans.

One day while riding my bicycle home I passed behind the Superior State College and I spotted, quite by accident, there in the discarded rubbish was a huge colorful world map. I had to have it. When I got it home I discovered that it was pre-WWI and the countries and borders listed were terribly out of date.  This actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise because it made me ink in the current borders, boundaries and names of countries and states…a real geography lesson.  My next project was to mount it on pressed board and make a wooden frame for wall mounting. My frugal woodworking shop teacher, Mr. Whitney, was less than thrilled because of the amount of materials that my project required. 

The map was nearly five feet long and three feet wide and I was thrilled!

You guessed it; the map was soon filled with postage stamps from all over the world. Part of my history lesson was a very colorful stamp set that depicted the flags of the thirteen overrun countries of WWII. The British Empire took on new proportions and the colonizers of African and Asia proudly touted their worldly possessions with colorful commemoratives.

You can see that the historical importance of those stamps perked my interest to read and study even more about those intriguing places and historical events of geographical significance.

This all broadened my historical horizons and perked my curiosity.

More exotic bicycles from the 1890’s to 2011

         This photo was taken seven years before Ford produced his first automobile in 1903.
The above photo was taken in 1896 in Superior, Wisconsin, at a studio on Conner’s Point then known as West Superior. Left is Christ “C.C.” Grimsrud b.1879, my grandfather.  Next is Louis the (adopted stepson of Martin Grimsrud b.1862) and Hans Grimsrud b.1877 and the older brother of C.C. Grimsrud. Christ, Hans and Martin were all brothers born in Norway who immigrated to America before 1895.
The era was referred to as “the golden age of bicycles”. My grandfather Christ, on the left, had a Victor bicycle, the first with pneumatic tires that were glued onto lightweight wooden rims. Hundreds of firms were competing in this intense market of high demand where the typical bicycle was selling for $100.00.
The bicycle in the center is equipped with a carbide lamp, the same type used by miners.

Bicycles Today

Ootsmarsum, Netherlands attracts tourists from all across Europe and most arrive by bicycle. This is the heart of cycling along the German border where each town has its weekly market day and outdoor dining places line the quaint old time streets.

Ootmarsum, Netherlands; this bicycle shop has a steady flow of touring cyclers from all around Europe and many local accommodations are known as B & B’s, that is bed and bike hotels.

 Jane admires a 16 inch British made folding bicycle. These interesting little bikes have evolved into serious transportation vehicles because they not only go fast and are terrific in traffic, but they fold quickly to take aboard trains, airplanes and even into your hotel or office.

 Exotic? German Blitzkrieg, “lightning strike” Messerschmitt Luftwaffe flying machine with its locomotive sized air horn is engineered to make an outrageous statement.

 The German mailman goes in sun and snow and doesn’t burn a drop of fuel.

Parked on ancient cobble stones this relic of the past milk delivery bicycle has enjoyed a long life of service in rural Georgsdorf, Germany and still rolls.

 A city shopper trails a kiddy kart equipped for rain or shine on the quiet and clean streets of Nordhorn, Germany. It is hard to top this place for neat, clean and quiet.

Made in Germany, this alloy three speed folding bicycle comes complete with halogen running lights that activate automatically and run off from an internal generator. The amazing thing is that a tote bag for shipping on an airplane is included and all sells for 200€ or $260.00 U.S.D.  This is the sale price at Aldi chain stores in Europe.

Pedal powered and ecologically friendly freight hauling neatly hits the streets of Germany. This man is keeping the country clean by recycling without burning a drop of fossil fuel.

A happy biker cruises the smooth paved bicycle path along one of the many canals of Nordhorn, Germany, on the latest Dahon alloy folding bike. Folding bicycles all across Europe have recently become very popular for commuters and campers like the man above who has his camper van rig parked at the city’s municipal camping place.

This is Yucatán, Mexico where these exotic bicycles are for the young.

20 inch tricycles make a scaled down shopping cart convenient for short trips. This is Yucatan, Mexico and the price tag is in pesos and equivalent of less than $200 US.

 

This flea-market is delivered and set up using only people powered tricycles or triciclo de carga.

 

This young man in the photo above went the extra mile to dazzle with glitter and glitz.

 

Eligio Chi Perez, pictured above, begins his day before sunup by riding his bicycle seven kilometers from his home in Colonia Bojorquez to the Diario de Yucatán office in downtown Mérida to pick up the newspapers to deliver.

Each day his delivery of 175 newspapers takes him as far north as the Grand Plaza area, eight kilometers from downtown.
Still smiling seventy-one year old Eligio has faithfully made his rounds for the past fifty-two years.
Amazingly he has only worn out two bicycles in the process and not burned a single drop of gasoline.
A special congratulations to one of Yucatán’s most ecologically friendly citizens, Eligio Chi Perez.

Ready to roll home when the work day is finished this home made tricycle converted to a fruit drink bar expands into a curbside business.

 

A portable welding shop hits the streets of Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico. These tricycle’s are pressed into service for everything from taxis to mini-restaurants.

This bike started life as a conservative Schwinn but when Carlos *Cherli” Dzidz Chí got it, he has 'mexicanized' it with reflectors, ribbons and fancy do-dads. Now it is exotic.

Biking on the streets of Yucatán; one kid to steer, one for locomotion and a passenger aft.  A device called a “diablo”, or devil is fastened to the axle shaft ends and is designed to stand on making extended passenger carrying capacity possible in the land where safety is an option.

Cross country in Yucatán on our Dahon folding bicycles - with our starting point far off in the distance of the Puuc hills, Jane and I halt on a hill top to collect our breath and hydrate.

©2011 John M. Grimsrud

For more on bicycling Yucatán, Mexico, and Europe check out our website at
www.bicycleyucatan.com

To read more about the golden age of bicycles, I recommend The Lost Cyclist by David V. Herlihy.

ECOLOGICAL LIVING AT IT’S PRICELESS BEST

Twenty years ago my wife Jane and I designed and built a sanctuary home with an environmentally friendly canopy jungle garden.

The payback of living in harmony with nature is more than just economical.  Our electrical bill averages less than $100.00 pesos or $10.00 USD a month and we enjoy a salubriously lovely ambiance year round.

In winter solar heats our home and Jacuzzi water. In summer thermo siphon keeps our home cool and well water refreshes us several times a day in our Jacuzzi where we luxuriate with coffee and audio books enjoying our splendid jungle garden view.

We invite you to take a narrated tour of our eco- friendly-home and jungle garden by clicking this link;

 http://www.bicycleyucatan.com/ecolivingyucatan.html
 Another view with captioned photos;
http://www.bicycleyucatan.com/ecologyconcepthouse.html

Flowers of our garden, in Mérida, Yucatán

Visit naturalist Jim Conrad's nature web site: http://www.backyardnature.net/yucatan

IZAMAL, YUCATÁN, TO KANTUNIL WITH VISITS TO CUAUHTÉMOC, SUDZAL AND XANABA BY BIKE AND BUS 2011

One of the all time best one-day Yucatán get-away excursions we have found.
This is an easy and pleasurable trip if you take advantage of a tail-wind and cold front. We are down-wing sailors. (With a northerly wind start from Izamal. Contrarily with a southerly wind begin your trip from the other end at Kantunil.)
To maximize the pleasure of this adventure we recommend taking the Centro bus that departs at 6:45 AM from their terminal on Calle 65 two blocks east of the main market, adjacent to and east of the Casa de Pueblo.
There are faster ways to get to Izamal but this quiet back road route, though slow, is a pleasant look at Yucatán that most tourist miss.
Our bus route took us east first to Tixkokob, famous for hammock makers, while the early morning shoppers were still packing the quaint colonial streets.
Being a local bus we were steadily acquiring more and more passengers heading to the remote villages that lay ahead. As we passed our next town of Cacalchén the road narrowed perceptibly and each of the upcoming towns in turn grew smaller and smaller heading to Bokobá.  Tekantó, Tixcochó, Teya,  and Tepekán, were all typical quiet quaint Mayan villages where many of the homes were palapa thatched huts commingled with the remnants of colonial era haciendas.  At rural Tepekán we made our final turn and headed into Izamal on a road as straight as a die and we knew that this roadway had to be a remnant of an ancient Maya sacbe road built countless centuries before.

As tourist end destinations go Izamal is one of Yucatán’s finest and well worth a day or two of your time to explore and get to know.      READ MORE

©2011 John M. Grimsrud

Click on map to enlarge.

Faces of Carnival - Mérida, Yucatán - 2011

To view the rest of John's Carnival photos, click here.

DR. SIMI'S MEDICAL CLINIC IN MÉRIDA - 2011

A new concept in medical treatment has come to Mérida, Yucatán. They started as just a discount pharmacy featuring house branded medicines at rock bottom prices and have evolved into an efficient friendly and complete health center.  This business is found in Mexico and through Central America.

With no glitter and glitz the Dr. Simi professional clinical staff cheerfully expedites the client’s needs at the door.

Knowledgeable and competent employees rapidly process incoming clients.
Blood work and other screening is specifically targeted to the patients needs with no pressure to do unneeded testing.
Bone density, electrocardiograms and ultrasound scans are but a few of the services rendered here. 
A medical exam is $35.00.   You can have a simple blood test, your blood pressure tested or even your ears cleaned. You only pay for what you need.
The procedures offered are extensive and the service faster than anywhere we have ever seen.

No hidden charges. The price for your medical exam is 35 pecos or about $3.00 US dollars.

Here is Jane a happy customer of the Dr. Simi Clinic with their promotional clown.
Jane was very satisfied with the all her analyses and the doctor’s professional exam.
This clinic is located in Mérida’s center on the corner of calle 54 y 65.
You will however need to speak Spanish.

2010 OLD YEAR EFFIGY BURNING / 2011 DANZA de la CABEZA de COCHINO AND PRE-PARTY IN MÉRIDA, YUCATÁN, MEXICO

A Mérida tradition that goes far back in time, perhaps, predating the conquistadors. In the neighborhood of Emiliano Zapata Norte nearly ever street corner torches an effigy similar to the one you see above that is cram- packed with pyrotechnics and then doused with gasoline to insure a spectacular ear splitting spectacle.   Related link: Video of burning the man of the old year

New Year’s Day the traditional Mayan celebration begins early with roast pig and tacos known as cochinita and festive dancing followed by a parade through the neighborhood. This is a family event that consistently brings the ancient customs of the Maya to the present day.

Live music with a tinny bouncing beat makes the rhythm march to a cadence perfect for the jarana, traditionally danced here in Yucatán where the beautiful ladies are colorfully adorned and the gentlemen wear a simple white as snow garb.

Three generations of Mayan tradition lives on here and is alive and well.
These are the long-established time honored customs carries on to this day with pride and pleasure.

Related links:
Video of Danza de la Cabeza de Cochino 
Blog with more photos of same group in 2008

BICYCLE IMPOUND IN MÉRIDA 2011

So, how does your bicycle wind up here?
If you leave your bike unlocked in a public place it is fair game for confiscation. Even locked your bike can meet this fate if blocking a sidewalk, impeding a public access or locked to a park bench. The police carry bolt cutters and are quick to pitch your property in their truck and be gone.  

More than 350 confiscated bicycles have piled up in the cities impound yet unclaimed.

The manager in charge Miguel and I, John Grimsrud confer about the status of the bicycles, tri-cycles and assorted hand carts that have been accumulating and as yet not claimed.
Miguel states that in order to reclaim your bicycle you must present the original factura or bill of sale along with positive personal identification.
Miguel was very accommodating and friendly.
There is a charge for reclaiming your bicycle and you might even be obligated to pay a multa or fine depending upon the circumstances of the confiscation.

At the entrance to the impound yard Jane and Miguel.

Located in the city center on the corner of Calle 48 and 57 this unimposing municipal building is the office for the impound yard where motor vehicles are also stored.

ESSAY; MAMPOSTERIA CONSTRUCTION IN MÉRIDA;

In a natural progression of things that evolve out of necessity and the availability of materials colonial dwellings were built.
With only lime stone rock and wood, mamposteria, (stacked stone) buildings were the only option.
The method is simple;
Lime stone rock abundantly found in Yucatán is stacked; the spaces between the rocks were chinked with smaller stones and then just plastered over. A finishing coat of plaster not always used was optional.
There is no reinforcement in this type of construction. The stone used is soft, absorbent and porous and the plaster-cement consists of lime stone aggregate, “cal”, quicklime, and a stingy amount of cement.
This flimsy cement concoction is never wet cured to enhance its small amount of structural integrity.
The crumbly cement is not cohesive when dry and soft when wet, (from the bottom of the footings to the wall tops all is the same).
If not disturbed these walls could conceivably last for centuries.
The roof, another matter, is a simple procedure;
(Vigas, “rafters” and bovedillas, “filler material”) go to make up the roof and are only plastered over. 
Vigas are merely support joists just placed upon the wall-tops and not fastened down in any way. In this case logs were used as the vigas. In more elaborate structures the vigas were actually hewn.
These vigas were placed and spaced at regular intervals parallel on the wall top to be part of the roof. (There are no fastenings.)
Next stones, bovedillas, were placed between these vigas in order to fill the open spaces. Then smaller and smaller stones were placed until a surface that could be plastered was ready.
The roof was plastered inside and out and that was it.
This type of construction when complete can give the appearance of enduring strength.
Make no mistake about it, in time even the best of these mamposteria structures will succumb to the forces of gravity and Mother Nature.
If the wooden vigas, rafters, are allowed to become damp in any way, (a leaking tinaco, roof-top water holding tank or a stopped up scupper) these wooden vigas will quickly decompose into compost. Even the hardest of woods in this tropical climate will not endure when wet.
The result will be an avalanche of deadly rock that will come pouring down.
These buildings do well in the dry season, but the absorptive porosity of lime stone acts like a sponge to draw up and hold moisture.

These structures in downtown Mérida are typical mamposteria construction and as you can see for yourself gravity and Mother Nature have done the inevitable.

This might look like a total loss to you but this mamposteria structure is still a habitation with electric service.
As amazing as it might seem a building like this one may soon have a new roof, plaster and paint job and be put on the market at yuppie-come-lately rip-off prices for the next unsuspecting exuberant and eager discoverer of Mérida. 
This is just a natural progression of things that evolve here in the land of buyer-be-ware.
Note; a friend who is an architect bought one of these mamposteria dwellings to restore and discovered that the seller had glued paper over the rotted off vigas and painted them.
© John M. Grimsrud 2011