I’m taking a brief break from muralists to honor Smokey the Bear. As wildfires still dominate the news in these parts (the sky in Portland is still yellow and we haven’t seen the sun in a while, but the air quality index is down to 470 — yes, I know, that still puts us at the top of the charts, it’s down by almost 100 points from yesterday, though — winning!!), I thought it appropriate. But what, you ask, does Smokey the Bear have to do with the postal service? Not much, really. But the ursine firefighter was honored by a commemorative stamp and cover in 1984.
COVID Card #131
Cards 1-100
To learn more about any of the first 100 cards, select a number from the list below.
COVID Cards
The United States Postal Service has been hit hard by the pandemic. Controlling elements of the Federal Government (the president and Republican Senate) do not want to provide aid to the service. So, it’s up to us. It may seem insignificant, but if we all sent just a few letters a week, we could help ensure that our daily, free mail delivery service continues. For the past (see the card number above) days, I have drawn a card each day and mailed it to someone the next day (none are sent on Sundays; two are sent on Mondays). Please consider mailing cards and letters while we still can for 55 cents (first class letter postage). If the USPS fails, you could find it costs $8 or more to send a letter. And that’s just one of the ways we will all lose if the USPS shuts down.