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Monday/ ‘Beauty looking back’ 👘

Ebay is the 800-pound gorilla when it comes to searching and buying or bidding for postage stamps from all over the world.

Still, to complete some of my sets for South Africa, I had to resort to South African sellers that listed their offerings only locally, on a South Africa-based website for collectors.

I’m going to have to do the same for Japan, but there are additional challenges.
There is the language obstacle of Japanese language-only websites, and many times the seller would ship only to local buyers.

Enter Buyee Japan: a proxy shopping service that lets you bid for, or purchase outright, Japanese products that are listed on local Japanese websites.

The Japanese on the web pages are translated to English, and the Yen amounts are converted to US Dollar amounts. Yay!
Buyee will serve as a proxy bidder for you on the auctions. If you win, you pay for the item. The item is sent to Buyee’s warehouse in Japan and then shipped overseas to the USA from there.
And this is a prize item that is being offered, and certainly found very few collections of Japanese stamps.
It is a 1948 issue, issued for that year’s ‘Philately Week’ in relatively small numbers. It depicts a print by Japanese artist Hishikawa Moronobu. He is known for popularizing the ukiyo-e genre of woodblock prints and paintings in the late 17th century.
This sheet of five stamps is in top-notch, ‘mint never hinged, original gum’ condition.
My 2021 Scott Catalogue says the sheet is worth/ can fetch US$350 when sold. So it should quite a bit up from its current bid prince of US$ 20.46 over the next few days and in the final countdown to when the bidding closes. (I am not bidding and will look for a single used stamp to add to my collection instead.)
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Sunday ☀️

It was mostly sunny today here in the city, with a high of 63°F (17°C).

The flower du jour here from Seattle’s Capitol Hill is a rock rose (the shrub’s genus is Cistus), with its crinkled ’tissue paper’ petals and bright yellow stamens in the center.
Rock rose flowers are short-lived, and once out of the bud, most last only a day or two!

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Friday/ so— partners, now? 🇺🇸 🇨🇳

Happy Friday.
Trump is back from China, where he tried hard to undo the catastrophic damage of his trade war— the one that he had started last year in April.

The headline of the order for 200 Boeing jets looks good, but the article mentions that Boeing was hoping for an order of up to 500 jets.

Front page of the Seattle Times today.

I asked Google AI to summarize the trip for me— what is publicly known about it, anyway.

At the bottom: “Highlighting deep-seated paranoia over Chinese surveillance, White House staff immediately confiscated and threw away all Chinese-issued credentials, delegation pins, and burner phones before anyone was permitted to board Air Force One to return to Washington.”

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Thursday/ blustery winds 🍃

No! It’s cold! Go back and put your thicker jacket on, I thought, as I headed out the door tonight for a quick walk.
The high today was 61 °F (16 °C), and it was only 53 °F (12 °C) in the early evening hours.

Looking west from E Thomas Street and 14th Avenue E at 7.41 pm tonight.
Shot with iPhone 16 Pro 5x telefoto lens, with ‘Dramatic’ filter added.
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Wednesday/ the new Fed chair 👨🏻‍💼

Warsh will probably be the wealthiest Fed chair in modern times, with financial disclosures showing a fortune well in excess of $100 million, including holdings in cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence ventures, though he declined to disclose the composition of some fund investments.
That’s separate from the fortune of his wife, Estée Lauder heiress Jane Lauder.
– Reporting from the Washington Post

Will Warsh be able to operate independently and help average Americans with their economic fortunes? (Keep inflation under control? And at the same time keep the economy going?)
He wanted the job as Fed chair so badly, that he (during his confirmation hearing in the Senate) would not say whether Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election, and sidestepped questions about whether tariffs had contributed to inflation.
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Tuesday/ going up 📈

Lydia DePillis reporting for the New York Times:

Consumer prices in the United States rose at the fastest rate since May 2023 last month, as sharp increases in energy costs caused by war in the Middle East made life more expensive for American consumers.

The Consumer Price Index rose 3.8 percent in April from a year earlier, the Labor Department reported on Tuesday, up from a 2.4 percent annual increase before the conflict started in February and a 3.3 percent increase in March.

The increase was driven largely by energy prices, up 3.8 percent just since the previous month and nearly 18 percent from a year earlier. But the “core” index, stripping out volatile food and energy prices, also rose 2.8 percent over the year in April, up from 2.6 percent in March.

Headline inflation for April came in at 3.8%— the highest it has been since it came down from the peak in the pandemic. The Seattle Times reports that in the Seattle area, headline inflation was 4.9% and core inflation 3.8%, so both a good percentage point above the national average.
[Graphic by the New York Times]
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Monday/ books galore 📚

Barnes & Noble is back in downtown Seattle with a new two-level, 18,000-square-foot store at 520 Pike Street. (The store in Pacific Place closed down during the pandemic in Jan. 2020).
I like their selection of books.

From there, I walked to the Seattle Public Library, taking a few pictures on the way. I usually don’t have to wait too long for a Tesla to appear in view, and then I take the picture 😁.

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Friday/ sunglass weather 😎

Happy Friday.
It was a beautiful and mild spring day here in the city (63°F/ 17°C) with sunshine this afternoon.

I wore my sunglasses as I walked over to Chuck’s Hop Shop in Central District to join my amigos for a beer.

Check out the cute stamp booklet below, with stamps featuring an illustration by the Japanese artist Jyunichi Komi.

These stamps are prefecture stamps, issued for Fukui Prefecture, Japan*.
Sabae City in Fukui Prefecture is famous for being the eyewear capital of Japan. It produces 90% of the nation’s eyeglass frames.

*Japan has 47 prefectures (political subdivisions).
Starting in 1989, the national postal ministry has issued stamps to promote  each of the prefectures.
These stamps are valid throughout Japan.
Prefecture stamps can be recognized by the different font that is used for the Japan Post 日本郵便 inscription on it.

Unfolded cover of stamp booklet with lettering that says ‘Prefecture Issue — Megane (Glasses), Fukui Prefecture’.
1991 Prefecture Issues, Japan
Issued Oct. 1, 1991
Perf. 13 | Issued in sheets and booklets | Photolithography | No watermark
Z112 ZA112 62y Multicolored | Stylized girl wearing large orange glasses
[Sources: 2021 Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue Vol. 4A, Google Gemini AI]
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Thursday/ sea lions, bailing 🦭

Here’s a sea lion ‘action picture’ from photographer Ken Lambert, taken for the Seattle Times.

There are sea lions as well as seals in Puget Sound.
Sea lions and seals differ primarily in that sea lions have visible ear flaps, large flippers for “walking” on land, and bark loudly, while true seals have ear holes, short flippers, and move by belly-sliding. Sea lions are generally larger, more social, and agile on land; seals are more solitary and streamlined for swimming. – Google AI Overview
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Wednesday/ Japan’s dragon stamps 🐲

I bought a large batch of Japanese stamps from an Ebay seller.
These are from 1981, and depict the very first stamps issued by the Imperial Japanese Post (today simply called Japan Post).

Japan’s first postage stamps, known as the “Ryu” (dragon) stamps, were issued on April 20, 1871.
These imperforate, hand-engraved stamps featured dragon designs and used “Mon” currency.

It would be nice to own just one or two of the original dragon stamps, but man! they are listed for anything from $500 to several thousand dollars on Ebay.
Then you have to take really good care of this little square of paper.
Also: a lot of well-made forgeries are floating around.
Some sellers offer authentication certificates, but can even those be trusted?

1981 International Stamp Exhibition “PHILATOKYO ’81” Tokyo, Japan— Stamps on Stamps from 1871
Issued Oct. 9, 1981
Perf. 13 | Photolithography and engraving | No watermark
1481 A1063 60y Multicolored with vermillion 1871 stamp of pair of dragons facing characters of value 200 mon
1482 A1063 60y Multicolored with brown 1871 stamp of pair of dragons facing characters of value 48 mon
1483 A1063 60y Multicolored with yellow green 1871 stamp of pair of dragons facing characters of value 500 mon
1484 A1063 60y Multicolored with blue 1871 stamp of pair of dragons facing characters of value 100 mon
[Sources: 2021 Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue Vol. 4A, stampworld.com, Google AI]
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Tuesday/ Hantavirus on board 🚢

A suspected outbreak of the rare hantavirus on a cruise ship in the Atlantic kills 3 people

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — A deadly outbreak of the rare hantavirus unfolded over the course of weeks on a cruise ship that sailed from Argentina toward Antarctica and then across the Atlantic Ocean, stopping at or near remote islands on the way as passengers and crew members fell sick, according to information from the cruise operator, the World Health Organization and ship tracking data.

It shows nearly a month passed between when an elderly Dutch man fell sick and died in the South Atlantic and laboratory tests in South Africa — more than 3,500 kilometers (2,174 miles) away — confirmed hantavirus infections.

Three passengers in total have died, one is in intensive care in a South African hospital, and three other people still on the cruise ship have shown symptoms and were waiting for evacuations. Nearly 150 passengers and crew members from 23 countries were on the ship, which is waiting off the coast of West Africa.
– Reporting by Associated Press

I am following the hantavirus outbreak on the polar cruise ship MV Hondius.
I hope there is a resolution soon for those trapped on the ship.

Authorities do not know if the passengers that fell ill contracted the virus while on excursions away from the ship, or from rodents on the ship itself. The hantavirus is not really contagious except for one specific type: the Andes virus, found in long-tailed pygmy rice rats.

Reporting from the New York Times.
An update on Wed 5/6: As of May 6, 2026, three people have died and eight cases (three confirmed) of hantavirus are linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship. Three symptomatic patients were evacuated to the Netherlands, and the vessel is heading to the Canary Islands with roughly 150 passengers in cabin isolation. The Andes strain, capable of rare person-to-person spread, was identified. – Google AI Overview/ PBS
The MV Hondius started out in Ushaia, Argentina, on April 1. It is highly likely that individuals on the MV Hondius were already infected with the hantavirus at that time, although they were not showing symptoms at the time of departure.
[Graphic by Bloomberg]
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Monday/ irises 🪻

I found these beautiful bearded irises on Martin Luther King Way in Seattle’s Central District.

From Google AI Overview:
Bearded irises, native to the Mediterranean, have a rich history spanning over 3,000 years, from being cherished by Egyptian pharaohs and Greek mythology to becoming a cornerstone of modern gardening.
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Sunday/ three departures 🚢

The newly built Star Princess made its maiden port of call in Seattle this weekend.  She was constructed in 2025 by Fincantieri in Monfalcone, Italy, with a capacity for 4,300 passengers and a gross tonnage of 175,500. The Star Princess is the second Sphere-class vessel for Princess Cruises, a sister ship to the Sun Princess.

The Star Princess was at Pier 91 with MS Noordam on the opposite side of the pier, and was scheduled to depart this afternoon at 3 pm.
Instead, it was MS Noordam that sounded her horn three times, and departed shortly after 3 pm.

I waited until after 4 pm for Star Princess to depart, and then gave up.
(I saw later online that she had departed at 5.25 pm).
I walked up to the Magnolia Bridge to take another picture or two, and right then the Norwegian Encore came by in the distance.
She had been at Pier 66.

Port of Seattle’s Pier 91 this afternoon at 3 pm.
From left to right: the Star Princess, the Arctic Fjord (a state-of-the-art, 325.8-foot/ 99-meter U.S.-built factory trawler designed for harvesting and processing Alaska pollock in the Bering Sea) and the MS Noordam.
A closer look at the Star Princess. The dome at the top is a multi-level, glass-enclosed top-deck venue. The structure directly in front of the dome is a relaxing, forward-facing outdoor area known as the Sea View. The bridge is located at the very front of the ship, situated on Deck 15 (the Sun Deck).
The MS Noordam, bound for Juneau, Alaska.
The MS Noordam had sounded her horn three times, backed away from the pier, and turned north. In the foreground in Elliot Bay Marina.
So now all of Star Princess is visible from my vantage point at Elliott Bay Marina.
I am not 100% sure, but I believe this tugboat is using its water cannon to produce a ‘water salute’ to the Star Princess prior to her departure.
Look at the Mountain looming in the distance, magnified by my telefoto lens.
By about 4.20 pm at Elliott Bay Marina, I gave up to see Star Princess depart. Her mooring lines were still in place. I walked up the Magnolia Bridge to get this view of Pier 91 for a final picture or two.  
The vessel to the left of Star Princess is Seaspan Baker, a bunkering tanker. These are specialized vessels designed to supply fuel (bunker) directly to other ships for propulsion and energy.
While I was on the Magnolia Bridge, the Norwegian Encore came by.
She had been at Pier 66 and had a scheduled 4 pm departure. She was a little late departing as well (this picture taken at 4.35 pm).
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Saturday/ summery weather 🌞

We had 72 °F (22 °C) here in the city today, and we might see the year’s first 80 °F (27 °C) by Monday.

I look for the newest car registration numbers when I am out and about, and I spotted a Washington State plate with CWZ on today.
That means there might be CXA plates out there already.
My dad’s Chev truck in South Africa had a plate with CXX 360 T on. Utterly trivial and insignificant — or is it?
Why would I be able to recall that, decades later?

Here is Saturday’s sunlight, rapidly running out.
It is 8.06 pm and I am looking down along East Thomas St, still able to see the Needle through the newly grown leaves on the trees. 
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Friday/ first of May ⚾

Happy Friday.
Is that a 12 flag on the Space Needle? I wondered today.
No, it’s actually a flag with 51 on.

A “51” flag was raised today May 1 (5/1) to celebrate the retirement of Mariners legend Randy Johnson’s jersey number.
The “Big Unit” himself hoisted the flag to honor his 51 number.
Johnson played for the Seattle Mariners from May 25, 1989, to July 31, 1998.

It is 6.20 pm and I am looking out to the Space Needle from the stairs off E Harrison St where it runs into Melrose Ave E. 
We had blue skies for most of the day, but clouds moved in late afternoon.
The clouds will probably obscure the first of May’s two full moons: one tonight, and one more on May 31!
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Thursday/ †Mimi Coertse (1932-2026)

Beloved South African soprano Mimi Coertse (93) passed away on Monday.

On 17 March 1956, she made her debut at the Vienna State Opera as the Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) by Mozart.
She remained with the Vienna State Opera until 1978.

After retiring in 1978, she devoted her time to exposing young South African singers to the neglected art of Lieder singing.
In 1996, Austria’s Federal Ministry for Science and Art awarded her the Austrian Decoration for Science and Art.
In 1998, she received an honorary doctorate from the University of Pretoria.

Picture from the front page of South African newspaper Die Burger (The Citizen).
‘Goodbye, Our Mimi‘ says the headline, and ‘She was a true opera diva. When she entered a room, you knew you were in distinguished and important company. An era has come to an end. Rest in peace, dear Mimi.’
Statement from the Vienna State Opera.
KS stands for Kammersängerin, is a prestigious German honorific title for distinguished opera and classical music singers.