Postcard the seventy-first: Plan(e)t Goofy

Here's a mysterious postcard indeed.

It comes to us from an unknown source.

Said unknown source writes:

"Dear Soozcat
They sent us out to check out Plant Goofy. We came up on this valley and it started to snow, when it looked like a spring day. Maybe someday more people can come and see Plant Goofy"

Well, unknown friend, surprisingly enough Plan(e?)t Goofy looks familiar to me. Perhaps I've been there all unawares. (Or perhaps I just live on Planet Goofy. Frankly, so many things would make sense that way.) Thanks for writing!

Postcard the seventieth: Austral adventures

Boomeranging its way toward us is a splendid postcard.

This one comes to us from a world traveler named Bonnie.

Bonnie writes:

"Hi,
My visit here will be fun for sure. Lots of great animals. Off on my adventure soon."

Short and sweet, all the better to have more time available to study the unusual beasties of the Simpson Desert. All the best, Bonnie, and thanks for your postcard!

Postcard the sixty-ninth: If wishes were delicious

Guess what? No, forget it, you'll never guess.

We have another fabulous postcard from Kim!

Kim writes:

"Dear Soozcat,
I couldn't quite muster my own imaginary place postcard (or apparently the ability to spell or write clearly) but I taught an imaginary places postcard collage class at a senior living facility near San Luis Obispo recently. The folks were good sports and whipped up some cards for you. XOXO"

Aw, thanks Kim! And looking forward to seeing more work from her students in the next few days. I hope you are too.

Postcard the sixty-eighth: Skaters' paradise

We been spendin' most our lives livin' in a-- nah, not that kind of skaters' paradise.

This kind! With lots of ice skates and gliding about!

Krispy writes:

"Hi there---
I hope you enjoy my card. As a child & older I was quite a skater."

Thanks, Krispy! Stay warm out there and bring along a Thermos of hot chocolate.

Postcard the sixty-seventh: I wish we could do what they do in Katchoo

A wild postcard arrives!

And a strange and wonderful wild postcard it is.

Darcy writes:
"Hello Soozcat--
We finally made it to the haunted castle in Katchoo. We sailed by boat for two days to get there and had our very own Magical Sheep to tour us around the island. Highly recommend taking the trip. Katchoo is a special place."

Well. All I have to say about that is "Coo, coo, Katchoo." All I need now is a boat to get there. Anyone willing to charter a trip to a haunted castle?

Thank you for writing, Darcy. And all the best to the Magical Sheep too!

Postcard the sixty-sixth: Valentine Alley

And you thought we were done for a while. (Well, actually, I thought we were done for a while.)

But to our rescue comes the lovely and talented Gail Anderson, who provides us with a Polaroid-style snapshot of Valentine Alley circa 1973.

Gail writes:
"Dear Soozcat:
Wish that I could hop inside a time machine and go to this place. Not only does Valentine Alley look like fun, but the early 1970s were an interesting time. I couldn't really appreciate them because I was in middle school at the time."

Middle school does make it tough to appreciate a lot of things. Myself, I couldn't really appreciate the early '70s because I was learning to walk, talk, feed myself, poop through the white donut, etc., at the time. But I am curious. Anybody got a time machine Gail and I could take out for a spin this weekend? We promise not to go all A Sound of Thunder on anybody!

Postcard the sixty-fifth: Over the rainbow

Barring any latecomers, this is the final postcard in the Cal Poly SLO series.

And, fittingly enough, it comes to us from over the rainbow.

Ryan writes:
"Dear Sozcat,
Greetings from a place over the rainbow. I hope you are enjoying your life in Redmond. I hope there are many rainbows from the plentiful amount of rain in Washington. Hope you love all the cards we sent. ♥"

Ryan, I don't think you and your classmates will ever really know how much I loved receiving these cards. You were bold in coming up with so many imaginative places, and fearless in showing them to a complete stranger in a faraway city. Yes, I realize this was a class project, but you showed plenty of flair and style in completing it. Many thanks and much appreciation to you, your classmates and your instructor.

About the rain? I love it. There are many grey days here in Washington, but there is no spring tree so green as one growing against the backdrop of a grey Puget Sound sky. There are also plenty of rainbows, if you know which way to face to see them. Despite all the wonders of the many imaginary places seen here, there really is no place like home.

Thank you for writing.

Postcard the sixty-fourth: Surf's up!

We've had all these postcards from various corners of the planet and the galaxy, but I hear many of you calling out, "HEY! WHAT ABOUT THE SURF REPORT?!"

Fear not; we gotcha covered.

Our surfing enthusiast friend writes:
"Hey Soozcat!
As you can tell the surf is up here, hopin' the mountains keep holdin' them off! Enjoying the sights and sun happening in the hopping paradise we have here! Gotta go catch some more afternoon rays and feel that salty ocean mist. Catch you later cat!
XOXO"

D'aww, cantcha just feel the love? Or maybe that's just ocean mist. In any case, thanks for writing and don't forget the sunscreen!

Postcard the sixty-third: Floating in the moment

Every now and then, you come across a moment that sticks in your head and stays there for the rest of your life.

J. King and friends seem to have shared such a moment.

Here's the details:
"I don't remember how we got here...
All I know is that my friends and I were staring out at the ocean, when the image of what we saw slowly drifted from waves crashing against the shore of San Diego to soft clouds gliding over the city of San Luis Obispo. We were weightless, as if we were floating in the moment. It was breathtaking.
My friends from home and I may not be in the same city anymore, but that won't get in the way of the bond that we share."

Well said. Some friends are transitory, but others -- much like certain moments -- stick with you for life. Hoping you find and keep such true friends!

Postcard the sixty-second: Whalhaven

I'll be the first to admit that I'm a touch paraskevidekatriaphobic. I know, it's not the least bit logical, but there it is.

So on this Friday the 13th, I'm pleased to present a postcard that has nothing to do with luck or fate and everything to do with inspiration and perception. Oh, and also flying whales, because what else would you expect from Whalhaven?

Jasper writes:
"Dear Soozcat,
I am always inspired by the forms clouds take on every day.
Look up, look around!
INSPIRATION IS EVERYWHERE!"

This just makes me happy. I hope it makes you happy (and at least a touch inspired) too. Thanks so much, Jasper!