Postcards, a bit of history.

  Do you own, or maybe have you inherited, a box of old postcards? You might have something special in your closet.

 The most expensive postcard ever sold was a card sent by writer Theodore Hook to himself in 1840. It went for £31,758.75 ($45,370.60) at a London Stamp Exchange auction in 2002. The card is considered to be the oldest postcard in the world

   The first privately-issued postcards in the United States were sold in 1861, but the first government-issued postcard was not issued until 1873: Stamp collectors distinguish between postcards (which require a postage stamp) and postal cards (which have the postage pre-printed on them).

 

 The value of a postcard is affected by several obvious factors: 

Age: Postcards issued after the 1960s are generally not very valuable. The postmark on the back of the card can help determine its age. 

Size: Cards larger than 5" x 3" were only popular in the United States after the 1960s. 

Condition: The condition of the postcard can affect its value. 

Rarity: Rare and unique postcards are more valuable. 

Subject matter: Postcards with rare or unusual subject matter, such as historical events, famous people, or scenes from long-gone places, are more valuable. 

Signature or message: Postcards with a signature or message of historical importance are more valuable. 

Stamps and postal markings: Stamps and postal markings can increase a postcard's value. 

1893

The first picture postcards in the United States were sold at the World Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois. 

  Cards showing images increased in number during the 1880s. Images of the newly built Eiffel Tower in 1889 and 1890 gave impetus to the postcard, leading to the so-called "golden age" of the picture postcard.

   The stage was now set for private postcard industry to boom, which it did once the United States government changed the postage rate for private cards from two cents to one in May 1898.  

   The peak came sometime between 1907 and 1910 for the United States. Then the effects of tariffs made a large impact, and escalating hostilities in Europe made it difficult to import cards and ink into the United States. After the war, the demand for postcards decreased, especially as telephone usage grew. The postcard was dubbed the "poor man's telephone". 

  
   But the cards didn't die out, and evolved from paper to linen to Photochrom. Remember the vacation cards? The older ones are a bit of history saved for us to savor. 

                   Here's my Antique Estes Park Postcard.

This tourist post card was sent from Estes Park, Colo to Longmont, Colo back when stamps were only 2 cents! The recipient was Kenneth Clark.       

       Made on extremely thin leather, or product there of, it's not only a nice hello, but a Burro-meter         

                       

      My rescue donkey Jack thought this was funny. Rosie, not so much. Here are a few more cards I have. 

          

        

   Look in your attic or basement, checkout the thrift stores, who knows you may find a fortune in postcards. Or maybe your hero or heroine receives a postcard that starts them on a grand adventure, a mystery, or the path to love.  

My stories: 

Western Romance: Break Heart Canyon * Undercover Outlaw * Cowboys, Cattle and Cutthroats * A Cowboy’s Fate 

*Special Delivery. 

Contemporary Romantic Thriller: Fatal Recall

Medieval Romance: The Dragon and The Rose * Iron Heart        *Promise Me Christmas. 

Victorian Romance: Lady Gallant * Victorian Dream 

Fantasy: The Fae Warriors Trilogy: Solace * Bliss * Portence 

Blog   www.ginirifkin.blogspot.com

Facebook    https://www.facebook.com/people/Gini-Rifkin-Author/100001680213365

Amazon author              https://amzn.to/2R53KA9

Pinterest                       https://www.pinterest.com/ginirifkin/pins/

Goodreads                    http://bit.ly/2OnHbrK

Barnes and Noble         http://bit.ly/2xPs9S4

AudioBooks                 https://adbl.co/2OlWbGJ

LinkedIn        https://www.linkedin.com/in/gini-rifkin-15950489/

Universal link                https://books2read.com/u/3JLGMv

Saying Goodbye

I can’t believe it’s time to say goodbye to the Ridge Ranch series. It all started when I sat down to write Wyatt’s story while we were in quarantine. For five years I have watched this community grow and evolve. Forgiving Annie will be the final piece in this heartfelt series, and I couldn’t think of a better way to close it out than with Isaac’s story. For those who have read the others, timeline wise this happens before Redeeming Cooper so you’ve already met Annie.

Forgiving Annie

This is more than a second-chance romance—it’s a story about redemption, healing, and finding love in the midst of brokenness.

Annie 

My life has been a series of stupid mistakes. A wrong decision altered everything and I married the wrong man. When he died, I found comfort in a friend and as much as I want to hold on, I can’t bear to hurt him. Not  again. In the end, I make the biggest mistake yet and push him away instead of letting him help me pick up the pieces of my messed up life. Now, he’s gone and I’m left to raise our son on my own.

Isaac McGrath

She was my first and only love, even though I wasn’t the one she chose. I moved on and tried to forget, but her memory still haunts me. When she and her son show up at the ranch, I think I’m dreaming. Maybe this is our second chance, but will she let me in or will she push me away, again? When the secret Annie thought I knew surfaces, do we even stand a chance?

What to Expect

• A love story full of second chances and heartfelt emotion

• The strength of found family and the bonds of friendship

• A satisfying conclusion to the Ridge Ranch series that will stay with you long after the final page

Thank you for coming along on this journey. Whether you’ve been with the Ridge Ranch series from the start or are just discovering it, I’m so grateful for your support and love for these characters. I hope you’ll join me in celebrating Isaac and Annie’s story in Forgiving Annie.

Let’s saddle up for one last ride—because love like this doesn’t come around twice. (Or does it?)💕

Stay tuned for release updates and teasers!

Wild Bill Hickok

 

 Wild Bill Hickok, born James Butler Hickok on May 27, 1837, was a legendary figure of the American Old West. He is renowned for his skills as a gunfighter, lawman, and scout. Hickok gained fame during his time in the Union Army as a scout and spy during the American Civil War. His reputation as a sharpshooter and a fearless lawman grew as he served as a marshal in towns like Hays and Abilene, Kansas.

One of the most notable events in Hickok's life was the infamous "Wild Bill Hickok vs. Davis Tutt" shootout in Springfield, Missouri in 1865. This duel, considered one of the first "quick-draw" gunfights in the West, solidified Hickok's legendary status. Despite his fame, Hickok's life was fraught with danger and controversy, and he was known for his larger-than-life personality and adventurous spirit.

Hickok's life came to a tragic end on August 2, 1876, when he was shot in the back of the head while playing poker in Deadwood, South Dakota. The hand he was holding at the time of his death--aces and eights--has since become known as the "Dead Man's Hand." Wild Bill Hickok's legacy continues to live on in popular culture, where he is remembered as one of the most iconic figures of the Wild West.

Sandra

Available at Amazon

 

Civil War Widow then Wife - Martha J. Douglass

 

Martha J. Douglass

Post (C) by Doris McCraw

aka Angela Raines

Chapel at Evergreen Cemetery, Colorado Springs
Image (C) Doris McCraw

Martha J. Hurd married William T. Douglass in Menard, Illinois, on December 17, 1867. She was born on October 21, 1837, in Illinois. This was Martha's second marriage.

Martha J. Harrison married John J. Hurd in Menard, Illinois, on June 3, 1857. In August 1862, John enlisted in the Union Army and mustered out in September of the same year. He served in Company F of the 114th Illinois Infantry. According to the records, he died in Duckport, Louisiana, on June 17, 1863, of 'pernicious fever'. 

Martha's second husband, William T. Douglass, was also in the 114th Illinois Infantry but served in Company K. The two men may have known each other, at least by name, having lived in the same area. John, who was born in 1834, would have been seven years older than William, who was born in 1841.

Image of the Douglass headstone
from Find A Grave

According to the 1900 census, Martha had four children; none of them survived. According to a newspaper article, the couple's land in Illinois was sold in 1878. 

By 1879, the couple had been living in Colorado Springs, where they remained. Willam died in 1909, and Martha died on December 9, 1911.

Until Next Time: Stay safe, Stay happy, and Stay healthy. 

Doris

* Note this article is a repost from an earlier story. 

New Year’s Resolution: Stop buying books. Read the ones I have.

I was catching up with a friend by phone, and she said one of her New Year’s Resolutions was to buy no more books. She needs to read the ones she has already purchased.

My book shelves

I can relate. Starting in 9th grade when my teacher Mrs. Neff suggested we buy books, I’ve been doing just that. I had good role models. My parents had bookshelves filled with books, fiction and history. My mother was a paperback reader. She even filled notebooks with lists of books she read. She told me she didn’t want to read a book she’d already read. My father read historical novels. And I loved to read. I went off to college and eventually changed my major to English because I loved to read and write.

Even my late husband “read” audiobooks. He had a subscription to Audible and always had a book started on his phone. Currently, I read Kindle books on my iPad. But like my friend with her paperbacks, I have a bunch of unread eBooks in my “to be read pile.”

Let’s face it. Buy now with 1-Click is too easy.

But why do we have his compulsion to buy books? I “googled” to look for the answer. I found an article on Hobbylark.com by Carter Lynne called Why We Can't Stop Buying Books: The Psychology Behind Book Hoarding.

In the article Lynne talks about Understanding the Allure of Books.

The love of books is not a new phenomenon. People have been collecting books for centuries, but in today's world, where minimalism and decluttering are trendy, the notion of having a personal library full of unread books seems paradoxical. Yet, book hoarding remains prevalent, and understanding its allure requires us to look at several psychological factors.

• The Comfort of Potential

• The Influence of Social Identity

• The Collector's Mindset

• The Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)

She also delves into The Emotional Attachment to Books.

Books hold a unique place in our hearts, often transcending their role as mere objects. They represent memories, aspirations, and milestones in our lives, contributing to the emotional attachment we feel toward them.

• Nostalgia and Sentimentality

• The Ritual of Reading

Finally, she explores Breaking the Cycle: How to Manage Book Hoarding (If you want to...).

• Embrace a One-In-One-Out Policy

• Set Reading Goals

• Explore Digital Alternatives

• Host a Book Exchange

Well, I already have “digital alternatives”, and that pile has grown. I’ve even donated physical books to Locust Grove, a local historical home that has used book sales to raise money. I saw on Facebook today I saw a post from someone who has a goal to read a certain number of books a year. Not me. I read what hits me at the time.

I don’t know the answer. I tell myself I’m going to read books I’ve already purchased. But I’m not good at following through. Maybe I don’t want to. Maybe I feel comfortable with a fiction book. When I read a novel, I visualize what I’m reading. I can “see” the action and a good writer will make me feel the emotion. Let’s face it, sometime the escape is something I want and need.

What about you? Are you going to restrict your book buying habits in 2025?

However, if you’re in the mood to buy a new book, I have a paperback, eBook box set, and audiobooks of my Western mystery/romance that may be just for you! https://books2read.com/GhostMountainRanch   

Traditions

HAPPY NEW YEAR!  I don't know about you, but I'm ready for 2025!

Having been raised in Texas, I grew up with the tradition of eating black-eyed peas and cabbage on New Year's day - the peas for luck, and the cabbage for money (financial prosperity in the coming year). I think my business plan has a better chance of making me rich than a bowl of veggies, but I'm covering all my bases. LOL

What about you? What traditions do you and your family observe?

Horsin' Around

Hayburner

That's one slang name for a horse. There are many because cowboys and horses are like peanut butter and jelly. They're perfect partners. I love writing about the special relationship cowboys have with these sometimes (often!) temperamental animals. Everybody who has ever worked on a ranch has a story about a horse and those stories often bring sentimental tears to the eyes. 

Some other colorful names for "nags" include man killer, fantail, buzzard bait, bangtail, knothead, snake stepper, broomtail, bucker, and tail buster. Speaking of color, the major colors of horses are bay, black, brown, chestnut, and white. Other variations are dun, gray, palomino, pinto and roan.

Common color names are sorrel, chestnut, bay, buckskin, calico, dapple, and strawberry. 

Beyond colors, cowboys have other ways to describe their mounts. For instance, a horse whose color fades around the mouth and chin is called "mealymouthed." Or "baldface" if the horse's face is mostly white. If a horse has small black or blue spots all over it, a cowboy might say he's "fleabitten" or "speckled." Black mane, tail, and feet are dubbed "points." A horse that is a hard-to-describe color could be called "katty colored." Scattered colors over a dark background is called "overo." A horse with black and white spots is a "piebald." Any other color of spots is a "screwbald." Large patterns of color on a white background is referred to as "tobino."

As for personality, cowboys come up with all kinds of descriptions! One of the first horses I had was part Shetland pony and part Devil. He was as sharp as a tack and he dearly loved to aggravate me. He'd spot a low branch and head straight for it, hoping to knock me out of the saddle. Or he'd sidle up to a barbed wire fence in hopes of snagging my jeans leg. As a novice, I did everything wrong with him. I learned that I couldn't walk into the pasture with a halter in my hand. He'd run like the wind and I'd never catch him. I had to hide the halter behind my back or drape it over my shoulder and offer him a bite of apple or carrot to have any hope of saddling him. Oh, yes. He also did the age-old horse trick of filling his lungs when I tried to cinch the saddle so that it would be loose when he exhaled. Then, if he was lucky, I'd slide sideways once I was in the saddle! That happened a couple of times before a cowboy showed me how to knee the Devil Horse in the side and make him exhale before I cinched him up.

Have I nudged some memories from you? I'm sure most of you have a good story or two about being bamboozled by an ornery hoss! But when you master that symmetry with a horse -- when you begin to think alike and he or she anticipates your need before you can relay it -- that is astonishingly magical.

I hope you find Happy Trails all through 2025!