Norway: European Perch Maximum Card

I like this newly issued perch stamp from Norway. It's their "Norden" issue for this year. I don't care much for maximum cards that have the same image as that of the stamp but I love the postmark. The way the date and "Olso" follow the lower body of the perch. It all works for me.

Naucalpan, Mexico

Naucalpan is a highly industrialized city to the northwest of Mexico City.

Frogs from the Netherlands

A pair of stamps from a recent sheet featuring reptiles and amphibians from in the Netherlands. On the right is a Moor Frog. The males can turn blue for a few days during the mating season. The stamp on the left is a garlic or common spadefoot toad. When frightened, these toads can secrete a substance that smells like garlic.

Norway 100 Years of History FDC

A set of five Norwegian stamps from 2005 highlight key events during 100 years of Norwegian History. From left to right, top to bottom:

• The swearing in of King Haakon VII on 27 November 1905 after the separation of Norway and Sweden
• The return from exile of Crown Prince Olav in 1945, after the liberation of Norway.
• The official launch of Norwegian Television in 1960
• Opening of the Ekofisk Oil Field in the North Sea in 1971
• Norway's 2-1 win over Brazil in the 1998 World Cup group stage which secured them a spot in the knockout stage. Their best World Cup finish so far.

United Nations, New York Office