I moo very well!  Apparently, there are a bunch of us who like to moo.  I’m finding more “mooers” daily.  Okay, I’ve not gone off my Dr. Seuss rocker.  I’m talking about moo.com, the company that prints postcards, business cards and other stuff.  I hosted a “Mr. Brown Can Moo” swap for Sharp Shooters who wanted an opportunity to share the stash of postcards they’ve had printed from their own photos.

Getting cards printed by MOO can become an addiction, particularly when they’re having a sale (like right now), so the postcards begin to pile up after a while. We don’t get to use them much because for some strange reason some postcard swappers frown upon postcards professionally printed from photos.  As if mass-produced postcards are “more” authentic.   As if those mass-produced postcards aren’t someone’s photos.  Needless to say, I have received beautiful photo postcards that far exceed the artistry, originality, and quality of many store-bought postcards. Furthermore, photographers’ professionally printed postcards often tell a more compelling story about a city or town than tourist postcards.

[High horse dismounted].

For the swap, each of us were to send a postcard to two partners. Both of my partners sent two postcards (yay, me!).

The first came from Cakers.  If you’ve been following the blog, you know that she’s sent to me many, many, many photos over the last few years, so she was a bit challenged in finding new cards to send.  One was a duplicate. This means, I have one to save and one to send! 🙂  The other was new to my collection:

“Longfellow Gardens” by Cakers

Longfellow Gardens is part of Minnehaha Park in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  It’s a popular tourist attraction and wedding site.  I would just like to sit and enjoy the beauty–a little respite from a chaotic week.

Pintis, my other partner, sent slugs and a spider web.  Ewwwww…on the slugs.  My little one likes them, so he’s keeping the “sluggy” postcard for his collection.  The photos are excellent. Unfortunately, this only adds to my “creeped-out” level.

“Sluggish Characters” by Pintis

Pintis sees a lot of slugs on her morning walk.  “Once in a while they do something more exciting than just slither around.”

“Berkshire Morning” by Pintis

Sharp Shooters aren’t the only ones who moo!  Candace of Glenrosa Journeys generously offered to send one of her own moo-printed postcards.  She also sent two!

“The desert when the sun comes up…I couldn’t tell where heaven stopped and the Earth began.” –Forrest Gump.  Photo by Candace P. of Glenrosa Journeys

I love the shadows.  I have a feeling I’m going to be sharing this one with my little one too.  His class is reading a book about cacti and focusing on desert environments this month.  This photo is stunning enough, but look at what else Candace sent:

“The Hummingbird” by Candace P. of Glenrosa Journeys

I “heart” the clarity of the bird and the bokeh effect.  Candace appropriately shares Emily Dickinson’s “The Hummingbird” (Poem XV)–

A route of evanescence

With a revolving wheel;

A resonance of emerald

a rush of cochineal;

And every blossom on the bush

Adjusts its tumbled head, –

The mail from Tunis, probably,

An easy morning ride.

Candace does amazing work.  You must check out her blog.

I sent each of my “Mr. Brown Can Moo” partners and Candace two postcards as well. Three of the postcards appear in earlier postings, but here are two you haven’t seen:

“Horses make a landscape look more beautiful”–Alice Walker. Photo by Chandralynn!

“Moon Jelly,” Sea Jelly at the Tennessee Aquarium. Photo by Chandralynn!

If you use MOO or Zazzle or Cafe Press or some other printing service to make postcards from your photos and you’d like to trade, let me know.  I’d love to see your work and swap postcards!