Dalmations

Hi Puzzler,

I was just looking at our Three Alarm Fire puzzle. It’s the one with the three adorable Dalmatians sitting in a red wagon. Those little puppies instantly remind me of fire trucks and Cruella De Vil. Some things will forever be linked together and Cruella and fire trucks go with Dalmatians.

Dalmatians have a long rich history with firehouses that dates back to the days of stage coaches. Now you might be thinking, Dalmatians and stage coaches? How does that relate to Dalmatians and fire trucks? Well the answer lies with the horse. Dalmatians were the perfect coach dog not only because of their height and weight, but, because they are a very active, strong, muscular breed which is able to run long distances without fatigue. These mighty creatures can keep up with a team of horses and follow them for 20-30 miles! In addition, Dalmatians are very loyal to their owners, and are a superior opponent when challenged. They have an innate ability to calm and soothe horses which in turn helps foster a close bond between horse and dog.

During the 17th century horse theft was very common and Dalmatians were used to protect the horses and the content of the carriage. If a stagecoach driver did not own a Dalmatian he would be forced to sleep with the horses and carriage to help insure that nothing would get stolen. Even the fire-wagons needed protection from thieves. Some thieves were so ruthless that they would steal equipment and horses from a fire-wagon while its team was helping to extinguish a fire. Owning a Dalmatian quickly put an end to this despicable behavior and it would forever solidify the Dalmatian as a fire house mascot.

In 1956, the book One Hundred and One Dalmatians by author Dodie Smith is published. It introduces to the world the villainous Cruella De Vil. Cruella is a wealthy fashion-obsessed heiress who wants what no one else has… a fur coat made out of Dalmatian puppy skins! This brilliant novel was turned into an animated Disney classic in 1961and has since become a classic. If you have never read the book I would highly recommend it. The movie was good but the book is better!

Fire trucks, Cruella and Dalmatians, forever synonymous with each other!!!

Happy Puzzling!

Postcard Collecting

Hi Puzzlers,

Take a look at our newest puzzle, Travel Dreams. It is loaded with postcards from across the globe. I just have two words to say about it, “LOVE IT”! Okay, you’re right, I always have tons to say so keeping things brief is hard. But the topic of postcards is so interesting I just have to share it with you. As a child, I was fortunate enough to receive postcards from friends who were on vacation. For me getting anything in the mail was exciting enough but holding that card with the picture of a fabulous location on the front and a hand written message, “just for me” on the back was mesmerizing. I even found the stamps and postmarks intriguing. Images of Yogi Bear hand stamping my Yellow Stone National Park postcard with the help of Ranger Smith and Boo-Boo Bear danced through my head. I stored all my cards in photo albums and would often look at them and imagine that I too was off exploring the world. I learned years later that collecting postcards ranks third among the most collectable items worldwide.

The study and collection of postcards is formally called deltiology. In 1869, Dr. Emanuel Herrmann introduced the postcard concept to the Hungarian government, which would approve his idea by the end of the year. Its approval paved the way for the first printing of the world first common postcard, in 1870. It featured a historical image of the Franco-German War.

Prior to 1893 postcards were meant to serve as advertiser only, not as a souvenir. The first intended souvenir postcard went on sale at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Because it was privately printed it required a two-cent, letter- rate postage, while government printed cards only required a one-cent postage rate. On May 19, 1898 Congress authorize an act which allowed card publishers to receive the same postal rate as the government. All cards printed with "Private Mailing Card Authorized by Act of Congress on May 19, 1898" would receive the special pricing.

This act significantly increases the popularity of the postcard. During this time you could only write on the front of the card. Yes, you had to write over the picture, how unthinkable! Luckily the U. S. Government in 1901 gave publishers the ability to remove the authorization inscription of the 1898 act and allowed them to print the words “Post Card” on the cards undivided back side, leaving the front for the design only. The divided back was formally approved in 1907. It allowed for personal messages to be written on the left side while the right side was reserved for the address.

Postcards are so much fun to collect and apparently they are a good investment as well. Some sites claim that postcards are the number one selling item on eBay, commanding hundreds even thousands of dollars per card! Click here to check out the Uncle Sam Hold to Light Santa Claus postcard selling for $1,100.

But I’m so attached to all of mine I couldn’t bear to part with any of them. I am strictly a collector. All this postcard-collecting banter gets me wondering what the White Mountains Puzzles postcards and puzzle postcards will be worth in 100 years…you never know!

Happy Puzzling!

The Flowers of February

Hi Puzzlers,

Did you know that each of our 12 months has a flower associated with it? I knew about the birthstones and that each of our states has a flower affiliated with it but not the months. Another interesting factoid is flowers have a language all their own. The Language of Flowers evolved during the Victorian Era.

Queen Victoria took the throne in 1837 and ruled the nation until her death in 1901. This span of time is therefore considered the Victorian Era. During her rein, rules of etiquette deemed it improper to convey feeling of love or affection. This strict moral decorum forced the evolution of the Language of Flowers. Each flower was assigned a meaning and could be sent without fear of breaking social proprieties. Several books were published describing the meaning of each flower; unfortunately, some books had conflicting views as to what the flower represented. This deviation left some well intentioned suitors heartbroken.

A simple bouquet of flowers could convey one’s friendship, hope, love, and admiration. The most popular arrangement of this period was the Tussie-Mussies. These lovely small bouquets were wrapped in doilies and tied with a ribbon.

One of February’s two flowers is the Violet. It symbolizes faithfulness, modesty, humility, virtue, watchfulness and chastity. Violets were a favorite of the Victorian Era since each color possessed a different meaning. A Blue Violet conveyed, “I’ll always be true.” White Violets represented modesty and the willingness to “take a chance on happiness.” And Yellow Violets depicted modest worth.

The Primrose is also included as a February Flower because it is one of the first flowers to bloom in spring. The name primrose derives from the Latin term ‘Primus’ meaning first. The Primrose symbolizes first love, courage, renewal, love and the “I can’t live without you” sentiment. Ah shucks, that is so sweet!

Click here to discover your birth month flower!

Happy Puzzling!

The Coast Guard

Hi Puzzlers,

Since last week’s post on lighthouses I have been quizzing everyone to see if they know what ancient lighthouses were called, and no one knows. Look out Who Wants To Be A Millionaire; here we come with the answer to the million dollar question. “What were ancient lighthouses called? Pause, breath deep and answer slowly. “Ancient lighthouses were called Pharos.” Yahoo, we win! This post also brought to my attention another interesting fact, (which was discovered while researching lighthouses), the Lighthouse Act of 1789. This act would serve as a catalyst for the formation of our National Guard.

The Lighthouse Act of 1789 was passed to extend Federal control of lighthouses. Prior to this act, lighthouses were governed by the state. Under Federal guide a six-cent-per-ton duty was charged to all commerce vessels. This revenue would be used to maintain lighthouses, beacons and navigational equipment. It would also serve to support hospitals for disabled sailors and corresponding institutions.

A “Grand Committee” was formed to handle lighthouse maintenance, ship registration and duty collection. To dissuade smugglers looking for ways to avoid paying import tariffs, Alexander Hamilton devised a plan. He recommended to Congress that 10 Cutters (armed vessels) could be used to guide ships to ports of entry. In 1790 the office of the Revenue Marine was formed.

One of the primary components of the Cutters duties was to support and assist as necessary, “for the protection of lives and property at sea.” This life saving aspect continues to personify and define the present day Coast Guard. Hamilton advised all Revenue Marine Captains to “always keep in mind that [their] countrymen are freemen.” These words and their underlying message of honor, respect and devotion to duty, would serve to form the basis of the Coast Guard’s set of core values.

Through its history the Revenue Marine would be known by several different names including the Revenue Cutter Service, the Lighthouse Service, the Lifesaving Service and the Steamship Inspection Bureau before being incorporated into the U.S. Coast Guard on July 1, 1939. Because of the Coast Guard’s lineage with the Revenue Marine, it is consider the oldest continuously serving armed service force in the United States.

Amazing! Don't you just love topics with rich and intriguing histories?

Happy Puzzling!

Lighthouses

Hi Puzzlers,

Recently while channel surfing I caught the tail end of a television program on lighthouses. Just a quick glimpse of one of these majestic beauties got me to stop clicking and lay down the remote, something that rarely happens! Usually I can’t find anything to watch and I have 799 channels to choose from. This leaves me endlessly roaming, channel to channel, in a zombie like state before frustration sets in and I turn off the television. But not this time, I was completely mesmerized! Childlike curiosity took over my brain and I began diligently researching the history of lighthouses on my computer. Here is a quick review of what I found.

A lighthouse has two primary functions. First they give sailors a fixed point of reference to help them navigate day and night when offshore hazards cannot be seen. Secondly, they guide ships into harbors or anchorages. Today lighthouses also serve as symbolic monuments of civilizations efforts to reduce the hazards of seafaring. Just one look at these magnificent structures makes me stop and admire them with all their grandeur. How about you?

The first recorded lighthouse was built in 290 B.C. on the island of Pharos, by the Roman Empire. Records indicate the lighthouse used fire at night and a sun-reflecting mirror during the day to protect and guide ships around the Mediterranean. The Pharos lighthouse measured approximately 384 feet tall and stood for about 1,500 years, before succumbing to a series of earthquakes in 1326 A.D. Prior to the 1600’s lighthouses were referred to as Pharos.

America’s first official lighthouse is the Boston Light. It was built on Little Brewster Island in Boston Harbor in 1715. Prior to its construction colonist used small fires on hilltops or placed lanterns in the windows of houses overlooking harbors. The Boston Light was the first site to use a foghorn. The foghorn was a great-gun cannon, which was installed in 1719. It would be fired to warn sailors of pending dangers when visibility was low. In 1776 the original lighthouse was destroyed by the British, however, it was rebuilt in 1783 and is still operational today. “Although the Boston Light is considered the nation’s oldest lighthouse, the tower itself is only the second oldest. The oldest tower in the United States is the Sandy Hook Light at the entrance to New York Harbor, built in 1764.”

In the early years most lighthouses were lit by wood fires which required enormous amounts of wood. Coal became popular for burning during the early 1500s; it burned brighter and slower than wood, but required more attention to keep it burning bright. Candles and reflectors were also popular during this time as they produced a steadier flame and less soot and ash.
The next step in improving the visibility of lights was the oil burning lamps. These lamps used several flat, solid and round wicks. Also available was the Spider Lamp. It had a single oil reserve and used multiple wicks. A Frenchman named Ami Argand invented a lamp that used a hollow, circular wick in 1781. It allowed air to flow in on both sides of the wick, which enhanced the brightness of the flame. A large (18- to 20-inch) parabolic reflector was commonly attached to the center of this lamp to increase the lamps visibility.

In 1822, the Fresnel lens was created by Augustin Fresnel. This much thinner lens captured and focused larger fractions of light then did the reflectors, resulting in a brighter light that could be seen for longer distances. One Frensel lens could do the work of thirty Argand lamps.
The electrification of lighthouses began in the 1920s and 1930s. Once a lighthouse was electrified it could be equipped with a timer switch. Because electricity burns cleaner than oil it also eliminated the need for daily lens cleaning and maintenance. This made the need for light-keepers obsolete.

The lighthouse story does not end here. On our next post we will learn how lighthouses gave the National Guard its start.

Happy Puzzling!