October cartoon caption contest goes to the beach

U.S. Stamp Notes by John M. Hotchner

In those years when my family could afford a vacation, the debate raged as to where to go. Almost always, the winner was the beach. That was in the days before worrying about suntan lotion.

There is something calming about the beach. The only worry we had was not going in the water for an hour after lunch.

I look back on those days fondly. We kids had a fair amount of independence, and parents kept an eye out. For the most part, we were the lifeguard’s problem, though it never came to that.

We could have hours and hours of fun enjoying the sun and surf, and a bit of a breeze if we were lucky.

Mary Cassatt’s 1884 painting Children Playing on the Beach brings back memories of those beach days. The painting is illustrated on a 2003 37¢ stamp (Scott 3805) which is the cartoon contest stamp for October. The stamp is from a set of four picturing Cassatt paintings (Scott 3804-3807).

I am betting that a lot of Linn’s readers had beach experiences similar to mine, and that it won’t be too much of a challenge for you to put yourself in a bathing suit and to tell me what you might be thinking or saying on the beach.

You can keep it to the beach experience, or you can make observations about philately, politics or any other theme that occurs to you.

Entries with a touch of humor or irony stand the best chance of winning the contest.

There will be two prizes given to the winners: one for the best philatelic line and one for the best nonphilatelic line.

Put your entry (or entries) on a postcard if possible and send it to me, John Hotchner, Cartoon Contest, Box 1125, Falls Church, VA 22041-0125; or email it to jmhstamp@verizon.net. If you send an email, it is essential that you include your postal mailing address.

For each winner, the prize will be a 13-week subscription to Linn’s (a new subscription or an extension). Entries must reach me no later than Oct. 27.

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