On May 16th, a letter arrived in my PO Box, containing only two items: a map, and a ticket. Another odd communique.
I'm willing to bet you that this year's Mayday page incorporates these items into its design. What that means, well, we'll work on that.

The front:
[front of letter]
[stamp corner]

Analysis:

  • 1046 G, Douglass Az. is the Hotel Gadsden, its history etc. and another page mention is found on this page, May1 1996.
  • The handwriting - all lowercase. One might say "rendered case insensitive".
  • The postmark is Tucson. So, they're geographically close to me. 85726 = Tucson, Az. No surprise, really.
  • The stamp is odd - I'm not up to speed on my stamps, but this is a triangular, 32-cent stamp with an engraving of an old stagecoach on it.

    From Repubgirl:

    This may or may not mean anything -- I tend to
think there was a reason they used the stamp
since they also put a first class ($.33) postage
stamp on there too.  Here's what the USPS says
about the stamp:

    The United States Postal Service
    reshaped the history of stamp collecting
    on March 13, 1997 when, for the first
    time ever, two triangle-shaped U.S.
    postage stamps were issued.

    The 32-cent commemoratives pay tribute
    to the pioneers who opened the West by
    land and sea. The designs are based on
    19th century images and represent
    California transportation scenes of that
    period. Each image includes the verbiage
    "USA Pacific 97 32¢" across the bottom
    with the reference to "Pacific 97 &"
    saluting the major international stamp
    event of the same name that was held
    May 29 - June 8 in San Francisco, Calif.
    The sheet of 16 stamps will form an
    unusual configuration of four squares
    with each square formed by four
    connecting triangles.

    The designs, the Clipper Ship and U.S.
    Mail Stage Coach, are based on period
    engravings portraying methods of
    transportation that are representative of
    San Francisco. The Clipper Ship,
    Richard S. Ely, engraving was based on
    a drawing from a small advertising card
    which was handed out on the streets of
    eastern cities to entice travel by ship to
    California. The U.S. Mail Stage Coach is
    believed to be based on a drawing done
    by American artist, Harrison Eastman
    (1823-1886). Eastman worked as a clerk
    in a post office when he first arrived in
    San Francisco in 1849 until he
    established a reputation as a painter,
    engraver, lithographer and illustrator.
    Webmaster: Lets not forget all the references to San Francisco we're dealing with. The Embarcadero, Owsley, all the hippie stuff. And there's an old email re: shipments to the Embarcadero.

    The back: [front of letter]
    Analysis:

  • Single star == level one, I assume

    Inside the letter was:

    {back}