O is for Otter
Selecting stamps for Christmas Cards was a bit of an artform that Old Jammer took incredibly seriously. For most of his correspondence, he, of course, used stamps depicting National Parks, because as a park superintendent it just felt right. But Christmas was special, and so it required stamps that were a bit more festive. Luckily it was a Friday afternoon, and Jammer wasn't feeling like doing much work, so he allowed himself to scroll through the stamps that were currently available on the US Postal Service website.
As a government official, it was important for him to select a stamp that had the right signaling. They should be seasonal but not too religious in nature. Whimsical but serious enough that no one would be offended receiving them from a government official. After about 15 minutes of digging through the website, he finally found something that was a perfect fit…Otters in the snow.
Otters were common visitors to the Piston Peaks National Park, especially during winter months. They were playful planes that loved frolicking in the deep drifts of mountain snow. Just looking at the tiny paintings on the stamps made him think about the peals of laughter otters and twin otters made as they landed; they skis into a smooth expanse of virgin snow.
Clicking buy, Jammer then let himself head over to Amazon to look at envelopes. As he scrolled, the old ranger smiled to himself, content with his purchase and his ability to be productive even as he was actively procrastinating.
de Havilland Canada DHC- 3 Otter: Along with the Beaver and Twin Otter, the Otter is considered to be one of the most versatile bush aircraft ever created. Sometimes called the one-ton truck of aviation, this aircraft plays an important role in delivering mail, medicines, and people to remote communities…particularly in the arctic. In order to complete its polar missions, this aircraft had either be fitted with wheels, floats, or skis. It also has the capability to be winterized to allow it to fly in some of the coldest air on planet earth, including the South Pole. A rugged bush aircraft, a few of them have been modified to allow them comfortably fly at or near the equator.
While Otters are no longer being built, they are still in active operation, where they often are used for small, rural airlines, for search and rescue, or sky diving. Because Otters are so durable and sought after relatively few have entered museums. If you would like to see one in person, your best bet is to head to your local skydiving spot and see if one is operating.