In the Mail

Blue hour, mail collage, dual sunsets

* May’s Savor of the Month prompt: Flaws. Be attentive to “flaws” (defined by you) that you notice as you move through the world this month. Read more here; share your findings and explore others’ here.

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Photo by Bobbie G

Usually when I dip into reader mail it’s to highlight the physical mail you’ve sent — and there’s some of that below. But today I also want to share some digital feedback. First, the picture above and email from dear friend of TAoN Bobbie G:

I came across something recently that I thought might be good for your newsletter. I was trying to find the name for the sunbeams you see after sunset (crepuscular rays, btw), and one of the things I learned was that there’s a name for the hour after sunset (and the hour before sunrise): the blue hour. Maybe everyone knows about the blue hour, but I’d never heard of it, and now I have a new appreciation for it.

I was not familiar with this either! Here’s a bit from Wikipedia:

The blue hour (from French l'heure bleue) is the period of twilight (in the dawn or dusk, around the nautical stage) when the sun is at a significant depth below the horizon. During this time, the remaining sunlight takes on a mostly blue shade. This shade differs from the color of the sky on a clear day. …

Here’s a Google Image search result:

“Blue Hour,” Google Image search by Rob Walker, May 13, 2026

Bobbie adds: “Apparently it’s not even an hour long (more like 20 minutes) but I’ve definitely been paying more attention to the pretty blue hues, and I’m inspired to take more photos during that time of day. 💙”

Would this be a good savor topic?

THANK YOU Bobbie, and bonus points for crepuscular rays ;)

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The next bit of useful feedback also came in digital form, but is about physical mail. In a comment, valued reader Lynn Mason explained that she has long sent postcards to friends and family while traveling, but sometimes found hunting for the right card exhausting.

“A couple of years ago, I bought BLANK postcards to take on our travels,” she continued. She basically uses one side to make a collage, constructed of things picked up along the way — “like cutouts from a museum brochure or a music festival. Something reflective of what we have done on our travels.” (And yes she carries appropriate tools, and stamps.)

What a cool idea! And I bet the recipients love it. Thanks, Lynn!

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Now to the physical mail: I absolutely love this zine from valued reader Kim Cofield, in Australia — her first zine!