Gulf Breeze, Florida, USA

If you live in Florida, you may spot some parakeets at your back-yard feeder. They are descendants of house pets which have been set loose and gone wild. Albeit invasive, at least parakeets are colorful and cute. The rest of the world calls them budgies, by the way. [2018]

Salisbury, Maryland, USA

It's the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Conversely, it is also the longest night of the year. That may make us unhappy, but if we were night herons, we would be ecstatic! Night herons find their prey and feed at night. They love the wetlands around the Chesapeake Bay. [2018]

The Everglades, Florida, USA

If today is your birthday, may you continue to strengthen your wings so that they will carry you to worlds unseen, lift you above the madness, and sharpen your vision of what lies ahead. In the words of poet William Blake (a fellow Sagittarian): "No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings." [2018]

Ocean City, Maryland, USA

Fall comes to the Delmarva Peninsula. Today, in fact, only the third day of fall, the temperatures betray the season. The low-sun season is just beginning, but already there is no mistaking autumn for the summer left behind. Do you think the birds have already closed up their summer homes and headed south? [2020]

Annapolis, Maryland, USA

In posh Annapolis, goofy-looking chicken sculptures are completely unexpected. Maybe that is why they have been so popular. It seems their creator was inspired by an inane public debate over whether people would be allowed to raise chickens in their back yards. It went on for over a year. So, which came first, the chicken or the egg? [2018]

Santa Monica, California, USA

Shouldn't sea gulls be white? This one is probably a youngling who hasn't molted yet. What a view he must have and what stories he could tell if only he had a voice. Your assignment: Add a caption bubble and give him something wise to say. [2020]

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Here is some art in the heart of Minneapolis:

If you do not not climb and do not touch,

the cock on top will thank you very much.

If you choose to climb and choose to touch,

the cock on top will make you need a crutch.

[2021]

Mandai, Republic of Singapore

February is all about the number two, and 2/22 is a palindrome too! What do we put in bottles? Let's hope it is not anything alive. "Yellow-crested cockatoos are poached for the illegal pet trade. Stuffed into plastic bottles and smuggled. 2 out of 5 don't survive." That's one of many things you can learn  by visiting a zoo! Be sure to see yesterday's post. [2016]

Steele, North Dakota, USA

Say hello to Sandy, world's largest sandhill crane. She may be the world's oldest, too, since she just reached her majority. Let's hope she's still of reproductive age since those houses on the horizon look like habitat destroyers on the move. The leading cause of species loss is habitat destruction, both here and everywhere. [2021]

Rhyolite, Nevada, USA

Imaginary friends:

   Treat us so nice,

   Give us advice,

   Keep wise words concise.

   Require no sacrifice.

Imaginary friends:

   In our minds must they stay,

   Or, at least far away.

   Lest our real friends do say

   "Don't be cray-cray!"

[2016]

Fuheis, Jordan

Markets in the Euro-American world don't typically offer hens for sale. Yet, only a century ago even town dwellers had a few chickens in the back yard so they could have fresh eggs in large quantities and chicken soup now and then. For Americans, seeing what's available in Middle Eastern suqs is a bit like turning the clock back a hundred years. [2001]

THE BACKSTORY ~ Posted on the 12th Anniversary of Geographically Yours, 4 August 2022: Amazing how few pictures of Jordan have been posted on Geographically Yours! Amazing because I lived there for three months in 2001 (still looking for the pictures I took). I was a visiting scholar at the American Center of Oriental Research in Amman. My project was on the Christian population of Jordan. Every day, I would return to the library at ACOR and type up my field notes for the day. These are from March 16, 2001: “Passed up the Friends of Archaeology Tour to go to Fuheis. The mini-bus there costs only 150 fils. Fuheis is not far, just on the other side of the ridge from Suweillah. It is a Christian village. From several sources I have now heard that Muslims do not own property in Fuheis, although they live there. There seems to be a ‘conspiracy’ among the Christians to keep the town totally Christian. I am told there is a mosque, but I did not see it. You arrive in the square (a roundabout with a statue of St. George) in the middle of the village. There is a toy/trinket store, a grocery, a lunch take-away (where they gave me a free bottle of Coke), and a liquor store (yes, it sells arak along with many other liquors; you can tell it is a Christian place; and it’s not the only one in town). In the trinket store, I met the owner, Riad Jreisat and his two sons, both of whom were born in the United States. I took a picture of him and his son Ali (a Christian name?) and promised to send him a copy. The Christians in town are of three churches: Latine [essentially Roman Catholic], Roum Orthodox [Greek Orthodox], and Roum Catholic [Greek Catholic]. The medinah churches are the Latine and Orthodox churches. I took a look inside the Orthodox church, splendidly colorful icons and usual iconostasis; cruciform in shape. There must have been choir practice at the Latine Church; I could hear singing when I went by. The Greek Catholic Church is apparently upslope; I did not see it. Took a picture of the wadi, fed by a powerful, gushing spring, now channeled in concrete. Flat bottom with a small trickle of water along the side, but it must fill up in wetter weather. Trees were planted on the flat bottom land. There was a wire mesh over the stream but I could not find out why. Along the watercourse, you could see the remains of the Ottoman buildings, many of which were no longer being used. There are new houses on every vantage point all around town: suburban sprawl. I met a young man from Iraq, a village near Mosul. He was Chaldean Christian and his home village was all Christian. I think that is why he took up residence in Fuheis. The Iraqi Christians are trying to get to the US, Canada, Australia, or Denmark. They do not see themselves as permanent residents of Fuheis. The Chaldeans worship in the Latine Church – because they are catholic.  He pointed out some passing young woman who he said would be going to Canada. They need money to get into these countries though, or a sponsor. Someone told me that Jordan would only have them for 6 months. There are 50-60 Iraqi Christians in Fuheis.” D.J.Z.

Colonial Beach, Virginia, USA

Loveworks Connect: She loves you, hopefully more than she loves those flip-flops. Yeah yeah, yeah. On this date in 1964, the Beatles performed live on the Ed Sullivan Show, and "She Loves You," was on the setlist. As for the cart on the waterfront: It transforms into a yellow submarine. [2017]

Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

Re-gilding the eagle begins tomorrow. Let's hope the last four years of lies, hate, perfidy, and sedition are an aberration in American history. And, let's remember that re-gilding begins at home, with each and every one of us. This American eagle watches over the Indiana state capitol. [2018]

Bucharest, Romania

♫ These Are a Few of My Favorite Things ♫ ~ Zoos: Flamingos, peacocks, penguins, and pelicans are centers of attention at almost every zoo. These Dalmatian Pelicans, vulnerable as a species, are among the largest birds alive. Put them on your must-see list for your next zoo visit. Geographically Yours has been to 48 zoos around the world. [2014]

Waterford, Connecticut, USA

Better check your mailbox today. You are likely to find some birthday cards wishing you a happy cinquième. But, you might find that Ginny has gotten there ahead of you: She probably thinks it is her birthday, too! [2018]

Tarkio, Missouri, USA

Whether you are trying to sell gasoline or chicken, it's all about attracting attention. Enter: fiberglass animals. The Sinclair brontosaurus may have started the trend, but Dino and Foghorn Leghorn by no means exhaust all the possibilities. Go to any city, and you you are likely to see horses, cows, and dogs with roots in the dinosaur age of the 1960s. [2019]

Concord, New Hampshire, USA

Here is some advice for anybody turning nine years old today: Avoid being like everybody else, and don't be afraid to be different! [2018]

Tucumcari, New Mexico, USA

Route 66, which passed through New Mexico, wasn't just a ribbon of macadam. It was a string of pearls, only some of which, like the Blue Swallow Motel, have survived, along with a few vintage cars. This one looks like a Packard. What do you think? [2018]

Omaha, Nebraska, USA

February is a young month, the 2nd of 12, and these 2 scarlet ibises are young birds. Their color will deepen as they get older and soon they will be indistinguishable from Valentine's Day hearts. In fact, soon they will be serving as ambassadors for American Heart Month. [2019]

Chesapeake, Virginia, USA

Would American Thanksgiving be celebrated differently if Ben Franklin had acted upon his fondness for the turkey: "For my own part I wish the bald eagle had not been chosen as the representative of our country." The turkey, on the other hand, was seen by Franklin as a bird of courage. [2019]