Campbelltown, Pennsylvania, USA

There goes the natural history of a forest somewhere in the Lebanon Valley of Pennsylvania. Don't you wish you could read those tree rings? That's another way of saying: Don't you wish you were a dendrochronologist? Geographers honor their work since they make it possible to understand the history of climate change. [2019]

Snow Hill, Maryland, USA

Here be two elves in the flesh. They may not work at the North Pole, but they do work at Snow Hill, and that can't be far away. Because of its name, we should give Snow Hill a pass on starting Christmas early. As for other places: Please let us celebrate Thanksgiving first! [2021]

New York, New York, USA

Manhattan's Garment District should really be called the Fashion District. Garment manufacturing has been experiencing a steady decline, but the concentration of the world's most favored labels continues to light up the neighborhood with sparks of new ideas for looking good. By whatever name, though, push carts and porters continue their traditional roles. [2018]

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]

London, England, UK

They sit on a Japanese throne in the middle of a globalized European city. Where do you think they are from? Clues: (1) physiognomy, (2) social class, (3) regional context. European communism collapsed about a decade before this photo was taken. [2003]

Amarillo, Texas, USA

Much of the world celebrates the first of May as Labour Day or Workers' Day. The United States does not, preferring instead the first Monday of September. In fact, even the idea of a day to celebrate labor, and the 8-hour work day, was a hard sell in the U.S., especially during an era when wealthy industrialists held almost total power. [2017]

New York, New York, USA

He has spent his life delivering fabric to the fashion merchants along 39th Street in New York City. It's the center of the Garment District and an important contributor to New York City's role as one of the world's fashion capitals. [2020]

Arkadelphia, Arkansas, USA

If A = geography, and B = haircut-ology, then A∩B = getting shod in different places around the world, a Geographically Yours hobby for most of the 21st century, but systematically documented every December 30 only since 2014. So, here's to one barber in Arkansas who lowered my ears before 2014. [2012]

New York, New York, USA

If A = geography, and B = haircut-ology, then A∩B = getting shod in different places around the world, a Geographically Yours hobby for most of the 21st century, but systematically documented every December 30 only since 2014. So, here's to one Dominican barber on the Upper West Side who lowered my ears before 2014. [2012]

Wabash, Indiana, USA

Compact urban form and walkability: Commercial landscapes like this started to take form in the 1880s and flourished until the 1920s. Then followed fifteen years of depression and war. After that, the automobile put many Main Street enterprises out of business: but not this one! The Eagles Theater survives and is undergoing renovation. [2019]

McGregor, Iowa, USA

Compact urban form and walkability: The Barron Block is being refurbished, but the old storefronts are being retained. A building like this was like a contract between the investor and the community. And, like a contract, it was always signed and dated. See the name and date at the top? As if it were the last thing added: just like a contract. [2019]

Jamestown, Rhode Island, USA

Shore Road on Jamestown Island is blocked off so that one of the bay-view homesteads can receive some new evergreens. Green is so prestigious. [2019]

Washington, DC, USA

Work hard. But not today! It's Labor Day, which means we are not supposed to labor. Go figure! It's the last day of our three-day weekend and the last day of summer. Pay no attention to the astronomers who have inexplicably conflated two ideas: the autumnal equinox and the first day of fall. Fall begins tomorrow! [2013]

New York, New York, USA

Filling in the potholes: Isn't that what we all spend our lives doing? The highway of life runs smooth for a while, then we see a rough spot ahead and hope it is not a pothole large enough to swallow us up. If it is, we get out the shovel and try to fill it in before we cross. Or do we navigate our way around it and say a prayer for the next person coming by? [2018]

Key West, Florida, USA

"Something is going to change!" Whenever you see the surveyors plying their craft, you know they are drawing the line between yesterday and tomorrow. Yesterday: Memorial Day. Tomorrow: Labor Day, a day to honor workers like this. In between: three months of summer, a season when "something is going to change!" [2018]

Narragansett, Rhode Island, USA

Galilee is the largest fishing port in Rhode Island. The boats bring their fresh catch to the docks, where pierside workers start the process that will take all flavor of seafood to restaurants and groceries around the state and country. Yes, a lot goes to China, too! [2019]

Bucharest, Romania

What is May 1? (a) May Day, (b) National Chocolate Parfait Day, (c) International Workers's Day, (d) Save the Rhino Day, (e) all of the above. The answer from most Americans would be a; the answer from the bus driver here would be c, but the answer from Geographically Yours would be e. [2014]

Tbilisi, Georgia

Bolstered by its Christian roots, the Georgian alphabet has survived for almost a millennium and has become a bulwark of Georgian nationalism. With only 4 million speakers, though, think of the pressures to adopt something more widespread. For the Soviet-era seat warmers it was the Cyrillic alphabet, and for the post-Soviet youngling it is the Roman alphabet. [2015]

New York, New York, USA

What are the world's most important currencies? In order: the dollar, the euro, the yen, and the pound sterling. Can you match them up with their home countries and symbols? You might be surprised to find that the next two are the Canadian dollar and the Swiss franc. [2018]

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

This be Boston. If you haven't noticed, the last week of posts has honored B cities and their inhabitants: Bath, Bursa, Brașov, Brussels, Battambong, Bandung, Belize, and now Boston. And, what preceded the beta cities? An alpha city, of course: Amsterdam. That's how we get ready for the school year. We practice our alphabet. [2008]