Panyee, Thailand

A successful place generates a literature of its own, a corpus of stories that eventually get put to paper. Such is the case with the floating village of Panyee. Want to know how unique life is here? Read The Floating Field (2021) by Scott Riley, which is about how a group of boys, in the 1980s, built their own soccer field out on the waters of Phang Nga Bay. [2011]

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

The old windmill is the oldest landmark in Brisbane. It was reburbished in time for Australia's hundredth anniversary, but in the mid-1800s it was almost demolished because it was built by convict labor during the penal-colony era, which Australia was trying to live down at the time. As a backup to the wind, inmates powered the mill on a treadmill. [1988 and 2006]

Jeffersonville, Indiana, USA

And then there were four! According to ancient Greek science, four elements constituted the building blocks of the world: earth, air, fire, water. Which one of those ducklings has the personality of earth? of air? of fire? of water? As they learn to fly and take on personalities of their own, they will be the building blocks of future worlds! [2022]

Darmstadt, Indiana, USA

Another gift of God arrived today. Will his contribution to the world be in the arts or the sciences? If the arts, Nobel laureate in literature Bertrand Russell will be his role model. If the sciences, it will be seismologist Harry Fielding Reid who established that earthquakes result from slippage along geologic faults. Both were born on May 18. [2022]

Georgetown, Indiana, USA

The new year begins a week after Christmas. It should begin a week after Easter. And, if it began even later, in May for instance, all of nature's decorations would be ready for the celebration of new life. For some, though, the new year – the first year – will begin soon. [2022]

Winooski, Vermont, USA

In the 1970s, no one was impressed with a building just because it was over a hundred years old. In fact, the Winooski Block was lucky to have survived the urban renewal movement: The rest of the neighborhood was leveled. In the 1980s (see the cars!), the building was refurbished and now hosts stores on the ground level and 24 apartments upstairs. [1983]

Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA

If you are a high school senior, you know what the Ides of May means! It's time to take a break and enjoy the last few weeks of your high school career. Don't do anything that would jeopardize graduation, but do have some fun and break a few rules. [2021]