Binghampton, New York, USA

Even the red footed tortoise is going to make it across the finish line this year. He may have gotten a little off track, but he never took his eyes off the goal. Looks like he might even have a friend to party with tonight: New Year's Eve. Be safe! [2017]

Colon, Panama

In 2017, I got shod in Colon, Pensacola, and Havana; in Oranjestad, Aruba, and Enterprise, Alabama; in Warsaw (the one in Virginia), Bernalillo (outskirts of Albuquerque), and La Laguna (on the island of Tenerife); in Virginia Beach (by the youngest barber ever) and Spencer, Indiana. There's no better souvenir than a haircut! [2017]

Zanesville, Ohio, USA

What would you expect from the Clay Capital of the World? Outsized vases that recall Zanesville's golden age, of course. The clay canvasses are all the same, but the decorations are different. Which one do you like best? The covered bridge, of course. [2013]

Seymour, Indiana, USA

There's that new wood that had to be ordered because the original shipment was too green, badly cracked, and bowed. And there's that master carpenter who came out of retirement and down from Michigan to give the Shieldstown Bridge a new lease on life. There really ought to be a monument to all the skilled laborers who did the restoration work. [2017]

Seymour, Indiana, USA

Once that roof is replaced, the Shieldstown Covered Bridge should be good for the next century and a half. It was built in 1876. Wouldn't it be amazing if it were still here in 2176? Thanks to the crew, I now have a handful of nails that were used to put on the original roof. 😄 [2017]

Seymour, Indiana, USA

Work started on the Shieldstown Covered Bridge four years ago and then stalled. But now, it's back on track and expected to be finished by fall 2018. For some of us who have been following the disappearance of covered bridges over the past half century, it's hard to believe that over a million dollars could be found for a restoration project like this. [2017]

Lexington, Kentucky, USA

Merry Christmas! According to the Book of Common Prayer: "It's the birthday of Christ, commonly called Christmas Day." The oldest name for the holiday, though, is The Festival of Lights, in commemoration of the angels who lit up the night sky. See one here? [2017]

Callao, Virginia, USA

The real Santa Claus was a flesh-and-blood human being with human needs. He was born in the village of Petara on the southern coast of Asia Minor, which is now Turkey. He became known for his generosity to those in need and for his love of children. On this fourth Sunday of Advent, let's remember St. Nicholas as a role model for Christians everywhere. [2016]

Winterset, Iowa, and New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Old ideas never die. They just get re-purposed. Fifty years ago, the outhouse had already been relegated to memories of growing up in the old days. Now, almost everyone has used a cleverly-named Johnny Pot or one of his cousins. If you have memories of an outhouse you used at home, church or school, add them to the comment section below! [2004, 2011]

Toledo, Illinois, USA

The low-sun season is here. For humans, it's SAD because it brings on seasonal affective disorder. But for snowmen (and, presumably, ersatz snowmen), the lower the sun on the horizon and the shorter the days, the more they smile. How many different uses can you think of for old tires? [2017]

Lisbon, Portugal

At 4:28 pm GMT today, just as the sun is setting over Lisbon, the winter train will pull into the Gare do Oriente, Portugal's busiest (and prettiest) station. It's the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. [2009]

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

It's official. The President of the United States has signed the new tax law. Who benefits? The richest 1% of the population will get 83% of the tax tax breaks, with a few crumbs (in the form of temporary tax cuts) thrown to the remaining 99%. The Occupy Movement saw it all coming. [2011]

Glasgow, Scotland, UK

Take a seat under the grass. Here in Glasgow, where green is becoming the color of urban life, it's possible. Maybe not a new idea, though: Just think of those ivy-covered walls that used to proliferate in center cities (and university campuses). What's the purpose of the solar panel? [2017]

Singapore, Republic of Singapore

Yeasty shell and porky fill.
Steam them till they fit the bill.
Feeling ill? They're like a pill.
Eat them till their number's nil.
From the dumplings: Much good will.
[2011]

Victoria, Gozo, Malta

Roman Catholic churches all over Malta are hearing these words (in Maltese) on this third Sunday of Advent: "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Let your forbearance be known to all, for the Lord is near at hand; have no anxiety about anything, but in all things by prayer and supplication, with Thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God." [2009]

Der Ezor, Syria

When Raqqa (made ISIS capital in 2014) fell in October, Islamic State's locus of power shifted to Der Ezor, another city on the Euphrates. In early November, however, ISIS forces were routed from Der Ezor. Lest you think Syria is returning to normal, remember that Der Ezor is back in the hands of the government, but Raqqa is now under Kurdish control. [1993]

Riga, Latvia

Every year, about this time, the Library of Congress adds another 25 films to the National Film Registry. It includes the most culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant films of all time. Guess what 1997 film, popular all over the world, was just added to the list. [2003]

Marrakech, Morocco

Think ancient history is irrelevant? Tell that to these girls on Jma El Fina in Marrakech. They just got their hands adorned with henna, continuing an artform that goes back to the Bronze Age. Henna is a dye made from the leaves of the henna shrub. [2017]

Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Why do we turn fountains off in the winter? They should use sleet as their inspiration. Keep the water above freezing while in the ducts, spray it high into the air, and let the droplets freeze on the way down. The sound effects might be just as cool as the visuals. [2011]

Battambang, Cambodia

It seems like cockles are for sale in every Cambodian market. They may be turned into street food (sometimes raw) or a meal. Can you see why these bivalves, found and farmed throughout coastal Asia, are called blood cockles? In fact, they do contain a hemoglobin liquid. But, alas, they are not true cockles (like they have in Europe). [2016]

Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

A yarn bomb (and many more like it) has been dropped on Edinburgh: "Leith says No to Trams". An Edinburgh tram line extension to Leith has long been on the agenda, but apparently some in Leith oppose the idea. Do you think opponents are the come-here gentry or the born-here locals? [2017]

Ironton, Ohio, USA

In Methodist Churches all across the land, advent wreaths will be a central part of worship today as thousands of congregants utter these words: "On this second Sunday of Advent, we light this candle to remind us that the God of Creation calls us home to love all that we meet." [2017]

Guilford, Connecticut, USA

"Tis the season for the Town Forester to inspect all the trees on the village green. It's easier in the winter when you don't have all that foliage blocking your view. A light trim, if not a full pruning, is likely to be in order. [2008]

Wallingford, Kentucky, USA

Pluto abducted Proserpine and carried her off to the underworld. Her mother, Ceres, demanded her return. Because Proserpine had eaten from Pluto's larder, however, she could not return permanently. During those months when she is with Pluto, her mother protests by bringing on the winter. Ceres is, after all, the goddess of agriculture. [2017]

Hutto, Texas, USA

The town is named Hutto. The town's mascot is the hippo. Whatever story you believe about how the Hutto Hippo came to perform in the center ring of this small Texas whistle stop, you can be sure alliteration and rhyming had something to do with it. Stop by to see the famed fiberglass river horse before he meanders off to Cottonwood Creek. [2015]

Manitowoc, Wisconsin, USA

Cedar Crest is both a dairy and a cow, and it's just one more example of what roadside America has to offer motorists who get off the Interstates and start meandering around the country's "blue highways." [1995]

Flanders, New York, USA

The Big Duck on Long Island epitomizes what we mean by "roadside America."  It survives as one of the many supersized buildings, signs, and statues designed to do nothing but attract attention in the first half of the 20th century. Built in the 1930s, the Big Duck was an effort to make motorists take a roadside gander at the owner's duck farm. [1984]

Jefferson, West Virginia, USA

Here's just one of the vessels in the Great Kanawaha Navy. She's preparing to be locked down for the winter, but the speed-by boaters are pretending its spring. On the placid water downstream from Charleston is one of the largest collections of sternwheelers in the nation. The Juanita goes back to 1954. [2017]

Singapore, Republic of Singapore

For Western Christians, Advent (and the liturgical year) begins today, the fourth Sunday before Christmas. It's time to "Go. Spend time on what is truly rewarding. God's Word. Don't live life without it." As for "treasures in heaven": Our debts will be forgiven. So unlike those earthly credit cards! [2011]

Bandung, Java, indonesia

The puppets here, called wayang golek by the islanders, are elements of West Javanese folk culture. Get the kids hooked on puppet theater early and hope that their devotion to the art sticks with them through adulthood. That is the role of the arts in nation-building. Can you think of any other cultures that have inherited a strong tradition of puppetry? [2016]

Oranjestad, Aruba

Probably more people in Aruba than in the United States know that today is World AIDS Day. Little countries know their well-being is determined by international forces. Americans seem to think they alone are in control. In fact, AIDS has practically slipped off the radar screen in the U.S. Perhaps the American landscape needs some red ribbons. [2017]

Panama City, Panama

The present encroaches upon the past. On the other hand, just think of how many more people can see the remains of Panama La Vieja through all those sky-scraping windows. Do you think they ever think of Henry Morgan sacking the city in 1671? He used this bridge which led to the western gate of the original city.  [2017]

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico

If your name is Lucas, this is your cape, and these are your guardian pelicans. If your name is Lucas and this is your birthday, then you must be two years old and ready to start seeing the world. South from here, though, you won't find another morsel of land until you reach Antarctica with its guardian penguins! [2016]

Aroumd, Morocco

You can't see the path, but the mule can! As for his master, he seems to be completely secure in the knowledge that his beloved pack animal will not tumble downslope and send him rolling into a hospital. Have you ever seen anyone ride a horse in a position like this? [2017]

Swanzey, New Hampshire, USA

The Carlton Bridge is in a particularly bridge-rich area of New England with residents who recognize the value of cultural patrimony. In 1993, the townfolk made sure the Carlton Bridge did not continue downspiraling into oblivion. Later that decade the bridge was completely rebuilt. [1993]

Carlisle, Pennsylvania, USA

Watt's Bridge was among the last in Cumberland County when it fell victim to an arsonist. Unfortunately, the county in 1970 did not recognize the value of it cultural patrimony, so the remains of the bridge were simply piled up by the side of the Conodoguinet, where they remained for a decade. A county that once had dozens of covered bridges now has one. [1970]

Thurmont, Maryland, USA

Loy's Station Covered Bridge was built in 1848 and stood for almost a century and a half. Then, in 1991, an arsonist set it ablaze. Because Frederick County recognized the value of its cultural patrimony (and the value of Loy's Station Park), the old wooden bridge was rebuilt to look again as it looked circa 1930. [1994]

Yanceyville, North Carolina, USA

Since yesterday was a day for saying "Thank You," today must be "You're Welcome Day." In this case, you are welcome to Yanceyville, a place of tradition with vision. Does your town or city have a welcome sign or banner? If not, you might pick up some ideas from Geographically Yours Welcome. [2015]

New Cumberland, Pennsylvania, USA

It's both Thanksgiving and the 100th anniversary of my father's birth. Happy Birthday, dad. Here's one of your oil paintings that has survived: Baughman Memorial Methodist Church, the very place Geographically Yours was baptized so many decades ago. [1948]

Amarillo, Texas, USA

Do you believe in zoos? One hundred years ago, bison from the Bronx Zoo were reintroduced to their native habitat in Oklahoma, the first successful reintroduction of a mammal species in U.S. history. At the time, the species was on the verge of extinction. Thanks to the nation's zoos, we now have bison and many more species back in their homes. [2017]

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

With The Lion King, warthogs entered the pantheon of popular culture. Before that, they were just crusty old pigs with warts (six in number), tusks (2 in number), and and an appetite for anything organic (plant or animal) they could dig out of the soil. Now, they are sought out by kids of all ages and almost as popular as the meerkats. [2014]

Clovis, New Mexico, USA

Barbary Sheep are from the Barbary coast of North Africa, where they have practically died out. Fortunately, they have been introduced to other regions of the dry world, where they now thrive. According to the placard at Hillcrest Park Zoo, their indigenous name is 'aoudad,' which sounds very Berber. [2016]

Ballintoy, Northern Ireland, UK

The state's official name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Ballintoy is located on the island of Ireland, part of which, Northern Ireland, is one of the United Kingdom's four constituent countries. Before Irish independence in 1921, the official name of the country was the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. [2009]

Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

The state's official name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Edinburgh is located in Scotland, which is one of three countries that comprise the island of Great Britain. Scotland was a kingdom of its own before 1707 when the Acts of Union created a United Kingdom. In the late 1990s, Scotland reconstituted its own parliament. [2017]

Cardiff, Wales. UK

The state's official name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Cardiff is located in Wales, which is one of three countries that comprise the island of Great Britain. Wales was absorbed by the Kingdom of England in 1535. After a referendum in 1997, Wales regained self-governing powers, including over its own language and university. [2015]

Manchester, England, UK

The state's official name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Manchester is located in England, which is one of three countries that comprise the island of Great Britain. England was a full-fledged kingdom of its own before 1707 when the Acts of Union created a United Kingdom. [2004]

Rio San Juan, Dominican Republic

At rest. The sea is calm, the boats at anchor, the waves in abeyance, and the sands awash. It's not always so peaceful, though. Just imagine what the coast will look like the next time a hurricane comes through. Coastlines are just like people: subject to moodiness (often beyond their control). [1992]

Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Telamons: using their heads, shoulders, and arms. Since they have no legs, you can be assured they will never abandon their posts! Never! Even though both ancient Greece and Rome inspired the birth of modernity, telamons are usually Greek in lineage. More skin = more Greek! [2011]

Piraeus, Greece

Telamons: male figures that serve as columns. Since these four are in the heart of Greece, however, we ought to call them by their Greek name: atlantes, the singular of which is atlas. Remember Atlas? From his perch in the far west, he supported the whole sky on his shoulders (though he is usually pictured as holding up the spherical earth). [2006]

Glasgow, Scotland, UK

Telamons: male counterparts of caryatids. But, in the case of columns, there were working women before there were working men. Both, however, remind us that the Renaissance continued for centuries. Here is evidence of the worshipful reverence that nineteenth century architects had for ancient Greece and Rome. Even the garb is Greek. [2017]