Boykins, Virginia, USA

 

On the eve of All Saints' Day, many families have let their demons soar (see the ghosts?) and slumber (see the grave?). Passing souls stop and gawk, but no one wants that black cat to cross their path. Happy Halloween! [2015]

St. George, Utah, USA

 

Biggest Spider:  Here is a monster arachnid who has taken over the whole town. You can do him no harm because he is wearing a coat of armor, one made of Utah license plates (see them?). Alas, he was captured and moved off Main Street to become the front man for a pest control company! [2019]

Denver, Colorado, USA

 Bigger Spider: Let's hope a spider this big doesn't invade your home this Halloween season. As colorful as a trick-or-treater, he is. Or, as colorful as a peacock. Or, maybe, a black widow dressed up as a peacock spider for trick-or-treating. Maybe he will show up at your door! [2019]

Swanton, Vermont, USA

 
Big Spider: It's fall, so you are probably seeing spiders under the eaves, all over the house, and in lots of places where they don't belong. According to the web master on the wall of this house, it's because she and her cohort are making end-of-life decisions about where they can lay their eggs. [2011]

Taipei, Taiwan

People of Taipei: Holding themselves aloof from the world, mendicant monks in Buddhism depend on alms to survive. As he prays (not really an analog of Judeo-Christian prayers), passing pedestrians drop alms into his bowl. He shares the offerings with his order, but only clothing, food, shelter, and medicine are purchased. [2011]

Taipei, Taiwan

 
People of Taipei: Taiwan has the highest scooter-ownership rate in the world. Come rain or shine, they are on the streets of Taipei jockeying with full-size cars and winning the battle to get 'there' first. The proud tiddlers maneuver between lanes of traffic, bunch themselves into a mob at the front of the pack, and patch out as soon as the light changes. [2011]

Taipei, Taiwan

 
People of Taipei: Wearing a mask on the streets of East Asia has been acceptable for at least a century. But why was the street demonstrator here the only one to don a mask? Perhaps he was not feeling well and didn't want to spread a potential disease to others. Considerate of him, wasn't it? [2012]

London, England, UK

People of London: Some come on foot, some on bikes. All come for fresh breads and pastries, and take a stab at making the earth (in this case North London) a little greener. Everything on sale is totally organic. [2009]

London, England, UK

People of London: Because it is a first-order world city (like New York), London attracts residents from all over the world. With them, immigrants bring cultural traditions that expand the palette (or palate) of choice for everyone in the city, in this case for everyone in Spitalfields. Do you recognize the fruit and the pan-African colors? [2003]

London, England, UK

People of London: Stanfords remains in Covent Gardens but it has closed its flagship store on Long Acre. Still, it remains the world's largest map and travel book retailer. "Explore Discover Inspire": That's what it says over the entry portal, but it looks like these two are already inspired even though they haven't yet gone in. [2009]

Glasgow, Scotland, UK

Elephants are herd animals that do poorly in isolation. So, you better feel especially sorry for this one: He has no drinking buddies. Why? Because nobody wants to discuss the elephant in the room with him. [2017]

Tucson, Arizona, USA

In the Low Latitudes of the Western Hemisphere you might see a Baird's tapir. The Low Latitudes extend from 30 degrees N to 30 degrees S. Like so many other mammals, though, you better go see it now. It's classified as Vulnerable because of widespread poaching and habitat loss. [2018]

Ashboro, North Carolina, USA

In the Middle Latitudes of the Western Hemisphere you might see a plains bison. The Middle Latitudes extend from 30 degrees N to 60 degrees N, and from 30 degrees S to 60 degrees S. The plains bison, however, lives only in the Northern Hemisphere, and its range is microscopic compared to only a hundred years ago. [2019]

Columbia, South Carolina, USA

In the High Latitudes of the Western Hemisphere you might see a sea lion. The High Latitudes extend from 60 degrees N to 90 degrees N, and from 60 degrees S to 90 degrees S. If your pinniped sighting is not in the High Latitudes, you are probably looking at a coastline affected by an offshore cold current.[2020]

Clancy, Montana, USA

 

You might think of Country Coffee as a private business, but it is also a public service: a filling station of sorts, a place where you can fill up on caffeine before the daily commute to Helena begins. [2020]

Clovis, New Mexico, USA

In Clovis, the world is within your grasp. Most global sculptures are located downtown. This one, however, is located on the main drag out of town. Do you like the way the American flag (the size of a continent) flutters imperially above the the whole world? [2018]

Chappell, Nebraska, USA

Some advice from Geographically Yours: World globes make great monuments for small towns with big dreams, but please make sure they reflect the 23.5 degree tilt of the earth on its axis. We learn things from public art: Let's make sure what we learn is accurate geographically. [2019]

Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

The technological revolution that began with Alexander Graham Bell's (see him?) telephone and transAtlantic cables has been honored in Charlotte with a memorial outside the AT&T building. Positive impact? Good ideas now have an easier time spreading globally. Negative impact? Bad ideas now have an easier time spreading globally. [1996]

Glen Rock, Pennsylvania, USA

American Gun Culture ~ Exhibit F:  Your hometown shooting range is also "your second amendment connection." Where is Glen Rock's Freedom Armory located? On Second Amendment Drive. So often, the American landscape reflects the values that are nearest and dearest to our hearts. Right? [2006]

Murfreesboro, Arkansas, USA

 

American Gun Culture ~ Exhibit E: Holding true to family values means having children and slinging guns. Not only have these parents commissioned an etching of the Weatherby Mark V on their departed son's headstone, they named the boy after the bolt-action rifle. [2012]

Birmingham, Alabama, USA

American Gun Culture ~ Exhibit D: Billboards like this show up in every state. Attending a gun show is what patriotic Americans do. Need proof? The message is in red, white and blue, just like the Stars and Stripes. On the other hand, this is Alabama, so maybe it's just like the Stars and Bars of the old Confederacy. [2018]

Bainbridge, Pennsylvania, USA

American Gun Culture ~ Exhibit C: Perhaps you are experiencing a little cognitive dissonance. First, this homeowner on behalf of the township welcomes you warmly. Then, this homeowner on behalf of the township threatens your life if you don't behave yourself. [2015]

Julesburg, Colorado, USA

 

American Gun Culture ~ Exhibit B: The gun-slinging 'Old West" lives on in rural Colorado! It even serves as an attractive decoration for your home: "We Don't Dial 911." [2019]

Camp Verde, Arizona, USA

 

American Gun Culture ~ Exhibit A: The American landscape is replete with evidence of our love affair with firearms. Since 2010, the old Camp Verde jail has been a tourist attraction, and nothing attracts more attention than a gun. Made you look, didn't it? Guns and jails at least have a longstanding relationship with each other. [2019]

Flint, Michigan, USA

 

Past, present, and future are all part of Flint's marquee. Past: The city must have been founded or incorporated in 1855. Present: The digital screen allows passers-by to keep up with changing events and reminds them of their cell phones. Future: The foreword-thrust script suggests the city is flowing gracefully into a rosy future world yet to come. [2018]

Jamestown, Rhode Island, USA

 

The Beavertail Lighthouse and the Absecon Lighthouse were first illuminated within months of each other, but one conformed to the common cylindrical shape and the other was built as a rectangular prism. Which one represents the better design? To answer that question, compare air flow (as in storm-force winds) around each shape. [2019]

Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA

 

All cities look for a way to put their signatures on the landscape. A wave-like script helps if you are on the coast, but the key to getting recognition is the ability to play up anything unique. Atlantic City's tall-and-proud Absecon Lighthouse fits the bill perfectly. [2016]

Biloxi, Mississippi, USA

 

Biloxi calls its historic lighthouse a "post-Katrina symbol of the city's resolve and resilience." It has survived since it was built in 1848, most recently standing up to the storm surge and pounding waves of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. What a difference 15 years makes! [2020]

Marion, North Carolina, USA

 

When "Black Lives Matter" starts showing up on Main Street marquees in rural North Carolina, you know the train has pulled out of the station. Hope you didn't miss it! 'Cause change is coming. [2020]

Boise, Idaho, USA

 

"Wear a Mask": It takes so little effort. Why not think about the greater good? Why not think about the welfare of your neighbor, not just yourself? Plus, if you think about what you are doing, you will soon discern when you can take it off and go mask-less without threatening anybody. But it will take cognitive abilities that the anti-maskers do not have. [2020]

Dillon, Montana, USA

 

It is time to elect a President who will make us proud to be Americans again. The one we have now is an embarrassment. He lies, humiliates, bullies, blabs, and bullshits. That became even clearer after this week's painful-to-watch debate. Please: Make America Proud Again. Elect Democrats up and down the ticket. [2020]