Newport, Kentucky, USA

Joy to the world of Newport, with one wall devoted to promoting the name of the town. Instead of pictorial icons, it establishes "on the levee" as the most place-defining characteristic of the town. As for the other wall, its purpose is entirely different. [2022]

Marion, North Carolina, USA

Few people were on the streets two years ago in Marion. Those who were wore masks. By that point in the Covid-19 epidemic, just five months in, more than 156,000 people in the United States had died of Covid-19. By January of 2021, five months in the future, the number of deaths had increased to almost 357,000. Now, it's over a million. [2020]

Marion, North Carolina, USA

Few people were on the streets two years ago in Marion. Those who were wore masks. Five months previously, only one person in the United States had died of Covid-19. When this picture was taken (exactly two years ago), the number nationwide was up to more than156,000. [2020]

New York, New York, USA

Covid Behaviors: Get tested. In big cities, testing stations were on the street. Most of us, however, took advantage of our local drug store's drive-thru. Eventually, though, self-test kits became available at stores and on-line. How many times did you get tested or test yourself? [2021]

Pierre, South Dakota, USA

Covid Behaviors: Eat in your car (maybe alone). "We are open." How surprising! Because you were closed for months. "Drive thru only." How unprecedented! Because your indoor dining room remained closed for the duration of peak Covid. [2021]

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Covid Behaviors: Wait outside. This scene was repeated on city streets everywhere. Cramped restaurant space was used to order take-away sustenance, but people waited for their order outside, where they shared sidewalk space with cycles and routine pedestrian flows. [2021]

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Covid Behaviors: Eat in the heat (because it's still a little cold). On Randolph Street in Chicago, every friend group had a "hot house," a patch of artificial turf, and a masked-up waiter to make the Covid era a little more tolerable. Once again, automobile space was turned over to the people. [2021]

St. Paul, Minnesota, USA

Covid Behaviors: Eat on the street. So many cities and towns turned at least some of their public streets into outdoor bistros. Everybody wanted to go somewhere but no one wanted to share indoor space with anybody but family. Outside many restaurants, therefore, automobile space was turned over to the people. [2021]

Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA

Covid Behaviors: Wear your mask. . . or this could be you! Let's hope the mask era is over permanently, but these skeletons remind us that over a million Americans lost their lives to Covid. That's more than any other country in the world, including the two countries that have a larger population than we do. What did we do wrong? [2021]

Lake Charles, Louisiana, USA

Covid Behaviors: Wear your mask. Most of us are no longer wearing masks except in the most crowded of places. But, we will always remember the years of ubiquitous reminders to Mask Up. On this city bus the driver wore his mask and his passengers had to, as well. [2022]

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

February is all about the number two, and 2/22 is a palindrome too! Every city has signs like this. Some organization ought to sponsor a Covid sign contest: What city has the most creative? the most empathetic? the most threatening? Maybe there should even be an award for the most generic. Be sure to see yesterday's post. [2021]

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

February is all about the number two, and 2/22 is a palindrome too! Let's hope somebody is archiving these signs for the Covid museum, or at least documenting them digitally. Here is one you could find only in Milwaukee. See how they have incorporated the city's name (airport code) into the message? Be sure to see tomorrow's post.[2021]
 

Warsaw, Virginia, USA

Could this be the second time in a row for the Grinch to steal Christmas. Last year Covid forced us to celebrate a low-octane holiday. This year clogged ports may prevent Santa from delivering the presents you want. You're a mean one Mr. Grinch. Maybe next year, the enchanted forest will keep you penned up in that tree. [2021]

New York, New York, USA

Covid-19 Testing: $0 Cost: Stations like this one are all over New York City. You can't get much cheaper or more convenient. Judging from the prevalence of masks, the people of New York seem to be taking the pandemic seriously. And, whether you're going to a Broadway show or to eat out, prepare to show your vaccination card. [2021]

Helena, Montana, USA

The rules for escaping the Corona virus were not as clear as the rules for checkmating your opponent's king in a chess match. One of the rules we tried to follow, however, was avoiding inside parties in favor of outside frivolities. Here's just one example, complete with masks, in Helena's Last Chance Gulch. [2020]

Hague, North Dakota, USA

North Dakota's state government takes the rules for surviving Covid seriously. South Dakota's state government flouts all the Covid rules, including mandates to wear masks. When the road from Pierre to Bismarck crosses the state line, North Dakota has erected a reminder that casts mask-wearing in a more favorable light. [2021]

Matthews, North Carolina, USA

The Matthews Farmers' Market is located in the old downtown and is open every Saturday all year (even during Covid). Cabbage and leafy greens are exactly what you would expect for a shopping trip in late November. What are the clues that Matthews has been embraced by the expanding suburbs of Charlotte? [2020] 

New Lexington, Ohio, USA

This year, the first day of spring (today!) feels more like New Year's Day. A new normalcy seems to be in sight as we have learned how to manage the great god Corona. Not completely, of course, at least not yet, but we can see some light at the end of the tunnel, and signs of new life are appearing all around us. [2017] 

Pearlington, Mississippi, USA

Fortunately, the Apollo 13 lunar lander is outside. So, even though the Infinity space center is closed by dictum of the great god Corona, you can still see a NASA antique. When it was located at the nearby Louisiana Welcome Center, though, it was even more visible. [2009]

Brodnax, Virginia, USA

To escape the reach of the great god Corona, everyone is social distancing. But it is not appropriate in all circumstances, as the RZUA Church wants you to know. RZUA? Reformed Zion Union Apostolic. It's a pentecostal church that dates back to 1869, and here it is in its home territory. [2020]