Helena, Montana, USA

In the background: Helena's history. In the foreground: Helena's future. The former: motionless and without life. The latter: high energy and on the move. Yet, the past as portrayed on the wall seems to offer many windows and platforms from which to watch the future take form. [2020]

South Bethany, Delaware, USA

On the other side of that dune is the Atlantic Ocean. In order to protect the nearby Delaware Bay from enemy attack during World War II, over a dozen observation towers were built along the coast between Cape May, New Jersey, and Fenwick Island, Delaware. This is Tower #3, soon to be a magnet for coastal tourism. [2021]

Hatteras Village, North Carolina, USA

Kayaks for rent, but not this time of year. They are on their winter break, and their only duty is to pretty-up a fabled island on the Outer Banks, an island where it is difficult to find anything open in January and February. Why should kayak be one of your favorite words? Because it's a palindrome. [2019]

Steele, North Dakota, USA

Say hello to Sandy, world's largest sandhill crane. She may be the world's oldest, too, since she just reached her majority. Let's hope she's still of reproductive age since those houses on the horizon look like habitat destroyers on the move. The leading cause of species loss is habitat destruction, both here and everywhere. [2021]

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

It's only a few days into the New Year, and already our thoughts are turning to spring. Keep that rain coming: The gloomier the weather in January, the bloomier the colors in May. [2021]

Apple Valley, Utah, USA

Cattle Valley might be a more appropriate name than Apple Valley. And, were it not for that water pump windmill (or "wind engine"), even cattle could not live in southern Utah. Scenes like this are seen all over the intermountain West where watering holes must be engineered to keep the ranching economy afloat. [2019]

Greenmount, Pennsylvania, USA

Eating pork and sauerkraut (with mashed potatoes) on New Year's Day will bring you luck in the year ahead. Just ask anybody from Pennsylvania Dutch country. What will they will be serving on July 1? Chicken Corn Soup, another Pennsylvania Dutch tradition. By the way, don't call us Pennsylvania Germans. We are Pennsylvania Dutch! [2021]