Late, late, late — it’s the 12th of September already and I’m just now getting around to the August license plate report. Long story (of course), but if I start telling it I might not finish before next month.

So — two good sightings in August: Idaho and Alabama, both of which usually show up before August. I’ll have to check previous years’ maps to be sure, but this is one of the better ones in recent memory, and while none of the holdouts are exactly common, they aren’t as rare as Mississippi, Hawaii, or North Dakota either.

However — and it’s a big however — the last four months of the year are generally one step above dead when it comes to the license plate game. But not too many years ago I did spot Nebraska about three days before New Year’s Eve, so I’m not about to give up. With North Dakota on the board, there’s actually a chance that I might fill the whole map in this year.

So if you’re on Martha’s Vineyard and you spot Alaska, South Dakota, Nebraska, or Kansas, text, PM, email, or phone me or leave a comment here. With this much at stake, I might drop what I’m doing and go looking.