Best. August. Ever!
Which you might have surmised because here I am posting on the first of the month instead of waiting a week, or, in the case of June, almost a month.
I went back over the last 10 years of license plate maps. The August tallies ranged from a low of 0 in 2014 to a high of 4 in 2020. 1s and 2s were common.
In August 2022 I saw SEVEN, and that’s not even the best of it because one of them was NORTH DAKOTA. Two of the others were Alaska and Mississippi. These are big deals.
Interestingly enough, all three showed up in the parking areas that ring the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Ellen M. of Vineyard Haven gave me the heads-up on North Dakota and Mississippi, and I think I gave her a heads-up on Alaska. She reported North Dakota — with the accompanying photograph — on a Saturday, when the hospital is so relatively deserted that I rarely cruise through the parking lots, but on the following Saturday I swung through — and there it was, in almost the same place she’d seen it: around back.
The August roll call, in order:
- Idaho
- Delaware
- Alaska
- Iowa
- Louisiana
- North Dakota
- Mississippi
I spotted Louisiana through the hedge outside the Fine Fettle marijuana dispensary in West Tisbury — Tam and I were walking to the post office — and I think I saw long-overdue Delaware on Circuit Ave., which is also fertile ground for license-plate hunting. Not sure about Idaho or Iowa. I really should make a note where I find the less common plates and the late arrivals . . .
The total now stands at 45, with 6 left to go: Wyoming, Nebraska, Missouri, Arkansas, Alabama, and West Virginia. Usually things drop off sharply after July, but this record August showing gives me high hopes for the rest of the year.
By the way, I just learned that Paulo O. plays the game and the only one he’s missing is Kansas. So if you spot Kansas in Edgartown during regular work hours, call the register of deed’s office! I got Kansas at Kenny Belain’s garage when I was there to get inspected at the end of May, but I haven’t seen it since.
From the Seasonally Occupied Territories . . . 
I saw West Virginia on Main St VH this afternoon! Hope you catch it soon. We listened to the MVDems mtg this morning. Both my son Michael and I voted your primary picks, except we voted for Maura Healy. Thanks. I do listen to NPR but it is hard to sort through all the unknowns and sometimes I hear an interesting speaker but never catch their name. Hope you get some good officers for the Dems. Best, Ellen
Ellen T. MillerP. O. Box 4456Vineyard Haven, MA, 02568508-693-7846*************************************It’s time to put the “civil” back in civilization…
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Interesting that the only one we are both missing is Wyoming. I am missing north and central west states Idaho, Wash state, SD, Utah, Hawaii, while you are missing more south central and eastern states. Where does Paulo live that he has covered most of both regions?Kansas is definitely around. Saw on Circuit Ave. in OB and also smaller farthest back lot (on right) of hospital this past week.
Ellen T. MillerP. O. Box 4456Vineyard Haven, MA, 02568508-693-7846*************************************It’s time to put the “civil” back in civilization…
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Paulo is the register of deeds so he works in Edgartown. I don’t go to Edgartown often, but when I do, I usually find good stuff. Like South Dakota on the 4th of July!
I usually don’t think of Wyoming as a hard-to-find state, but it is. All the brouhaha about Liz Cheney losing her primary reminded me of how small its population is. IIRC it and Vermont are the two states that have fewer people than D.C. (which oughta be a state).
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