On my vest, there is a patch of the United States (and a bit of Canada). Up until our trip to Indiana, I have only been able to color in 5 states; Maine, NH, MA, Vermont and NY. The patch almost looked like it was bare.
However, with the additional states from the Indiana trip filled in, it actually looks like I've been somewhere!
I'll bite. How do you fill in the colors?
Posted by: Cop Car | July 16, 2012 at 10:03 AM
Indelible markers (they also make markers for fabric). Either way, you have to be careful and not put the color on too thickly or it will bleed to other states.
Posted by: bogie | July 17, 2012 at 04:07 AM
Four colours are enough, as CC can tell you.
Seven if the patch covers a teapot ;-)
Posted by: Ole Phat Stu | July 17, 2012 at 05:24 AM
Stu--Thanks for the vote of confidence; but, Bogie would have come up with the answer faster than I would have. Without looking, I don't know what state adjoins the largest number of other states! (That's a piece of trivia not tracked within my cranium.)
Posted by: Cop Car | July 17, 2012 at 08:16 PM
Stu--Oh, phooey. I just figured out that you were going with the theorem that doesn't count corners. (Do I have time to list my four excuses for not having thought of that? It's been a long day.)
Posted by: Cop Car | July 17, 2012 at 08:19 PM
One color is enough - but I don't have a color shortage here.
Posted by: bogie | July 18, 2012 at 04:06 AM
FWIW, remember that Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Virginia are not states, they are commonwealths ;-)
/tease off
Posted by: Ole Phat Stu | July 18, 2012 at 03:43 PM
I feel sorry for you Stu.
Posted by: bogie | July 19, 2012 at 03:48 AM
Other folks tell me that commonwealths are quite difficult to work with on disaster response operations. Personally, I've only worked disasters in states, so they've not been a problem for me. I did work (professionally) in Pennsylvania for several months back in 1988 - in collaboration with Westin Controls (a Schlumberger company, at the time - may still be) of Archbald PA and an Israeli organization (whose name escapes me). That program aged me about 15 years! (Nothing to do with the state or the people of Pennsylvania, who were wonderful to me.)
Posted by: Cop Car | July 19, 2012 at 05:50 AM
Well, darn! you were close to me.....kinda. Of course, you might have crossed Indiana a lot further down the map than where it touches Illinois. Next time you plan a trip send me a note, and we'll see if we can't provide a place to stay along the way.
Posted by: buffy | August 04, 2012 at 06:07 PM
Hmm...a number of states touch five other states, but Idaho, South Dakota and Nebraska touch six, I think. I need a bigger map, because it looks like Pennsylvania touches more.
Posted by: buffy | August 04, 2012 at 06:13 PM
And Wyoming and Arkansas.....(6)
Posted by: buffy | August 04, 2012 at 06:15 PM
Buffy - I believe the theory is that you only need 4 colors to color in all states, while never using a color next to itself.
If we make it out as far as Illinois, I'll let you know. Guessing with me not working, we won't be doing a whole lot of traveling though.
Posted by: bogie | August 11, 2012 at 04:29 PM