Arkansas!!!!!

The official state flag of Arkansas was chosen in a design contest in 1913; the winner was Miss Willie Kavanaugh Hocker of Wabbaseka. The flag's design was finalized in 1926.
The diamond shapes in the center represent the diamond gemstone, because Arkansas is the only state in the USA where diamonds have been found. Since Arkansas was the twenty-fifth state to join the Union, there are 25 white stars around the diamond. The three blue stars in the lower part of the center represent Spain, France and the United States, the countries that have ruled Arkansas. The blue star in the upper center represents the Confederacy, of which Arkansas was a member.
Arkansas was the 25th state in the USA; it was admitted in 1836.

So what?
Well, because we're moving to Arkansas.
Maria starts work Sept. 17 as managing editor of a 26,000-circulation daily newspaper in northeastern Arkansas.
So now we have to hustle to sell our house in Thorntown, Ind., and find a suitable home in Arkansas.
This is a huge leap of faith for me, a guy who worked for the same company almost all of his adult life (34 years) and never lived outside of Indiana - unless you count a month in 1971 in Arcata, Calif., for a Transcendental Meditation teacher training course and 41 days at Lackland AFB, San Antonio, Texas, for U.S. Air Force basic training.
But what the hell? I'm up for an adventure and the new job sounds like a great opportunity for Maria with a company that appears to be well-run with a bright future.
The downside? Other than the sheer hassle of moving all of our stuff, we're leaving Maria's whole family and a small group of really wonderful friends. We will, of course, do everything in our power to lure some of those friends to Arkansas. The rest will just have to come to visit.
I connected last night with some BMW motorcycle riders who became instant friends.
I'm leaving for a week with Indianapolis BMW Club friends in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado on Saturday morning. My plan is to ride to Akansas from Colorado, connect with Maria, spend a couple of days house-hunting and leave my bike with our new BMW friends. I'll drive home with Maria in the Subaru, thereby solving the problem of getting one of our vehicles in place in Arkansas.
Things seem to be falling into place with startling ease, giving us the impression this was meant to be. I hope so. We shall see.