That is, indeed, correct. It's when it changes from unpublished to published that the "list date" is finalized, and that cannot be changed--and AQ will only count it if it's May 23rd, 24th, or 25th (Pacific time). The plant date can be edited and must be set to May 24th to count.

-- Ryan

With the recent discussion about profile maps and states where your carves reside I took a look and sure enough. I have a carve that I exchanged that has been planted in Oregon, a state I have never letterboxed in.

I can see where that situation could be fairly common but I noticed something else on these profile maps. There is a state where I have planted a box myself, but I have never found a box in that state. How about you?

My story is that I was on a roadtrip with my noxer wife and we were just cutting across the corner of North Dakota because she had never been to that state and it would be her 50th state visited. While looking at the area on Google maps I noticed one of those oddities that Google likes to include to spice up the maps or just fill in blank areas, whatever. It is Tent Pole Monument to Circus Dead outside of the little town of Wahpeton, ND. I planted a box there but did not have time to look for any other boxes while passing thru that area.

I have planted boxes in over 40 states, but have only found boxes in half of those. Several of my roadtrips were spontaneous with no set goals and the focus wasn't Letterboxing. It was much easier to randomly plant something than attempt to find internet and hope someone had already planted in those areas.
(When I planted in ND is was box #32 in that entire STATE on AQ!)

I did notice that I have at least one state with a donation that I haven't planted in, and a few states that I planted stamps carved by others so I have plants but no carves there!

My map oddity was a find in Maine when I'd never been to Maine (but I kinda like the music? ). Evidently, a box I found in Florida got moved to Maine and instead of creating a new listing, the planter simply changed the address. I had this rogue find in Maine for years until we finally took a trip to New England and got some legit finds. I never would have known if it wasn't for the map.

Great trailname, BTW!

I do have this "problem" with my find/plant maps ... and it bugs the snot outa me ... LOL ... but again, wasn't of my doing ...

California is filled in due to some stamp I was sent and logged ... I could just remove that one find and oki doki bye bye to California ... BUTTTT ... Colorado is also filled in due to a whole set of stamps that was borrowed and the address never changed from the owner's address to the new address of where they were used for an event... sigh ...

I have just recently acheived making my find and plant maps match for the rest of the states ... so .. if you want to know where I truly have finds and plants, going by my "plant" map gives the true picture.

For anyone with boxes showing in the wrong state, remember! If you add a custom location to the box with the actual place where you found it, AQ will use that instead of the location that the owner of the box is providing.

-- Ryan

I can see this being very true when visiting less populous areas, i.e just the corner of the state. Even if you looked for nearby boxes, the nearest one might be over an hour away and/or missing.

We don’t have too many anomalies in our maps, but we did add the “attempted” map just to see. There was one state where we found a letterbox but hadn’t recorded an attempt. Now I’m tempted to go back and record an attempt for that state.

And that same corner made North Dakota my 49th state. What fun we had in Wahpeton and I got your box to boot! Now people can hit this corner and find two boxes.

Hi All,
Our hiding spot for the Witch’s Ball was uprooted and found. But rest assured it’s got an even better spot with new and better clues. So if you’ve found it already, check it out again. And if you’ve hadn’t well why not??? ;)

https://www.atlasquest.com/boxes/clue/?boxId=260811

Not to beat a dead horse and I don’t normally use restrictions. Until one day I figured out that folks with no AQ acct could access my plants/clues. So I usually do restrict to those who have an acct. as my thoughts are it is free and only takes a minute to create one.
Anyhoo does that restriction make a pal plant not count?

It is a restriction, and therefore it will not be counted. But that only applies to the state counts. Even restricted boxes will be counted for the total counts.

AQ does not distinguish the "severity" of a restriction. Even if it's just a "little bit" restricted or "severely" restricted, it's a restriction and therefore will not be counted in the state counts.

-- Ryan

Thank you for clarifying GT.
While we are on the topic, does restricting a box to AQ acct holders only, make a box ineligible for blue or purple diamond status?

Does anyone know if there is a series that takes one to different lighthouses to find?
Thanks
Funwiththegrandkids

While not a series, under advanced search you can select "lighthouse" under key words, and you can also search Lighthouse in the clue search section higher up there too.

Jars of Clay did many years ago... but most are missing. After Live & Breathe 2028... there will be boxes at them all again possibly.

Restrictions don't matter for blue diamonds, but purple diamonds will only be assigned to unrestricted boxes.

-- Ryan

Being a premium member, you can create a custom location for the place you found it and then no matter where it moves to it will remain on the map where you found it.

Condo

Alternatively, you could just plant and find in every state. :)

*is a problem solver*

Trump signed this executive order yesterday. I highly recommend everyone read it for themselves. I live in Indiana where Governor Braun pulled the National Guard troops from the border on April 16th. They were only a month into a 12 month deployment. It's not a coincidence. Trump had also signed retaliatory executive orders against some of the top law firms in the country, getting them to bow down to his demands to agree to pro bono legal services to have the EOs lifted. He acquired nearly $1 billion in pro bono legal aid, which will now be provided to the police.

We have 90 days to get our $hit together and plan for the worst case scenario. Things are going to get very scary, gang.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/strengthening-and-unleashing-americas-law-enforcement-to-pursue-criminals-and-protect-innocent-citizens/

STRENGTHENING AND UNLEASHING AMERICA’S LAW ENFORCEMENT TO PURSUE CRIMINALS AND PROTECT INNOCENT CITIZENS
Executive Orders
April 28, 2025

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:

Section 1. Purpose and Policy. Safe communities rely on the backbone and heroism of a tough and well-equipped police force. My Administration is steadfastly committed to empowering State and local law enforcement to firmly police dangerous criminal behavior and protect innocent citizens.
When local leaders demonize law enforcement and impose legal and political handcuffs that make aggressively enforcing the law impossible, crime thrives and innocent citizens and small business owners suffer. My Administration will therefore: establish best practices at the State and local level for cities to unleash high-impact local police forces; protect and defend law enforcement officers wrongly accused and abused by State or local officials; and surge resources to officers in need. My Administration will work to ensure that law enforcement officers across America focus on ending crime, not pursuing harmful, illegal race- and sex-based “equity” policies.
The result will be a law-abiding society in which tenacious law enforcement officers protect the innocent, violations of law are not tolerated, and American communities are safely enjoyed by all their citizens again.

Sec. 2. Legal Defense of Law Enforcement Officers. The Attorney General shall take all appropriate action to create a mechanism to provide legal resources and indemnification to law enforcement officers who unjustly incur expenses and liabilities for actions taken during the performance of their official duties to enforce the law. This mechanism shall include the use of private-sector pro bono assistance for such law enforcement officers.

Sec. 3. Empowering State and Local Law Enforcement. (a) The Attorney General and other appropriate heads of executive departments and agencies (agencies) shall take all appropriate action to maximize the use of Federal resources to:
(i) provide new best practices to State and local law enforcement to aggressively police communities against all crimes;
(ii) expand access and improve the quality of training available to State and local law enforcement;
(iii) increase pay and benefits for law enforcement officers;
(iv) strengthen and expand legal protections for law enforcement officers;
(v) seek enhanced sentences for crimes against law enforcement officers;
(vi) promote investment in the security and capacity of prisons; and
(vii) increase the investment in and collection, distribution, and uniformity of crime data across jurisdictions.
(b) Within 60 days of the date of this order, the Attorney General shall review all ongoing Federal consent decrees, out-of-court agreements, and post-judgment orders to which a State or local law enforcement agency is a party and modify, rescind, or move to conclude such measures that unduly impede the performance of law enforcement functions.

Sec. 4. Using National Security Assets for Law and Order. (a) Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Attorney General and the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security and the heads of agencies as appropriate, shall increase the provision of excess military and national security assets in local jurisdictions to assist State and local law enforcement.
(b) Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Attorney General, shall determine how military and national security assets, training, non-lethal capabilities, and personnel can most effectively be utilized to prevent crime.

Sec. 5. Holding State and Local Officials Accountable. The Attorney General shall pursue all necessary legal remedies and enforcement measures to enforce the rights of Americans impacted by crime and shall prioritize prosecution of any applicable violations of Federal criminal law with respect to State and local jurisdictions whose officials:
(a) willfully and unlawfully direct the obstruction of criminal law, including by directly and unlawfully prohibiting law enforcement officers from carrying out duties necessary for public safety and law enforcement; or
(b) unlawfully engage in discrimination or civil-rights violations under the guise of “diversity, equity, and inclusion” initiatives that restrict law enforcement activity or endanger citizens.

Sec. 6. Use of Homeland Security Task Forces. The Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall utilize the Homeland Security Task Forces (HSTFs) formed in accordance with Executive Order 14159 of January 20, 2025 (Protecting the American People Against Invasion) to coordinate and advance the objectives of this order.

Sec. 7. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

i. the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

ii. the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
(d) The Department of Justice shall provide funding for this order’s publication in the Federal Register.


DONALD J. TRUMP

THE WHITE HOUSE,
April 28, 2025.

Coddling the Militias and unleashing constraints on Policing.

What could he be prepping for?

Too bad he didn’t “surge resources to officers in need” when the police protecting the Capitol were being brutally attacked on January 6.

We all know he doesn't have the thought processes, much less the literacy, to come up with this himself. This is the work of Stephen Miller and the extremists around him.
Here's a read that will make you want to scream and run for Canada.

HELP!!

I've found an amazing group of people at my local chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America. We're very well-organized and fighting terrible legislation left and right. Before I met them, I figured, "Indiana wants to roll in feces, fine... I'll go elsewhere." But now that I have a solid crew of kind, hard-working, genuine, passionate people that want to stay and fight, I'm 100% down to fight alongside them. I'm so sick and tired of jerks being rewarded with everything by being bullies. I grew up in this place, and I have just as much right to fight and make this State somewhere I'm proud to live as anyone else.

So when I get "disappeared," you all will look after my boxes, right?

Is there a way to do that once they've already been logged???

Yes, you can change the custom location regardless of whether or not you've logged a box.

When I see a box that doesn't have an exact address and I figure out where it is, I create the custom address and then when I print the clues, it has the address I need to go to on the print out.

He really thinks he's a King and these are his royal decrees, it's the stupidest sh*t ever. And his supporters are the biggest dunces I've ever seen. I have never seen anything more disgusting in my life.

Sunrise on the reaping is one of my favorite books I've read this year too!!!
I'm currently reading the Divergent series by Veronica Roth before I reread the Hunger Hames Series. I think I'm going to try my hand at annotation this time around.

My new name badges arrived - so Awesome!!! Glow in the dark, perfect for events! Of course I got two in case one goes missing. Can’t wait to show it off in SD later this month!