Happy Thursday!
Okay. I admit it. The Scrabble board clues were a bit of wild goose chase. But still, I am awed by your commitment to this cause.
Today I thought I’d make things a bit more straightforward. This poll may lead you in the right direction.
Marble Quarries in New England:
Locations include……..Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut.
Quartz is semi-common yet not abundant like granite, and the most common stone material in New England. The limited quantities of quartz and its general crystal-like appearance made this stone material special.
Since Marble and Quartz come from a Quarry, and not a Canyon……I don't think Canyon is a clue.
TUNE:
The National Anthem or the Star Spangled Banner
…….the land of the free, and the home of the brave!
Celebrating the Nation's Bday. WISH
Could it be Rhode Island?
It would make sense why Mary gave us the clue…Hawaii.
Also……see above comment about Independence Day and celebrating our nation's birthday.
Rhode Island was the first of the 13 original colonies to declare independence from British rule, declaring itself independent on May 4, 1776, two months before any other state and the convention.
Mad + Flip = Dam
The largest concentration of Dams in the US are located in the New England states(as seen on map).
Odd that there is an elephant in the boys room of the Green Home and the word elephant as a clue to the location of the next Dream Home… I mean and elephant is a pretty far stretch from the other objects'd arte in the house. We may want to consider the two chairs… radiator and balsa wood? Interesting…
Canyon + Dive = Deep Sea Canyon:
The Hudson Canyon is a submarine canyon that begins from the shallow outlet of the estuary of the Port of New York and New Jersey at the mouth of the Hudson River.
I just discovered that Long Island, NY is in fact East of New Jersey. Therefore, it could be the location!
Mary said that the poll may lead us in the Right direction. Right is East on a map.
The clue Hawaii would then be a hint that the 2012 home is going to be located on an Island.
Also, I think the Declaration of Independence (See above comments) was signed in NY.
As I mentioned long ago……..the reference to Elvis(bananas and peanutbutter) could be: Elvis has Left the Building! The building in this case would be the Radio City Music Hall in NY city. Radio = Tune + On. You tune on a radio. Live = a performance at Radio City Music Hall. I am sure that Elvis must have played this venue during his lifetime.
Love……I love NY!!!!
I've never been to Long Island, but I am sure that it would be a great place to build the 2012 Dream Home.
All clues lead directly to Virginia….Hawaii = the USS Hawaii is a Virginia class submarine, canyon = White Oak Canyon, quartz = Quartz mine, Scottsville, Fluvanna Co., Virginia, USA, the animals = the Virginia Zoo, love = virginia is for lovers, vail = Virginia Vail (author) or Vail home, peanutbutter = too many to name but will put Peanutbutter & jelly Co, dive = diving at Virginia Beach. Could go on and on, but i will stop here
VIRGINIA!!
The numbers on the tiles on the second board are 2342. If you put ODD numbers in front and GOOGLE for ZIP codes, you get 92342 = Helendale, CA; 72342 = Helena, AR; 52342 = Toledo, IA. None of the even numbers work as the first digit for a zip code (nor the lower odd numbers). Now I'm curious to know if any of those places were guessed in Clue One, since Mary says someone nailed it. Guess I will plow through and look.
I called up a map of Helendale, CA because I never heard of it even though I'm in California; ah, it's in the south. I was surprised to see place names around Helendale that used words on the Scrabble board: Bear, Quartz, I forget what else now.
Very clever!
Cynthia298, if you put any number at the end of 2342__ (from the tiles that are left over, waiting to be played), you do get a Virginia ZIP code.
also, MTV has named Virginia as the "place with the most banging hip hop beats" , over new york, atlanta and los angeles
Could be….Long Island, NY.
I like a house in the Hamptons!!!
As of the 2010 census, Long Island had a population of 7,568,304, making it the most populated island in any U.S. state or territory. It is also the 17th most populous island in the world, ahead of Ireland, Jamaica and the Japanese island of Hokkaid?.
Hip Hop…..Long Island, NY
In the 1990s Hip-hop became very popular with rap pioneers Rakim and Public Enemy growing up on Long Island.
Long Island, NY
Clues: Vine, Reel, Fin.
The eastern end of Long Island is still partly agricultural. In the last 25 years, development of vineyards on the North Fork became a major new industry, replacing potato fields. Pumpkin farms have been added to traditional truck farming. Farms allow fresh fruit picking by Long Islanders for much of the year. Fishing continues to be an important industry, especially at Huntington, Northport, Montauk, and other coastal communities of the East End and South Shore.
In clue 2, Mary said one smart person had hit the nail on the head; has anyone checked that out ???
Trying but many of us have posted several.
And the energizer poster keeps posting and posting just to run up numbers.
Definition of insanity: "Doing the same thing over and over again, with the expectation of a different result." Ugh.
Definition of excruciate: "To torment someone mentally and/or physically."
Do any of MARY's "straightforward" clues fit the definition?
But does it technically count if the word is spelled incorrectly? That's where that devious stuff comes in. You know like rattlesna e, excru iate, and some others…
I was wonding is the missing letters- XJ – from play & KC from words on the board might mean something.
Clues: Vail, Fur, Moose, Bear, Reel (Badge reel used for ski pass).
Upstate NY has the Adirondack Mountains and there are ski resorts.
Clues: Bid & On……You bid on a stock. NY is the Financial Capital of the USA.
Clues: Elephant and Tiger…..When the Barnum and Bailey Circus comes to town the elephants parade through the streets of NY city. Tigers and elephants are a major part of the Circus Act.
The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is a stock exchange located at 11 Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA. It is the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies at US$13.39 trillion as of Dec 2010.
(See above….Clues: Bid and On).
Long Island, NY………I am sure of it.
Just like Maine and Mass and LA and PA and etc……..
By the puzzles, I'm leaning to Butte, Montana..however Hawaii sounds like a better destiny
I'm definitely leaning towards Amboy, CA once again — mainly due to one word on the first Scrabble board — "dive."
You're not saying your favorite Cal. town is a dive are you?:D
Have you gone daft…?? LOL!!
The clue said, "West of California & South of the Mason Dixon Line". So how can California still be in the running? I had said, "The Carmel area of California", but dropped it with clue #3. I could use your insight.
Missouri has the Elephant shaped boulder at Elephant Rocks State Park. I think other clues point to Missouri also.
I know I said it before, but we need to focus here. Mary said SOMEONE already got it right, and I quote, "I’ve read through your comments on Clue One and I am shocked that one person has hit the nail right on the head."
Is she referring to Diamond Head? Some other head? From Mary's comment I take it to mean at a minimum city/town AND state. Taking it further, it means the EXACT location, e.g., the develpment where our DH is being constructed, RIGHT NOW.
The answer is sitting in one of the 657 comments in clue #1. It is is clue #1 responses. lets start digging there…
It was probably Coop and he aint tellin'B)
I should also mention, that NO, I didn't take the end result that I wanted and made the clues fit this time. I was truly surprised that they were the coordinates for South Kauai.
Who would do such a dark deed, Cami — take the end result desired and make the clues add up to fit?! Why there's not a blogger here who would consider such an action, is there?
I know what you mean. I think Coop is psychic. I remembered last year I asked for some advice about planting perennials in the shade. He wrote back, suggesting 2 specific plants, both of which I had purchased already. Hopefully is psychic abilities hit the nail on the head with Hawaii.
Or could it be Cami? She found nearly the exact coordinates for Kukui'ula in Kauai from clue 1 by taking the 21 words on the board as the first coordinate and the final score after counting up the value of all the letters on the board at face value which equaled 175 then simply subracted the number of points that were left on the rack, which came to 159.
21N 159W. Nearly in the same place that Coop's been dreaming about for over a year now. Kukui'ula in Poipu Kauai. Coincidence?
No coincidence. You guys have real estate radar! Now, for 2013, what is it saying about Virginia?? LOL!
How about the Homestead Preserves for 2013. Is that in West Virginia though? You must have water close by or it won't work.
It must have a lake or river or something. All I know is that name has stuck with me all year long.
Ummmm, that would be PERFECT!! It is in Virginia, it is just miles from Lake Moomaw and I have had my eye on Homestead Preserve for years, now! That would be my idea of PERFECTION!!!
Good idea, Debra G. You start at the beginning and search comment by comment for the mention of specific locations, and Cami can start from the last comment and work back until you've met in the middle. Then you can publish your findings for group discussion.
How does that sound? I know I for one would be most appreciative of this great effort on our behalf.
If you look, there are not that many very specifically identified locations. The ones that are mentioned number maybe a dozen, half of which are in Hawaii. I just took my contacts out so I am not good on this assignment for the duration of the evening, now…o.0
True, Debra G, there aren't that many specifically identified locations such as city AND state, or even home community, that were called out in Clue One.
I won't try to list them all, but of my favorites so far (if you couldn't tell) are Savannah, GA; Poipu, Kauai (Kukui'ula); and Bucks County, PA (Bethlehem, New Hope, Newtown, Solebury.) Virginia's up there too, but I can't recall any specific city or developments that were called out.
Although I did recently mention Amboy, CA, it wasn't in the Clue Number One comments, so it's out of the running.
We'll just have to wait until MARY's good and ready to pass out Clue Number Four to invigorate our inquisitive minds, stimulate or vivid imaginations and spur on our most detailed scrutiny.
Fairfax and Loudon Counties in Virginia were mentioned under Clue #1 (by Irishsprite?) — does that count?
Maybe Mary could give us a thumbs up if that is the case (that it counts, that is).
I mentioned a couple here in NE.
I started that after clue two….I had two pages of regular lined paper filled after just page two of the blog, and then I stopped….
I was counting and had a total near 45! however only a few mentioned the actual developments.
I couldn't go back all the way on the first comments. It seemed to me that the first four rows of comments were gone. I remember my first few comments & I was on the first couple of rows, but now I can't find them when I go back. The first ones I can read start at ~ hour 14 after the 1st clue posted & there were a lot of comments right away.
Maybe Mary meant what she said without any hidden messages behind it.
Obviously knowing that every letter of her comment would be dissected her meaning could be plain and simple someone hit the "nail on the head", "was right on the mark", "guessed right the first time".
It would be an easy way to be "straightforward" and keep everyone guessing.
Or, she could be telling you the answer to the poll is very straightforward and seeing as how the only ones that doesn't have multiple possibilities is the Mason-Dixon line (as there is only one) and east of The Mississippi (also the "the" makes it mean The Mississippi river), and now narrow done all the states below that line and east of the Mississippi that are on Main page poll…. And Voila you'll have the State.
Our Goose Is Cooked
A futile search
A hopeless quest
This wild-goose chase
We've done our best
Bare feet, bathrobe
Or fully dressed
By day, by night
We've sat and guessed
Look here, look there
What clues? we jest
Which words to choose
We're sorely stressed
No stone unturned
There is no rest
A state of peace?
I'm just not blessed
To ease my mind
To reach the crest
This gosling's soon
To flee the nest
Coop, you're a hoot.
Coop, I think you've won a Golden Egg for this poem– I am so glad I took a gander at it……….
Thanks, LLColeman, and TiffanyaMeade. However, as MARY might ask us in a Clue Number Four poll vote: how would you like YOUR Golden Egg — scrambled, poached, hard-boiled or sunny side up?
Which I think translates to the states of:
Virginia: Scrambled eggs, honey-glazed Virginia ham, country-style potatoes and garden salad
Georgia: Baked manicotti with perfect sleeves of pasta, mixed greens, chicken sausage with cherry peppers and Poached eggs
Pennsylvania: Garden greens with sliced, Hard-Boiled red beet eggs, Baked Lancaster County Ham, Roasted New Potato and Fresh Vegetable Medley
Hawaii: Brioche, duck proscuitto with Sunny Side Up quail eggs, sweet Kahuku corn, organic carrots, baby bok choy with feta cheese and lemon herb vinaigrette
I'm sorry, but I'll have to try each one first before I can cast my ballot…. ^_^
Now I'll need a midnight snack ! Lip smacking menus, and a tasty poem to precede it.
Much as I would LOVE for it to be Virginia, my guess (back in Clue #1) was and continues to be Waimea Canyon, Kauai, HI. Mary said someone got the answer right in Clue #1. The answer lies in the clue#1 responses.
The K is missing in rattlesnake. Only four states don't have rattlesnakes Hawaii being one of them. The Elvis clues, the tropical references, they are all there. Look up canyons in Hawaii and Waimea Canyon comes up.
Well, Mary did say "see if anything immediately strikes you. Or doesn’t" Now what does a Rattlesnake do? They strike, So again look at states WITH Rattlesnakes.
But a rattlesnake without a K isn't a rattlesnake at all, therefore it cannot strike. Therein lies the dilemma…
But, for old times sake I will not abandon my beloved Virginia. GOOOOOO Virginia!
Debra now remember what I said about WV – closer to DC than many parts of VA. And some of thetax implications in WV you might find easier to live with- and it would make me happy about a new locale for DIY/HGTV.
I'm off to the Blog Cabin to see if the new cams are ups!
I just don't think it would be Hawaii, If it is she completely gave it away before the clues ever started, seems like a really good way to get everyone on the wrong track from the start.
Mary is known for leaving the information in clear sight. Go back on last year's clues and Urban Oasis and you will see what we mean.
Last years clues are not up anymore i don't think but this years clues were really easy, I didn't realize the clues were up until the second one but I figured it out pretty quickly
You can go to the archives:) They're in that area.
quarry (kwôr′?, kwär′?)
1.an animal that is being hunted down.
2.anything being hunted or pursued
This could be referring to the two elephants that went mad and stomped on their caretakers in Honolulu. One in the early 1900's and one in 2004. They were both hunted down and shot numberous times (excruciate) until they were killed.
Thought this was quite interesting. http://mauicouponmagazine.blogspot.com/2009/03/mo…
You're a genius! That is it! It has to be Hawaii!!!
Except that I really want it in Virginia…:\
alice– a very interesting link–especially the poster comments below the photo referring to a dive & seeing a tiger shark off elephant rock area……..hmmm…
Very interesting reading about Mokuho'oniki, alicesoneysmom. Elephant Rock — it could certainly play a part in MARY's devious clues!
Thanks so much for the link.
I'm sticking with Georgia.
Hi gremol, Last year Mary turned us in circles, a couple a times, and had us goin for months. Who knows you could be on to something.
Mary,
The future Mr.&Mrs. went for the retreat today. They paid for this, took a test , now what if they don't meld!
They had the tasting at the hall, superb that's what we heard, who's paying.OMG&gosh, it better spin there heads around.LOL
If HDGTV is building in an area that is so far away, my oh my, wow!!! !:x<3
The Scrabble clues point in one direction — It is Waikiki!
Janzee, you are so right! I belong to a nonprofit charitable organization and also write the monthly newletter for them. ( I write for others as well) and I have been putting in little reminders all the time of how bad cell phones while driving can be. Any chance I get I am talking to people about this. so everyone that read our blogs should do the same. Never miss the oppurtunity to educate people about this growing problem. <SPAN class=idc-smiley><SPAN style="BACKGROUND-POSITION: -36px 0pt"><SPAN>;)</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN> and thank you blogging family for understanding! You guys are the best!
I'm sticking with Missouri
So what does the word tide have to do with a state that was the only original colony not bordered
by the Atlantic Ocean? This was a very important matter to William Penn who had set up Philadel-
phia as a fresh water port of call. This is also why the 12 mile Arc Circle survey was important during
the Mason-Dixon boundary dispute. You generally do not think of Pennsylvania as being landlocked
because of its abundance of trout fishing in streams, striped bass fishing in lakes, and the 89 miles
of Delaware River Shore. PA is virtually a fresh water fishing hub of the Eastern coast.
Bucks County, PA consists mostly of fertile Piedmont farm land. In the southeastern corner of the
county are Atlantic Coastal Plains, freshwater coastal plains. When the tide comes in and out on the
Jersey shore, the same is happening on the Delaware River up as far as the fall line which is located
in this area. A tide change of 8 feet is not an uncommon event.
Mary, we need a clue with a little more glue that will stick to one area!
I believe Columbus, OH and Cleveland, OH were mentioned once in clue #1….Head is spinning….However, I still do believe the polls have narrowed down the states, and Ohio is not on both….I agree with a sauna, and would LOVE a pool and hot tub as wellxD
BIGGEST CLUE YET! Wait for it: Now if this doesn't nail it for you I don't know what clue will convince you. Google Destiny and Ohio= you get the Destiny series of books written by Toni Blake. It just so happens that the books character is a big city Interior designer (see where this is going??) Welcome to Destiny, Ohio—where coming home means finding your true heart and maybe even your true love ."Tessa Sheridan came crawling back to her quaint hometown of Destiny, OHIO! after her big-city interior design career crumbled. Now not only must she struggle to make ends meet, but she has to contend with a biker next door and the roar of Harleys shattering the serenity of her cabin in the woods by Whisper Falls." How can it be any clearer??? OHIO OHIO. I went back to check comments from clue #1. Sure enough amia14 was the only one to guess Columbus,Ohio! Also Springfield radio WIZE is easy to pick up in Columbus. Just West of Columbus.OHIO.
There is only one problem, drawing a straight line across to Ohio from the Mason Dixon line, Columbus, OH is north, not south of the M-D line.
I thought Ohio was the state that was mentioned only one time in Clue one.
Columbus is West of New Jersey.
Verrrrry tricky, Mary. The new vote on the main page gives us options about the type of home. I voted for federal style. Several times in fact (OK, I REALLLLLY like federal). It came up Victorian 100% of the time. I voted again, still Victorian came up with 100%.
Mary I am that constant 2%. Just ask my doctor. I am never in the majority. But my little percentage should count. I think something is wrong with the counter.
Respectfully,
The minority
I'm getting following, Debra:
Federal 8%
Victorian 12%
Farm House 20%
Ranch 22%
Cottage 38%
Its changing Debra!
I'm A Ranch or Cottage girl.
According to Wikipedia,
Springfield is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Clark County[4]. The municipality is located in southwestern Ohio and is situated on the Mad River, Buck Creek and Beaver Creek, approximately 45 miles (72 km) west of Columbus and 25 miles (40 km) northeast of Dayton. Springfield is home to Wittenberg University, a liberal arts college.
The MAD River.
Hey guys! I have been without the internet for almost a week! I really missed reading all your posts and I get on and see this new clue! Which to all of you is not new. I have a lot of reading to do to catch up. So, with all of that said……
I am going to say the Palo Duro Canyon area near Amarillo, TX. I know I have said it before, lol. But I will keep hanging onto hope until I see that it is actually somewhere else. We all have our favorite spots. I will be happy wherever it is. It is not the destination, it is the path you take to getting there. I didn't say that right but y'all know what I mean.
Love you all and really missed y'all.
Glad to see you back, funfordot!
Thank you. This blog feels like home. I really missed everyone.
If it is Georgia I would be more than happy to get this house
Alot of hip hop groups are from Pennsylvania with catchy and interesting names. This one's for you
Mary, "The Goats", in honor of your dream to have a pet goat outside of your Federal-styled home.
There's also DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, The Roots. Freeway, Schooly D, Eve, and Lisa
"Left Eye" Lopes". Can we have a new clue since you now have a hip hop group named in
honor of your dream pet goat?
I love a beach house in the Hamptons……Long Island, NY. Final answer.
The taxes would probably kill us, but I love the Hamptons too.
I'd love a new clue … I think the time has come Mary. We survived the weekend….albeit starving for our cerebral fix! Please Mary… clue me baby… one more time!!!
I second TJwillwin's request! C'mon girl I know you can do it!!
In spite of MARY's tricky use of the conspicuous compass pointing North by Northwest, and the quintuple choices of the quick vote for the 2012 Dream Home style, I still stand by the old saying "if I've only one life to live, let me live it as a blogger — at HGTV and DIY, naturally."
By the way, how can we vote for our favorite 2012 Dream Home style if MARY hasn't told us where it's going to be yet? After all, if it's Pennsylvania, a Farm House would be great; Virginia, a Federal style estate will be perfect; Georgia, a Country Victorian might fit the site just right; and Hawaii, nothing less than a light and bright Cottage to bring the tropical outdoors and ocean breezes in.
Therefore, if Clue Number Four is quickly posted, we can sort out the location of DH 2012, and click the appropriate choice from the Quick Vote list of styles.
Very good point Coop! I was thinking the same thing when I saw the poll. It all depends on location, location and location.
Mary, your turn!! 
Since we already know where it is:p I'm locking in my vote for Cottage.B)
Doah! Why didn't I think of that. We've already discovered the location. Yes Cami, Cottage it is!!
Hello Mary did you hear that we want a cottage in Hawaii?? Can you hear me, Can you hear me, Can you hear me now?? COTTAGE IN HAWAII!! OOPS! I meant to say, "Can you read me, Can you read me now"?? LOL Someone free us from clue three onto clue 4…..Pretty Pleassssseeee B)
Even the smallest cottages at Kukui'ula are around 2200 sq. ft. That's large to me. I'm hoping for at least 2700 however.
The Green Home is nearly 2400 with an additional 700 in the basement available for development. That really is enough for me.
The cottages at Kukui'ula with 2200 sq. ft. are fine with me, since they are so open and bring the outdoors in, like adding hundreds more square feet to the liveable feel of the home. I wouldn't need more than that in Hawaii, even as a primary residence. Still, I'll never complain or look a gift horse in the mouth, and so wherever and whatever style and size HGTV and Jack T want to offer us the opportunity to win is just, well, a great and entertaining dream.
Well put Coop, Cami, and Nebraska. A 2200 sq. ft. home is quite large even for a family. We live in one and it's plenty of space. So, if Hawaii is our destiny we will love <3 to dream the DREAM!! Let's get real….Hawaii that's insane!! Truth be told, I've already lost my marbles trying to figure out Mary's clues. So, bring on my therapist Hawaiian style.
Anyone know a good therapist in Hawaii?? lol
We recommend a therapist in Hawaii by the name of Mai Tai!
So you've heard of that therapist too, alicesoneysmom! Easy to find from any point in Hawaii — just take a right at Blue Hawaii Drive and keep going until you hit Coco Loco Circle.
Hi Alice and Soney!!!!!!!! Good to hear from you!! I knew I could count on you Alice <3 Thanks for the directions Coop although I think I would get a little dizzy. Not sure from meeting Mai Tai or going in circles. LOL Meeting Mai Tai will be first on my agenda. xD
I am not a drinker, but as a young pup I was out with friends and tried one…thought it was delicious…so I decided on a 2nd "therapy session" with Dr. Mai Tai–that was not advisable then, nor would it be to this day, LOL !
What type of home chosen depends on where that home is! When Mary first asked us about our individual Dream Home's I posted a home fit for a specific location on a mountain on the New River Gorge in Fayette County. It was the perfect house for that area.
Picture this: http://hgtvpro.homeplans.com/luxury-traditional-c…
In this area: http://www.fantom-xp.com/wp_63_~_New_River_Gorge_…
I mentioned in a posting this weekend a Iowa acreage home calls for American Gothic Revival. A Nebraska sandhills/prairie ranch calls for a real ranch home! Cottage to me has several meanings- a beach cottage is much different than a English country garden cottage. IE for example a log cabin would not fit on a Hawaiian beach.
Nice "little" house Charlotte. I don't think HGTV has ever built one that large. Maybe the Texas House? Looks like a nice quiet location too!
Noticed today that the front page shows a compass and questions whether the new Dream Home is in the North, South, East or West. Yet there aren't any clues for North.
Is it possible that the straightforward clue here is the home is at one of the West clues in the poll?
OK .. time for some logic. North is missing and the last Dream Home WAS north of New Jersey. And since it seems logical to assume they would not put a second Dream Home in the same general location as the last one, I'm going to also assume that there's only one right west answer, which is west of California.
The compass isn't a clue. None of those little pictures are, they're there to throw us off. The real clue is the actual clue she gives you & the suggested sites listed blow the clue. FYI
__MsTrishFl
Mary is devious enough to plan ahead on clues and red herrings.
While it's possible the little pics don't matter, random photos that don't mean a thing wouldn't fit with the aesthetic of using pictures to entice/encourage interest. The mountain cliff image that first appeared would fit a cliffside house overlooking the Pacific in Hawaii. So a compass goes along with a directional clue, but it also could emphasize the actual directions in the clues, and the lack of a North. I've done enough page design layout over the years to know there's a lot of conscious and unconscious thought that goes into things like a little picture.
Mary gave us a clue– 2 Mondays ago didn't she? So it's not like she never works Mondays. Where's our next clue? … I respectfully demand :S=/ Implore? Desire?o.0