Hats Off To You!

So many of you who follow this journal on a regular basis have written to me asking questions about the hat I’m pictured wearing in the “About Me” section on the upper left hand side of this page.  I’ve decided to delay for a post or two showing more pictures of my Florida vacation.  Don’t worry, there are more great pictures to show and I will be sharing them here, just not yet.

 

Every spring, my thoughts turn towards my summer wardrobe for my job on the docks.  I like to wear the loose fitting Columbia Fishing Shirts with the netted inserts on the left and right side of the back.  They are durable, comfortable, and the netted inserts allow for greater air circulation and help keep me cool.  I order a full week’s worth of new ones each spring.

 

My chief concern each year, though, is my hat.  I am out in the direct sunlight so much I really have to have just the right hat to protect me from the UV rays and to give my eyes the proper shading.  This requires a hat with a wide brim which, under normal circumstances, might be very hot to wear.  That’s where the mesh top comes into play.

 

I found a hat six years ago which has become my trademark on the docks where I work.  I have clients of the marina who bump into me all the time at the store who do not recognize me because I am not wearing my trademark hat.  The hat is made by Dorfman Pacific and I purchase a new one each year.

 

What may be interesting, though, is how I prep the hat before I put it into service each year.  I treat it with a fabric guard and waterproofing solution.

 

A couple of years ago I was able to get hold of a couple of Styrofoam wig forms that are used to store a wig when the wig is not in use.  These are excellent to place the hat on while waiting for the hat to dry after treatment.

 

 

 

First you saturate the hat totally with the treatment, after which it must be put in direct sunlight to dry.  The hat must be totally dry and then you repeat the treatment and drying process.  Do this a third time and your hat is guaranteed to be waterproof and to be able to endure the abuse of a full summer season and still look good and repel water in a hard rain.  This year I used a product by 303 named fabric guard.  I used this same product last year and was pleased with the results.  This is a picture of this year’s hat with the product.

 

 

Okay, okay!  Absolutely nobody wrote and asked me about my hat.  I just wanted to tell you anyway!

 

On a different note, I was running around the marina the other day and looked up and saw sun rays beaming down from the center of a huge cloud mass.  I grabbed my camera and took two shots of it.  The close-up one seems dramatic to me and I wanted you all to see it.

 

 

 

That’s about all for this time.  Except that I will probably be working seven days a week for a couple of weeks.  My New assistant at work broke his ankle on one of his days off this week and who knows how long it will be before he can hobble around the marina.  I’ll have to work straight through until the rest of my summer help gets out of school.  See y’all next time!  Stay safe and well!