Hat- Lost and found

My world is kind of a merry-go-round of lost and found. Every day is something new- I lose something else, or I find something that was lost, sometimes something I forgot was lost. Sometimes something I forgot I even owned. That would be a nice surprise, except when I pick up a pair of black pumps and go,"Oh, these are pretty, whose are these?" my family gives me that look. You know, the look that says they have a room reserved for me in The Home.

So far this summer, the things I can remember that I have lost are:

• My mind. (Daily occurrence, nothing new).
• The camera connector plate to my tripod.
• My blogging mug.
• My Coleman fuel backpack stove.
• My straw hat.

That last one hurts the most. I realize that straw hats have a limited lifespan, especially in my orbit, but really, couldn't technology do something about that? The hat life, not my orbit.

This is the hat that was lost. It's been everywhere, man, it's been everywhere.

And now these are the things I have found so far this summer:

• Three Louisa May Alcott hardbacks that I had no idea I had.
• A duffel bag, which I could have lived without finding.
• A different camera connector plate for my tripod.
• My blogging mug. Why it was behind the green beans in the pantry is beyond me.
• Prescription sunglasses that have been out of date for 5 years.

Notice my mind did not appear on this list.

And a hat. I found a replacement for my straw hat. Not exactly what I want, but that's hard to find, and not just in hats. The crown's a tad too tall. If you're my height you'd think you'd want a tall crown to make up the differential to other people, but no. It doesn't make you look taller, it just makes you look like a travel size bottle of perfume with a decorative twist-off lid.

I made the hat band from boot laces, in case I need extra string when I'm lost in the wilderness. Or cord to strangle something with. Or rope to snare a squirrel or something.

Time to go break in this newbie, put some miles on it. Splash a little lake or river water on it, get some mountain dust on it.  Sit on it a few times. Maybe run over it with the truck. Get it used to the outdoors.

         Happy Trails, and may you never lose your sense of adventure!