Me and Chester.

Here's a borrowed cap. It belongs to my wife, Linden. She got it when we were at Wurstfest in New Braunfels last month. It was the last one they had. None for me. Made in China, it's 70% wool and 30% nylon. It's an 'Official Oktoberfest' cap. I like it a lot. Loden green is my color.

Standing behind me is a bronze statue of Fleet Admiral Chester A. Nimitz, Commander in Chief, United States Pacific Fleet (CinCPac), for U.S. naval forces and Commander in Chief, Pacific Ocean Areas (CinCPOA), for U.S. and Allied air, land, and sea forces during World War II. He's wearing a nice cap, too.

The statue stands at the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, Texas (Nimitz's home town). Behind his statue is part of the old 'ship-like' Nimitz Hotel that belonged to his father.

Straw man.

This is the why: 93°F, 64% relative humidity, at 2 p.m.

Gad zooks! A new hat!

A couple of years ago (or less), I gave my mesh-back cap to my nephew living in So-Cal... sort of a talisman. He's in the tv/film industry, he admired my cap (Cooper's Old Tyme Pit BBQ, Llano, Texas), and so I gave it to him.

I've been half-heartedly keeping my eyes open for a replacement, but nothing suitable presented itself. Until today.

Made in Viet Nam (further blurring of the line between victory and defeat). All black, 1/2 mesh, hook'n loop closure strap... and a simple logo design that is graphically striking.

Dzuik's Meat Market is in Castroville, Texas, and is a Texas-Polish butcher in a Texas-Alsatian town. We went there today as my birthday treat. We got a steak, some chicken fajita meat, a couple of dried beef-and-pork sausages (regular and jalapeño), and a pound of parisa.

Nice hat from Dzuik's (pronounced GEE-ucks in Polish... Zooks in Texan).

Editor's Note: I have been informed by a young lady of the Dzuik family that they pronounce Dzuik as "Juke." Well, there you go.

Modeling.

Pop crowns Princess Claire. When asked for a comment, the new princess stated, "Pop's silly."

Documentation

Original art: June Anne LaGrone

The Regime Strikes Back

Scala Campaign hat. I saw it at Whole Earth Provisions. Thick, hard, fur felt. The brim is so stiff, Odd-Job could have utilized it as a weapon. Dudley Do-Right could have saved a maiden from a train. Black Jack Pershing could have captured Poncho Villa.

In America, 'want' is the same as 'need'.