Out Our Way: Hats off

'Hallowed be Thy Name'

Out our way, the cowboy's hat is special. Notice I was specific here: the cowboy's hat and not simply a cowboy hat. A cowboy hat is something anyone can buy at the store right of the shelf. But a cowboy's hat - one that belongs to a specific cowboy and shows all the wear and tear that the years put on it - is different. It is his/her signature and testimony to all the rain, snow, sun, heat, freezing cold, dust, dirt and being stomped on while on the job. So indeed it is special.

That said, the hat is treated special. I remember reading a biography on a well-known cowhand...