I arrived at the terminal in Wisconsin yesterday afternoon around 2::30. We decided to move the load to a step deck trailer and add a military truck to it. I took the rest of the day off while they were re-working the load to the new trailer. It gave me the opportunity to go to the bank and then go buy a new hat to replace the one that was damaged.
I got a pretty good deal on a black 5X beaver felt Rodeo King and a horse hair band for it. I guess it will take some time to get used to it and get it "broken in". It's a very nice hat and all, but it just isn't the same as my old stetson. I suppose once I've worn it a while it'll be like an old friend. It does look pretty good. Being new, it doesn't yet have any of the signs of wear that a hat develops over the years, and it looks good with my elk-hide boots.
As the boots are a failry expensive pair of western boots, and the elk-hide is a very soft and supple leather, I keep them looking good by not wearing them when I am working around the truck securing and unsecuring loads. I don't wear them in the mud either. I have an old pair of steer-hide boots I wear doing all of that stuff.
I departed the terminal this morning after spending the evening at one of the local taverns enjoying a few beers and chicken wings. The young bartender there was the Wisconsin equivalent of a "red-neck girl". She's also a college student. She made a point of letting me know that she "only dates cowboys" and that she really liked the music I played on the juke box.
She seemed like a nice kid, but as I am at least 20 years older than she is I wasn't too interested.
Well, I am making a brief stop in Lake Station, Indiana to write this and check the securement of my load, and it's off to Pennsylvania and then Delaware.
The trip continues.