Hats For Sale!

It seems forever ago that I read that book . . . it might have even been called "Caps for sale." And it had monkeys in it. That's about all I remember.

But it also seems like forever ago when I went out to Del Mar, and that was only about six weeks ago.

The Opening Day at Del Mar is kind of State Holiday in California. Almost everything stops, while people announce the final summer season by trekking down I-5 to Bing Crosby's favorite track. The paddock at Del Mar is a kind of floating cocktail party on Opening Day, as Peb has caricatured in his mural:





But that, of course, is only art.



Life itself is less organized, more chaotic. And on Opening Day, it is about one thing . . . hats.













There are little blue hats and LARGE RED HATS.


There are quiet purple patterned hats . . .



. . . and loud, flashy turquoise hats.
















There are red hats . . .






. . . and brown hats . . .













. . . and softly elegant black hats;















There are even L O U D flowered hats




And more sedate floppy brown hats



There must be, of course, pretty pink hats . . .



. . . just as there must be smiling brown hats.





There are huge flocks of hats . . .




And a few tasteful individual hats like Miss Saigon and her rose-tinted topper . . .













There were hats everywhere. Well, almost everywhere. If you looked hard enough, here and there, you might find someone who was topless.



Fortunately, after all those hats, it was possible to go back to the farm and get a chiropractor to come straighten the kinks out of your back and help you relax.





All things considered, it's a pretty demanding life.