The Retiring of M-Hat IV

It was with great sadness that I retired M-Hat IV.  It will live in the closet next to M-Hat I.  If you will recall M-Hat II found its way to the bottom of the Detroit River but I didn't get pictures of the event because I was shocked of it happened.  When M-Hat III found its way to the Detroit River, I was still shocked but having the experience of M-Hat II, I was more prepared to take pictures.

I was saddened by the loss of M-Hat III because it had accompanied me on so many of my travels.  It saw my first major train trip, Gettysburg, California and stops between them.  M-Hat IV had much to live up to.

 And it did.  It saw two major train trips (Ann Arbor-Chicago-Denver-San Francisco-Los Angeles-Chicago-Ann Arbor and Ann Arbor-Chicago-Washington DC-New York-Chicago-Ann Arbor).  It has been through the tunnel of the Big House and on the field at the Big House.  It witnessed the opening of the Soo Locks last year, Engineer's Day and pretty close to the closing of the Soo Locks this year.  It heard the Roger Blough say Happy Birthday and Hello to me.  It has also been on many trips in between all of those.

 But as you can see, it is showing signs of age.  The maize of the M isn't quite as maizish anymore and the blue isn't nearly as deep.  I almost feel like it should have had the same fate as it's predecessors but I'm glad that this one will get to retire because I have so many fond memories with it.

So now I introduce M-Hat V.  May it live up to its predecessors.  As you can see, it is still the "Bo" style of Michigan Hat.  It still needs to get broken in.