The Tale of the Hard Hat

Sandra writes - I haven't finished my travel journal, but just had to pull this story out of my other trip adventures. I think I should send this story to Star Journal or even the Lake Charles newspaper. Let's call this story - The Hard Hat That Blew Away.

Bill and I had planned to visit Holly Beach aka Cajun Riviera. southern La. This area south of Lake Charles was hard hit by hurricanes. We remember Holly Beach as clustered with residents, vacationers, and partyers. It's a pretty beach, but only 5 houses or so built high off the ground and a few trailer campers remain. So, we arrived at Holly Beach about noonish during one of the days we were in Lake Charles for Bill's 50th h.s. reunion. We walked along the Beach (very windy and the Gulf ocean was grey in color). Suddenly, I saw a hard hat. Of course, Bill took a picture of it for an artsy photo, and I picked up the hat to bring home as a souvenir. When we arrived home, I noticed a name on the hat plus by the words on the hat, the hat belonged to someone who worked for a contractor at the oil stations/rigs off shore. I looked up the name on facebook: P.J. Redus. I wrote to him and here is his reply. What a surprise:

"Hey Sandra this is P.J. wow I lost that thing about four weeks ago we were about 150 mile out cant believe you found it! but no I don't need it back but thank you for asking. All the guys out here on the rig got a kick out of it at lest now we know where they go when they blow off our heads lol hope you have a good day and thank you again."

That hat had traveled 150 miles in the ocean! To us that hat would have traveled in 150 miles from Warrensburg to Branson! P.J. is on an oil rig, and he wrote right back.

This is P.J.'s other reply: "Thank you for cleaning it I still can't believe it washed up I got a promotion so i don't need it any more I guess it was gods way of letting me know i was going to get it lol. But keep it might make for a good story to tell your guest about when they come and stay at your B&B"

So, the end of the story is "How far does a hard hat travel on its own across the ocean?" Now, you know!