As I do most every year at about this time, I am currently unpacking and dusting off the things I will need for summer.

One item in particular has been with me since I was a teenager. I don't even remember where I may have picked it up, but I've taken this old friend to the beach annually for probably over thirty years now.

My sombrero is so authentic, you almost smell tequila and limes when you look at it. Just picking it up now, I hear the gentle clacking of mariachis, and some big guy in a tight black suit, with an even bigger guitar.

Who knew straw would stand the test of time so well, and with more exposure to the sun than George Hamilton?? Aside from a bit of fraying here and there, and a couple of missing dingle balls, it looks as good now as it did 30 years ago. And just as stylish, if I do say so myself.

For the life of me, I just can't figure out why the sombrero hasn't stayed more popular over the years. Oh sure, you see a few every Halloween, and maybe one or two on St. Pepe di Kahlua Day, but you'd be honestly hard pressed to spot any in the mall, even on a blazingly hot summer day.

Try beating a sombrero for shade. A cowboy hat won't even come close, and as a Canadian, it is WAAAY more comfortable than a toque.

Try finding a baseball cap with dingle balls. I know, I've tried. It can't be done.

For some reason I just cannot comprehend, my wife refuses to wear the one I recently bought for her. Granted, it doesn't capture the "essence of sombrero" like mine, but I thought the border of lace made it look a little more feminine. And here I thought she liked them, after all the fuss she makes whenever she sees Antonio Banderas wearing one...

Ah well, maybe she'll warm up to hers. For now, I must add some moisturizer to my own - that straw does dry out some over the winter...

Chow for now!!