By Steve Carr

My friend, my new hat, and I made the necessary excuses recently and went fishing. Within an hour, we were motoring up the South Fork of the Snake River.

We dressed for the season in our heavy waders and wind-resistant jackets. When I pulled out my new fishing hat, I noticed something protruding from the inside band. Curious, I withdrew a small but voluminous pamphlet. “Remove this owner’s manual before fitting hat,” it read.

Oops. I slipped the manual into my pocket. A moment later, the wind blew my fancy new hat off my head and downriver.