A COAT TALE

It's starting to get cool those September mornings here

on the high mesa, a mere five miles west of the famous

SANDIA Mountains. After all, we live at 5800 feet 

altitude.

The other morning I began to wonder where my much-

loved Duluth olive drab WWII "Operation Market-Garden"

jacket was stored for the summer.We dug it out! Ready

for a brisk autumn. bring it on!

This marvelous light weight, comfy, multiple-pocketed

copy of a wartime paratrooper jacket (from the "Big One"),

was made by the excellent Duluth Trading Co, out

of tough heavy "fire-hose" material, and is several years

old.

It is lined with a nice silky fabric which enables

one to don it rapidly, and has a dozen or so pockets

all over it---some hidden---and is keen for hiking, hunting,

carrying a spare spoon and some Beanie-Weenies, and

leather gloves, big red bandanas...and MEN STUFF!

With that brief intro,  hereby hangs a tale---yes a COAT

TALE!

I am in and out of the house in the cold times, and often

my writing corner misses out on the heat, somehow,

and thus I wear the above jacket a lot during the day.

Last year I decided an  alternate jacket choice, for a

bit of variety was indicated. And I remembered that Duluth

had once offered in their catalog a duplicate Market Garden

jacket in DESERT TAN.

At a bargain $139.95 for a "tall man" size, I just phoned 

the company and tried to order one. "I'm sorry," said the

nice lady, "but it was discontinued and we are sold out."

I was very disappointed.

On a hunch and a long shot, I wrote the company VP of

Marketing and asked if he could run down such a jacket for

me (in Desert Tan) anywhere in the system.

This was about early fall of 2015. No reply.

I forgot all about it.

Then one evening  in June (2016) night near dusk, the

doorbell rang. BE went. Nobody was there, but UPS had

left a hefty package, lying on a lawn chair.

She brought in the box and said: "Did we order something?"

"Not that I remember," I said.

Addressed to me, I opened it. GUESS WHAT?

Folded ever-so-tightly-and-neatly....there was a beautiful 

Duluth Trading Co. WWII replica Tall-Size, desert tan,

Fire Hose Material, many-pocketed Operation Market-Gaden

paratrooper jacket! (With a tan silk lining!)

You could have knocked me over with a feather.

And there was a letter, not folded, but in a plastic sleeve, and

from the Vice President of Marketing.

"We appreciate your business and we strive to give the best

of service at all times. Somehow your letter was lost in a stack

for many months, and I apologize for that.

I have had a special jacket made up for you at the factory, since

we are no longer listing that one in our catalogs. Please accept

it and enjoy---along with our apologies..." 

It was gratis! 

I can't wait to try it out, and soon, when the brisk fall winds come,

and the leaves are scurrying along the curbs...and the aroma

of roasting green chillies is permeating the air!

....and thanks to Duluth Trading, a US company that makes

fine, tough, handsome work clothing...at a really fair price,

and cares about its customers...

So that's my COAT TALE!

***************

BY MIL

9/15/16