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A
Yachting Heritage
It was only days
after I was born that I was on a boat and out to sea. Part
of the reason was that my folks had a special island off the coast of
Maine and we were there nearly every weekend. I used to daydream
that our boat was everything from a schooner from days of old to a
fishing vessel. Sometimes it was a pirate ship and other days it
was a modern Navy attack craft. I still believe to this day, that
imagination is the key to fun.
M.Y. Peregrine I
Two years out of college, I managed to scrape together enough money to
buy a 17' Sea Ray runabout. Named "Peregrine I", she was my first
way to "walk on water". She was fun, but...
M.Y. Peregrine II
...with exploration on my mind and a new marriage
consummated, a larger, 21' Sea Ray cabin cruiser soon followed.
With "Peregrine II" we explored the home waters that spanned
between Boston and Martha's Vineyard. The challenge was that, with a 250
hp engine, this boat was a gas hog. The price of refueling the
tank really got in the way of enjoying the adventure.
S.Y. Peregrine III
This lead to the purchase
of a 28' blue water sailing vessel my wife and I named "Peregrine III".
This
was a bit of an ironic name since Peregrine falcons are very fast,
but this big girl was slow, even in the best of breezes. She was,
however, sturdy enough to sail to Europe and able to sleep five.
We plied the waters of New England from Connecticut to Maine and even
spent parts of our summers living aboard Peregrine III out on Martha's
Vineyard and Nantucket in our "PK" (Pre-Kids) days.
Little did we know how much this yacht would become such a central part
of our family. We sailed her right up until my wife gave birth to
our first child, who was on board within the first week of her life.
In fact, we still have pictures of her hanging from the "Jolly
Jumper" attached to the boom of the boat. When our second
child came along, he was at sea on day three!
But life changes and sometimes fitting a 6 knot per hour boat into the
schedule isn't realistic. The kids have grown to the point that
they are sailing their own small boats and the thought of being out on
the water to watch them as they race is appealing. To that extent,
we put our venerable "seaside summer house" on the market and, having
owned her between 1993 and 2010, have now passed the helm to a new
owner. He plans to sail her across the Atlantic to Europe.
I'll keep you posted on that quest.
M.Y. Heritage
The
story doesn't end with the sale of Peregrine III. Once you get the
sea in your veins, it's tough to get out. There is a lifestyle
that goes with it - a tradition, a legacy, a heritage! Hence,
"Heritage" has been bought and is now being readied for the sea.
She is a classic Boston Whaler 19' Outrage. Known as the
"unsinkable boat" (unlike Titanic, these really are), many would say that
a Boston Whaler is the best recreational boat ever produced.
In production for over 50 years, the unique Boston Whaler boat has
a pedigree and track record of reliability that has attracted an intensely
loyal group of owners and fans. Boston Whalers are so reliable
that the Coast Guard, Police and even Navy SEALS made these their boat
of choice.
As the son of a son of a sailor, I went down to the sea for
adventure...and so far, it's never disappointed me in that area yet!
Cheers!


Getting Your Motorcycle Pilot's Wings
Some
folks like to collect marbles, antiques or even coin. Me, I like to
collect miles - on my motorcycle that is. I think it's because with every
mile comes a memory. I have helped travel suppliers get travel agents
fired-up about selling their offering for twenty-five years and with that effort
has come a lot of travel. Do you know that to this day, the thought of
travel and its related adventure still stirs butterflies of excitement in me?
Flying A Motorcycle
My
first set of wheels, after a bicycle, was a motorcycle. I've always been a
fan of flying motorcycles. I say "flying" because I've always believed
that something that naturally wants to tip over or crash (and yet is otherwise
piloted through the air) is flown. To that extent, the motorcycle may be
viewed as the poor man's airplane.
Types of
Pilots
There are three basic types of motorcycle
pilots. They are:
The Short-Hop Pilot:
The
first is known as the "bar" or "restaurant" hopper. They are the folks
who simply must have the Harley Davidson because...well...it's the cool thing
to do. A Harley to these riders is what a Chihuahua is to the Hollywood
girly-girl set (anyone remember the movie "Wild
Hogs"?). If a Short-Hop Pilot breaks the 2,000 mile-per-season
mark on their odometer, it's cause for note. In fact,
the average motorcycle is ridden only 1,943 miles in the
year.
The Rocket- Riders :
Did
you know that, according to those who study the brain, the
Parietal Lobe, that is, the section responsible
for, amongst other things, good decision/judgment, is not fully developed until
the age of twenty-five? That may explain why the majority of these Rocket
owners are quite young (as motorcycle ownership chronology goes).
According to the Urban Dictionary, these motorcycles are, "typically
distinguished by their aerodynamic 'hunched-over' seating position and high
power to weight ratio."
The Rangers:
J.R.R. Tolkien once wrote,
"...Not all who wander are lost..." and that seems a fitting saying for those
who are born with the urge to fly their motorcycle to some far off place,
around every "next corner" or to see what's over every hill. This type of
rider includes everyone from the hardcore cruisers putting 750 miles a month on
local back roads (not as easy as you may think) to the "Iron
Butt" crowd. As a "mile collector", this is the group
that I fit into.
Spring
is an iffy time for riding in New England where I live, although this year
hasn't been too bad. I've averaged close to 850 miles per month in March
and April of 2010; months that are visually beautiful, but generally less
climatically optimal. The rolling state routes of old New England, bathed
in daffodils and budding leaves are such fragrant places to pilot two wheels
that it makes me almost wonder why anyone would ever think they need a runway to
take-off and fly!!
Cheers!


It's Clam
Season Again Here On Cape Cod!
When
I was young, my folks had an island off the coast of Maine (Birch Island in
the Mussel Ridge Channel for those who know Midcoast Maine). Just about every
weekend, we'd head to this little adventure land and picnic, explore and, yes,
clam. The clam flats claimed many a flip-flop and shoe, but always surrendered
a tasty meal.
These
days I call Cape Cod home, Plymouth to be exact (the geological part of the Cape
that's not stuck on the other side of a man-made bridge). In many ways,
relative to seafood, there's not too big a change from Maine.
Make Your Own Chowda'
After
much tenacious experimentation, I've come close to what I believe is the perfect
chowder (aka chowda') recipe. To that extent, I'm going to share it
with you. All I ask is that you let me know how it worked out for you -
BillMallia@comcast.net!
Download The
Recipe For "Five Fathom Farm Chowder"
Cheers!


Living "Sunny-Side Up" On The Farm
What kid hasn't dreamed
of what it would be like to live on a farm? In my case I do. Yup, an
honest to goodness Cape Cod farm, a mere three miles west of Plymouth
Rock. Small as it may be, it is just enough to balance the adventure of
a farm, with the reality of all the work involved in maintaining such an
estate. As I've mentioned before, my wife and
I named it "Five Fathom Farm" for the fact that there is a thirty
foot drop between the front of the property and the back end. For those
not acquainted with nautical nomenclature, a "fathom" is a measurement
equal to six feet and six goes into thirty five times, hence the name.
The only
problem with our farm is that it did not produce anything, and I've
always held that animals or a crop is the life blood that makes a farm's
heart pump. To this extent, on any given day, you'll
find some of the most spoiled chickens running freely about the property
- making no bug or seed safe!
We do have a nice, cozy hen house
for them which, by chicken standards, is a
palace complete with radio and timer light.
But more often then not you'll find them
free rangeing where
they will and want. Outside of the occasional
passing hawk, they have little to concern their little chicken minds
with.
Speaking of "free ranging", did
you know that in most states, in order for a box of eggs to say "free
range", the chickens must only have the opportunity to leave
their twenty-three hour cage and go outdoors for one hour, once a day.
Isn't marketing great? People will buy anything as long as the idea is
warm and fuzzy and makes them feel good.
The Girls
I'm a fan of mixing up the varity of chickens we maintain, but here's a
look at some of the breeds that call Five Fathom Farm home:
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Barred
Plymouth Rock |
I live in
Plymouth, the first permanent English settlement in America.
Therefore, it is imperative that we have a good representation
of the chicken breed named after America's Home Town.
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Partridge
Plymouth Rock |
Here again,
a hometown bird that is subtly attractive with its chestnut
brown flecking. Plymouth Rocks are a good general farm chicken
and have been around since 1869. |
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Rhode Island
Red |
Developed in
the New England states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Rhode
Island Reds are considered a good choice for the small flock
owner. Relatively hardy, they are probably the best egg layers
of the dual-purpose (egg/meat) breeds . |
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Buffed
Ameraucana |
Ameraucana's
are one of the newer breeds accepted by the American Poultry
Association. They are distinctive in that they
lay beautiful colored eggs of blue-green shades from turquoise
to deep olive (think Martha Stewart). |
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Golden Polish |
A
crested fowl and said to be amongst the most ornamental of all.
European and English breeders developed these chickens back in
the mid 1800's. “Road Runner” will be our only white egg layer. |
Want to start your
own "chicken adventure"? Here are some links that might help you
out!
• BYC -
www.backyardchickens.com
• Chicken Coop USA –
www.chickencoopusa.com
• Ideal Poultry -
www.idealpoultry.com
• McMurray Hatchery
-
www.mcmurrayhatchery.com
• My Pet Chicken –
www.mypetchicken.com
• Randall Burkey –
www.randallburkey.com
Cheers!


Aloha
From Cape Cod Bay!
As most of you know, I started my business career in the
travel industry. There was day when
my dress signature was a bow tie. That's all I wore - well, I mean I wore a
suit too, but around my neck, bow tie only. Over time the tie grew and I started
wearing standard ties. These looked good with my large collection of
double-breasted suits. Well, we are in the "recreation" business, so life can
be a bit more casual than say, the financial world. I mean, gee wiz, I sure
don't want to look like a banker! With that in mind, navy-blue blazers and
kakis slowly took over the suits. Before I knew it, my closet was crowded with
polo shirts with my travel business's logo emblazoned on them.
But after carrying
out over 20,000 personal sales visits to travel agencies and who knows how many
trade shows, I'm now off the paved road and instead cruising down the
cyber-highway as the travel industry's first and only Internet-based sales
representative. As I sit in my studio office on the shore of Cape Cod Bay, I
find Hawaiian shirts (a.k.a. Aloha Shirts) have somehow become the order of the
day. Maybe it's just a mid-life crisis, but all I can say is they're
as comfortable as you're going to get and somehow just seem to be fitting attire
for those of us selling, amongst other things, palm trees and dreams. So, let's
look at the history of these ubiquitous pieces of colorful cloth.
Immigrants Come to Hawaii
In the 1920's and 1930's
immigrants from numerous countries began setting roots in Hawaii, seeking
prosperity and a new life in what was then a Plantation town (primarily geared
toward the growing and processing of Sugar Cane into refined sugar and toward
Pineapple harvesting). In Plantation-era Hawaii, the probable precursor to the
modern Hawaiian Shirt was the Palaka Shirt and the Kimono-cloth shirt. The
Palaka is a short-sleeved shirt with bright geometric line patterns that was
widely worn by plantation workers. It has a plaid design and resembles a
checkerboard. Also popular during that time were short sleeved shirts sewn by
Japanese housekeepers and made out of leftover Kimono cloth, designed for
Japanese boys and men.
Hawaiian Shirt Pioneers
In 1931, Ellery Chun took over
his Father's dry goods store in Downtown Honolulu and in an attempt to build
business during the Depression, Chun expanded the scope of the store to appeal
to a wider audience. He and his sister, Ethel Chun Lum, began selling bright
print short sleeve shirts made out of the leftover material from Japanese
Kimonos.
Some of the
original Hawaiian prints sold by Chun included designs with Palm Trees, Hula
Girls and Pineapples. One of his tailors would make about 3 or 4 dozen at a
time. Beginning in 1933, Chun was making his shirts out of cloth that was
imported from the USA (at the time, Hawaii was a U.S. Territory, not a State),
Japan, China and Tahiti.
Hawaiian Shirt Popularity Grows
Local Hawaii residents, Waikiki
beach boys and surfers quickly noticed the shirts and began buying them in
ever-increasing numbers. Over time, tourists, Hollywood movie stars and other
rich and famous visitors to Hawaii also began noticing the bright, casual, easy
to wear styles and began bringing them home to the U.S. mainland.
After his success
with the shirts in the early 1930's, Mr. Chun trademarked the term "Aloha Shirt"
in 1936. He continued selling his Aloha Shirts and widely expanded his line,
with his sister Ethel designing the fabrics and shirt styles. It was during this
period that Ethel Chun Lum began creating the bright tropical fabric patterns
that were based more on Hawaiian designs vs. Asian styles. It was this design
shift that really established and cemented the modern Hawaiian Shirt style.
Ellery Chun passed away on 16 May 2000 in Honolulu at the age of 91. Although he
may not have invented the garment, he certainly popularized it, helped establish
a staple Hawaiian industry and assured the Hawaiian Shirt an enduring place in
fashion history.
Hawaiian Shirt Explosion!
By the 1950's, the Hawaiian
Shirt had blazed into prominence. In August, 1959 Hawaii became the 50th State
of the U.S.A., bringing the new Aloha State even more attention and most
significantly, even more tourists!
These days, the
Hawaiian shirt has become an icon of not just Hawaii, but of all things
tropical. And you'll find 'em from the Hawaiian Islands to the rows of Jimmy
Buffett concerts, Key West to, yes, even Cape Cod!
Cheers!


Biker Bear!
You remember my dog, Bear
don't cha? This
little bundle of tan fuzz joined our family about a year ago. This
little dog, made of one part Shih-Tzu, one part Yorkshire Terrier
and a touch of Poodle just for character, turned out to be a
smart, cuddle dog with the heart of a lion.
Bear, or "Teddy Bear Cub" to use her full proper name, was born in central Michigan on 6
September. In true world explorer form, she
made her way to my home on Cape Cod via United Airlines.
Last
December, when I wrote about "Cub" in Bill's Page, the final lines read,
"She
has a bit of growing to do before she hits her full-blown mega weight of
10 pounds. By then I'm thinking she'll be ready to hit the road for a
good, long motorcycle ride (but that's a topic for another day)"
Well, that day has come!
"Then
the Lord God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make
a partner who is just right for him.'"
Is this the part of the Bible where He created dogs - I'm just askin'?
All I can say is that it's finally good to have a passenger to ride with
(no, my wife won't get on the bike...yet) Predating the
purchase of my current motorcycle, I wanted to go riding with my fuzzy
friend. The problem was that "Splash The Beach Colored Dag", our oh, so
purebred yellow lab, weighs 100 pounds and short of adding a side car, I
couldn't bring her along. When Bear entered the picture shortly after my
new motorcycle did, I knew I had a new travel buddy.
I have researched
motorcycle dog carriers for nearly a year and the one conclusion I have
come to is that they are unnecessarily expensive. I finally
decided, after a bit of prompting from various bikey dog websites, that
a simple plastic pet carrier was the best deal and one of the all-round
top options.
I started with a matching green and ivory colored 19" Petmate Pet Kennel
that we had bought when she was just a new member of the family. After a
bit of strategic hole drilling, it was mounted via cable ties to my
motorcycle's luggage rack. It worked perfectly! Our first
shake down cruise took us out to Petsmart t o pick up a hooded,
polar fleece sweatshirt and some rain gear, both designed to fend off
foul, Fall weather. Not that I'm much of a fan of Harley Davidsons
(sorry all you HD riders), but the sweatshirt that I purchased for Bear ended up being
of the official Harley Davidson clothing line. I guess I'm not the
first to think of this idea (there's actually a
motorcycle club
just for dogs?)
And then there
were the goggles, or "Doggles"
to be exact. Did you know they actually make goggles specifically
designed for dogs? I didn't until I went shopping for them.
Here's the write up on 'em:
"All models
have flexible, snug-fitting frames, which have foam padding against the
face, polycarbonate (shatterproof) and anti-fog lenses, and adjustable
elastic head and chin straps to keep the Doggles securely on the dog.
Doggles feature patented wide nose bridge, deep lens cup and
interchangeable lenses. Dogs have a much wider nose bridge than
humans, along with protruding eyes. You need a goggle designed
specifically to fit a dog's unique face structure."
Well hey, now I understand the old motorcycling adage - "Only A Biker
Knows Why A Dog Sticks His Head Out Of A Car Window!"
Cheers!


Back To Beach
(Shower)
For
those who don't know, I live in New England - Plymouth, Massachusetts to
be exact. For eight to nine months out of the year, we experience what
is arguably some of the least desirable weather in which the human
animal can live. However, when the calendar moves to summer, this part
of the world becomes God's country.
From the beaches to the mountains, sailboats to fresh lobster, New
England is the place to be in the summer. Here on Cape Cod, you're
never too far from sand, sea and great weather. As a result, most folks
pretty much move outdoors for the months of June, July and August. One
of my favorite outdoor "summer places" is our outdoor shower.
If
you have an outdoor shower, you know that it's a bit like having your
own tropic waterfall attached to your home or summer cottage. The funny
thing is that no two outdoor showers seem to be the same. For example,
in ours, we decided an oversize, rainfall shower head was imperative.
Twelve inches of pouring water cascades down from two feet above one's
head.
Next came the layout,
which we felt needed to include, not only space to shower, but a dry
area for clothes and changing. This way we can slip into the shower
after the beach or pool and emerge dressed for the next adventure.
The inner walls are lined with antique, summer oriented tin signs that
call from ice cream shops, seafood shacks and other seasonal haunts.
All of these are augmented with tropical license plates, old oars and
seashells from our beach. Cool slate plate-stones guard the foot from
the crushed stone that allows wash water to trickle to its new home.
Finally, the rustic wood that grants personal privacy, is buttressed by
colorful hydrangeas - a flowering plant that is particularly popular
here on Cape Cod. If you've got the space, I'd say build one of these
great structures. If you do, maybe you too will find yourself shutting
off the water to your indoor version as we do.
Cheers!


Home In A Bag
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"If you travel for a living, and you do it for a long enough
time, you can get so good at it that you never really have a
home."
James Taylor |
In the
pirate days, each ocean-bound outlaw had his own Swag in which he would
stash his share of the ill-gotten bootie. In Australia and New Zealand,
a swag is a bundle of belongings rolled in a traditional fashion to be
carried by a foot traveler in the bush. Decades of global adventures
have lead me into the development of my own swag. I call it my "Toy
Swag".
My Toy
Swag is my way of bringing a piece of home along with me when I travel
so that I don't get homesick and, as former Boy Scout, it lets me live
up to my oath to "be prepared" for whatever gets tossed my way.
The swag
itself takes on various forms, from backpacks to suitcases. The
contents, however, are drawn out of a checklist that I actually took the
time to assemble on a word file. I'm a big fan of pre-packing check lists
because it lets me stop and think about everything I'll need for the
latest adventure. Running around, grabbing things off shelves and out
of drawers like some crazed Fear Factor contestant, never really
appealed to me and usually led to forgetting some important component.
So, what's
in the Toy Swag? What do I hold dear and find that I can not live
without? While not everything accompanies me on ever trip, here's what
I've gotta have.
Reading
Bible/Small NLV - As a
Christian and this indispensable book gives me my fix and keeps me
on the eternal high that I accepted years ago.
General Literature - I like books that are
written about traveling. From Bill Bryson to Jimmy Buffett, bring it
on.
Song Writing Gear -
There's always the need for
the need for items such as those inexpensive theme books you used to use
back in school, a rhyming dictionary and the like. To date,
the US copyright office houses over 25 "Bill
Mallia" songs that are performed regularly at venues around the map.
Reading
Glasses - One of the gifts I got back on my 44th birthday
was the first
signs of presbyopia. I'm sportin' the 1.5's these days.
Guitar
Depending on the travel, I'm always accompanied at
least by my trusty
Baby Taylor, Hawaiian Koa back and sides, Sitka Spruce top,
housed in a sturdy
SKB Case.
Music
Gotta' have the mp3 player
loaded with an odd mix of
Contemporary Christian Music (CCM), Bob Marley, Great Big Sea and Jimmy
Buffett!
Fishin’
Fly Rod -
Temple Fork, 8 weight, four piece, graphite fly rod.
Fly Reel -
Redington 9/10 weight
Waist Gear
Bag - My own hand-tied flies, tippet, fishing pliers, fishing
glasses and the all important first aid kit.
Runnin' Gear
A life
time of running, including three Boston Marathons, taught me that
breathing and exercise are good. So, along come Asics Gel DS Trainers
and a set of "sink washable" running clothes.
Beach
It's
amazing how little room a bathing suit, sun glasses and flip flops take
up. I also travel with a watch that looks "businessy" but doesn't have
a lot of flash since sea critters like barracuda, etc. tend to view
silver/gold watches as bait fish. Now that I
think of it, when I travel may be the one and only time I even wear a
watch!
Survival Gear
Breath
mints, ear plugs, eye shades, travel alarm clock, small folding
toothbrush and Ibuprofen, since only one tablet lasts 6 hours verses
Tylenol that requires two tablets for 4 hours of relief from "what ails
you".
As I said, all of the
toys don't make into the swag for every adventure, but throw in my
favorite teddy bear and, well, just about anywhere on the planet can
feel a lot like home!
Cheers!
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