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."

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.

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:

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 to 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

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!