The Mariners will be performing in the annual Guilford Fair parade this Saturday morning, the 19th of September.  Parade steps off at 10am.

Apparently, so will at least one of the ‘Fying Wallendas.’

Now, as if these guys weren’t fascinating enough on their own merits, I have some dim memories of childhood when every stupid acrobatic thing I tried (that mostly ended in disaster) was referred to as “tryouts for ‘The Flying Wallendas’”  So there you have it: for me- hometown parade, hometown memories.  Hope to see some of you there.

So fifers fife, and drummers drum
Your songs ’til hell and earth are done

Then send your message to the sun
And worlds that from where heroes come

Back home to hear on Muster day

 The stirring songs that once they played

And view the Ancients grand parade

From secret shadow, silent shade.

Before all the parade festivities seen in the Mystic photos below, the Mariners have started a brunch tradition at the Firehouse as sort of a pre-game warm up.

Frivolity follows, and Little Dick on the griddle comes up with pancakes like this:

We then began a rousing game of ‘Who’s under the bear head?’

Play along at home!

Exhibit A:

Another view:

A little more challenging?

Exhibit B:

Another view:

Apparently, she could reach that high.  Actually, I’m a little bit scared of bears with swords, let’s go to Mystic.

Once in Mystic, we found the little people still about:

Oh, and here’s the littlest!

Well, that pretty much wraps up what was St.Patrick’s Month for the Mariners.

And all the good little boys and girls went sleepy-bye.

The Mariners had a good day.  We enjoyed being a part of the benefit for Erin Long at the Company of Fifers and Drummers Hall.  A great job was done by Kate Bolcar and all of the supporting cast.

A shot of your friendly neighborhood barstaff, Neil O’Brien, the Chief Chanteyman and Kevin Brown, the Commodore, in their native habitat.

We then adjourned to our annual season kickoff party in New London.  We try and time this to coincide with the Hygienic Arts Festival, where our contribution is an uninvited and impromptu parade and pub crawl.

All went well, and Greg Bacon, neatly attired and newly iphoneified, spent as much time blogging as he did fifing.

The beer flowed freely, there were even a few margaritas thrown in for good measure.

The only down part of the evening came with a bit of false advertising:

We were summarily not invited in for a beer, or anything else.  “The onliest place in town we WEREN’T welcome.”

We also enjoyed having some members of the Old Guard hanging out for the evening (and the morning after).  Might be a rough Monday at Fort Myer.  We’re sorry Sgt Major Rock. (photos withheld to protect the guilty)

All in all, a great day, and the season is off and stumbling.

So there we were, (as all Sea Stories begin, as all Sea Stories are true) on our drunken way to Massimo’s from the Gravino’s garden party, August 2007, Basel, Switzerland.  Massi on his Swiss Army bike, Phil on Regine’s, Daniel bringing up the rear, circling back to the walking stumblers to make sure our bike gang didn’t lose them.

I turned my fourteenth shaky U-turn away from the walkers and back to Massi and Phil, just in time to see Phil doing his best Superman imitation over the handlebars, heading (literally) for the sidewalk.

In a breathless moment, he landed, skidded, rolled, recovered.  Momentary panic on my part, then, back on his feet!  A perfect ten!  If it hadn’t been for Phil and his quick thinking, some 95 year old house frau and her seven schnauzers might have become some sort of flattened international incident.  But no.  Not with Phil at the wheel.  He swerves, he misses, he gives it up to save her.  And yet, no one witnessed it but Massi and I.

Back in the States, at our Annual Mariner Awards Party, we relived Phil’s heroic late night ride with the gift of this fine conveyance, shown with our model, Rogi, to give you an idea of scale.

Here’s to Mr Phil Ritchie, International Hero!

From The Day, Nov 12, 2008, by Kira Goldenberg

Stonington - When state voters had the chance to decide Nov. 4 to allow 17-year-olds to vote in primaries if they turned 18 by the general election, Corey Prachniak was especially thrilled.

”When I got my absentee ballot in the mail and I saw it, I was really excited. It’s all about getting people involved, and I think this will enable schools to teach students better about primaries,” Prachniak said of the ballot question, which voters approved by a wide margin.

The Georgetown University senior, who is majoring in government, was part of a group of Stonington High School students who first floated the idea before state lawmakers in 2005.

Social studies teacher Richard Walter said his government students that year were discussing the history of voting rights when students asked whether voting could be opened to younger people. Research revealed that the U.S. Constitution’s 26th Amendment forbade denying people over 18 the right to vote but did not prohibit voting at a younger age – and that many other states already allowed 17-year-olds to vote in primaries.

”We were all kind of political science geeks, so we would spend a lot of time talking about this kind of stuff in private,” Prachniak said.

Walter abetted their wonkiness by reaching out to local lawmakers, and four students addressed the Government Administration and Elections Committee that year, including Prachniak.

”[Y]ou don’t really have full voting rights at 18 if you can’t select who you’re going to be voting for at 18,” he said before the committee in 2005.

Lawmakers, especially State Rep. James Spallone, D-Essex, expressed optimism about the idea. But Walter said he learned that what his students proposed as a bill would have to be a state constitutional amendment, and the idea grew dormant. Spallone contacted him in Winter 2007 to help reintroduce the idea, Walter said, and students again participated, this time by discussing the issue with Spallone and Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz, who supported the amendment.

It passed on Election Day, and the state joins nearly 20 others in permitting younger voters a say in primaries.

”I was very happy,” Walter said. “It was kind of strange because there was so little attention given to it. Even now, I’m still out there, trying to bring it to people’s attention that this was a student-driven initiative.”

Here’s Citizen Dick, not in teaching garb, another fine example of Mariners making a somewhat different contribution to our Communities.  Good Man Richard!

Many of the Ancient Mariners are familiar with the Firehouse from rehearsals and meetings over the last couple years, some of the Swiss have hazy memories from drunken visits over the same period.

Some readers of Bacon’s blog may remember his photo essay.

For anyone unfamiliar with the Firehouse, the universal verdict upon a first visit is that “it has a lot of potential.” I share their enthusiasm, though I admit, I do occasionally wonder what I’ve gotten myself into and if they just can’t think of anything else nice to say.

This is the state of the place this morning, as we’ve repaired and are repainting the walls.  Rehearsal tonight at 7pm.  Anyone wonder what I’m doing today?

Unlike Marty’s story, we don’t have any idea who those other guys are, or why that guy has that keyboard, but Massi has been proclaimed the “Finest Spoon Player Ever at Dooley’s.”

The barkeep was a little confused by Massi’s request for “wooden spoons” and replied in his best Boston, “Ya meen lahk sah-lad spuhns?”

You can see the metal soup spoon result of great moments in International communication.

Just in case you’re home, nursing a hangover and are feeling sorry that St. Patrick’s Day and the attendant drunken silliness is over for another year, fear not!

The Mariners are gearing up again for the Mystic Irish Parade which is right around the corner. And by gearing up, I mean I have to figure out which corner of my truck I threw my uniform into and perhaps, if it really really really needs it, wash the shirt and pants. Never, NEVER the jumper.

Notice two things: my jumper is hung up (on a hanger) AND I know where it is.

“Woody,” the latest legend-in-the-making incarnation of the pirate in chains, was at my house last night, begging for more leather to replace the shackles and chains he lost in New Haven. He claims there was a woman involved. I say, Who loses their chains? Ridiculous. In case you’re wondering, I gave him the leather, but only on the condition that he stand up on a bar in Mystic and sing us a song.

Anyhow, the Parade is running quite late this year because Easter Sunday is running exceptionally early.

Aside from the Mariners, the other guests of note are available here. A quick perusal yields many of the usual suspects, but one new group of four footed fame was brought to my attention, The Budweiser Clydesdales. Now I can’t say that I’m a big Budweiser fan, but I have enjoyed some of their advertising in years past.

Here’s the original classic:

And here’s another, that makes me glad there’s a whole summer of shenanigans ahead.
The Parade steps off @ 11am, from the lot opposite Mystic Seaport Museum and ends up just across the drawbridge. The Mariners will then be seen throughout town wherever fine beverages are found.