It’s very easy to sit at home, watch the news about what’s happening in Zimbabwe, Darfur, etc, and say, “wow, that’s terrible.”  We all wish we could do something to help, but most of the time it remains a thought and a hope and we go about our lives.  It’s a lot harder, however, to go about your day and not think about the genocide in those places when you have close friends who are on their way home to Zimbabwe thursday december 11th.  

I met the guys of Bongo Love: Trymore Jombo, John Mambira, Mpho Mambira, & Themba Mawoko almost 2 years ago when I had the honor of playing a show with them in May of 2007.  Since then we have played a couple more shows together and in turn become good friends.  Bongo Love has been on the road with www.5rightsinc.org in the U.S. promoting human rights for many months now.  Unfortunately last night at The Sweetwater Cafe, Boston we had to say goodbye for now.  Hopefully, soon we will see Bongo Love back in the U.S.  

While the 4 men from Bongo Love are amazing on stage, they are unreal off stage.  And now it seems like every time we see each other we trade the shirts we are wearing at the time.  I am not sure if this is standard for them when they catch back up with old friends, but its a great tradition that I hope to be able to continue with them sooner rather than later.  

The long awaited, much anticipated Naukabout Music Festival has come and has gone…Waking up to torrential rain and a thunder storm that had kept me up the entire night, I wasn’t looking forward to heading to the fairgrounds to set-up in the rain at 6am.  Much to my surprise, as we approached the grounds, the skies parted, the sun awoke and the picture perfect day came to its beginning.  After nearly 8 months of planning, the day was finally upon us and we couldn’t have been more excited.

The vastness of the fairgrounds quickly ended as vendors rolled in to set-up for the long day ahead.  The sun brought in the good spirits of the steller list of vendors & sponsors who had volunteered their time to support the event.

The list was great:  The Burrito Bus, Peak Organic Brewing Co, Cisco Brewers of Nantucket, Hawaiian Elements, Bear Naked Granola, British Beer Company, the Island Merchant, Fuze Beverage, Go Fast Sports, Hyannis Ice Cream, Chris Flisher Mandalas, Butu International, Social Boston Sports, Greenover, Rain or Shine Gear, MoBoogie, SurfRider Foundation, Performer Magazine and of course, the Elias Fund.

And what’s a music festival without a lineup of great tunes?  The day kicked off with a solo gig by Jim Decatur, followed by the likes of the Pete & Mike Band, Tin Can Tele, the Old Silver Band (the local boys) and Barefoot Truth.  Highlighting the late afternoon/evening crowd was the Ryan Montbleau Band, Braddigan and the Rustic Overtones.

If you were looking for a day of good vibes, great food and amazing music, this was the place to be…and from what I understand, we were completely surrounded by rain and hail storms throughout the day…nothing but sunshine at the Barnstable County Fairgrounds!  Hope to see you all next year.

Conservation… the act of preserving, guarding, or protecting; the keeping (of a thing or place) in a safe or entire state; preservation…The preservation of memories, the preservation of our environment, friendships, ambitions. The concept of creating, maintaining and celebrating something or someplace that you hold close resonates deeply with me.  Henry David Thoreau once said, “In wilderness is the preservation of the world.”  I suppose my innate draw to the great outdoors and all its offerings could be summed up within that quote. 

Keeping in line with the topic at hand, the team at Naukabout is always looking for like-minded folks and groups to make alliances with and share in these efforts of conservation.  If you take a look at some of the organizations that we link to, you can see a common thread of action through the creation of community.  Everyone wants to support conservation, but it’s not always easy to determine a way to go about doing it.  By partaking in efforts organized by these community-based groups, you are conserving.  The strength of these communities and their commitment to raising awareness is inspiring.  Find out for yourself, join a group that is of importance to you and participate in preserving the past while creating your future.

One of the things that I identify with most about the Naukabout concept is the way it ties in with celebrating and remembering your best times.  For me, there are a number of places and times that fit the description of a “naukabout” moment, and while I’d love to tell you about all of them, I’ll just pick one to tell you about this week.

I love the outdoors.  Whether it’s the mountains or the beach, if I’m outside being active, you can pretty much bet that I’m having a good time.  I recently participated in my first adventure race, the 2008 U.S. Bank Pole Pedal Paddle Race in Bend, Oregon.  I have done numerous multisport events in the past, but an adventure race of this stature, and in the amazing Pacific Northwest holds the candle above them all.  The range of people who take part in this race, in which you alpine ski, cross-country ski, bike, run, canoe/kayak and sprint to the finish line, ranges from expert athletes to extremely ambitious recreational athletes.  This race is in its 32nd year, and is now on the top of my list to go back to each year.  Picture the high desert of Oregon, the DesChutes River, Mt. Bachelor, 90+ degrees and more snow than you can imagine.  Not only is it a great time in a great place, surrounded by great people, but all proceeds from the race support the programs of the Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation (MBSEF), whose guiding philosophy is to encourage academic achievement and promote the positive values of competitive sport: sportsmanship, self-discipline, goal setting, character building and the pursuit of healthy lifetime activities.

So the question I leave you with today is simple…”Where do you Naukabout?”  I want to hear about your recent Naukabout moments and adventures.  Who knows, maybe one of your stories will prompt a new Naukabout experience for another reader, or perhaps this will connect you with someone who has similar interests…and maybe, just maybe, I’ll see you in Bend next year at the Pole Pedal Paddle…

All the best,

Adam

Well, here it is, the first official Nauk Talk post… Assisting in the launch of the website and sharing with the world our naukabout philosophy is a very exciting venture. When we first envisioned Naukabout as a clothing line, it was important to me that people understood our vision and the true meaning behind Naukabout. To share my Dad’s naukabout ideal with all of you is a great feeling, in fact, I guess you could call it a naukabout moment.  So, welcome. Thanks for taking time from your busy lives to stop by and check out the site. Hopefully you will continue to come back time and time again to naukabout with me and rest of the community.

There is a lot of great happenings that you will find on the site. Under Nauk World, you’ll see the details on the 1st Annual Naukabout Music Festival of Cape Cod. Great bands, great cause, fun with friends and family, all while hanging in the summer sun…..what could be better? Also, please stop by the ‘Where do you Naukabout?’ section to tell us about your own Naukabout moments, share your photos and stories and how you work to keep those places, moments and life adventures in tact.

We’ve also joined forces with a number of environmental, social and charitable organizations; visit their links as well to learn more about there visions and missions.  Brook, Russ, Jeff and I feel strongly that it is important for people to share their Naukabout moments and work together as a community to preserve them. We all work so hard, there should be more focus on just nauking about – but most importantly, doing so in a manner that is important to you. Find your favorite place, your favorite past-time…where was it, what were you doing, who were you with…and how is that place and time still with you today?  For me…I think of those places that I cherish and what I can do to help preserve them..the DesChutes River, Cape Cod National Seashore, Sandy Neck Beach…  For others, it may be those moments spent with your kids at a special place, an event you participated in once and now go back to do each year. The key to naukabout is that these are your individual moments, memories & places…

I’ll do my best to post here weekly to keep you all up-to-speed on what the Naukabout community has been up to. Until next week….

Best,  

Adam