I’ve been so tired this past week that our dog, Essa McCloud, has had her physical activity limited to runs around the yard. I told Kim last night I would Essa for a walk in the morning. Scooter riding would have to wait.
Essa and I headed up towards the mountain and did a couple miles in the cold. Air was crisp and wind was blowing steadily. You have to pay just as much attention in the woods when the wind is up as you do riding. All those widowmakers just waiting to fall on your head! Essa enjoyed herself and so did I. My knees were talking to me as we started up the mountain but nothing too bad.
Just returned from a scooter ride but no pictures—-left the memory card in the computer when I downloaded the dog pictures. I hate stopping the scooter for a great shot only to see “No Memory Card” appear on the screen.
Rode about 40 miles, lots of errands and winding routes to various stops of interest. The scooter kept wanting to head towards Starbucks but I reined it in. Couldn’t stop if from going to Barnes and Noble though.
The Vespa is running really well, just purrs along smoothly with no lag or stutters in performance. My riding skills are probably getting better too. All in all just a great way to start the weekend.
Sounds like we are living parallel lives, Steve. I was able to sleep in this morning, and when I finally woke up, the coffee was ready and the sun was shining.
I know exactly what you mean about the memory card thing. Done that myself, a time or two.
That’s a very interesting name you gave your beautiful dog. She looks like a wonderful, playful companion. Care to share the story?
Finally, how many miles or kms do you have on your Vespa now?
Ride well,
=gc=
There is a totally awesome trend going on up here. There are a number of bigger towns with a Starbucks on one end. Get your books, read, and drink coffee. Best of both worlds!!
Essa is a great dog. Kim and I have had her since we got her from the animal shelter almost 12 years ago. She was 6 months old and a bundle of energy then and she still can turn it on now, especially when we go out for a walk in the woods.
Kim added the McCloud part because Essa’s fur is soooo soft. Like a cloud. She’s extremely gentle and patient with kids and people and just loves attention. As she has gotten older she doesn’t have as much patience with other dogs. She wants to be the top dog but she no longer has the physical power to enforce it so she just sort of grumbles at them.
We’ve had a couple close calls with Essa, twice with cars, once at a national forest where she took off after a deer and just disappeared. Dumb luck and our decisions to remain in place for many hours paid off. The worst was a gastric torsion (twisted stomach) caused by a rawhide chew. Luckily we decided to call the vet late on a Saturday night and they operated immediately. The majority of animals don’t survive the torsion, or the surgery. Essa is living a charmed life. She spent the last 10 years with her pal Iggy Pup but epilepsy finally got the better of him. He was a very vocal, cagey American Foxhound who did all the talking and planning for Essa. Once he was gone she had to begin talking herself—things like “I’m hungry, take me for a walk, I want to go to bed, let me out, let me in, let’s go for a ride, where’s the candy….”
She’s the best dog I’ve ever had. Well-mannered, well trained, and a great friend.
steve
I’ve always loved coffee shops. I remember traveling in Europe with my mother when I was a kid and it was a daily routine to spend part of the afternoon in a cafe. I continue to find it enjoyable—a treat, drink, book, magazine, journal….. And while riding I am always on the lookout for places to stop.
I was mostly asleep when I wrote my comment. I left out the fact the Starbucks was on one end of a Barnes & Noble book store. Maybe that makes a little more sense!
Gary,
I have almost 2600 miles on the Vespa. Got the thing in mid-July last year. Not sure where this fits in the scooter world but the dealer is always surprised….