Standing along a winding road, the fragrance of honeysuckle and Lily of the Valley drifting through the trees, I’m uncertain whether I’d be happier walking, just leave the Vespa and make off through the woods. Memories of a million footsteps through fields and forests flood into view, a gift of consciousness that I too often take for granted. Alone, relaxed and for a few moments at peace with myself and the world, life passes slowly and for a moment time almost stands still. I don’t want to miss a moment and think about something Benjamin Franklin said, “Lost time is never found again.”
Riding has a marvelous capacity to create experience through the way it hurls a rider naked through the world. Every sense can be ignited and a push on the handlebar or a turn of the throttle can sweep you into a different place. Departing the beaten path, a decision fueled by a passing association with the agricultural landowner led the Vespa through grassy tracks and attention to scooter wheel eating groundhog holes.
In the scooter’s dream, the road goes on forever…
The statement is homage to poet Susan Mitchell’s work, “The Road” in which she writes “In the car’s dream the road goes on forever.” The first time I heard that line, lovingly whispered to me by my wife, I felt a shiver of excitement run through me. Little did I know I would live it over and over again on the scooter as I travel on through life.
In the heart of central Pennsylvania the roads do seem to go on forever, a dream for anyone just needing to ride quiet.
Someone asked me recently when I was going to move up to a motorcycle. It puzzles me what moving up means though I’ve long ago realized it’s not a conversation for polite company and instead respond with, “Oh, I don’t know….”
The Vespa GTS250ie still exceeds my expectations for performance and I long ago fell in love with the way it looks.
Rain threatened a few times during the ride, something I prefer not do deal with when I’m traversing grass ways and dirt paths. This picture suggests an innate ability to ignore present danger and dawdle with a camera as the weather sweeps across the sky. Luckily only a few big drops slapped across myself and the scooter.
Somewhere near the southern end of Centre County, Pennsylvania I found myself walking further and further from the scooter, savoring each footstep and breath. My wife turned me on to Verbascum thapsus, the long stemmed plants in the picture. Weeds to many I’ve now come to enjoy them and am happy to see a half dozen or so have volunteered to grow in our own woodland landscape. This picture is for you Kim. Thank you.
The scooter is small and I’m not in the picture. That has to mean something right?
Just one more ride and I’ll find the answer…
Wow, all of the photos are stunning!
Steve:
I like the vignetting effect on Photo #1 sort of like DX lens on FX
With your lack of traffic then your Vespa works. Here with aggressive traffic you would be too slow. 250cc is not enough power in our Mountains.
I also like those dark storm clouds but not the resultant deluge they may bring
bob
A weekend photographer or Riding the Wet Coast
Steve,
Your roads are not that different than mine, roads perfect for smaller, slower machines and great for big and quiet exploring.
RichardM: Anyone who points a camera at a Vespa will end up with stunning pictures!
bob skoot: Lightroom 4 makes the vignetting simple. Very slight on #1 — mostly so the watermark would show.
Riding in the rain is an acquired taste for me. I have to ease into it, like I do when I swim in a cold lake…
Coop: The picture you have on your blog header looks exactly like places around here. So much so that I swear I know where it is, or at least I should know.
Hi Steve,
Great photographs mate,
I too have had folk ask …are you going to get something bigger …a proper bike, I just smile and say yeah one day maybe ….little do they realise have had all-sorts of big bikes. The last big bike being a Honda VFR750.
Those days are gone , scooters fit my life perfectly.
Steve again I really enjoyed the read.
Regards
Len