Sounds as if you have a solid plan for winter. Our roads have cleared enough to ride but I’ve not done anything about it. A bad rider.

I’ve never used Sta-Bil or other gas treatments since I’ve been able to keep the scooter running year round with only a few multiweek rests. The Battery Tender was necessary though. It’s kind of amazing how quickly a battery on a scooter runs out of power in the cold. Even with the Tender there are days where the temperature is near zero and the scooter is sitting outside all day at work and it seems as if it doesn’t have much energy to turn the starter. That’s why I bought the Anti-Gravity battery that sits in the topcase. Just in case. So far I’ve only used it to start my Honda Fit.

I’m a snowblower convert!

– Got a lot of riding-time in on Melody before Friday (mostly errands)

– Made room in the shed Friday afternoon

– Poured requisite quantity of Sta-Bil into Melody’s tank (dide same with miwer & portable generator)

– Fired up Melody, rolled into shed

Now, of course, I’m hoping against hope that this snowy stuff doesn’t hang around longer than a few weeks, otherwise I’ll be making a trip to buy the battery tender I kept hoping I wouldn’t need to run out and buy. But at leadt the bike is safe from the frosty elements for now.

And, yes, a snowblower would’ve been a fine, fine thing to clear yon driveway n’ walkway with the last two days. I’m fortunate my ticker can take it, although I watch myself nonetheless.

The snow tyres make a difference — particularly in snow that has not been packed down into ice. And when the temperature gets near the freezing mark they are good as well. Haven’t put them on this year yet and maybe I won’t. I can ride in the cold when the roads are clear and we’ve had plenty of that so far. I’m not as excited (yet) this season to ride in the snow. Perhaps that will change. My daughter suggests I stay home. Probably not a bad plan.

I didn’t look at many blogs for a couple weeks and then suddenly David appears homeless. I’ll have to see what trouble he’s getting into. I expect him to start trailing along after the Grateful Dead or Phish or something like that.

Winter is here but only a soft roar so far. The snow blower is just what I needed. I used to live on a farm and one winter I had to pay someone with a front loader to dig out our lane seven times. Snow was too deep for a truck plow. Glad I don’t have to do that anymore…

Nice pics and as usual a good read.

IF a ride to the Florida Keys were ever to take place THEN I suspect it would fuel many, many blog posts. But no devil is whispering and instead I’m listening to the call of work…

I gave up on the snow blower last fall after having to clear the driveway six times in one day. It was kind of like the snowfall some parts of the eastern seaboard are seeing. Something like 40″ in only a couple of days. The truck mounted plow is so much faster.

I didn’t ask for a prescription and didn’t send the receipt from Home Depot into my health insurance carrier. But I will say the snow blower is a lot of fun. Up until today I was the snow shoveler here and only once or twice did a high school kid stop by looking to earn some extra money.

Simple has a range of definitions. For me, a snow blower is simple. And my back doesn’t hurt.

You’re probably right about the snow tyres — maybe I won’t put them on. Instead, I may turn the Vespa over to a local body shop to repaint the underside of the scooter. Lots of rust forming from all those winter rides…

Then too as your family quadraycycles live outside, they cover the
parking area which means those areas do not have to be cleared
of snow!

In the days of old before erstwhile Steve had heart problems;
who cleared the snow then? Kim, or you or some younger than
you secondary school school student in the neighbourhood
looking for some earned money?

I know I know, there are no students of today willing to work for
low wages shoveling drives and sidewalks; everyonec has some form of
mechanical device which is better, and easier. Nothing is simple
anymore, is it Steve?

Tomorrow, Sunday take a quiet drive in
the Honda Fit to Saint’s Cafe,
have a warm muffin and a cup of tea
and revel in the situation that “you”
might even skip installing snow tyres
on the Vespa this year…