Seeing My Shadow
On Wednesday morning the sky was clear and the air warmed quickly from a 27 degree start. The brilliant sunrise painted a crisp shadow on the farm field along the road where I parked my Vespa scooter. By noon the temperature was in the fifties and my delusion of spring strengthened. Two days later, right now, just after midnight, the temperature is plunging into the teens with a brisk wind.
Spring has deserted me. As with the groundhog who sees his shadow, more winter is coming. And more winter riding.
Warm Weather Fantasy
My well-worn Vespa GTS scooter still glistens in the early morning light. At this time of year I often stand in beams of sunlight on my face, absorbing heat, believing my body is generating Vitamin D and putting me in synch with the natural rhythm of the world.
This stop, just three miles from home, has provided many opportunities to worship the sun.
Big Sky Country
This is about as big as the sky gets. Nothing compared to the Midwest or West. Aside from views from hilltops, you never really get a sense of the larger horizon. At times it’s a claustrophobic world.
The scooter doesn’t care and I don’t either. I am happy to ride whenever I can and look forward to warmer weather. Right now, I have little hope of riding in the morning. The dogs don’t want to go out. I probably won’t either…
Great pictures and nice thoughts.Thank you,sir.
Thank you John. It was a fine day for riding and thinking.
Well worn? I have often wondered why people think that something ten years old and only have thirty something thousand miles are”Worn”. In my collection is a 1983 Kawasaki and a 1991 Honda both of which are capable of many more years of service. If I said my car had thirty thousand on it no one would think it was time to replace it. My highest mileage bike had 125,000 and was fifteen years old when I sold it. People at Modern Vespa seem to be of the same mindset and I find it odd.
It’s not the age or miles. It’s the salt. That corrosive element has harmed the machine in ways normal use won’t. It’s like a person using crack and at age 30 look like they’re 60.
In terms of age — I generally keep things a long time until they are worn out. Vehicles especially. And those wear out from salt and corrosion long before the mileage wears them out.
I was just looking at a used BMW on Craigslist. Looked new but had 258 thousand miles on it. Reminds me of the Mercedes million mile club…
Steve: You just reminded me that I need to give Melody a good washings down the moment temps are warm enough. Not tons of salt on the roads here, but I’m sure some has accumulated…and, of course, the shore is all of a mile away.
The shore can make it’s mark on a scooter’s finish. I recall one walk on the beach in Maine on a windy day with my Leica M6 around my neck. The 50mm F2 Summicron lens (without any filter) forever bore evidence of that salt spray walk…
Funny you mentioned your M6: I’m dusting off and reactivating (well, they’ve only been out of use about four years) my 35mm RF system (a pair of Konica Hexar RFs – their answer to Leica in around 1999-2000, using the same mount), and trio of lenses. Never used a filter on any of the lenses, but then again, never used them “on the beach.” might need to invest in three filters just for beach use. 😉
I’ve toyed (again) with buying another M6. Or an M9. Or any of a dozen other camera “solutions” to what ails me. I’ve reached the conclusion that from this day forward I am only going to buy things I need. NEED. And I don’t need another camera. My real struggle is with WANT. I want all sorts of things.
Definitely, if you are going to walk the beach when any sort of breeze is blowing in from the water, you’ll want some filters in front of the lens.
Nice post! The vitamin D comments and the big Sky made me smile! Spring will be here eventually…
Spring can’t get here too soon.
Answer?…go to Spring …bike week….Daytona….Not for the hoot and holler stuff…but warmer weather and old friends.
My boss just returned from Florida last night. He texted a picture from the beach while he was there. I remained polite…
Dang Steve, when even the dogs don’t want to go out….
Spring approaches as you know, it’ll return….
Colorado on the other hand, is below needed snow levels….another drought year for us.
I think the world is headed to a “drought” of clean drinking water. May not happen in my lifetime but it’s coming.
Spring. It needs to get here soon.
” By noon the temperature was in the fifties and my delusion of spring strengthened…”
Not so fast young Mr. Williams, A semblance has returned in the last two or three days with a vengeance! Cold temperatures with considerable snow, which really hurts after two weeks of nice sunny weather, damn!
So spring is not here, yet.
And appliances (and I include the Vespa in the description) wear out, over time.
Problem is our throw away society expects us to change and upgrade our appliances often before the appliance is about to die. Keep you Vespa operating and in good order, you do not know when you might require it to do yeoman duty above and beyond.
Yeah, it was 14F this morning and still windy and cold through the day. Some big ice patches on the roads where the snow blows across. Daylight Savings time starts tomorrow morning — a sign of spring!
The Vespa will keep going as long as I’m willing to get it going. More and more they’re getting like computers with all sorts of new gizmos and features that make you think you can’t live without them. ABS brakes. Bigger engine. Exotic paint.
But I’ll keep mine going I think…
Florida has big blue skies and flat straight roads and I rode to work in shirt sleeves. But there again – straight and flat on my 13 year old Vespa which has some marks of salt air but looks remarkably fresh. You really should try Florida its not nearly as terribleas people will tell you.
I’ve not been to Florida since 1983, and that was a trip to Disney World which probably isn’t much of a reflection of the state. The only previous trip was mid-summer 1965. Pre-Interstate trip in a convertible Ford Mustang in sweltering heat. I remember days indoors and evenings riding with my dad and uncle through swamps being converted to home sites looking for alligators and rattlesnakes. Again, probably not the best reflection of Florida.
My attraction now is that shirt-sleeve weather. 16F here this morning and I’m gathering the riding gear for a ride, more like a spacesuit, and wishing for warmer weather. The lure of Florida, or anywhere warm, grows stronger every day…