Valley Girl Sweets
Not sure if there’s a point to this post. It was a beautiful day to ride, a small ride in the magical autumn light of long shadows and mild, fragrant air that lulls the spirit into a relaxed state before the jarring blow of cold weather. The light and shadows of late afternoon.
Perhaps I’m writing to remind myself of the warmer days. Or gird for the cold to come.
Tough Luck Rider
Paul Ruby and I had a simple goal — ride to Centre Hall, Pennsylvania to visit Valley Girl Sweets — a new bake house and coffee shop. Me on the Vespa scooter and he on his BMW motorcycle. The pairing works. Mostly because speed doesn’t seem to be a requirement for Mr. Ruby.
BMW and Vespa
Riding in the long shadows of a late afternoon opens a variety of mental doors for me — notably the recognition of the frightening pace of the passing of time.
The warm air and dazzling light, combined with a slow, meandering ride, temporarily put a brake on the rush. Or at least mask the knowledge. Any long term solution to slow things down has escaped me. For now, I’ll just keep on riding.
Riding on Gravel Paths
I stopped to ask about a stretch of gravel before leading the shiny new BMW somewhere that might muck up the paint. Paul was unfazed and we moved along some winding gravel paths past cornfields and on into the woods.
Egg Hill Church
The ride home took us past the Egg Hill Church. This fading, deconsecrated place often leaves me with the same creepy feeling I had after watching The Exorcist in the theater and then walking home in a dark, windy night. The place seems suited for a Stephen King novel.
Light and Shadows
There were enough miles left to wash away any supernatural misgivings and leave me with a quiet satisfaction so frequently familiar when riding the Vespa. Light and shadows on a warm autumn afternoon ride. Good medicine for whatever psychic, spiritual or emotional afflict a rider.
I’m ready for winter.
Pushing Through Snow on a Scooter
Looking at this picture from last March stirs no excitement or thrill. Perhaps I’m not ready yet for winter.
I hear the tax situation in Florida is pretty good for retirees…
Oh, the morning coffee started tasting better when I got down to the scooter in the snow.
I was thinking the same thought. What would we be without “Scooter?”
Good question. While I’m sure if something happened where I couldn’t ride the scooter I would find something else. But it would take time to find anything quite as engaging for me than riding my Vespa. The more I think about it, there would be a big, BIG hole to fill…
I’m hoping the cold and snow hold off for a while longer to give me time to acclimate. Surprising we haven’t had some of the white stuff already. But that’s ok.
Glad I could add something to the coffee!
Beautiful light in those photos which reminds me that we haven’t seen the sun proper here in at least a week. I guess we are just that little bit further north and as such a little further down that seasonal road. I did get out for an enjoyable little loop this past Friday but I was all plugged in and it was still fresh. Stopped for a coffee too but the Moto contingent was all but invisible. Sigh! More sunny Moto pics please.
We’ve had some gray, rainy, gloomy days as well lately. And the change to Daylight Savings Time means it’s now dark at 5pm . I’m feeling the loss of light.
There’s a marked decline in motorcycles and scooters here already. Always have a motorcycle space available in town now…
I can start a satellite blog to SITS called Go Slow. When I’m out in my car, scooter or motorcycle exercising my seeing genes looking for photos I go slow. The ideal speed is one where the tempo is in sync with my breathing. That’s pretty slow. 10mph for the motorcycle or 5 for the car. Any slower than 5mph and I’ll veer off the road. I’ve done that. I was going just fast enough to keep the scooter upright and turned my head hard to the right to see into the woods and then the scooter turned very hard across some soil and into the grass. The key when that happens is to go with the flow don’t stiffen up. So you drive into a muddy ditch so what. I remember driving my Caprice Classic station wagon with you and Jerry going picture taking. When the photo energy got stronger the car got slower.
Going slow is not the normal in this country where everything is faster, faster, faster.
Sounds like you need to be careful going slow so you stay out of the ditches. Or aren’t going so slow in a blind curve that someone rear ends you! Going slow requires practice and consideration.
I forgot all about that old station wagon. It was a great photo vehicle.
I just finished installing a belt and rollers on my 150 lx . I now plan on a few more rides into the southern Ontario countryside before the Icy grip of November is upon us.
I destroyed by LX150 trying to change the drive belt. You’re a better mechanic than I am.
Careful in the cold — especially once the temperature drops below freezing…
Maybe it’s time to move back to the bicycle or on foot. I understand the desire to watch the scenery go by at a leisurely pace but it seems that a scooter or motorcycle moves way too fast for that to happen…
Bite your tongue! When the need arises I can go miles and miles at 5mph on the Vespa. The physical exertion on a bicycle gets in the way of anything leisurely for me. I may bring the bike out for other reasons though — to get the heart pumping!
That old church looks pretty neat. Should be lots of good photos in it before it collapses in ruins some day. And, no, I’m not ready for snow! How many days ‘til spring?
Unfortunately the church is locked up now and you can’t easily get in. Too many vandals I think. But the outside has endless possibilities.
It snowed here for the first time today. Didn’t stick on the road but the mountainside was white. Spring is 132 days away. Seems like a long way off…
Pretty cool, the way you captured the diverging shadows on those two trees next to each other…
The long shadows always make for good subject matter. I don’t have sunsets like you do. So I have to settle for shadows…