Frosty Dog, Cold Weather State of Mind
The dogs seem invigorated by the cold; running, prancing, tearing through the garden more excitedly than they do in warmer weather. Lily plays so hard that her breath freezes on her thick coat. Maybe they’re just trying to stay warm. But I see the phenomenon in myself.
Eventually.
Acclimating to the cold always took time. As a youth, just the time it took to pull on hat, boots and gloves. Now it takes months of slow mental bargaining and physical adaptation. But it does happen.
This morning it was -1F as I briskly moved through the garden with the dogs. A good thing. Especially for someone suffering from anklyosing spondylitis — psoriatic arthritis in my case — where movement helps. Unlike those with rheumatoid arthritis who generally wake feeling better after a good night’s sleep, spondylitis gets worse.
Morning is a chorus of screaming joints and muscle aches. Choosing to get up and move, exercise, is a tough conversation. When it’s cold — even worse.
But, it does happen. And this morning I felt I’ve fully acclimated to the cold. I was like the dogs. Walking, running in places, unfazed by the cold, excited to be outside.
It’s in this frame of mind that taking the Vespa out for a ride in cold weather is a joy.
No Riders on the Road
Yesterday morning I had some errands to run and decided to take the Vespa for another check of my current cold weather limits. Stopping in town I could see the temperature display matched the 1F reading at home. Didn’t see any other riders. So few invigorated by cold weather.
Some quick mental calculations put the total miles I would be traveling at around 15. And the time on the road, give or take, would be just shy of an hour accounting for stops, traffic, and general picture taking.
The Termoscud apron has changed my choices of gear. Especially in terms of the insulated overpants I normally wear in winter. They weren’t necessary at 20F. So I figured I would test the need at 1F.
I also decided to wear my Gerbing Electric gloves. Far too cold for just the heated grips.
Salt and Grime
Pennsylvania in winter is a paved landscape of salt, grit, grime and dirt. It’s on the road and it gets all over the scooter, the apron, riding jacket and helmet visor. As I tell anyone who asks about winter riding — the salt will age machine and gear rapidly. For those riders proudly maintaining their motorcycle or scooter in pristine condition — winter is not for you.
The Vespa has done surprisingly well in the face of the corrosive onslaught considering the cosmetic neglect on my part. After ten winters I had to have the underside of the scooter repainted. Otherwise it’s held up physically well.
Just don’t look too close at the details.
The choice of gear was perfect. Always warm and suspect I could ride for hours without a stop. The only concerns were the fogging that happens with the visor when it’s fully closed. I find myself mitigating that situation by careful breathing. Seems almost like breath meditation. The other issue is when I stop to make pictures. In the past I would pull off the gloves and expose my hands to the elements. When it’s really cold the electric gloves can’t rewarm the hands. On this ride I was determined to use the camera with the heavy gloves. Took some practice but possible. If astronauts can do things with giant gloves in space I should be able to handle a camera.
The ride was bracing. I was as excited as the dogs in the garden to be on the road. I can tell when I find myself stretching upwards in the seat and tilting my head to the sky to acknowledge once again that I’m flying.
Flying. That’s the height of riding.
In winter.
Yep, I’ve found that if I leave my hands exposed long enough (even when the glove is warming on the still heated up cylinder head on the rig) that regaining warmth by putting on the warm glove sometimes doesn’t happen.
Stop long enough (like for sunset shots) and the engine cools down so no warm glove to put back on when Mr Frostbit starts stinging my finger tips.
Just ordered a pair of gloves with thermal material lining that hopefully will be usable in terms of manipulating camera controls while wearing them.
It’s been unusually warm here in the front range lately so no issues with cold weather stopping me from riding, it’s more the inertia I must overcome to ride over to nearby but very familiar locations.
It’s seems like such a small thing, gloves off for a few minutes to make a picture, but it’s really a big problem for those of us riding in winter. I’ve honed my technique to always having gloves on. If the riding gloves are too bulky I immediately switch my right hand glove to a warm, deerskin insulated glove from LL Bean. That way my hand stays reasonably warm and I have learned to manipulate the camera controls with them.
It’s only when I get lazy, or let the inertia strike, that I get in trouble.
Good luck with your search for the right solution.
Funny how we become acclimated to the weather in our region. Where the freezing cold and snow wasn’t an issue to us when we lived in British Columbia, after 18 years in Oregon we are weather weenies when it comes to cold. Age and aching bones may have a little to do with it as well.
Love that first picture. Your dogs are gorgeous.
Weather weenies. I like that.
Old bone and joints just don’t like the cold. At least that’s what I tell myself. Perhaps there’s a mental component but I’m sticking with age!
We love our dogs. Just got up to get a glass of water and one is asleep at my feet and the other with Kim. Fast and faithful friends they are. Can’t say enough about dogs…
I have a extended house guests that prohibits my morning coffee and reading your posts. By the time I get access I have warmed up and the mind is in gear so my thoughts are not the same as at 5AM. Cold is a relative thing. I have been talking all week that maybe I should move to Florida as the temperatures have been so cold. Then someone reminds me I am living in Florida. Still to damn cold though.
I am sensitive to the notion of 5am thinking. It’s the best time for me but I can’t always show up for it — guests or not.
Cold is unique to each of us. Doesn’t really matter what someone else thinks. Just me. Cold is powerful in my life. Can prevent me from doing a lot of stuff…
Oh, how the dogs can urge you on!
When I was in my 20s and 30s, I seemed to be a bit of a masochist in regard to running out n Winter with my cameras, but not so much a masochist not to grab those special “photographer’s mitts” the second they came onto market. Now, I think the liners I bought to use with my fair-to-middling riding gloves would probably serve well for that purpose – I might be trying that as soon as this weekend when I take a camera or two to Boston for the weekend.
As for riding: I was all set to make an errand run an hour ago – all I needed to do was a bit of touch-up shoveling of the driveway. Or so I thought: last night’s rain literally turned the driveway and walkway into an ice-rink on an incline, making it treacherous for walking, never mind scootering through. Spent a good 45 minutes de-icing then had Ann (in mid-beautification mode) magnanimously drive me to get stuff done. Had it been earlier in the day, I might have gotten things sufficiently ice-free to take Melody on the run – and the trip via car confirmed the driveway would’ve been the most treacherous part of the trip. By the time we’re back from Boston conditions should be better. Hell, at least it’s above freezing now. 😉
Oh man, things were so different in my 20s and 30s. Being stupid was one of them. Why else would I backpack in winter. Sleep on the ground without a tent at 9F. And carry a 50 pound pack — beer is heavy.
With the conditions you described leaving the scooter at home was probably a fine idea. The glove liners are a good idea too. I used to have two thin poly liners that were nice. The left one is lost. Need to get some new ones.
Stay warm.
I can just see you riding into town at 1°F repeating to yourself (through gritted teeth) “This is what I want to do because it’s fun”. All of that ice and salt on the road doesn’t look fun…
It takes a little longer in the cold, but eventually the sense of flying arrives and I’m having fun. Until then, teeth gritting and mumbling…
One proper Belgian sheepdog looks so very beautiful!
So where was the other miscreant sheepdog?
The changeable weather pattern of southern Ontario
weather is well in hand.
Extremely cold (-30C) for two weeks then overnight
a complete reversal to +12C for two very wet days which
melted most of the ice and snow. Today Friday January 12/18
the weather outside has done a complete reversal;
rapidly falling outside temperatures, freezing rain
almost a sleet and treacherous driving conditions.
Very glad to be able to stay inside!
Keep thinking about your dear wife’s medical status;
you were expecting a report n the new year.
Thanks to you Steve, had purchased a used
(from KEH)Canon G15;
have spent considerable time learning what the
camera is able to accomplish. As with anything mixing
electronics and mechanical forces daunting yet
strangely satisfying. And it will fit in a large coat
or jacket pocket with ease.
Just need to get out there and make some photos.
First extreme cold, then warm and wet, now the
cold (not as extreme, yet) has returned.
One of these days, one of these days…
No doubt Boalsburg is having similar conditions
Junior was there but I don’t always come up with a photo worth posting. So he misses his chance at celebrity.
Cold here too. Miserably so due to my desire to be warm. Oh well. Warm weather will return some day.
Kim is still struggling. I’ll have to gather my thoughts before saying more.
The G15 is a solid camera. Most of what I post on the blog was made with it or in years past one of its predecessors. Fitting in a coat pocket is just one of it’s charms!
Whatever you decide to do photographically — stay warm!
I absolutely love that picture of Lily. I’m glad you’re getting out and about.
Lily presents some fine looks. But she is a tough model. Doesn’t stay still long and a real challenge for the point and shoot camera.
Getting out some but not as much as I like or should.
Hope things are going well down your way!
Great post Steve. Good to see you are riding and flying and having fun. On my scooters it is a great feeling and on my Honda Sport Bike I often feel like I am in a jet fighter as the acceleration is unlike anything I have ridden. It it easy to abuse and of course that’s why we see so many young crotch rocket riders bite the dust early. If used safely it is a great sensation like flying. Enjoy the flight!
Brent
The idea of abusing the throttle on a motorcycle is probably why Kim loathes the idea of me riding a motorcycle. It’s given me pause as well. Doesn’t matter anymore. I’ve become a committed scooter rider. The Vespa does everything I need. Not wasting my time anymore thinking of motorcycles.
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
I need some flight time. Getting antsy to ride again.