Warmer weather will be my biggest motivator, at least where riding is concerned. Photography is a huge motivator that isn’t so weather dependent. Embraced both this morning. It was 37F when I left the house on the Vespa. Foggy and a damp cold. But was good to be on the road again, if only for a short ride.

Still need to post the story of your visit. I am so far, far behind on all things blog related. Good luck on your walking. You’ll get there before you know it.

Exactly!

Aside from the illness, I’ve not slowed down, at least physically. Doing different things than before. Perhaps that transition is stimulating something.

Your focus on simple, relaxing and rewarding strikes a chord with me. I’m drawn to that. At the same time I want to accomplish more. Hard to bring those two things together. And everything is oddly colored for me by winter. I’m certain that the cold weather has a greater impact now than ever before. But as is the case with most things — it will pass.

Glad to be in the club. Life is an exciting adventure, whatever it turns out to be.

In my case I was slayed. Down for a month and more. OK now but geez, what a ride.

Well, regarding my non-stop pace. It may seem that way, but trust me, I am not over doing anything. Quite the contrary. I’m accomplishing so little that I’m reading a book titled, “Solving the Procrastination Puzzle.”

Photography has superseded my interest in riding. At least now in the cold weather. Photography was a passion long before riding entered the picture and I suspect will always be at the top of my list. I’m working in the darkroom regularly now and slowly ironing out the bumps in process and mechanics. It’s fun to be in the dark again.

Normal is here again though my disdain for winter is with me still.

Hope the heat dissipates so that you can embrace life beyond the early mornings or night. High heat is as much as a drag on the soul as cold. At least for me.

The salt on the roads here in winter take a toll on vehicles of all kinds. And my dog’s feet when we go for walks. My cars have done ok and the scooter went 10 years before I had to take some action to stop, or at least slow down the rust. But there’s not much you can do about it other than park the Vespa for the winter. I never wanted to do that. Old age may intervene though. Every winter it has become more and more difficult for me to face the cold.

We have plenty of rain here. The ground is a muddy mess. Wish I could send some your way.

Anyway Steve, welcome to the club. You’re not alone in this journey.

Jim

Am going to step away and make off-hand comment. You’ve been going pretty well non-stop since retirement. That noted maybe something is telling you to step back and think, of your future and beyond. Life is not “just”
riding a Vespa and recording the passing scene. It is far more than that; your photography proves this.

Reviving the Three Prints means concentration; splashing in a wet darkroom is so much more satisfying than a dry equivalent. Dry is all electronic technology, no fun in that. You have the field camera, so start using it when you’re feeling up to it. Maybe start with that old church you’ve driven past and photographed; photograph from a different angle, print on sepia tone paper whatever.
And as noted “home” projects have been completed, if for no other reason you are not physically able to venture outside, Kim does the shopping. Returning to whatever “normal” is for you will take much time. Take it!

Yes, here in Oz it is hot! The extreme temperatures are mainly in the arid inland regions. In Australia, most of the population clings to the coast. Where I live in South East Queensland, most days now are over 30 degrees Celsius, which is around 90 degrees F. However, with my riding jacket, which I always wear, it’s simply too hot to ride unless you go out very very early in the morning. I noticed that in parts of the world where there is snow and ice they put salt on the roads. That must be so bad for creating rust! I would love to have one cold day there with you Steve, as we are sweating it out and there’s no rain in sight!