Thanks for the kind words about the things I share here.

Congratulations on your new Vespa. I can relate to your impatience to ride because of cold weather. I bought a new Royal Enfield Himalayan back in January and am finally seeing the snow melt and being able to ride without being dressed like an astronaut.

There’s no same in waiting out the winter. The older I get, the fewer times I go out in the cold. And I wonder about a lot of the rides I have made in winter. It’s not about bravery or toughness. It seems more like insanity now!

Have fun on your new Vespa!

Ride safe;)

I’ve had a headlight bulb burn out too but that’s a wear item for me. I also remember now that the automatic seat latch failed 10 years ago. I never fixed it.

Thanks for the comments about including videos here. I appreciate it.

The Vespa really is a joy to ride. At some point I may have to replace it but for now it keeps on going.

Thanks Mike for the comment. I appreciate the feedback.

The important stuff first — it was 70F here yesterday. Paul and I rode into the mountains. Most of the ice was gone and the roads weren’t too sloppy. It was a wonderful day on dirt and gravel. I hope you were able to do some riding.

I’ll keep posting the videos here.

I can understand not watching news videos though I do like listening to some storytellers. On YouTube I have a few that I watch regularly. In the moto world it would be Itchy Boots. Her videos satisfy the riding fantasy along with some instructional content on geography, culture, and geology. But reading still is the go-to for news and information about the world, but only in long-form articles. Usually the digital papers I subscribe to along with the Atlantic and New Yorker.

As far as my videos go, they are fun to make. Right now that’s my motivation. They’re another avenue of exploration of what’s in my head. I’ll still be posting things to read. You can skip the posts with videos!

I’ve only been on Interstate 80 in Iowa but looking at a satellite view of that state reveals some similarity in the green nature but man the road grid seems obsessive-compulsive. Like bees created the road system! Pennsylvania’s topography has a lot to do with why we never were very good with grids.

Or maybe it was the Quaker heritage…

Thanks Doug. I’m a good flounderer!

As far as the GoPro on the helmet goes — it is small, light, and doesn’t seem to have any effect on the feeling of wearing the helmet. It only weighs 4.4 ounces — about the weight of 4 regular Hershey bars. And my ProMount doesn’t weigh much either.

I’ll probably make a post about gear, or maybe a video at some point.

I vote for the videos in your blog – allows for “one stop shopping”. I’m finding YouTube increasingly hard to navigate around.

All the best,

Dave Montgomery