Walking the dog before leaving for work found me in crisp air under clear skies. The sun hadn’t sweep through the yard yet but promised to warm the 26º F temperature during the day but not before I would ride to work. The Vespa idled quietly along the road while I made one last picture.
My commutes of late have been uneventful. A trip from point A to B. Simple. Predictable yet satisfying in a way a non-rider, Vespa or otherwise, just won’t understand. I’m tempted to draw analogies but there really isn’t anything appropriate.
With the arrival of spring (soon, I see daffodils pushing through the ground) I expect to see more and more motorcycles on the road. At least as many as one would expect in the Sticks. For those of you riding in Pennsylvania you may want to check out Ken Hull’s new book GOING LOCAL. Ken is a local artist who lives down the road from me and regularly rides his 1994 Harley Davidson Sportster. I’ve even seen him out on the road this winter. His book details his experiences riding to just about every central Pennsylvania eating establishment available to a rider. His review and commentary are fun and he has indicated places where I ride regularly that I never knew existed. So check out the book on his Web site GOING LOCAL.
By the time I left work and headed into town the temperature was a balmy 53º F. If I only had time to really get out and enjoy a long ride. Why is it that opportunity and circumstance so often team up against a rider?
By the time I left town it was dark but still 53 degrees. Cold air on the surrounding hills drains down to the floor of the valley and I can always expect it to be colder on the way home. I can even predict the exact spot where I will feel the river of cold air moving across the road. This ride was no different and by the time I got home the air temperature was 43 degrees. Still a warm and balmy experience.
As the Vespa click and snapped in the driveway relaxing in the cool air before being pushed into the garage I just stood in the yard looking up at Orion in the clear sky. It just doesn’t get much better.
Amazing how you can feel and even anticipate the “river of cold air” on your commute. I’ll sometimes feel it on my commute driving the Civic if the windows are down. Sometimes, but not always.
Excellent post. Always look forward to your perspective. Thanks!
i live in a valley along a river, and my commute takes me up a hill to the ridge-line road that deposits me downtown. i always notice the humidity — my visor fogs as soon as i reach the crest!
this is one reason why i ride — to feel the changes & be a part of the world around me, where ever i go.
great post!
all the best,
nick
Birmingham, AL
Your rides may seem uneventful for you, but they are always interesting to us. Really enjoy your posts and your pictures. Once you said you were not a writer, but we beg to differ. You are a very good writer, otherwise you would not have such a popular blog. Many of us enjoy your writing very much. Your blogs always speaks to us. You are a gifted story teller.
This is the first winter in a long time I cant remember seeing a single motorcylce or scooter out for a drive at all. We just had too much darn snow this year. A real old fashioned winter, just like the Farmers Almanac predicted.
Sherry CC (I can’t remember my password for my blogger name)lol
I know how that feels when a section of road way is filled with cold air – definitely a motoring bike experience or a cyclist experience. This often happens near my neck of the woods along Highway 1 “Pacific Coast Highway” along a stretch of road between Laguna Beach and Newport Beach. Its like a wall of cold dense air where the perception of coldness hits you like a drop of 20 degrees. On my rides – having extra layering clothing stored away underneath the seat is my essential resource. The beauty of Spring around the corner. I missed the cafe stop muffin pic- but the other pics are spectacular. How many pics do you take on a ride typical ride? I truly enjoy visionary photography at its best.
Ken’s book looks pretty cool! Seems like someone should do one of those for pizza and stuff here in Arizona.
Hmmm. Who could do that?
It’s funny how we commuters learn to anticipate cold (and hot, in my case) spots on our ride. A couple years ago (at a different job) I could predict the stoplight where frost would appear on my gloves on the cold days (Alma School & Ray Road, for those who want to know).
Love your scooter stories. They have pushed me towards a Vespa. My husband is almost ready to give the ok to buy a Vespa. He’s worried I might get hurt. At the same time he says I should get a Harley.
You gotta love a man like that.
Texas Sally
doug c: I think it’s amazing how many rivers of air there are around here. With so many hills and valleys it moves a lot. Once the weather gets hot I don’t notice it as much.
nick t: Thanks for your kind words. I’ve had the visor fog like that going over mountains here as well. Just enough moisture and lower temp to do it.
heinz & frenchie: Thank you so much. I have always wanted to be a writer and the blog has allowed me to do it. I have written things for school and work and I still have that novel in my head. But I’m not ready to call myself a writer yet. I look in the mirror and still see a photographer…
sherry CC: We had more snow than last year but nothing as bad as it could be around here. Maybe climate change has made those 110 inches of snow winters a thing of the past. Soon you’ll be able to get out!
pvino: Unless I am on a long ride I don’t usually take too many pictures. I’ll stop when I see something interesting and make one or two exposures. When I get into more exotic territory I will stop more but still just one or two frames. I’ll work on a post that describes more accurately what I do.
I stopped this morning to eat but no picture. Sometimes I am paying attention to what is in front of me and out comes the camera. Not sure why breakfast this morning eluded the camera..
lucky: Write that book! No excuses. Just do it.
Texas Sally: I think your hubby either has some designs on YOUR Harley should you get one, or problems with HIS ego should you get a Vespa.
You can have more fun with him if you get a Vespa. Just imagine how you can jab at him…
Great Blog and good post!