Scooter in the Sticks

Exploring life on a Vespa, Royal Enfield Himalayan, Honda Trail 125, and a Kawasaki W650

Frozen in Place

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2022 Royal Enfield Himalayan along a rural road in a snow covered landscape.
Riding despite the frozen weather.

Chaos and Procrastination

Despite the march of years I continue to ride through the winter. The goal is to ride all five machines in the garage at least once every two weeks for at least 15 miles. Enough time to drive the moisture from the oil, keep the batteries alive, and make room for periodic transfusions of fuel. It was much easier when all I had was the Vespa. I wonder about the wisdom of multiple machines this time of year. Or if I should “winterize” a couple. It becomes a chaotic swirl of thoughts in my head that can lead to procrastination and eventually a full stop in activity. I find myself feeling frozen in place.

If only it was limited to scooters and motorcycles.

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Change and Choice

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Riding Panacea

2022 Royal Enfield Himalayan motorcycle on a mountain road in the forest.
Finding that peaceful, easy feeling.

Looking over the blog posts of the past year reveals a steady decline in the production of stories, essays, and messages along with the attendant photographs that have been a stable of Scooter in the Sticks for 15 years.

Any deep investigation of this trend has been avoided, passed off to the realm of riding where an imagined revelation would occur and provide a solid, succinct roadmap for the future of Scooter in the Sticks.

I’ve been generously rewarded by riding my scooters and motorcycles. Insight, understanding, and clarity revealed during a ride have not been uncommon. But to think riding is a panacea that can replace thinking and hard work is simply not true. At least for me.

So I’ve been struggling with what to do with this blog.

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Emerging From the Summer Doldrums

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Vespa ET4 scooter in Boalsburg, PA.
A stop with my Vespa ET4 in historic Boalsburg on my way to an early breakfast.

Summer Sloth

I resist writing “I hate summer” but it certainly feels that way as I surface from the summer doldrums of inaction and sloth. When the temperature goes up, I don’t feel like doing anything. Instead, I’ve been making some short morning rides to breakfast and hanging out with my family, friends, and my dogs.

And for many years now, riding in summer was not something I looked forward to. My temperature envelop has narrowed with age. Now my comfort range is 35F to 75F. No wonder much of summer is excluded from riding.

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Springtime Blog Cleaning

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Portrait of Steve Williams, scooter and motorcycle rider.
Made it through another winter.

A Time for Questions

Ugh. It’s raining, it’s snowing, it’s hot, it’s cold. The change of seasons introduces so much change and confusion that it seems appropriate to commence a springtime blog cleaning.

Springtime blog cleaning is a softer way of saying “get your shit together Steve.”

Yeah, I need to do that. At least maybe shave and get a haircut.

There’s a lot going on and some of it stands in the way of riding, writing, photography, blogging, vlogging, and a host of civilian activities like rewiring light fixtures in the basement and garage and completing plumbing work in the bathroom.

Life is good.

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Dispatch at 3:17am

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Dog at Boalsburg Moto HangBoalsburg Moto Hang

At 3am my mind wanders.  Should be sleeping.  A rise for a drink of what has the brain turning again and creating a mental checklist of things to do and others to avoid.  The joys of thoughts in the middle of the night. Today is the Boalsburg Moto Hang — this episode being hosted by Kissell Motorsports in Tyrone, Pennsylvania.  Rode down there yesterday.  Suppose another ride today makes sense.

My dog Junior attended the last Moto Hang.  He tolerates the event though truth be told he would rather be walking than forced to socialize.Continue Reading