Scooter in the Sticks

Exploring life on a Vespa Scooter and Royal Enfield Himalayan motorcycle.

Searching for Treasure

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Vespa GTS scooter at Jo Hays OverlookView From Above

You never know what you might find — evidence of something.

Or more.

Searching for answers to simple questions haunts my imagination. Looking out over the valley I call home I wonder how I’ve come to this moment in my life where I’ve stood on this overlook countless times and never really asked, “Why am I still here?”.

In a world in perpetual transition, with people moving rapidly from place to place, changing jobs, friends and families. I’ve worked for the same employer for 42 years.

I feel as if I’ve become an anachronism living here for so long. Sitting in a cafe during the middle of the afternoon, alone with these thoughts as I write, it comes to me. I’m searching for treasure. Not gold or silver, but rather moments in time where I recognize something that makes me smile, or wonder at the beauty, or just suddenly feel the flame of life leap up from my chest and utter to myself, “Holy shit!”.

I’m sure that’s how it was as I stood looking out over the valley on that cool, beautiful morning.

Vespa GTS scooter along mountain road

Rambling on a Vespa

Winding through the mountains and forests of central Pennsylvania has moved from coincidence to obsession. A thrill persists in the aloneness found in these places with space to think and dream about nothing and everything. Riding the Vespa has opened the doors to a search I was struggling toward for a long time before I started riding.

The scooter has a simple elegance in it’s design and utility as a vehicle to transport a rider physically, and more remarkably, spiritually.

This little machine is a fine companion.

blue sky with clouds and con trailsLook Up Once in Awhile

Not everything important is on the road ahead.  Or even to the left or right.  I try and take time to look up from time to time.  On clear days the blue sky is dazzling; so different from the night sky dripping with stars.  As a kid I would strain at night to see to the edge of the universe.  Now I understand the meaning of eternity.

And then off I go ducking the scooter left and right through tight curves and imagine a barn swallow gliding over fields and pastures.

Vespa GTS scooter on the summit of Jacks MountainAmiable Vagabond

Kim compared me to one of our dogs this evening — Iggy Pup.  He was an American Foxhound who was always searching for treasure — rabbits, deer, food, and myriad attractions only a dog can appreciate.  He had little interest in people save for those who fed him and kept his nose to the ground.

I’m like Iggy when I ride.  People don’t account for much of my interest.  Stopped at the summit of Jacks Mountain I forced myself to walk across the road to say hello to three riders.  Two were on large scooters, a Yamaha Majesty and a Suzuki Burgman.  The third was riding a Harley Davidson of some kind.  Big one.  After some brief discussion of the fine weather, where we were riding to and from, and some general chatter about being safe I was drained.  Like Iggy I was more interested in the rabbit I hadn’t found yet.

They were all surprised to learn how fast the Vespa scooter could move.

Everyone always is.

Vespa GTS scooter along a mountain roadThrough the Mountains

Pennsylvania has mountains.  Not by Colorado or Alaska standards.  But for someone from Illinois or Nebraska, we have mountains.  The roads are good and the views open to a wider world.  And trees everywhere provide a sense of wilderness that you don’t get motoring along through the agricultural valleys.

Vespa next to barn with biblical saying painted on itIn the Scooter’s Dreams the Road Goes on Forever

The road will end.  And I believe there is more afterwards.  The night sky tells me that as does the immeasurable complexity I see all around me.  I’ve ridden by this sign before but this was the first time I stopped to make a photograph.  Not so much to share here but as an acknowledgement of faith — fealty to an intuitive understanding I’ve long avoided.

Searching for treasure perhaps.

Vespa GTS scooter on the road to Shade Gap, PennsylvaniaOn the Road to Shade Gap, Pennsylvania

Riding south along US522 pushed me into a more rustic area of Pennsylvania, one full of legend and mystery for me.  In 1966 America was held spellbound by the kidnapping of 17-year-old Peggy Ann Bradnick which led to the largest manhunt in U.S history at the time.  “The mountain man got Peggy Ann!”, the cry of her younger brother as William Hollenbaugh dragged her off into the dense woods as she and her siblings were walking home from the school bus stop.  Walter Cronkite provided nightly updates on the search which lasted a week.

I sense bad energy here.  I’ve heard stories of serpent handling churches and the Klan.  None of it may be true, but it’s in my head.

History.

Vespa GTS scooter and covered bridgeCovered Bridges

For as many of these sorts of bridges that are indicated on maps I’ve encountered very few.  I’m not doing something right.  Don’t want to turn into a bridge chaser but may make some more deliberate efforts to explore these throwbacks to a simpler time.

160610_vespa_ride036Visual Monotony

The trek from Shade Gap to Mifflintown was nearly 40 miles of nothing — farm after farm after farm. The boredom felt during this stretch of the ride could have been the result of an aching shoulder or a growling stomach.  The road just stretched on and on…

Vespa GTS scooter along Juniata River road near Lewistown, Pennsylvania

Lunch and Homeward Bound

Stopped to pick up a sandwich for lunch to eat along the road in the shade.  Poison ivy kept me dining upright but it was still a fine way to take a meal on the road.  Two vehicles passed by during the 45 minutes I was here, a road wandering along the Juniata River headed toward Lewistown, Pennsylvania.

With a couple hours of riding ahead before arriving home I was happy to have the chance to explore a bit more along the road.

And continue searching for treasure.

Riding Kaleidoscope

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Are your weekends on your scooter or motorcycle a riding kaleidoscope?

Winding road ahead sign with Vespa scooter in the backgroundWinding Roads

Some days, I swear I see better than others.  Objects seem to leap out toward my eyes and landscapes become small cinematic experiences.  It’s like a riding kaleidoscope where there’s a constant change of pattern, texture and form.

Or maybe it’s just my imagination.

Out early on Saturday morning in hopes of beating the heat seemed like a good plan but by 9am the temperature was already above eighty-degrees — hell for someone like me who thrives in the fifty to sixty-degree range.

Some riders would feel a thrill at the sight of a sign warning of winding roads ahead with the attendant leans and lines as they hurtle along.  My Vespa and I are lollygaggers with little interest is speed.  I just thought the sign looked neat.  And to offer some hope to those in the midwest who live in grids.

Vespa GTS scooter along a country roadLate Spring Lushness

The rain and sunshine have created a lush landscape of plants.  The fragrance of flowers fill the air and the heat has driven me to my vented summer riding jacket.  You can often tell from the photos when I stop to smell the roses — the helmet comes off meaning I want to look around.

The scenery changes mile by mile, around every bend almost.  What a fine day to ride the scooter.

intersection of country roadsWhich Way?  Who Cares.

When I left home I didn’t have a destination.  Wasn’t really sure if I wanted to ride or stay home and work in the garden or visit my granddaughter who I see far too infrequently.  I find it a bit unsettling riding  when I don’t know where I’m going, especially at intersections where I make a choice of left or right based on a feeling without a focus.

Where am I going?

What’s nice about riding the Vespa, or pretty much any two-wheeled machine, is the relative ease in making changes in course and direction.  At this intersection I eventually turned around and decided to go the other way.

water plants and algae in a creekGazing in the Water

There was a time when I would take my boots off and wade in the water.  Now I just look, maybe make a photograph, and keep my distance from anything so juvenile as getting my feet wet.  Still, it’s a lovely pastime to wander along a stream with a camera.

Wished I had seen a muskrat.  Or an otter.  What a wonderful view in my riding kaleidoscope.

Vespa GTS scooter on rural roadLoving Those Rural Roads

The quiet loneliness of a rural road transited on a Vespa scooter rises to the level of near perfection for me.  Ride at my own pace, stop when I want, go when I want, go where I want.  These empty places are the stuff of dreams and memory that I’ll one day be replaying.

I do love these rural roads.

Riding jacket and Vespa scooterA Stop for Lunch

Pausing for a few bites of a sandwich and to rehydrate before moving on to a discovered destination just outside of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania — Nature’s Cover where I would order two truckloads of stone for our garden.

I’ve become adept at sitting and emptying my mind of thoughts (without falling asleep) and just absorbing the worlf around me.  I scribbled no notes.  Just stared off in the distance until a conversation behind me broke the spell.

Three mallard ducks in the grassChattering Chorus

Three mallard ducks began to talk to me, no doubt interested in an arrangement which would include me sharing part of my lunch with them.  Don’t feed the ducks.  I learned that a long time ago.

A no nothing ride.  Nothing special or unique.  But an eclectic riding kaleidoscope of scenes that are now firmly stored in my gourd.

Ah, the Vespa…

Coming Back Into View

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forsythia blossoms in shady gardenEmerging from the Flu

After eight days of the flu the world is coming back into view.  A walk in the garden this evening with the dogs, noticing the forsythia blossoms in the shady deer den — a private place where Kim and I can sit with journals and tea.  Until today I could only slog through the space solely in duty to canine companions.  Still coughing and feeling a lack of energy it’s heartening to notice there are beautiful things in the world.

Triumph Street Twin motorcycle

Photo Courtesy of Triumph Motorcycles

Triumph Dreams

Forced to bed, drifting between delirium and reality, I spent some time thinking about motorcycles — the Triumph Street Twin specifically and how it might fit into my Vespa riding world.  In an email exchange with moto-journalist Frank Melling he shared an illuminating comment:

 You can ride a Street Twin coast to coast, and risk your license all the way, and the bike would eat up the miles. Equally, it is as a docile as your Vespa and will amble around in third gear at 30mph without a complaint.

I’m pictured those words for days and wonder what the future holds…

Belgian Sheepdog in pine needlesImploring Action

Junior showed remarkable patience with my lack of attention during the past week. He’s also attuned to my recovery and senses a change which can only mean more action and activity.  Good for him.  Good for me.

Assortment of wrenches and toolsWrenching Coming in to View

It’s time.  In the short term I need to repaint the muffler, change the engine and hub oil and filters, new sparkplug, and check the other fluid levels.  And a couple months out I’ll need two new tires, belt and roller change, steering adjustment and a flush of the coolant.  Not sure at the moment what I’ll do and what I’ll leave to the professionals.

Belgian Sheepdog puppyTapping Into Young Energy

With just 14 months under her paws, Lily the Hammer is bristling with energy and a cheerleader striving to keep me moving.  That youthful energy is contagious sometimes — for me and her Uncle Junior.  She doesn’t want anyone slowing down.

Things are coming back into view — we’ll see what a new day brings…

Riding Daydreams

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Vespa GTS scooter on a winding roadMeandering Roads

It’s startling at times to realize how slow I can ride on the scooter.  As speeds of 15 or 20 miles per hour you see things — like the “S” curve that reminded me of the Scooter in the Sticks logo.  It’s this kind of trail that I’m drawn to; little meandering paths through forests and fields where, like an archeologist, I might see evidence of hidden stories.  And it’s on these rides that the riding daydreams come.

Vespa GTS parked at an abandoned railroad grade of the Lewisburg and Tyrone RailroadLewisburg and Tyrone Railroad

It was a chilly ride yesterday morning as the temperature climbed toward the freezing mark.  The road was bone dry but still demands respect and attention where there’s a possibility, however remote, of ice.  As I ride I find myself daydreaming about what a place might have looked like in the past — what would a native American crossing this area see, did a Tyrannosaurus walk this way 68 million years ago.  Or what would I find 68 million years in the future.

That’s the sort of daydreams I have when I’m riding. Quiet, in the background, and kept in a space that doesn’t rob critical attention from the road.

Not exactly dinosaur material but still a look to the past is this abandon railroad grade that was once part of the Lewisburg and Tyrone Railroad.  It’s grown over now after being abandoned in the 1960s but you can still make out the line just to the left of center of the photo.  I worked with an art director for a long time, Jim McClure, who was on the State College, Pennsylvania Borough Council when the railroad company was going to abandon most of the lines in Centre County.  Jim was excited because the borough had the opportunity to take ownership of those lines and stations.  He had a vision of a commuter line or walking and biking trails.

Unfortunately he was decades ahead of his time because the council saw no value in such an idea.

Vespa GTS scooter and iceFrozen Landscape

Evidence of the cold was still present, here in the form of icicles hanging from a rock outcrop, reminders to watch the throttle despite the road giving every indication of being ice free.

Daydreaming in the cold isn’t easy if you’re cold.  I’m pleased to report all my gear is doing a bang up job keeping me toasty.  The First Gear Kilimanjaro jacket has been fantastically warm, a new pair of insulated riding pants the same, and the Tucano Urbano hand grip muffs along with the KOSO heated grips have kept my hands hot at the freezing mark.

So I’m engaging a lot of riding daydreams even in the frozen landscape.

Vespa GTS scooter on rural roadThrough the Countryside

There are times when I feel I have the whole world to myself.  Riding alone takes you to those places and provides an opportunity to let go of a lot of the baggage that makes living tedious if you let it.  Standing in this plain, ordinary rural landscape, I imagine myself the master of my universe.  At least for a moment.  It’s as if a daydream becomes tangible for a one short moment.

Vespa GTS scooter on a farm roadVespa GTS 250ie — Utility Vehicle

I can kid myself that the scooter can go anywhere.  Anyone who’s ridden one knows that’s not true.  They’re more capable that you might expect but they will frustrate an experienced rider in lots of situations.  With a morning glow still in the air I was already wandering and watching, daydreaming of nothing and everything, imaging a journey across the wilderness.   One with a coffee shop just miles away.

It’s a fine way to ride.

American Bison on a pastureRemnants of Destruction

Not all daydreams are pleasant.  I was surprised to see a small herd of American Bison quietly grazing in a pasture just a short ride from my home.  The story of the bison still makes my blood boil and reminds me why we sometimes need a government to protect us from ourselves.

Look at this timeline. I could cry.

For more information check out the Library of Congress’s The Extermination of the American Bison article.

Vespa GTS scooter on a forest roadRiding Daydreams

Thoughts and images flow easily when the ride is easy and uncluttered by concerns of traffic.  The myriad forest roads in central Pennsylvania support a simple ride and can absorb almost any conflict — the enchanted forest that haunts the pages of children’s stories and I carry along now.

Metal sculpture at the Pleasant Gap American LegionMetal Men

A man constructed of an automobile transmission, exhaust pipes and brake parts stands guard outside the American Legion Post 867.  There’s no indication of the significance or artist but it is firmly attached to the pavement.  This fellow is here for the long haul.

Vespa with the Honda GROMBoxes of Hondas

Toward the end of the ride, before turning toward home to brave the Super Bowl shoppers at the grocery story, I came across a stash of Honda motorcycles neatly stacked in their boxes.  There were about a dozen motorcycles being stored outside along a small road.  No indication of who they belonged to or where they were headed.

An example of the relative safety of things in central Pennsylvania.  And when you feel safe, maybe there are a few more riding daydreams…

Riding Tribes

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Vesparados cartoon from the New Yorker magazine

I attended a conference last week that focused on the challenges of science communication at a time when political agendas and propaganda needs drive conversations — GMOs cause AIDS, the moon landing was a hoax, a foot bath will detoxify your body. And while it’s easy to ascribe positions to liberal or conservative, Democratic or Republican, the reality is that many have more to do with the groups we align with than political parties.

Or so the thinking goes.

Humans have always congregated together to achieve common goals since the first meeting in a cave. Today it’s suggested people exhibit the same behavior in creating tribes — now more and more on the internet. And our tribes have beliefs and requirements for membership and reject those who don’t ascribe to them.  People don’t like being rejected by their tribe.

Research indicates how that might work in the real world. Psychologists in Australia and the United States have been looking at the phenomena which demonstrates that the more information and data you provide someone about a suspect belief — let’s say childhood vaccines cause autism — that their belief actually becomes stronger. And it’s not because they’re embarrassed to admit they’re wrong on anything like that, but rather they are loath to be rejected by their tribe — others with whom they share a common belief system.

So how is this all connected to a New Yorker cartoon titled “The Vesparados”?

The world is full of riding tribes — actual groups who gather in person, and virtual groups who share a common set of beliefs . When I saw the cartoon and after a little chuckle I was wondering who the hell made up this group of desperados? Certainly isn’t my tribe.

I know there are scooter clubs and gangs. The same for motorcycles. I read about them on forums and blogs. Fanc Roddam’s film about mods and rockers, Quadrophenia, famously depicts two tribes of riders who each have a serious belief system and any attempt to dissuade those beliefs means trouble.

And then I started thinking about all the little rider beliefs that float around — not wearing a helmet is an expression of individual liberty and freedom by one tribe and by another emblematic of moronic behavior and stupidity.

Stuff like that.

Try to dissuade a rider of their beliefs with data or statistics and see what happens. It’s seldom, “Hey, thanks, I didn’t know that. I really appreciate the information, I’m going out and buy a helmet today!”  The same holds for lots of ideas and beliefs from brands of machine and gear to how and when to ride.

I’m not here to call out any particular tribe or belief — just looking in the mirror wondering about my own moronic beliefs.

I’ve been wondering what tribes I belong to — in the world of flesh and blood, and those virtual communities with which I spend time. I know I’m not part of a badass tribe of scooter riders but maybe I am a part of a winter riding tribe that’s ripe with beliefs and exclusionary thoughts.

This is where my brain goes on a Sunday morning while sitting with the dogs.

I read an article about New Yorker cartoons and the fact that you can apply one of three captions to each cartoon:

1. “Christ, what an asshole!”

2. “What a misunderstanding!”

3. “Hi, I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.”

Looking at a couple dozen cartoons I can see that it works pretty well.

As I think about the cartoon, and myself, I keep coming back to caption number one…