Scooter in the Sticks

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

Fall Panorama Fever

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I have nothing to share other than a mild obsession with panorama images made with the PhotoMerge tool in Photoshop. I’m like a little kid who stumbles across a curious toy and plays with it over and over and over again until it looses its attraction. Combine the obsession with the panorama friendly turns and curves in the central Pennsylvania mountains and you end up with me posting panorama after panorama. I promise that I will move on soon.

The picture above was made on Rock Road which runs along Spring Creek, a trout stream of some note. I’ve twice seen bicyclists wipe out on this curve because they underestimate the curve, the reverse banking, and the frequency of gravel in the road.
This picture was made on the way up Purdue Mountain and is typical of the long sweeping turns as roads make their way up towards the ridge tops.

This photo along Unionville Pike is nearly a 180-degree turn. Lots of cool roads like this to make pictures of. And ride on.
I always wonder what kind of roads others get to ride on.

Sunny Morning on the Way to Work

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A bright sun under a clear blue sky warms even a 33 degree ride to work. A lot different than Wednesday. I stopped in Oak Hall to make another panorama shot and with a helpful suggestion from bobskoot was able to actually put the Vespa in another part of the frame. This old farm raises Belgian draft horses now as well as some goats scattered around from time to time. Off in the distance you can see Mount Nittany, iconic landscape feature of Happy Valley and known to Penn State alumni the world over.

With the temperature so near freezing I had to watch along this road for water and ice. About a mile ahead the road runs along a working limestone quarry and they spray a lot of water on the road to keep the ice down. I suspect they add salt in the winter to keep it from being a sheet of ice but at this time of year I wasn’t sure.
Made it to work without incident and appreciated the clear fall morning. Another ride to work that I put in the outstanding column.

To Ride or Not to Ride

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That is the question.

One that goes beyond any momentary consideration of weather. It’s a question of time and choices. Riding for riding’s sake and not for transportation. Transportation is a simple question to answer and so is the weather. What I’m talking about is making a choice to ride when I have nowhere to go. When the choice to ride means I won’t be raking leaves or paying bills. Time spent with friends or family will give way to time on the road. That choice is more difficult.

This past weekend was perfect riding weather. Gray skies, cool air, and no one on the road. And I had a ton of work to do. More than normal and the days pass quickly. I feel the clock. I make the choice to ride though I don’t know if it’s the right one.

It’s easy to say I need to ride to stay sane but I know that’s not true. If I never rode again I would retain my grip on reality. I also know that riding has changed me. For the better and that’s something that’s hard to dismiss. But still I’m left with much responsibility and a fixed amount of time.

The ride was short, sixty miles with a stop for breakfast. The temperature hovered around 50 degrees and the skies remained heavy with cloud cover. Farmers were cutting corn and spills of the hard yellow stuff were evident on and along the roads, another road surface hazard that could surprise the unwary rider on dry roads.

Stopping by a small lake in Pennsylvania Furnace Paul offered to leap through another picture. Looking at it now I see myself responding to the question of riding.

Evening Errands

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Tiresome, tedious errands by car are transformed into exquisite little adventures on the Vespa. Riding in the waning autumn light, taking in the fragrance of falling leaves, feeling the sudden chill in the air just after the sun goes down make each errand moment a pleasure.

I had to go to the ATM for cash, to the video store to return a movie, and then on to the bookstore. The six-mile direct route gave way to a 12-mile ramble executed at near bicycle speeds. Well, maybe Lance Armstrong speeds. Riding this way makes me a tourist in my own neighborhood.

By the time I got to Barnes and Noble to pick up a Sunday New York Times crossword puzzles book for Kim meant I could linger a bit at the dessert case of the café. I’m usually powerless in this area but managed to leave without any sugar purchases. The regret was so great though that I had to stop at a local coffee shop for a coconut chocolate chip scone.

The days continue to shorten and soon the after work errands won’t be possible in the same manner. Fading light will become darkness. Add much colder air and the trip palette is completely different. Not bad. Just different.

UPDATE ON TRAUMA 13

Talked with my friend John last night. He’s doing better and expects to be transferred from the hospital to a rehab facility later this week to begin the healing process for his leg. He says he plans to ride again but will have to wait and see what his leg will allow. We talked a bit about the accident but I post more at another time.

SCOOTERLESS

Left my Vespa GTS 250ie in the capable and caring hands of Kisselmotorsports in State College, Pennsylvania today for its 6000-mile service. For the past month or so I have been scribbling notes for a 6000-mile review. Stay tuned for that.

I have a few days off ahead and hopefully the Vespa will be back so I can take advantage of a few more fall days for riding.