Scooter in the Sticks

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

View Through My Visor

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Seeing is an intoxication.  Over 40 years as a photographer has not dulled the desire to look, observe, watch.  Riding a scooter or motorcycle has been useful tool in extending that habit, or more likely, obsession.

The ride to and from work continues to provide opportunities to practice with the camera and the eye.  The image above was made on the way home from work, a hilltop I’ve seen a thousand times and still there is something new.  A different hue, tone, or glow of light.  The Vespa makes it possible to stop and make a picture.

Mount Nittany glows like Ayers Rock.  The last few minutes of light as the sun touches the horizon, the odd afterglow as it descends — it’s never the same.  Riding home, winding along the gravel paths used by vehicles attending Penn State football games, there are often views I’ve not felt before.  The Vespa on the center stand, a quick removal of the Canon G15 from under the seat, and then I’m gone.

The house that Joe Paterno built — Beaver Stadium as it appeared on my way to work.  While waiting at a traffic light I pushed the scooter to the side of the road to make this image.  A few seconds of my time and off again.

Just a few of the views through my visor….

Wonderment and the Small Riding Ritual

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Quiet, serene, the perfect space for Earl Grey tea and a toasted bagel — Saint’s Cafe in State College, Pennsylvania.  What began five years ago as a time to inspire photography and examine contact sheets and prints has become, for me at least, part of a solemn riding ritual.  
This morning, the day after the Nittany Lions defeated Kent State at Beaver Stadium, I thought the place would be packed.  Instead I found a welcome emptiness to reflect on the day and pen a few notes in my journal.

The familiar route under heavy skies sublime, all cares and worries washed free leaving imagination and wonder as the Vespa rolled along.  Objects and places strange, new, and the ride I’ve made hundreds of times

Looking at the looming road sign brought a smile as it faced off with the scooter.  A quote sang in my head…

“Wonder is the heaviest element on the periodic table. Even a tiny fleck of it stops time.” 
― Diane Ackerman

How lucky the rider who finds a piece of wonderment along the road.

This morning, Mount Nittany, the quiet hill watching over Penn State, Lemont, Boalsburg, Oak Hall, Linden Hall, State College and Houserville — it possesses magic which I never tire of witnessing.

Home.

The first leg of the ritual ride ends across from Schlow Library.  Ample free motorcycle parking on a Sunday morning.  In fact I have never failed to find a space here, or at least I can’t remember a time.

And off to Saint’s Cafe on foot, a few hundred steps, not quite a walking meditation, but just enough time to recognize a troubling thought or happy memory.

Ah, the small rituals that make life sweet…

Perseverance, Weakness and the Question of Riding

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Vespa GTS scooter along wet rural road

The sound of rain falling as sleep fades and the day takes form draws pictures in my head — of mystical worlds shrouded in sheets of water and mist on some mornings, and others, like today, of toil and drudgery as I drag my mind and body through the relentless discomfort the weather presents.

Today I awoke to the latter.  Standing along the road with my little camera, happy and recognizing the fragile nature of being alive, how could I let a little rain move my mind into a state of reluctance at donning some riding gear for a handsome journey to work?

Vespa GTS scooter on farm road in the rain

The rain was fell lightly during the ride as the clouds thinned across the valley.  An hour earlier the only reasonable choice for commuting was the van and it’s steel and glass encasement isolating me from the world.

In 10 months I’ll commence my sixth decade on earth and the event gives rise to questions of age and waning strength and perseverance in the face of resistance.  I take comfort in the example set by a neighborhood bicyclist who pedals into town daily throughout the year — and he must be in his 90s.

Vespa GTS scooter on rural farm landscape in rain

So I managed another ride to work with a few detours and diversions and the inevitable whispering of “take the day off and ride…”.

Instead a last picture of a round bale in the lane and onward towards Penn State’s Beaver Stadium and the office.

It was a good day to ride.

Penn State: The Partnership

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I arrived at Penn State in the summer of 1972 as a freshman student in geology. From my first days here through today I’ve been continuously challenged, surprised, and proud of the work this institution undertakes. As managing editor of Penn State Ag Science magazine I have a unique opportunity to explore the the work being done by researchers, students, and staff. After 39 years my respect for the people here and the work they do continues to grow.

When I watched the The Partnership video, a story of the land grant mission signed into law by Abraham Lincoln 148 years ago, I was reminded of how fortunate I have been to have a small part in the ongoing mission of Penn State.

I seldom share things here about work but thought the messages in this video are important and reflect the value of research and education partnerships across the country. The complexity of research and the difficulty of explaining it within the confines of a sound bite media can make it an easy target for derision or dismissal. A few weeks ago I listened to a national talk show host dismiss public funding for soybeans as a waste of money because obviously we already know everything we need to know about beans. In a constantly changing environment in terms of disease, insects, soil changes, and more, we never know enough. As the world’s population continues to grow and demand for food increases, people and governments will look towards research and education for solutions.

Everyone in America should understand the mission of institutions like Penn State and their roots traced back nearly 150 years.

And even if you have no interest in this message the video has some wonderful aerial footage of the beautiful Pennsylvania landscape in which I get to ride.

My opinion. And all of you should ride a Vespa. *grin*

Cold to the Bone

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The Vespa parked outside Beaver Stadium, home of the Penn State Nittany Lion football team. While they get ready for the Outback Bowl in Tampa I’m standing in the parking lot chilled to the bone. Unusual for me with the temperature hovering at 20F. Bone chills arrive near 0F. Something’s wrong.

Walking Junior an hour earlier he seemed oblivious while I suffered as wind cut through everything I had on. This winter has been a bigger adjustment. I almost left the scooter in the garage.

The chill picked up where it left off as I approached the Vespa at the end of the day. It wasn’t a gear problem either. I think my winter attitude hasn’t arrived.

At the video store I watched the last beams of sunlight warm the side of a building across the parking lot. None for me though as I took one last picture before heading home.

It’s just one of those rides where my head isn’t in the game. Every vehicle seems ready to cut me off or turn in front of me. The road surface is more confusing with patches of ice and myriad stripes of moisture. The ride required exceptional attention. Maybe it wasn’t any different than other rides, maybe it was the cold.

Writing now, hours after returning home, I believe I could walk out to the garage and go for a ride. The chill has departed. Maybe my winter attitude is here…