Scooter in the Sticks

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

Take the Chance to Ride

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With the temperature rising towards 40F the threat of some rain was no reason not to ride this morning.  With so much salt around, and on the Vespa, a little rain would be a good thing.

A quick ride to town, a little survey of the countryside, and a meandering ride home charged my mental batteries enough to give the Vespa a quick wash, lubricate the centerstand, and inspect the hinge on the seat and make a decision to pull it off, clean out the rust and repaint.

Hope many of you were able to take a ride on your scooter or motorcycle today.  Really must make hay when the sun shines — the groundhog says we have more winter to come…

Postcard: Stickless

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Rain all day.  Decided while walking the dog that I wanted to ride.  Left early and meandered through town via Calder Alley.  The roads were unusually slick for some reason.  The circumstances didn’t seem any different.  Maybe there is a lot more oil in town.

The weekend will bring damaging winds and slightly lower temperatures.  This is spring.

Postcard: Simple Observations on the Ride to Work

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Stopping to look at a favorite place on a regular basis is one small pleasure of a routine ride to work. Observing the trees as the morning sun seeps over the horizon, or as a scene emerges from fog or mist, each unique reminders of being alive and awake in the world. It’s easy to rush by though and become absorbed by commuting and evaporating into music, talk, or simmering frustration. The price of stopping on the Vespa is small. A few minutes and the willingness to interrupt my forward motion. Sounds simple but it has taken me considerable practice to achieve.

I stopped on Thursday morning to watch the sunlight illuminate the pine plantation section of the Pennsylvania Military Museum. I’m still looking for the definitive picture of that stand of trees. I’ll keep stopping, probably even after I make that picture.

Postcard: A Little Night Ride

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A return to town this evening found me on the Vespa after dark. I realized that there is another world to explore with the camera at night. As the weather warms I’ll be heading out in the evenings for some night rides and night photography. It means dragging the tripod along and perhaps a bigger camera but I think it will be worth it.

And I love riding at night through open fields and valleys, especially now when the moon is near full.