It was 45 degrees when I left this morning to run some errands. The brisk air clears my eyes and mind making it easier to see and appreciate the world around me. I sense a heightened awareness while riding in lower temperatures as long as my body stays warm. It is no fun shivering on the scooter. This morning I took the long way into town by traveling south into a rural area with a lot of flat and rolling farmland. The soybeans are ripening and even in the overcast light the yellow orange foliage leaps out of the landscape. Leaves are beginning to change here and there. In a month the entire forest canopy of Penns Woods will be aflame.

I really rode pretty slowly, a scooter version of a leisurely walk. I pulled over many times just to look or take a picture. It reminds me of Sunday drives with my parents so many years ago. I enjoy being a tourist. Riding allows me to feel that way every time I get on the scooter.

I stopped at this old barn. I remember when it appeared more active as a part of an ongoing agricultural enterprise 25 years ago.

I didn’t notice it going to sleep even though I have driven by it many times in a cage. Maybe I was adjusting the radio each time…

I always stop for the lone tree in a field.

For those that don’t know and wonder why a single tree would be left in the middle of a field it was to provide shade for the plow horses at lunchtime. Can’t say I have seen any John Deere’s parked under a tree lately. I will keep my eyes open though.

Cold again this morning. It is taking me time to acclimate to the lower temperatures. I passed a guy on a new red BMW today with no helmet and short sleeves. I’m bundled in my winter riding gear and full-face helmet. I’m cold when the temperature dips below 70. This evening the temperature is hovering around 49.

Despite my discomfort with the cold I look forward to riding in it. Call it a personal challenge. I had to run into town tonight and the ride home after dark was great. One of those crystal clear still cold nights. Riding through the countryside in the dark on freshly paved and lined roads illuminated by the single headlight is wonderful. The high beam on the Vespa LX150 is amazing—I swear it lights the road better than my Ford Ranger.

The ride was quiet and uneventful. I stopped in the little town where we live to try my hand on shooting a hand-held shot lit by streetlight and an oncoming car. When I got home something pretty cool happened. I was telling Kim how much I enjoy riding (she hears this a lot) and how beautiful the night was. Her reply? “I think I need to get myself a scooter.”

Yep. She said it and I intend to hold her to it.

Today was the first morning since last winter that felt cold. Dark gray sky and rustling trees formed a strong reminder of what’s coming. I used to look forward to winter. Now I have to prepare for it — mentally and physically. I have begun preparation for winter by purchasing a cold weather riding jacket. Still want to buy the Tourmaster Winter Elite gloves to try and manage my hands better. And the scooter needs a new rear tire and a drive belt. Both will appear in the next couple of weeks. From that point on all that’s left is the mental preparation for the cold.

Last winter I would feel a rush of excitement when I departed in below freezing temperatures. It was a personal challenge and even though I might only be riding for a dozen miles it did seem like me against the elements. It felt good. One of the many gifts of riding.

One of the biggest challenges for me in winter is getting up while it’s still dark to go to work. My body and mind scream for me to stay in the warm bed. Willpower is required to push the scooter out of the garage in the dark and start it up. I have trouble with transitions even knowing how great it feels to be rolling down the road.

For those of you who ride only in warm weather and put your machines in storage for the winter you might want to give it a second thought. There is a rewarding feeling riding in the cold. You need the right gear and an open mind but worth a try.

Something odd happened when I entered my fifties. I began to read the Obituaries more. And I would see names I recognized. People I knew, some I called friends. I’m not the first person to wonder about their mortality or count the number of years left to some “reasonable” expectation of active life, but still it’s strange. Recently I read of the retirement of a fellow scooter rider in Florida who for the past couple years I have put on a pedestal in my head. He was in his mid-sixties when he began to ride and rode his scooter from Florida to Alaska and back. Was going to do it every year.

And suddenly I read he is selling the scooter—a change in health ending his riding. The circumstances don’t matter but the lesson (for me) does. Don’t wait. Act now. Ride now. I have a lot of dreams that I put on the back burner for a better time. And what’s worse I have a lot of regular things I would like to do, hardly dreams, that I put on the back burner with them. So maybe it is time for a bit more action and a lot less procrastinating.

My wife and I have talked about this. We want to take more time for ourselves. For the things we enjoy. Riding is one of those things for me. So I am going to ride, if only a few extra miles to see the setting sun. Stay tuned for more activity here!

I’m not doing a good job. I’m certainly not doing a good job attending to this blog. The balancing act between the various responsibilities and interests in my life has been difficult of late and my riding has been limited exclusively to utilitarian travels between home and work, work and home. There is no doubt that I love the commute, but it is so short. I want to find time, no, make time, to have more riding adventures. Any of you expert jugglers have any ideas feel free to share them…

It has been foggy almost every morning for the past week and the world is magic. I took the camera out on Saturday and wandered on foot just drinking in the scenery. I’ll post a few of these pictures here now.

don’t have a lot of time right now to do more than let you know that I have not fallen off the world or given up contributing to this blog.

I am certain I will again find energy, motivation and time to ride, write and photograph.