Scooter in the Sticks

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

The Vespa and the Zeppelin

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After work I rode over to Kissell Motorsports to pick up the Piaggio MP3 with the sidecar. I remembered Jack Riepe’s comment about wanting to ride a Zeppelin, an erudite way of wagging an accusing finger at the eclectic connection of sidecar to MP3.

When I saw the actual Zeppelin in the parking lot the iPhone appeared and documented the occurrence. The Zeppelin, common name Victory, was very large, very shiny, and looking like something from Blade Runner. What I was about to ride looked like something more likely to appear in Pee Wee’s Big Adventure.

A Saturday Morning Ride

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Winter clings stubbornly to the day and the driveway. Moving the Vespa from garage to street remains a short adventure through ice and snow. With part of the day above freezing the frozen coating retreated. Still, I think the clairvoyance of the groundhog is in doubt. Seeing the Vespa reflected my my truck reminded me of the grimness of winter. At least in my mind. As Orin O’Neill suggests on his blog Scootin’ Old Skool, “Enough already.”

A ride would likely vanquish the gloomy thoughts.

Riding at 33F feels absolutely balmy after weeks and months of more frigid air. But even at this temperature the donning of riding gear can appear a near overwhelming obstacle. Woe to the rider who puts everything on only to realize they forgot to insert the wiring into their jacket for their electric gloves. More than once have I found myself grumbling over such an oversight, wires, ski mask, and decide to proceed without.

Always a mistake.

Mostly I meandered today relishing the complete disconnection from the world — just me, the Vespa, and a landscape indifferent to my presence. Without fail, a few miles and the gloom and cares evaporate. A thought passes of purchasing a Triumph. I remember something I have to do at work. My stomach growls. All is right in the world.

Standing in the middle of the field, looking at the scooter, thinking about longer rides, I wish the temperature would rise just a little. At 40F I can ride all day in luxurious comfort.

There are times when I walk as much as I ride, exploring streams and roadsides, just looking around, thinking of nothing.

Parked the Vespa on the bridge in the distance being careful to leave room for a manure spreader I passed a mile down the road. Nothing ruins a good ride faster than an unfortunate run in with a manure spreader.

Walmart parking lot. My first destination. The 3 Prints Project is still going but we’ve put film on hiatus for awhile, likely a gloom motivated decision, and are working exclusively in digital. Since I don’t have one of those fancy Epson 3880 Photo printers I have been sending my digital files to MPIX.com. They do good work, inexpensive, and fast. Not as good as a person could do making their own inkjet prints but I have no interest. Fine printing in the digital world is a bridge too far. At least today.

Anyways, I figured I would give Walmart a try. With four files on a USB jump drive I made a beeline to the photo center. Ten minutes later I walked out of the store with prints in hand, every bit as good as MPIX. Some more experimentation is in order.

No ride is complete without a stop somewhere for food. Or something. Cafe Lemont was on the way home so a cup of tea, an amazing cookie, and a small notebook is all it takes to keep me happy. At one point I look up and make a picture, drawn to the color, light and umbrellas hanging from the ceiling. I try and imagine Jack Riepe of Twisted Roads sitting here. Then I try to imagine world peace. Coming up empty on both counts I return to my writing.

Ran into a local physician and Ducati rider. He and his wife were enjoying the atmosphere though did not arrive on two wheels. His Streetfighter and her Monster are waiting for warmer days.

Toward the end of the ride, early afternoon, the thermometer hovering in the mid-30s and the sun trying to burn through the clouds made the Vespa sparkle for just a moment. Long enough for me to make a picture and smile at my good fortune to be on the road.

Thoughts turned towards home, an afternoon with Kim, a walk with Junior, dinner, and the finale of season eight of Project Runway courtesy of Netflix.

That doesn’t sound too macho. Maybe it explains the Vespa.

All content, text and images, copyright 2010 by Steve Williams.
All Rights Reserved.

All content, text and images, copyright 2010 by Steve Williams.
All Rights Reserved.

Business: Riding, Writing, Photography and Explaining

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Let’s get down to business. So there’s no confusion.

This is Scooter in the Sticks. The main blog. The only blog.

Some might be confused because I have been posting all these daily images and changed the Blogger template yesterday. Say goodbye to the original blue version. I’ve moved on to my favorite color – gray. Other than the design change everything else is the same. I think.

Change is our friend.

First, I’ve decided not to post the #DailyRider and #MyDogJunior pictures everyday. I’ll consolidate them once a week in a post. The nearly 1500 people who subscribed to Scooter in the Sticks via Feedburner will continue to receive text and pictures as usual in an email. Everyone should be happy. I’ll be happy. That guy in Key West might even be happy. If you want to see them right away subscribe to my Twitter feed or view them on Flickr. I put them there as I go.

Since I have those pictures ready I will post them as sort of a change gift.

The Daily Rider: February 23, 2011.

Made this image with the iPhone this morning. I neglected to shovel the wet snow and slush a couple days ago in the morning and upon returning after work everything was frozen. So I will have to brave the snow covered driveway until the weather warms a bit.

My Dog Junior.

This morning at the vet. Junior had to get his first round of the Lyme Disease vaccine. He was bored. Made this image with the iPhone and the Lo-Mob app.

It’s been good to be on the road again despite the salt, cold, and occasional ice and snow. The motorcycle parking spaces at my office have been slowly disappearing with the recent snow. Thankfully there was a space I could hide the Vespa in. In a few weeks there will be flowers and warm air. I do remember one mid-March around 1995 that we had 28 inches of snow. I probably shouldn’t get too attached to the idea of spring just yet.

Kissell Motorsports and I have some plans for spring. The first being to do some riding on the Ducati Diavel and the new Triumph Tigers. Craig Kissell and I have talked about riding together and comparing notes on the bikes. Look for those after the roads are clear and the salt has been washed away. Until then I will look over the books Craig gave me. I can see myself on the Tigers. The Ducati is a bit harder to picture.

Last Friday night I attended Midnight Madness at Kissell Motorsports. A big sale from 10pm to midnight. Lots of people turned out and found some great prices on helmets, gear, gloves, motorcycles, and such. I almost bought a new pair of Rev It pants but decided all I really needed was a new Triumph sweatshirt.

It was getting close to midnight when I got back on the Vespa for the 12-mile ride home. It was cold (around 35F) with wind gusts hitting 45mph. Interesting night ride. I couldn’t figure out why no one else rode to the event.

Not everything is fun and games though. I still have to find time for the 3 Prints Project. Time is less of an issue. Motivation is my problem. Gordon and I show up faithfully at a local coffee shop on Sunday morning to share work. Being a regular now you begin to notice the other regulars.

And coffee shops seem to be one of the last bastions of unfettered photography (except for those corporate ones with rule books). I figure the day will come that someone will complain and we will be politely asked to put our cameras away lest we be branded as terrorists.

Photography is not a crime.

Not yet.

This past Sunday Gordon had some nice digital prints. Both of us have recently agreed to abandon film and the darkroom for a while. I already miss it. This image is of his wife.

Gordon has a dog named Laika. I think my Junior photography was inspired by his pictures of his dogs. I’m a follower. Except when it comes to riding. Then I’m a loner.

Riding buddy Paul Ruby made an appearance. I’m not sure if he wanted to see us or just needed a muffin. He recently purchased a Ducati 1198 to share space in the garage with his Kawasaki Concurs, Harley Davidson something or other, and a nice, 1964 Vespa. And his 1962 (?) Mercedes and 1976 Ferrari. He thinks they are all chick magnets.

He needs to talk with Dr. Riepe. Besides, that sweater demagnetizes pretty much anything.

Made this picture on the way home from work this evening. Despite the cold and snow I’m glad to be out. Some days when I walk into the house Kim remarks on the smile. Riding has a way of doing that. Even on cold days like today, riding to work without my ski mask and the cold cut into my throat like a knife, I was smiling and happy when I arrived.

Go figure. Things like that don’t happen in warm climates like you might find in Key West.

I do have some good news to report. A while back Jack Riepe of Twisted Roads posted some good information on how to handle Valentine’s Day. He made a recommendation for Big Jim’s Cookies. I bought two-dozen immediately. And Jim called the house because of a snowstorm seeking permission to ship the cookies a couple days later so they would not get hung up somewhere in shipping. He bakes these things fresh and they are GOOD. Yum. I wish I had some right now.

Jack Riepe may not know much about motorcycles or women but he does know chocolate chip cookies.

Since I can’t have a constant supply of Big Jim’s Cookies I can always stop at the candy store down the street for my beloved Figaros.

So I think I am all caught up with the news from the sticks. It’s good to have friends, interests, a loving wife, kids, family, a dog, camera and Vespa. Can’t ask for much more. Well I can but I won’t right now.

As the weather warms and I cast off the weight of winter I hope to provide a little more interesting fare.

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…