Scooter in the Sticks

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

Taking the Road Less Traveled

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I made this picture on the way home from work last night. A short detour from the predictable route. Small adventures where I find them. Riding to work (and home) is what I make of it.

A still unmowed pasture offered itself up for a new shortcut that I just couldn’t resist. On a motorcycle like the BMW F650 GS taking this road would be uneventful. On the small-wheeled Vespa the unseen hazards lurking below the canopy of grass, clover, groundhog holes and dandelions add an element of potential surprise. It makes me ride with a different quality of attention.

The sky lured me in as well. I saw clouds growing dark from the highway and began searching for a place open enough to photograph them well. Thoughts of my Vespa bucket list photos moved through my head as I considered, “Vespa with funnel cloud”. Not on this ride though.

It was a good day at work with much accomplished. Riding from the parking lot towards home I sensed the need for an attitude adjustment which often results from diverging from the predictable path. And I think I achieved what poet Robert Frost said so well in the last stanza of The Road Not Taken.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

With a sigh I am off to a new day of work. Sadly not on two wheels.

Stretching My Riding Legs

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I finally came out of a sugar coma and was able to maneuver the Vespa onto the road. Getting older hasn’t sharpened by dietary sensibilities or my body’s ability to process the quantity or quality of refined sugar products I choose to ingest. It was a positive step to ride away from temptation yesterday morning under cloudy skies and temperatures around 40º F.

I had no idea where I was going, and not a whole lot of enthusiasm for the journey. That’s how I get when I am lying around the house overindulging. I forced myself onto the scooter. Barely.

My friend Paul surprised me this Christmas with a pair of Gerbing electric gloves. I was hoping to give them a good workout on this ride but that will have to wait for colder weather. I’ll post more details on how they perform later.

Aside from a brisk wind the weather was good and the roads were dry after a couple days of rain. Blue skies look amazing after nothing but gray. Everything looks bigger and more impressive. Since winter has only just begun officially I know there is a lot more gloom ahead.

I’m still amazed at how many new roads I find so close to home. This one cut across a ridge in an area I thought I knew well. A look when I got home at a topographic map revealed a wealth of unexplored township roads.

One small road began as a gravel track along a creek and then climbed upwards to this sweeping view. It was good to get out and stretch my riding legs a bit. Next time out will be easier.