Scooter in the Sticks

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

Entering the State of Strange

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Vespa GTS scooter in autumn forest
Riding into autumn and the state of strange.

Amish Hunters

Few things are as strange as passing an Amish man in camouflage hunting gear, wielding a compound bow, and riding a pink scooter brought me into the state of strange. One of the odd views during a late autumn ride.

I should have realized I had crossed into the state of strange. Instead I continued to believe I was taking part in an idyllic meandering through the forests of central Pennsylvania.  As a defense against the worsening pandemic I compartmentalize concerns, facts, fears, and experience to allow me to move through the world as if everything was fine.

I can’t help thinking now about missing the warning signs of my heart attack of nearly six years ago. Or that the state of strange in which I now live is the new normal.

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Turning a Page

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Vespa GTS scooter on forest road.
On the road into the unknown.

A Slap in the Face

This past year has seen the world struggle. No amount of riding could free me from concern for myself, my family, and those I love. As much as I want to believe that today, the start of a new year, will be different, it’s merely turning the page in the middle of a long novel. There is no magic today, no sudden cleansing of the world. What was bearing down yesterday remains today.

I have faith that the future will be bright, that suffering will ease and those things that provided pleasure and joy will return. But not today. The same struggle goes on for some time to come.

When I looked at the photograph of my Vespa in the forest just two months ago, I’m reminded of how exciting it is to peer into the unknown. Not knowing what lays ahead. Not sure what I’ll encounter. I have that same feeling now as I embrace the start of 2021.

I pray each of you reading these words will find hope and solace amidst whatever challenges you face.

A Wish for Christmas

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Christmas greeting from Scooter in the Sticks
Best wishes to all for a Merry Christmas.

This Christmas season is the most unsettling of my lifetime. The holiday spirit experienced so many times in the past has this year remained elusive. But perhaps it’s still here, just in a different form.

It’s easy to blame the pandemic for a feeling of isolation and gloom. The virus spreading through the world is a danger, unlike anything lived since the last great pandemic in 1918. Regardless of how people view the COVID-19 risk, how they make choices to gather as families or isolate alone, for me, at a deep level an uneasiness grips me. And those feelings paint the days of this Christmas season.

I accept this reality. It’s right in front of me every day. And rather than dwell in the thoughts and feelings, I make a choice to move ahead with my life. The decisions are mine. They may not be yours.

So in this strange time Christmas has taken on a new meaning for me. It’s not a time of family celebration, of exchanging gifts, singing carols, or any of the multitude of things I’ve taken part of in the past.

This year Christmas has become a time of spiritual reflection and a recognition of the blessings that have been bestowed upon myself, my family and friends, and the world. If you’re a Christian that celebration may focus on the birth of a Savior of the world. And if you’re not, you may find your own meaning for the holiday.

I often ride my Vespa on Christmas morning, an action to embrace solitude and give thanks for life. But this year I will remain at home and whisper a prayer for peace on earth and goodwill towards all.

Best wishes and warm regards for each of you who read these words. May the day, indeed all your days, be filled with a recognition of the good in your life. There is light in the world and there is darkness.

I choose the light.

Merry Christmas!

Reacquainted with Winter Riding

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Snow covered garden
The view in our garden the morning after the first big snow storm in two years.

Underestimating the Cold

A clear, sunny morning after fresh snow clouds my judgment. The cold and snow seem light and a mere trifle to deal with. It’s that thinking that leads me to underestimate the cold and wander out of the house unprepared for what nature has in store. Every year I step into the same trap after the first snow. And because I usually decide to take a ride on the Vespa scooter, I have to get reacquainted with winter riding.

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Winterizing My BMW K75 Motorcycle

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BMW K75 motorcycle in a rural landscape.
Taking advantage of a cold, sunny day.

Winterizing Doesn’t Have to Mean Storage

I’ve never “stored” my Vespa scooter for the winter — draining fuel, adding stabilizer, or pushing the machine to the corner of the garage to wait for warm weather again in the spring. Riding had become too much fun, too important, an obsession that I wasn’t willing to surrender because of winter. So I rode when the roads were clear, piled on protective gear and tools to stay warm, and pushed against the elements in ways that may have been a stretch in terms of risk.

So now I’m looking at how to manage “winterizing my BMW K75 motorcycle.”

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