Keep Moving

The scooter and motorcycle stand in the garage. Quiet. Unused. The battery may be dead in my camera and I’m hoping the chipmunks haven’t gnawed on my helmet lining. I feel a long way from riding right now. I’m frozen in place, lost in thought, disconnected from the things I love. It’s often this way as autumn approaches. Perhaps the sun’s energy patterns change and affect the ways neurons fire in my brain. Or sensing the approach of cold weather I just begin to shut down.

Or so it seems. Doing nothing, accomplishing nothing, frozen in place.

The truth is somewhat different. I’ve been riding the Vespa and the K75. A lot. And I’ve made many photographs. Have my darkroom running as well in support of another project. Five rolls of film are hanging downstairs awaiting contact proofing.

And I’ve been reading. And watching Netflix. Watched Inside Bill’s Brain, the documentary series on Bill Gates. Thinking about global warming and the role of nuclear power. Specifically the Traveling Wave Reactor. And each morning the dogs drag me into the world.

But I feel frozen in place despite evidence to the contrary. A storm front is moving in. I hear thunder. Otherwise I would tell myself, “You need to go for a ride.”

Sometimes things are just strange.

Full flounder ahead.

Another Moto Hang

For those who don’t know, the Moto Hang is a gathering of riders of all sorts of two and three-wheeled vehicles. It occurs on the first and third Wednesday’s of the month in warm weather and moves to a different location each time.

I’ve been lax in my posting of things related to the Moto Hang events this year. As it transitioned away from the Boalsburg Moto Hang to one hosted at a continuing array of locations the charm of the old barn where it used to happen — in my head at least. Or that’s my excuse. So I’ll try and catch up now.

It continues to be a gathering of riders. Like-minded men and women with an ongoing fascination for motorcycles, scooters and riding.

This past week I rode the next of the last regular Moto Hang gathering on my Vespa scooter. My friend Paul borrowed the K75. Just a short, eight mile ride to the home of Jason and Lori Lettiere — hosts for this occurence of the Moto Hang.

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On Down the Road to Breakfast

Still, after tens of thousands of miles riding in central Pennsylvania, I remain infatuated with the long, rolling roads through our agricultural valleys. As breakfast destinations are often an hour’s ride away, the opportunity to ride on down the road through multiple valleys is common.

Apart from the times of day where people are rushing to work, these roads are sparsely traveled. It’s not uncommon to ride for ten minutes or more and not see another vehicle. And that might be an Amish horse drawn buggy.

It’s in this landscape my rides often begin.

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Morning Vespa Portrait

I’ve parked my scooter in this same place, under the same morning sky for almost 13 years. From Boalsburg to State College to Saint’s Cafe to embrace a few moments alone with my thoughts, time together with friends, or just to watch my fellow creatures performing their own dance in the world.

The ritual begins with the Vespa, from the moment I push it out of the garage until I arrive in town, riding separates me from most of the thoughts and concerns that haunt me through the day. My mind focuses on the road and nothing else matters. In this space I feel alive.

So there’s a measure of gratitude on my part for somehow finding my way to riding relatively late in my life. I wonder sometimes as I obsessively photograph the scooter whether I’m paying homage to what it represents or just documenting a love affair that’s so thrilling I don’t want to miss a moment of it.

Strange what goes through my head when I have a few moments alone with my thoughts.

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