Scooter in the Sticks

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

Boalsburg Moto Hang

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Vespa at Boalsburg Moto Hang siteMoto Hang Approaches

Last evening I rode past the Moto Hang lounge in Boalsburg.  No one around.  Just the poster on the barn door suggesting things to come.

The next gathering will be this Wednesday evening at 5:30pm on September 7, 2016. With cool weather ahead there won’t be many more Moto Hangs this season.

I’ve been lax in posting pictures.  Here are a few from the last one I attended.  Got there late — a lot of people had already departed.  I keep thinking I would like to do a portrait project of the people who attend.  Not sure if anyone would be interested in enduring the gaze of the camera.  Not sure if I have the time and energy right now to follow through.

So here’s a look at the last gathering in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania.

Boalsburg Moto HangA lot more riders are showing up these days.  The gravel alley behind the shack fills up fast so there’s a lot of overflow along Academy Street.

Ken Hull, founder of the Boalsburg Moto HangKen Hull, founder of the Moto Hang, caught by the camera during the evening.

Mike Mohney with his two-stroke cafe racer style YamahaMike Mohney shows up with his two-stroke Yamaha cafe style racer.  His machine is just one of many unique machines at the Moto Hang.

Boalsburg Moto HangLike I said, got there late and everyone was starting to head home.  Still had the chance to talk with a lot of riders.  If you have the time it’s worth stopping by — an eclectic mix of motorcycles and scooters.

So mark your calendars:

Boalsburg Moto Hang
Corner of Academy Street and Rockeys Alley
5:30pm
September 7, 2016

 

Introspection

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introspection with Canon G15 camera self-portraitIn the Mirror

After weeks of not riding and grumbling over a some back it’s time to step back and appraise the view.  Introspection isn’t always pleasant but does provide some clues for the journey ahead.  I made a first entry in my journal in a month this morning.  What was once a near daily event has faded, much like the frequent flying on the scooter.

A morning portrait at the Pump Station suggests something other than a happy camper.  Or perhaps the chronic reminder that I have a spine is wearisome.

Vespa GTS scooter in State College, PennsylvaniaMorning Vespa

I gingerly pushed the Vespa on and off the center stand this morning in the driveway before making a final decision to ride into town.  Still can’t make any long trips but it’s nice to ride a few miles.  Remarkably, even that short distance managed to brighten a sullen riding spirit. I wonder why I’m so irritated at not being able to ride?

Another pleasant surprise was the quiet morning.  A surprise because all the students have returned to Penn State.  I guess their first Saturday night wore them all out.

Door sign of Custom Shoe Repair store in State College, PennsylvaniaBoot Repairs

Walking to Saint’s brings me past the shoe repair shop that keeps my riding boots alive.  The soles are getting worn down again so I suspect I’ll be paying a visit soon.  Don’t see many shoe repair places anymore.

Broken Stella Artois lager bootlesStella Artois

Despite not seeing anyone on the street there was amble evidence of activity from the night before.  The fragrance of stale beer floated on the morning air; broken bottles littered a section of the street.

Digital OscillioscopeDigital Oscillioscope

At Saint’s Cafe, my friend Paul was showing off a new digital oscillioscope he built from a kit that will allow him the ability to test old electronic gear.

Vespa GTS scooter near Shingletown, PennsylvaniaIntrospection by Vespa

I think when I ride.  About the road.  About other things.  Often it’s the other things that matter most.  Riding on the Vespa keeps me open to new ideas.  I’ve been a bit miserable not being able to be on the road.  Wasn’t sure it would help to go for a short ride but turns out it’s just pretty much magic.  Blue sky, fine view, scooter ready to take me where I want to go.

I’m just glad the destination isn’t Crazytown…

Riding a Vespa Scooter

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Vespa GTS scooter at Pennsylvania Military MuseumThinking About Riding

After a week without riding,  I rolled it out of the garage, to test how far my still sore back has healed, and to quiet a mind grown restless from not being able to fly.  Trapped in a riding-less life, it’s odd to observe how much mental space is consumed by riding.  From waking in the morning and thinking about what gear might be appropriate to ride to work to gazing at night sky while the dogs run in the garden and wondering if it would be a good night to ride — it can seem like riding a Vespa scooter has taken on an unhealthy bite out of consciousness.

It’s like an addiction, gnawing at restraint, whispering rationalizations to reform reality, providing false evidence to gain what it wants — to be moving along on the road.

I took a short ride this evening,  through the village and on to the park, a riding researcher collecting data coldly disconnected from desire and want.  The prognosis is positive yet issues persist.  An intentional “bump” triggered a groaning response from my back.  Getting the Vespa on and off the center stand wasn’t a problem.  Mostly, no issues or concerns.

Another night of sleep and I may be able to ride a Vespa scooter again.

Walking Stick

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Steve Williams with walking stickA Walking Stick

A recent rainstorm coupled with drought hardened ground, and neglect in keeping rain gutters clean, combined to fill my basement with water.  A few hours of after-midnight cleanup and 18 trips carrying a Shop-Vac up steps to empty was all that was necessary to create a returning patient for my chiropractor.

I have an old yoga book that I’ve glanced at a few times over the last 25 years when the idea I should care for my body takes hold.  There’s a line etched in my memory — “You’re as young as your spine is flexible.”

I’m not too young.

A week of incapacity and riding-free life has passed.  Mornings of struggle to get out of bed and strategies to get dog food bowls to the floor have passed.  New ways to tie shoes were developed and standing up straight is a reason to celebrate.  I’ve been walking slowly through the garden to help  limber the lower back and hips while hoping the dogs don’t run into me as I play the fragile aging man.  And from this place of woe an old friend emerged — my faithful walking stick.

I’ve had this walking stick since the early 1980s.  It’s a long staff reaching almost to my shoulder and has travelled along on many hikes and backpacking trips.  It’s tapped along the Maine coast and the Appalachian Trail.  Now it provides welcome support to an otherwise shaky existence.

The back is much improved but I’ve come to appreciate the form and function of a walking stick.  I’ve often wondered why people use a cane when a walking stick is far superior.  You can lean on it, pull yourself up, and keep an angry dog at bay with it.  It is a damn function bit of technology.

The Complete Walker

My love of walking sticks grew out of books by Colin Fletcher, especially The Complete Walker.  This book fueled a love of walking and hiking and is full of stories and reflections of a life on foot.  Between the lines of much of what I write is the influence of Fletcher.

The morning may bring enough back recovery to consider riding to work.  If I do, the walking stick will have to stay at home with the dogs…

Ride or Work

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Vespa GTS scooter parked outside Ag Engineering Shop at Penn StateEdward Hopper Scene

I want to be a painter, working in oil, shuttered away in a solitary studio, alone, sparked by dreams of a Vespa and the road. When work and life intensify my head goes to secret places.  Some days it’s a question of ride or work.

Resorting to my secondary scooter parking space earlier in the week when the usual space was teeming with othersand began the walk to my office.  Looking at the Vespa stand amidst the Penn State campus scene I couldn’t help think it was a view Edward Hopper may have appreciated.  And from there my mind was off n the races.

So it’s been these past couple weeks.  Distracted or consumed.  Both stifling any desire to blog.  This entry is a test of self will.  Took days to create this drivel…

Vespa parked outside an engineering shop at Penn StateBusy, Noisy, Cluttered

The title refers to the thought patterns in my head and not the engineering shop that I chose to park next to.  I’m hoping for a clearing soon.  Perhaps another ride in the morning to see if I can break free and feel a little more fluid.  The sweltering heat and humidity of late isn’t helping though.

Tomorrow is another day.

Ride on to victory!