Scooter in the Sticks

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

Ride to Work 2016

by 18 Comments

Vespa GTS scooter in open fieldOn the Ride to Work

It was pure coincidence that I rode to work on Ride to Work Day.  After two weeks off I left early enough for a leisurely commute and stopped to make one photograph during a small rustic detour.  At 7:30am the temperature was already above seventy degrees.  It was a near perfect ride to work.

Ride to Work poster 2016Ride to Work Day

Only later in the day did I realize it was Ride to Work Day.  Judging by the small number of motorcycles and scooters I saw on the road today it’s hard to imagine there being much traction to the idea of commuting on two wheels.  There are a zillion practical reasons why commuting in a car or truck is the common choice while the perception of two-wheeled commuting is inconvenient and downright dangerous.  And motorcycles and scooters are, well, toys.

As long as the machines we love are looked upon by much of the public, and our elected officials, as toys and recreational vehicles, we shouldn’t expect much in the way of support or respect.  Perhaps the Ride to Work effort will add to the voices of riders in America.

I know there are a few things I would like to see happen.  Selfish things.  Traffic lights that respond to a scooter.  Paint used for road lines that doesn’t become slippery when wet.  Parking spaces for motorcycles so I don’t feel bad taking up an entire space with my scoot.

Just to name a few.

I wonder, if we were making a list, what kind of concerns would we tally up as riders?

Vespa Meditation

by 5 Comments

Buddha statue in a treeStrange Reminder of a Vespa Meditation

I saw this Buddha statue in the hollow of a tree toward the end of a ride. It highlighted what I was experiencing on the scooter — a deliberate and ongoing rumination of thoughts and questions that cloud my mind along with a more and more focused recognition of the world as experienced as a scooter rider.

Sometimes it’s nice to let body and mind free for a few moments to seek some natural balance.

Vespa GTS scooter on Bald Eagle ridgeWinding Along the Road

It was still cool, low sixties, when I rode over Bald Eagle Mountain on a wonderfully twisting road complete with a hairpin turn.  The challenge was to let go of plan and expectation so I could be present for whatever presented itself rather than be completely locked in my head.

I saw a half dozen deer in the middle of the road during the ride included a couple of clumsy fawns.

Vespa GTS scooter in timber cutOff-road Vespa

Could pass up an opportunity to check out the view from a newly cut woodlot.  A short ride off-road on the scooter reminding me of how versatile the Vespa actually is.  While not a dirt bike the scooter can easily handle most of what a casual rider would encounter off-road.

Vespa GTS scooter at a lime plantMaking Photographs

I try and make photographs that reflect what I saw and felt on the road.  They serve as snippets of memory recording the stories made up by the details discovered during a ride.  That’s not dependent on riding a Vespa or connected to any particular camera.

When I first stopped at the limestone plant I lined up the scooter in the picture but something was missing — the old railroad tracks.  They were part of what I felt about the place.

Didn’t go far on the ride, less than 50 miles, but I’ve learned that I can get my head focused in a way to see and experience more.  It’s not just fun, it’s a Vespa meditation.

Vespa on the Road to Memory

by 28 Comments

For anyone who rides a scooter or motorcycle there’s probably nothing here you don’t already know.  So turn off the computer, get up, and go for a ride.  But if you’re new to the riding life, or in that luscious world of dreams and fantasy filled with two-wheeled lies and adventure, then maybe you might want to read on.

Vespa GTS scooter along freeway with Allegheny Plateau in the distanceOh, baby, baby, it’s a wild world

Tucked and harnessed safely in an automobile, or warm and cozy at home on the couch with the television on, the world is absolutely under control, predictable and at my back and call.  I am master of my universe.

And it’s all a lie.  Slowly the rules creep in, those quiet expectations of shiny floors, freshly painted walls, lush green lawns and polite behavior. And one morning, quiet without a care in the world, you’ll realize you’re enslaved to things you never agreed to.

There are no absolutes in life save death.  And this scene may blessedly never visit upon you.  For me, as I learned to wake up and pay attention, things didn’t always make sense. The pressure to stay asleep is strong and I need help.  A spouse light years ahead of me on this path is a gift.  The camera helps me pay attention.  A pen and journal demands thought.  Writing on Scooter in the Sticks allows me to abandon silence and to give testimony that there are other paths.

Options.  Choices.

What does this have to do with riding a Vespa?  

Last weekend I was on the road to nowhere, standing along Interstate 99 wondering where I was going and feeling a bit anxious at the uncertainty.  And then, alone for a moment with no rules or expectations I realized what a servant I am to the machinations of the world.  What does this have to do with riding a Vespa?  It provides a platform to escape, if only for a moment, and question everything you believe to be true.

At least for me.  It’s the gift that matters when I think about riding — scooter or motorcycle.  Fun, recreation, relaxation, friendship, adventure — they’re just minor side effects of a bigger experience.

I won’t forget this day.

Vespa GTS scooter along the freewayHow fast does that Vespa scooter go?

Seventy-five miles per hour.  All day long if necessary.  Fast enough for anywhere in America.

South on Interstate 99.  I knew that much.  My brain was scrambling for order.  Go home.  Ride to Virginia.  Visit the in-laws in Altoona.  The cacophony of ideas in my head was breathtaking.  I stopped so I wouldn’t hurt myself from inattention to the road and not any desire to photograph the scooter along the freeway.  It took five minutes of cerebral discord before I felt comfortable riding on.

This never happens in the car.  I’m certain the military-industrial complex under direction of the Trilateral Commission has probably impregnated the cabins with chemicals to suppress thought and ensure a compliant world.

There is no such effect riding a scooter or motorcycle.

Memorial Day in Tyrone, PennsylvaniaMemorial Day in Tyrone, Pennsylvania

Hunger brought me to Tyrone as I left home without breakfast.  The local fire company was raising the red, white and blue in preparation of a parade.  After a momentary pause I left town and the gathering crowd for something more quiet.

Unless you’re a daily commuter or use your scooter or motorcycle for chores, when you get on you will only take with you the demands you place on yourself.  Riding offers choices.Spo

Vespa GTS scooter under a railroad bridgeSpot of Shade

By 10am it was already hot and found me searching for shade more than destination.  Any earlier anxiety regarding the ride was gone now as I fell in step with the rhythm of exploration, choosing the roads and paths that remain invisible from the task oriented automobile.

“I wonder where that goes?” my motto for the day, I believe I could ride forever.

Railroad bridge over LIttle Juniata RiverLittle Juniata River

I’ve always wanted to walk across this bridge and think about it every time I ride by.  That thought never happened once in the car.  All I think about passing through here is getting home.  Point A to point B.

Maybe if I had a Ferrari it would be different.  My friend Paul has a Ferrari.  He seldom takes it out on the road so my guess is it would make no difference.

Vespa scooter along railroad tracksMain Line

Parked at a private crossing of the main railroad line between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh and points west.  It’s down to two tracks now, a sad testament to short-sighted vision of leaders in this country.  I waited for awhile in hopes that a train would pass, thought of putting a penny on the track one last time, but after fifteen minutes the heat pushed me on my way.

Riding a Vespa has revealed an endless opportunity for experience — ones more in line with magical discoveries from childhood than those available to “adults”.

Have you ever put a penny on a railroad track?

Vespa GTS scooter on a winding country roadCountry roads take me home

There’s a spider network of country roads in central Pennsylvania that meander under the trees and along creeks that makes riding almost a guilty pleasure.  It surprises me though how few motorcycles I ever see on these secondary to secondary roads.  Could it be that riders prefer traveling at 55mph and above over the arcadian pleasures on these little roads?

While writing this post (at the Pump Station) a large cadre of motorcycles roared by.  They had either been on PA 45 or US322, both a bore in my opinion for riding a motorcycle.  But you can go fast.  I suppose that counts for something.

Vespa along a highwayThe road goes on forever

I know it doesn’t go forever but what a fantasy.  I have my fingers crossed for a lot more time wandering the world on two-wheels.  The accumulated memories will fuel the days when the scooter no longer leaves the garage.  Riding a Vespa scooter has taught me a lot about myself and life.  But perhaps the most important lesson it it’s ability to generate meaningful memories.  And with no need to engage a transcontinental trip to do it.

I’ll admit to a level of advantage due to location…

Vespa on gravel roadWhat’s a ride without a little gravel

Seems I’m never far from the unpaved road.  I remember the first time I rode my Vespa LX150 in gravel — not the most comforting feeling, especially in the loose stuff.  Over time, with experience, both comfort level and velocity increased.  With so many unpaved roads in Pennsylvania it just seems a shame not to take advantage of their secrets.

Vespa parked in the woods along a streamBrunch with a Vespa scooter

Hunger finally got the best of me and I stopped to eat the sandwich I’d picked up earlier in the day.  Nothing like eating in the shade of hemlocks to the rippling sounds of a creek.  As I write this I continue to wonder at the hundreds of thousands of miles I’ve clocked in an automobile and have no memory of ever doing this.

Have I wasted my life in the cage?

Experienced riders know the answer.  If you’re new or dreaming, you’ll have to work out the answer yourself.  No one can answer for you.

It’s all part of the ride — questioning, experience, memories and more.

Don’t wait.

Riding Kaleidoscope

by 16 Comments

Are your weekends on your scooter or motorcycle a riding kaleidoscope?

Winding road ahead sign with Vespa scooter in the backgroundWinding Roads

Some days, I swear I see better than others.  Objects seem to leap out toward my eyes and landscapes become small cinematic experiences.  It’s like a riding kaleidoscope where there’s a constant change of pattern, texture and form.

Or maybe it’s just my imagination.

Out early on Saturday morning in hopes of beating the heat seemed like a good plan but by 9am the temperature was already above eighty-degrees — hell for someone like me who thrives in the fifty to sixty-degree range.

Some riders would feel a thrill at the sight of a sign warning of winding roads ahead with the attendant leans and lines as they hurtle along.  My Vespa and I are lollygaggers with little interest is speed.  I just thought the sign looked neat.  And to offer some hope to those in the midwest who live in grids.

Vespa GTS scooter along a country roadLate Spring Lushness

The rain and sunshine have created a lush landscape of plants.  The fragrance of flowers fill the air and the heat has driven me to my vented summer riding jacket.  You can often tell from the photos when I stop to smell the roses — the helmet comes off meaning I want to look around.

The scenery changes mile by mile, around every bend almost.  What a fine day to ride the scooter.

intersection of country roadsWhich Way?  Who Cares.

When I left home I didn’t have a destination.  Wasn’t really sure if I wanted to ride or stay home and work in the garden or visit my granddaughter who I see far too infrequently.  I find it a bit unsettling riding  when I don’t know where I’m going, especially at intersections where I make a choice of left or right based on a feeling without a focus.

Where am I going?

What’s nice about riding the Vespa, or pretty much any two-wheeled machine, is the relative ease in making changes in course and direction.  At this intersection I eventually turned around and decided to go the other way.

water plants and algae in a creekGazing in the Water

There was a time when I would take my boots off and wade in the water.  Now I just look, maybe make a photograph, and keep my distance from anything so juvenile as getting my feet wet.  Still, it’s a lovely pastime to wander along a stream with a camera.

Wished I had seen a muskrat.  Or an otter.  What a wonderful view in my riding kaleidoscope.

Vespa GTS scooter on rural roadLoving Those Rural Roads

The quiet loneliness of a rural road transited on a Vespa scooter rises to the level of near perfection for me.  Ride at my own pace, stop when I want, go when I want, go where I want.  These empty places are the stuff of dreams and memory that I’ll one day be replaying.

I do love these rural roads.

Riding jacket and Vespa scooterA Stop for Lunch

Pausing for a few bites of a sandwich and to rehydrate before moving on to a discovered destination just outside of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania — Nature’s Cover where I would order two truckloads of stone for our garden.

I’ve become adept at sitting and emptying my mind of thoughts (without falling asleep) and just absorbing the worlf around me.  I scribbled no notes.  Just stared off in the distance until a conversation behind me broke the spell.

Three mallard ducks in the grassChattering Chorus

Three mallard ducks began to talk to me, no doubt interested in an arrangement which would include me sharing part of my lunch with them.  Don’t feed the ducks.  I learned that a long time ago.

A no nothing ride.  Nothing special or unique.  But an eclectic riding kaleidoscope of scenes that are now firmly stored in my gourd.

Ah, the Vespa…

Destination for Next Ride

by 22 Comments

Vespa on gravel roadWhere Am I Headed?

After a month of posting daily to Scooter in the Sticks I need to pull off the road for gas and look at the map. Not sure where I’m headed or what I hope to see along the way. Riding home from work today had me thinking about a direction.

And that it’s still cold.

For a long time I’ve been content to let things unfold without plans or interference on my part. It’s how I decided to participate in the Brave, Bold Blogger Challenge 2016. That and a sometimes no-well-thought-out response to ideas and projects that “seem” creatively challenging.

I won’t rise quickly to paint the bathroom, but 29 posts in 29 days – count me in.

Being completely honest, I learned a lot about myself, my ideation and writing abilities, and was rewarded with some interesting web data about reactions to post subjects and frequency. Not sure if all bloggers do this but I monitor traffic on a variety of blogs and websites of which I admire the voice and content and measure my traffic against them. There’s no real reason to do this, I’m not selling anything or trying to attract sponsorship opportunities. Perhaps it’s the little part of me that harbors some inkling of competition.

So when I received a message a few days ago about what I was trying to accomplish here and how I may be able to do that without posting frantically I was left wondering what my goals are with Scooter in the Sticks.

Goals.

Goals?

Makes sense only if I connect the time I spend riding, making photographs and writing as a means to an end. Can’t that be the end itself? A labor of love.

Maybe.

When pushed I can devise a goal: Create an engaged readership to which I can market my Scooter in the Sticks book. If I ever write one.

Or: Share the cosmic experience of riding a Vespa.

No?

Vespa GTS scooter and pile of dirty snow and iceAllure of Abjection

Behaviors are hard to break. Riding home today I had to stop to look at a large, filthy pile of snow. I could never pass up a pile of trash along the road, tailings at a mine or debris collections of almost any kind. “Evidence of something” echoes in my head as the collective call of discovery.

I first heard the term “abjection” in art school as discussions took place around some of the more controversial art in America boiled — artists like Cindy Sherman, Kiki Smith, Louise Bourgeois, Carolee Schneemann, Collier Schorr and others upsetting the status quo of beauty.  But that depressed, gloomy look of certain places was always attractive — beauty is in the eye of the beholder. These piles of dirty snow are as lovely as the sweeping dunes of White Sands.  Maybe I’ll travel another photographic road.

Where the road leads now I can’t say. A glut of Vespa maintenance tasks await along with a spring cleaning of the garage and reassignment of a snowblower. So any plans may drift in limbo for awhile.

The next ride could be interesting.

Vespa GTS and US322 road signsJust Ride

Sometimes seeing a sign that says “East” or “West” can trigger a strong desire to just ride into the sunset. (Or sunrise depending on choice).  I’ve been itching to put hundreds and hundreds of miles behind me to embrace the cleansing nature of a long ride.  The wind slowly dries my brain of the sloshing thoughts that do more to irritate than enlighten and can transform an easy commute into a tedious mental exercise.

“Just ride” has been ringing in my head.  My friend Paul has been offering opportunities and plans.  Maybe it’s time for the next ride.

Blog be damned for the moment.