Scooter in the Sticks

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

Yellow and the Rider’s Life

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Vespa GTS scooter on a road with a double yellow lineDanger Will Robinson!

Yellow.  It’s the color of danger.  It’s the color of warning.  It’s the color I often reach for first.  And it’s one I pay attention to closely.  On this particular morning I was hyperfocused on the road surface.  The day before the snow began to melt and there was a lot of water running across the road.  During the night it frozen leaving some wide swaths of ice to negotiate. You can see them in the photograph.  At each I had to come to a complete stop and slowly paddle the scooter across with my feet.

The yellow kept me sharp.

Yellow lines on foggy road with Vespa GTS scooterYellow Lines — the siren song of the road

The yellow lines leading past the horizon.  The visual cue for unknown adventure.  I think I always stop when I see those scenes.  They’re easy to identify.  They’re blazing with yellow.

Verbascum thapsus plant with Vespa scooterYellow Torch

Yellow stands out, calls out, demands a close look.  In this case the stalk of yellow verbascum flowers signaled a turn off the paved road to explore another track.

Steve Williams and Vespa GTS scooterProtective Yellow

By the time I made this picture my First Gear Kilimanjaro jacket was growing weary of protecting me.  The once bright yellow was a weak presentation of its former self.  Yellow has become a central element of my protective riding gear choices.

BMW 650 GS motorcycle on gravel laneYellow Machines

I’ve always loved yellow motorcycles.  And cars.  This BMW 650GS that Kissell Motorsports lent me for a ride was exactly the color I love.  I’ve ridden several other fine yellow machinves.

Vespa at a construction siteDon’t Tell Me Which Way to Go

Signs, signs, everywhere they’re signs, telling me what to do.  More and more I refused the commands of signage…

Vespa GTS scooter parked along a field of sunflowersYellow Happy Faces

Sunflowers glowing in the sun.  Yellow faces blazing across the landscape.  Warm and inviting.  Looking at them all becomes right with the world.

Courtesy, in part, of the color yellow.

2017 Brave, Bold Blogger Challenge

This post is part of a month long writing prompt challenge conceived by Kathy at Toadmama.com.

My Favorite Road Close to Home

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Vespa GTS scooter along Brush Valley RoadGateway Road

My favorite road begins one mile from my front door — Brush Valley Road.  Whenever I need to unwind with a short ride it’s generally my first choice. It’s a lightly traveled secondary road the winds through rural Pennsylvania; past horse farms and dairy farms, through villages and woodlots and all the time providing scenic views that help erase the noise of an especially chaotic day.

If I have little time the ride can loop home after just eight miles.  But it’s a gateway to longer ones.  Brush Valley continues on for forty miles until taking on the name of Buffalo Road.  And along the way there are a host of departure points for much longer rides.

Vespa GTS scooter in a winter wonderlandRoad for All Seasons

It’s a lovely road in all seasons.  The natural beauty of the landscape coupled with the seasonal effect make for some visually rich travel.  The road is well maintained and the drivers are generally well-behaved.

Vespa GTS scooter in fog along roadRoad for All Weather

As the road winds through the valley it is blessed from time to time with fog which can completely change the riding experience, almost to the degree that I sometimes don’t recognize where I am.  That’s a joy for a short ride in familiar territory.

Amish horse and buggy with Vespa GTS scooterOn Through Amish Country

Ten miles from home you’ll begin to see signs of the Amish communities in the valley.  Lines on the roads from the buggies.  Horse droppings.  The Amish farms.  Or even the horse and buggies themselves.  Added to the picturesque landscape makes the road one of the finest rides you’ll see in Pennsylvania.  And get the right weather and it’s magical.

Steve Williams with BMW F650 motorcycleOn to More Adventure

Brush Valley Road can be a jumping off point for a wide range of rides.  One of the most common rides I take is a 150 mile loop through three counties that traverses field, forest and mountain.  Here I was stopped along PA Route 44 as it crests Little Mountain.  I was riding a BMW F650 GS motorcycle.  One of my favorite motorcycles.  Plenty of power without being a lumbering mess.

Two Vespa GTS scooters in the mountains of central PennsylvaniaVespa in the Mountains

My friend Gordon and I rode our scooters on the same route and stopped in the same place to admire the view.  Some roads have those special places just screaming for a photography.

My favorite road provides a challenge to ride, exquisite scenery, and a chance to renew my riding spirit.  It just doesn’t get much better than that.

2017 Brave, Bold Blogger Challenge

This post is part of a month long writing prompt challenge conceived by Kathy at Toadmama.com.

Reflection

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Reflection of rider in a Vespa GTS mirrorMan in the Mirror

A lot more reflections when the sun is out.  And a welcome break from the gray, cold weather of late.  One of the first things reflected, aside from me in the mirror, is the filth and dirt on the scooter from the most recent sloppy ride.

Vespa GTS scooter in Bellefonte, PennsylvaniaReflecting on the Season

Reflecting on the weather — it’s been a long winter.  What’s strange is that it has been pretty mild as winters go around here.  No extended sub-zero weather, no long periods of snow cover.  A pretty wimpy winter by all normal measurements.  But personally, for a lot of reasons, it was hard.

So with the temperature at 50F today with the sun shining bright it was a fine day for a little ride.  By late morning I ended up in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania to spend some time with my journal at Cool Beans Coffee and Tea.

Reflection of Steve Williams in a windowObservation, Cogitation, Rumination

A lot of people don’t like having their picture taken.  Some won’t look in a mirror.  When I hear someone tell me that I’m surprised.  Both the camera and the mirror offer a wealth of insight to those who look. At the very least, it’s a slap in the face to move you from who you want to be into the sober reality of who you are.  Or a start in that direction.

Looking past the cosmetic details of a physical self, I begin to see myself as an actor on the grand stage of life.  And the subsequent thinking is at times helpful in deciding what the next step might be.

Just saying.

Vespa GTS along rural roadRiding Away from Winter

The local groundhog weatherman predicted six more weeks of winter.  I’m so ready to be done with it.  The warm weather has me believing that winter is done.  I probably should take another look in the mirror and ask about that…

2017 Brave, Bold Blogger Challenge

This post is part of a month long writing prompt challenge conceived by Kathy at Toadmama.com.

Thankful for the Small Things With a Vespa Scooter

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Vespa GTS scooter in snow squallSnow Squall

A sunny departure yesterday morning toward a black sky delivered a sudden snow squall.  I’m thankful that I was there on the Vespa, able to ride through the snow, and find my way safely to work.

Vespa GTS scooter on snow covered farm laneVespa and the Slippery Stuff

In minutes the air became white with snow and sleet and just as fast the event swept by leaving a dusting of snow to ride through.  Lovely in appearance and thankfully leaving enough traction to not be much of a safety issue.

Winter rides to work are usually exactly what I think they’ll be.  This one was different because I misjudged the forecast which noted “a chance of a passing snow shower.”  I’m thankful it did not exceed my riding skill or ability.

Vespa GTS scooter under a heavy skyRiding Under a Heavy Sky

It was colder and darker during the ride home from work.  I was thankful though that it was free of snow. If I made a list of the things for which I was thankful yesterday, it would be long.

To say I’ve had enough of the cold weather would be an understatement.  The preparation to ride in this weather has seemed overly daunting this year and the rides themselves flush with physical challenge to a level not experienced in previous winters.  Age, health, attitude — perhaps all have a role in the changing nature of my winter riding life.

But even with the added burdens, I’m thankful to be able to ride through the world on the Vespa — even if it means dealing with a little snow on a cold day.

2017 Brave, Bold Blogger Challenge

This post is part of a month long writing prompt challenge conceived by Kathy at Toadmama.com.

Favorite Vespa Gadget or Gizmo

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Vespa GTS scooter on a cold, snowy day.Standard Features

I use my Vespa scooter almost in it’s stock configuration with only a minimum of add-ons, additional features, gadgets or gizmos.  Like the places I ride, it’s simple.

Riding yesterday morning I was thinking about what I’ve added to the scooter that has really enhanced the ride or the experience of being on the Vespa.  Some immediate things come to mind — topcase, front rack, heated grips and electric gloves.  All functional features that get used all the time.  But as I thought more, there was one thing I’ve added to the Vespa that has been a real help.

It’s found in the topcase.

Sirui tripod in a GIVI topcasePhotography Tool — Sirui Carbon Fiber Tripod

My favorite motorcycle/scooter gadget is the Sirui T-025X Carbon Fiber Tripod with C-10S Ball Head.  This tripod is light, small, sturdy and provides a great platform for steady video shots and for portraits or compositions where I might be in the shot.

Sirui carbon fiber tripod

The tripod is small, light and sturdy enough for a range of cameras.  I use it with my Canon G15, Nikon D3300, and even bigger and heavier DSLR cameras.

Sirui carbon fiber tripod

For as small as it is the tripod extends to around 54 inches high.  And the carbon fiber poles and connectors work smoothly and positively.  It’s perhaps the easiest tripod I’ve ever used.  And it can be used to place the camera almost at ground level.

Sirui ball head

The ball head and quick release plate are a great addition and saves the fiddling of trying to attach the camera directly using a tripod screw.

I didn’t stumble on this tripod by accident.  It was suggested to me by the late great BobSkoot — Bob Leong when he visited State College some years ago with a couple other Moto-Bloggers.

Wireless controllers for digital camera

Related to the Sirui tripod is a set of wireless triggers for the camera.  Bob Leong had a pair with him and told me how to get them myself through eBay.  They didn’t cost much — around $25 — and work simply.  Just attach the receiver to the hot shoe of the camera and plug a little cable into the side of the camera.  Turn it on and then the transmitter will tell the camera to trip the shutter, roll video, etc.  I’m not sure what the maximum distance is but I’ve used it at 200 feet.

The tripod and transmitters help expand what I can do with the camera while I’m riding.

Vespa GTS scooter on an icy farm laneRiding on Ice.

I could have used the tripod today to videotape the difficulty I had navigating glare ice on a farm lane.  I don’t have my winter tires on yet (probably won’t mount them this year)  and while they wouldn’t help on the ice they would have made circling through the snow to turn around and riding back between the tire tracks a whole lot easier.

Still was nice to get out for a little ride.

2017 Brave, Bold Blogger Challenge

This post is part of a month long writing prompt challenge conceived by Kathy at Toadmama.com.