The Three Prints a Week Project

For the past couple months I've been tackling a goal I set for myself to shoot two rolls of film every week. And then process, contact, and make three gelatin silver prints. Work prints. Every week, rain or shine, no excuses. And so far I have been pretty successful. And to add another motivational stick I am going to begin posting those prints here every Sunday night/Monday morning.

I've undertaken this work because I have been searching for my next creative direction. I have never planned out my projects. They just appear, find me in some mystical fashion. And they only appear when I'm working, while I'm pressing the shutter in response to something that interests me personally. And when I am engaged like that something will happen. It always does if I am patient.

To keep things simple I've decided to use simple tools. My Leica M6 rangefinder camera, black and white film, D-76 developer for film, Dektol for prints, and Forte Elegance Polywarmtone Plus paper. If something appears and I want to pursue it outside this print project I can use other cameras of materials but for now I don't want any mental distractions.

Professionally I work exclusively with digital tools. To help separate my professional and personal work I am using film. It is an elegant way to work. The Vespa may find it's way into some of the pictures but it's anyone's guess where things will go. So here are this week's pictures.

My dog Essa exploring the garden during her morning walk.


Kim stretching

My Vespa in an underground loading dock

The 11 Degree Fahrenheit Commute

Darkness and the thermometer indicated 6 degrees when I got out of bed. It requires great effort to leave the house; on foot, by car, or on the Vespa. Once the sun comes out it's another matter entirely.

Preparing for cold rides takes more time, more layers of clothes, heavier gear, wires for the electric gloves. I feel like a knight preparing for battle except I don't have a squire to care for the Vespa. The routine mechanical check revealed low tire pressure front and back. Just what I wanted to fiddle with in an unheated garage only marginally warmer than the air outside. I dutifully checked everything, pushed the scooter into the driveway and hit the starter button. Even at 11 degrees the GTS starts right up. No battery tender needed yet.

The Gerbing electric gloves work great at this temperature and aside from the shear bulk of my riding gear everything else keeps me warm and insulated from the icy cold air. Everything but the helmet vent I neglected to close that allowed a little knife if frigid air to torture my left eye.

With the Vespa parked in it's space at work the bright sun makes everything seem tolerable. Looking at the picture I hardly see anything cold. No matter how cold it is I'm fine if the sun is out. Like one New Year's Day hike long ago when I fell through the ice at Bear Meadows. Sun was out so I hiked another 8 hours after I got out of the water.

The Vespa provides basic transportation. With some extra gear it allows me to use it year round, even for an 11-degree commute to work. The ride home was much warmer with temperatures soaring to near 30 degrees.

I stopped on the way home to photograph glowing orange corn stubble in the snow. I see a lot of things while I ride that I would like to make a picture of but I do want to go home.

Turning around and walking back towards the scooter I couldn't resist making one last picture as the sun neared the horizon. It still gets dark too soon and I look forward to longer and warmer days. Until then I'll have to keep preparing as if I were going out on a moonwalk I suppose. Not very stylish but very effective.

Just Another Ride to Work

In warm weather riding the Vespa to work is automatic. The only time I don't is when I need to haul gear or people. In winter I make a quick assessment of road surface and mental state before making a decision. This past Thursday morning everything was aligned for scooter departure.

I chose a longer route to work to allow the battery to get a good charge. I don't use a battery tender because so far my riding frequency seems to be sufficient. The recent addition of electric gloves has me wondering but so far so good. I suppose if the battery is going to die it will be 50 miles from home at 10º F.

Riding continues to create a hyper-awareness of my surroundings that is difficult to find while driving a car. I probably would not have seen the deer along the road while driving. I'm just cut off from the world by steel and glass. Looking at the deer I realized I don't consciously watch for deer while riding. I watch for everything. Everything in front and back, left and right. Things come into focus in a continual processing of sensory information.

The ride to work was routine. The weather forecast called for snow showers late in the day but I assumed I would be home before they arrived. At 2:30 PM I saw the first snowflakes falling outside my office window. When I walked to the Vespa at 4:30 PM I found it covered in snow. The roads were still mostly wet with a bit of intermittent greasy slush.

Plans to travel across farm lanes when I realized that snow was accumulating too quickly to comfortably handle the steep grades in a few places. I wandered home on back roads and kept a careful eye on speed and road surface.

The local limestone quarry always looks good in the snow and I couldn't resist stopping for a picture. The wet snow is surprisingly slick and I had to work a bit to get the scooter back onto the road even with all the gravel under the tires.

Various amounts of snow accumulated as can be seen in the curve in the above photograph. Easily negotiated but a potential disaster for a careless rider traveling too fast for conditions and assuming the road is merely wet.

I arrived home safely, brushed the snow and slush from the Vespa before parking it in the garage, and joined Kim for a cup of hot tea. Watching the snow out the front window warm and snug after just another ride home from work.

Nominations for 2008 Riders Choice Awards

It's time to make your nominations for this year's awards sponsored by Motorcycle Bloggers International, a group that I am a member. If you have strong feelings about something related to machines or activities you may want to visit the site and add your nomination. It's pretty simple. The link below will take you right to the site.

MBI Nominations Site

I checked the nominations this morning and it seems like nothing is happening in the scooter world. I'm sure there are more good scooters out there worthy of note.

Here is a time schedule of what will happen and when. Mark your calendars so you can vote when that opportunities role around.

No Best Blog category this year.

With so many good blogs out there in a wide range of languages MBI could not figure out a way to fairly handle this category so it won't be there this year.

So check out the site and have fun!

For a little background on MBI:

MBI is an association of riders who write motorcycle (and scooter) blogs. Members reside in many countries and live in different cultures but they have at least one thing in common—a passion for riding and writing about riding.

Every year MBI conducts the Riders Choice awards program. Riders around the world are invited to participate by nominating and voting for the awards. New motorcycles or related products, services, events and actions by an individual or organization are eligible for awards in one of several categories.

Without a Map

My version of GPS is written on a plain index card. The night before I left on a ride last Monday I poured over the Pennsylvania Atlas looking at places I haven't explored and made cryptic notes on the card so I would have a general idea of where to go. Paul was riding with me on his Kawasaki Concours and the plan was to ride south to Huntington to a diner for breakfast. Unfortunately my index card didn't inform me it had been bulldozed to make way for a Rite-Aid. But who needs help finding a place to eat breakfast anyway?

The ride to the diner was through familiar territory though we did take a few new roads that weren't on the route scribbled on my card, one that had a nice view of the Little Juniata River winding through the countryside.

Even when I have no idea where I am I always know that I will emerge onto a road that is. Being lost in the East if more a figment of imagination than anything based in reality. At least in the manner that I describe lost. And there are always new things to see. Stopping for a picture gives Paul a chance to do a bit of back maintenance.

After breakfast we head south to pickup a road that will take us across the Juniata River. As we crossed the railroad tracks the signal begins to flash and I do a quick U-turn with the Vespa to take a picture of the train. I can see at least a half-mile in either direction and no train is in sight. After waiting five minutes the signal stops and the gates go up. So much for the train. As soon as I fire up the scooter the signal goes off again. Same thing, no train.

I forgot to point out that the temperature by 11AM was approaching 70 degrees. This in on January 7th. Winter in Pennsylvania. I felt like a tourist stopping to take pictures at all the scenic overlooks.

A GPS system only works if you pay attention to it. The same applies to the index card. And it doesn't help much to pull it out of your pocket when you are 25 miles past a turnoff. I had a general idea of the direction we needed to go and with the sky clear and the sun out I knew where the compass points were to we rode on making a larger than planned loop through some of the southern coal regions of Pennsylvania and over more mountains until we got back on course. I was able to ride my scooter right off the road through the grass back to this overlook. The larger and less maneuverable Concours had to wait on the pavement.

At the top of one mountain was a cell tower and our first coverage in quite awhile. I stopped to call home and let Kim know where we were and when to expect us home and Paul paused to do a little ebay business on his iPhone. He is trying to convince me that I could do Scooter in the Sticks with one. I think I might have to wait until Photoshop is available for the iPhone.

I was able to look back across the valley towards the southern end of Raystown Lake, one of the two big federal flood control projects that resulted in major bodies of water. This one has no horsepower limits so in the summer it is a nightmare of noise and speed. A friend and I canoed its length once and trying to cross from one side to the other was frightening. But that's another story.

We still had another 80 miles to go before we would be home but were in familiar territory again. A stop for lunch, another to examine a Black Locust tree (another story), and a few more side adventures before riding onto a freshly opened segment of Interstate 99. Paul was kind by keeping his speed to 65 MPH so I could keep up as the highway rose and fell along the mountain.
We got home with another 167 miles on the odometer. No map, no GPS, just a partially utilized index card. And we were fortunate to be able to take advantage of unseasonably warm weather. It didn't last long though. Temperatures are going down again and there is still plenty of time for winter to really visit.

Wind and Weather

"Nothing like a little wind to get the blood pumping and bring on the warm glow of "I'm alive!"."

I posted that comment the other morning on Musings of an Intrepid Commuter before riding to work. At 5AM the wind was blowing hard while I wrote and I was worried more about one of our big spruce trees crashing through the window than I was about anything happening on the road. With gusts at 50 MPH that can push a Vespa around on the road.

By the time I pushed the scooter out of the garage prepared to brave the elements the sun had broken through the clouds and produced a wonderful double rainbow. And I could see both ends touching the horizon. The lens on my little point and shoot wasn't wide enough though to capture the whole thing.

Half way to work the sky closed, wind started to blow hard and rain returned. I had to choose my lane position carefully depending on which direction the wind was coming from because it would knock me three feet without really trying. I didn't want to be too close to somewhere I didn't want to be when that happened. I just had to lean into the wind and bit to compensate and things were fine.

Almost as quickly as that happened the sky broke open again and the sun came out and the wind diminished a bit. In the sunshine it always seems less aggressive. I stopped to watch the clouds pass for a bit and then saw another ominous set of dark clouds approaching so I made a bee line to my office where I could watch the weather in comfort.

Just another day riding to work...

18º F and Gerbing Electric Gloves

That's what 18º F looks like to me on a cold ride to work. My wife Kim enhanced the image to help better reflect how cold I felt.

My friend Paul bought me a pair of Gerbing Mens Classic Electric Gloves for Christmas. Nice surprise. He probably was tired of my whining about cold hands and second guessing electrical assistance – so he figured he would just shut me up. Yesterday morning was the first day cold enough to give them a fair test with the thermometer hovering at 18° F.

I’ve heard electric gloves are cumbersome to use. Depending on your tolerance for detail and process there may be some truth in that statement. If you like slip-on shoes and pullover jackets you probably won’t like dealing with electric gloves. I’m used to getting on and off the Vespa quickly and the departure ritual is second nature. Acquiring electric gloves means I have to develop another ritual.

Before going into the nuts and bolts I should comment on the most important issue – warmth – and a few lessons I have learned. I read a post on the Modern Vespa site where it was suggested that a thermostatic control was necessary lest you burn your hands. I like to rest my hands on our hot water radiators or park them in front of the heating vents in the car, nice and hot, so I was quite excited at the prospect of burning heat at my fingertips.

LESSON ONE: The gloves aren’t going to burn you. I don’t know where someone would get the idea that you could burn yourself with these gloves. At 32° F the elements are supposed to heat to 130° F. And the elements are insulated from directed contact with skin so no burning is going to take place. Using them at 18 ° at 50 MPH you can barely tell they are heating. At sub-freezing temperatures I don’t want a thermostat, I want full power.

LESSON TWO: They do keep your hands warm. Or at least not cold. Like I said I like feeling heat. My hands remained comfortable but not warm and performed much better than the expedition mittens I used last winter where my hands would go numb after 15 to 20 minutes of riding. I stop a lot to take pictures and have to take off the gloves. Holding a frozen camera my hands freeze fast. One of the nice features of the electric gloves is that they will slowly restore numb hands to relative comfort.

LESSON THREE: They are cumbersome to use. Running cables through the jacket every time I gear up, plugging in gloves and connectors, making sure the engine is running before plugging in or disconnecting before turning off in kindness towards the battery, it’s a lot of fussing around. And you need to do things in order. If you put the gloves on before you make those connections you have to start all over again. Since I stop and start a lot it means a lot of extra steps. I can deal with it in return for warm hands but I bet some would find it bothersome if not flat out irritating. I liken the process to putting an infant into a car seat. Once you are practiced it is a piece of cake. To the unwashed outsider it looks like hell.

LESSON FOUR: The gloves are nice. Well made, soft, luxurious on the hands, warm on their own, I really do like them. I fought the cold hand battle a long time, convincing myself it was a badge of riding honor to function in the cold by warming my hands on the headlight. I remained stubborn in the face of many suggestions to get electric gloves. Now I have them and I am ruined. What’s next? A windshield? Electric gloves? A motorcycle? I fear the bigger is better trap or which technology is a part.

At least my hands will be warm as I think about this stuff.

Resolving for the New Year...

To make some changes. Changes to Scooter in the Sticks. Changes in other areas of my life. This is the time of year where many people, myself included, take stock of things and resolve to make life different -- better.

It snowed last night -- walking the dog at 3AM on trackless streets with large, heavy snowflakes falling hard transformed my neighborhood into something right out of "It's a Wonderful Life". I kept waiting for someone to run past screaming "Hello you beautiful scooter rider!" By the time I woke up this morning it was 10:30 and the snow had melted from the roads though I did manage to find an abandoned farm to further experiment with snow riding. I'm always pleased with how the Vespa GTS presents itself in pictures.

Resolutions don't mean much without action. That missing element may explain why diet and exercise continue to show up on my resolution list year after year. Something new has caught my attention and has been turning for months in my head in an embryonic, pre-cognitive state until just a few days ago during my two-week holiday I realized I always seem to be in a hurry. Always in a rush.

On the way to the grocery store for supplies to supplement the sauerkraut cooking in the crock pot I stopped in town to take a look at the ice sculptures that are part of the First Night festivities.

Ice carvers were putting finishing touches on a variety of art ice from George Washington to a royal throne. Cold weather helps keep things looking good unlike previous years where rain and 60 degree temperatures made the ice work quite ephemeral.

Even though I have been visiting Tim Hodgens' blog I Will Rush No More for a long time the idea just wasn't sinking in that I was a rushing fool. I figured since I was riding a scooter I couldn't possibly be rushing. As I think about a resolution to quit rushing the magnitude of it is unnerving. It means some big changes and probably eliminating some things. But I'm ready. I'm tired of the old "the faster I go the behinder I get" routine.

I could not resist attempting to follow the farm lane in the first picture out along the field and across to a paved road a mile or so in the distance. The ground was pretty solid and the snow not too deep so off I went. The tires failed me on a very slight incline of snow on grass. Just no traction at all so I had to abandon the journey. I can only hope I have better traction with my resolutions.

Stretching My Riding Legs

I finally came out of a sugar coma and was able to maneuver the Vespa onto the road. Getting older hasn't sharpened by dietary sensibilities or my body's ability to process the quantity or quality of refined sugar products I choose to ingest. It was a positive step to ride away from temptation yesterday morning under cloudy skies and temperatures around 40º F.

I had no idea where I was going, and not a whole lot of enthusiasm for the journey. That's how I get when I am lying around the house overindulging. I forced myself onto the scooter. Barely.

My friend Paul surprised me this Christmas with a pair of Gerbing electric gloves. I was hoping to give them a good workout on this ride but that will have to wait for colder weather. I'll post more details on how they perform later.

Aside from a brisk wind the weather was good and the roads were dry after a couple days of rain. Blue skies look amazing after nothing but gray. Everything looks bigger and more impressive. Since winter has only just begun officially I know there is a lot more gloom ahead.

I'm still amazed at how many new roads I find so close to home. This one cut across a ridge in an area I thought I knew well. A look when I got home at a topographic map revealed a wealth of unexplored township roads.

One small road began as a gravel track along a creek and then climbed upwards to this sweeping view. It was good to get out and stretch my riding legs a bit. Next time out will be easier.

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

I want to wish each of you a Merry Christmas and thank you for your support and kind words towards Scooter in the Sticks. I'll be spending time with family and friends and perhaps even take the Vespa out for a ride. I have much to be grateful for.

The magic of the season I felt as a child has changed -- replaced by the knowledge that this is indeed a wonderful life. And while I don't know where Scooter in the Sticks will be going in the coming weeks and months I'm glad you are along for the ride!

I'll leave you with the song below that triggers fond memories of a time when I was younger. Whatever your faith, belief, or tradition is, best wishes to you and yours for a fine holiday.

Bringing Home the Christmas Tree

It's now a tradition -- bringing home the Christmas tree on the back of the Vespa. I can't help but think of Clark Griswold in the Christmas Vacation movie driving to get a tree in the woods for an old fashion family Christmas. I may have even sung a carol or two on the way home.

The tradition's continuation was still in question that morning. Kim and I were talking about alternatives to a tree, it was getting late in the season, and we just weren't sure. Sitting in Starbucks enjoying a pre-holiday breakfast of tea and chocolate marble cake I decided to ride to the Tait Farm for a tree.

Business was slow on a weekday this close to Christmas so I had the place pretty much to myself. A few people were wandering around looking at trees and decorations. With the temperature in the upper 30's the melting snow made the fields a little sloppy so I decided to buy a pre-cut tree rather than wander around with a saw and cut my own. Waiting patiently among the pines and spruces was a lovely six and a half foot Douglas Fir.

It didn't take long to strap the tree to the rear rack and start towards home. While there weren't a lot of people at the farm there was a lot of traffic on the road (US 322) running past the place. It's a main artery between Interstate 80 and points south through Central Pennsylvania and thick with trucks and cars. I wanted to take a more rustic and relaxed path home -- to the right I would find a nice gravel road but with no winter maintenance it would likely still be covered with snow and ice. To the left just a half mile down the road I could turn off and ride through a golf course and into a quiet valley that would lead me home. I waited until I could see a big gap in traffic and made a beeline towards the golf course. With the tree on the back I couldn't go much faster than 45 MPH without the tree beginning to shake. I could see a line of tractor-trailers bearing down on me in my rear-view mirrors. By the time I made the turnoff they were only a hundred feet behind me and coming fast. Ho. Ho. HO!

Once in Brush Valley things were much more relaxed and I could ride along slowly and enjoy the scenery and sing a few bars of Let it Snow and I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas. Dean Martin or Bing Crosby I'm not. Having earplugs does enhance the singing of even a less than mediocre singer like me.

I didn't go straight home. I wanted to find another present for Kim so I stopped at the soon to go out of business Federal House, a small gift shop with an eclectic collection of things. With everything at 75 percent off I purchased two 10 by 16 inch paintings mounted in ornate, rustic metal frames. No problem with transport on the Vespa -- just strapped them down on top of the tree with a few more bungee cords.

I like Christmas and tradition is important. If you are looking to add one yourself you may want to consider hauling a Christmas tree home on the back of your scooter or motorcycle. It looks more imposing than it actually is. The tree weighs less than a passenger and when balanced correctly it doesn't even take much to keep it attached. Keep the tree less than 9 feet in length and you won't even be a wide load!

Decision Time: Snow is Falling

When I looked out the window of my office yesterday at midday it was snowing. The temperature hovered at 32º F. It was just like last winter when I rode home in a snowy mess. I was taking the afternoon off, a few extra vacation days tacked on to the Christmas holiday. I had things to do and had to make a decision.

On went the gear and I found myself looking at the snow covered Vespa. The roads were wet but clear so I made a decision to ride.

Just in case the temperature dipped and snow would start to accumulate on the road surface I traveled home by roads less traveled where I could more easily set the pace without triggering any emotional displays from drivers intent on getting somewhere fast.

Snow continued to fall in large flakes and I enjoyed the transformation of the landscape under the soft light. Scenes like this are why riding in winter is so satisfying.

The roads remained clear until I got closed to home and the roads were more protected by tree cover and I suspect a bit colder. Strips of slush and snow grew larger and were quite slippery. I stopped several times to test the traction and the utility of the Pirelli tires on the Vespa GTS.

At best, their utility in this type of weather is marginal. The tread design doesn't allow for an aggressive bite in snow and the rubber compound doesn't retain the sticky traction qualities shown in warm weather. Careful riding, slow speeds, and continual planning make it possible to ride reliably in this sort of stuff.

The weather forecast doesn't call for any snow until after Christmas so the riding should be fair at least until then. And I'm on vacation too. I wonder what I can do...

Don't Give Up

Perhaps I was supposed to stumble across this video right now.

A flame of recognition runs through me each time I hear Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush sing Don’t Give Up. Woven through the lyrics and melody is a story of struggle, surrender, and hope. As the year nears an end I find myself more deeply engaged in reflection and the paths I have wandered. Old wounds and loss, opportunities squandered, poor choices and unfortunate circumstance. It’s good to remember. And perfect days with a wife who loves me, support of family and friends, good food, fine chocolate, fast sunrises over clear roads, and so much more to be grateful for. All these memories make up the tapestry of my life and remind me that smooth roads follow rough ones. Around each bend is something new.

Snow be damned I wanted to ride today. Left in the dark to have an early breakfast with my friend Howard. The streets in town were dressed in tiny white lights for the holidays. The Christmas spirit has taken hold. The roads were mostly clear and I was riding in straight lines so any sudden ice in the dark would be more easily negotiated. The weather forecast called for a chance of a sudden inch or so of snowfall about the time I would be riding to work but I’ll deal with that if and when it comes.

Winter Riding Blues

It’s near midnight and I can hear the steady patter of sleet on the livingroom window. A fitting end to a gray day. And an even grayer week. The ice on the driveway hinted at better options than to go for a ride. I always need more concrete proof and was looking for something to drain the noise and chaotic energy of a busy and mostly rideless week. Beyond the driveway was a bare road, some salt residue, and only an occasional patch of ice. Perfectly manageable riding conditions.

The thermometer indicated 29° F when I pushed the Vespa out of the garage and carefully rolled it across the ice to a bare spot and started it up. After a short struggle to get over the heap of snow and ice left a couple days ago. More evidence that the tires on the scooter are not intended for much more than dry roads or wet pavement. But I really needed to be in motion, hoping a ride would strip away the disinterest and laziness I felt all week. I could tell from the difficulty I was having finding anything to pint the camera at that I was in the firm and solid grip of the winter blues.

The first stop I made was more to test the firmness and traction on the side of the road than any desire to make a picture. Standing on the ice I realized I just wanted to go home, curl up on the couch and go to sleep. Anything but be on the road. I want to believe I’m not alone in these feelings. That riding loses its luster from time to time.

Not motivated to keep going and not ready to throw in the towel either I continued to ride. After a few errands I rode to the ski slopes at Tussey Mountain. To the casual driver the roads were clear and dry but to someone on a scooter or motorcycle they were dry with sudden small patches of ice in random and unpredictable places. The only prudent response was to slow down and scan the road surface close to the Vespa carefully.

Watching the skiers and snowboarders taking advantage of the modest snow on one of the runs I got to see the results of loss of grip and traction in the snow. The Vespa has no edge to dig into the slippery stuff.

It was cold even though I have ridden in much colder weather. The foggy picture of my late breakfast at the Pump Station results from the sudden exposure of a cold lens to warm air offers some indication of the temperature.

It’s late and time for bed. Tomorrow is another day and perhaps the winter blues will move on as the snow and sleet are predicted to do. I guess the Vespa can’t do everything.