Choosing the Perfect Christmas Card

Christmas is coming.  I'm thinking about Christmas cards.  I don't think this is what I'm after for Scooter in the Sticks.  It's tough choosing the perfect card...

Commuting in Fog

Another foggy morning with temperatures near the freezing mark.  Heavy frost on both cars but the driveway and road were damp or dry.  The weather report said 31F but my scooter reading was 35F.  So off I went to work.

The fog was heavier this morning though creating another risk management factor.

A quick stop at the Pennsylvania Military Museum to look around and make a few pictures in the fog.  The collection is growing.  Almost fell on some ice that was well hidden.  Would hate to report a winter injury acquired on foot.

Here's where the accident almost happened.  Parked the scooter on a solid sheet of ice, jumped of for a picture and almost went down.  Sloppy technique.

The world is reduced to a few graphical elements in the fog -- scooter, lines and white space.  That must have something to do with my continued fascination with this weather event.

Cutting through the State College, Pennsylvania neighborhoods on the way to work is a relaxing path.  Little traffic save for the occasional dog walker.  Easy to park in the middle of the road for pictures.

The morning work schedule didn't leave much time for pictures or wandering and that's ok.  I'm happy to have a Vespa commute to start the day.

Vespa Rides and Frozen Fog

The clock radio alarm went off this morning with the weather report warning of possible ice on untreated surfaces due to fog.  As enchanting as fog can be it has to be carefully considered when the thermometer is pointing at 32F.

After walking the dog, paying attention to the road surface, and watching the thermometer rise I made the decision to ride to work.

The roads were mostly dry or damp with no obvious ice.  Keeping the helmet visor clear was an ongoing challenge until the helmet came off at work.

The meandering trip passed through familiar places though always strangely different when shrouded in fog.  I remember wandering through these places on foot with my big wooden view camera exposing sheets of black and white film and watching the world appear in a tray of developer in the darkroom.

I miss those days.

The only ice to be found this morning was off the road and halfway to town the temperature indicator on the Vespa displayed 34F.

Cutting across the east end of campus afforded a nice view of Mount Nittany emerging from a muted sunrise.

Only scooters in the parking lot now though with predictions of the temperature approaching 50 later in the week could see a few motorcycles around.

The biggest downside of commuting this time of year is darkness at the end of the day.  While it wasn't cold, 35F, it can be discouraging to climb aboard the Vespa in the dark on days when it is cold.

This day, I was just glad the warnings of frozen fog did not materialize.  Just another fine Vespa commute to start the day right.

Rest, Relaxation and the End of a Vacation

Unshaven, rested, relaxed.  That's what a week of vacation can do for a person.  My friend Gordon made the photograph, my wife Kim said I looked relaxed, and I know I'm rested and unshaven.  The past week has been an exercise in no plans, no schedule, no goals, no nothing.  I like to think I'm a creature of habit but it's more likely I'm a creature of circumstance.  With no schedule to adhere to I've stayed up 'til dawn, slept past noon, hung out in coffee shops and generally watched the world go by.

And did some Vespa riding.

On days I didn't sleep past noon I was out in the cold with the dog or on the Vespa.  A week of that was all it took to acclimate to the frigid weather.  Now everything from 20F and higher feels comfortable.  Or at least tolerable.

This image was made on Sunday morning at sunrise with Junior in tow.  A dog offers fine examples of how to embrace life at it's simplest level.

Junior pausing briefly for me to make a portrait.  Cold enough outside for his breath to freeze over the hair on his neck.  He just walked through the living room, looked at me, and went upstairs to bed. "He know's the day's over," said Kim.  "No more walks, treats or food.  Nothing left but to go to sleep."

I'm almost in the same place.

It's been a cold week with snow and ice and have helped thicken my riding blood.  This morning Mr. Pumpkin looked particularly annoyed by the 18F temperature reading as I got ready to ride into town to meet my photography compatriots at Saint's Cafe.  Neither the Vespa or I uttered a complaint.

Morning has more attraction for me than any other time of day -- visually and mentally.  I awake quickly with no need for coffee or tea.  Seeing the sun rise and the warm beams of light lick through the trees continues to cause the heart to beat faster.

Allen Street is still asleep at 8:30 on a Sunday morning.  Plenty of parking and no traffic to contend with is fine by me.

Saint's Cafe in State College, Pennsylvania.  The holiday decorations have already gone up.  The place seems personal, friendly and like home.

Simple pleasures during the vacation.  Hot chocolate and a few moments alone with my thoughts.

The earlybirds.  In thirty minutes the place will start to fill up and the hustle and bustle will become more pronounced.  Being away from that pace for just a week makes the change seem dramatic.

During the past week the Vespa and I have ridden the familiar tracks and explored some new ones.  The snow and ice have offered an opportunity to sharpen my skills and mind and the time away from work has allowed my batteries to recharge so I can jump head first into some big projects.

And the rides have given me a chance to catch up with old friends if only for a few moments. But mostly I just laid about in decadent sloth.  So much for plans to organize my digital photos or straightening up the garage.  It was far more satisfying to nap, eat, ride play with the dog, hang out with Kim and anything other than be a responsible adult.

Damn, I guess I need to go upstairs and shave now.

The Holiday Season Begins

Signs of the coming holidays are everywhere.  Commercially, retailers have been turning the wheels on the Christmas shopping season for weeks.  Lighting and decorations have appeared on homes and in towns before Thanksgiving. I'm not immune to the buzz and feel the nostalgic pull of holiday memories from long ago.  This year I want to channel that nostalgia into a project or story.

Just don't know what...

Exploring the extravagant gingerbread towns and other miniature landscapes revealed a scooter making rounds through a snow-covered village.  Perhaps there's a clue there for some sort of project of my own.  I couldn't decide which would be colder -- the pizzas or the rider's face.

Let the season unfold and let's see what happens.

Dreaming

The entire morning was focused on dreaming.  Or more precisely on ideas and paths not considered or taken, of flights of fancy and journeys of partnership that might be explored.  The morning ride had me thinking about what to write in Kim's birthday card.

Another cold morning though sunshine took the edge off making the snow and cold seem little more than a picturesque landscape in which to explore.  A week off work provided ample opportunity to acquire a taste for the cold and grow relaxed with the winter riding ritual. 

Seven days ago the thought of riding through a frozen cornfield would seem a technical stretch. Today it seemed almost normal.  So normal that thoughts of birthdays and dreams came easy.

Before the Vespa, Kim and I explored these mountains on foot with cameras and notebooks.  And before that fall and winter backpacking.  Now, as the Vespa slowly prowls along small paths and roads puzzle over what's next here for Kim and I; how will our lives unfold.

The morning had a postcard quality to it with blue sky draped with white clouds over a mix of snow and ice.  Riding was a joy.

Joy might give the wrong impression.  While the main roads were clear it didn't take long to find snow and ice still lingering on secondary roads.  Caution was in order.  

Coming across a local Christmas tree farm moved thinking from birthday to another season. Christmas will be here in less than a month.  Time is flying.

The ride at times felt like a dream, a scene from Lord of the Rings with familiar places transformed into new ones.

Riding this time of year when the temperature drops below freezing it's important to anticipate problems.  This snow covered road exits from a clear dry road.  On warm days I would enter this road at 40mph.  Knowing it might now be dry I crawled on at 10.  Good thing too because at a higher speed I would have lost control.  In cold weather you can never ride faster than what you can see.

Never.

The message of this picture:  I have little traffic to content with as I navigate the snow and ice.  And there was a lot of ice hidden beneath the light dusting of snow.

A view from Schlow Library towards the Vespa.  By the time I sat down at a table by the window my thoughts were complete and I wrote something to Kim -- a fine morning, a fine ride, and a fine day.

It's been like a dream...

Vespa Ice Racing and the Power of Studded Tires

With a lot of discussion lately focused on snow and riding I took a look around YouTube and found a short film that explores some of the possibilities of riding on snow and ice.  The first look at a winter equipped Vespa takes place at 2:09. Take a look at some of the scooters racing around the track in Germany -- Those aggressive studs make it possible to really lean into a turn!

The video was produced by the S.I.P. Scooter Shop in Germany.

Alone on the Road

Thinking about the things that make winter riding so attractive -- so few vehicles on the road.  Stir in Thanksgiving Day and I'm all alone.

Didn't think I would find much traffic on Thanksgiving morning.  With most people already at their destinations and the rest staying warm inside I had the neighborhood to myself.  Mostly.

Cold can be deceptive.  With the sun out it "seemed" to not be so bad but just a few moments with the gloves off left my hands hurting.  A little wind combined with 23F did its work.

State College, Pennsylvania is dead on Thanksgiving morning.  Penn State is closed and everyone is somewhere else.  Would have parked the Vespa in the middle of the crosswalk for a picture except my luck would have the only police car on patrol roll up as I was lining up the shot.

Reminded me of Abbey Road.

Allen Street, the hub of downtown State College was empty.  Reminded me of holidays of my youth when everything, everywhere closed.  God help the person in need of food or fuel.

The road this morning led out of town to Cracker Barrel where I would meet a friend for Thanksgiving breakfast.  His idea.  Last night I suggested Denny's.  Nothing with a more local flavor was open.

The parking lot at Cracker Barrel appeared to border on the tundra.  Perhaps because I parked beyond the cars to gain this view.  Everything isn't always as it appears.




Breakfast was ok.  The company much better.  Always nice to get together with friends.  Cracker Barrel had a big fire burning in a huge fireplace.  I could easily have lay down in front of it and gone to sleep.  I'm that kind of guy.

At home, with no fireplace in sight, a hug with Junior would have to suffice.  Kim caught the action.

As much as I like to ride, it's good, no, it's great to be home.

Thanksgiving Wishes

Walking with the dog through the neighborhood today, watching his simple pleasure being alive and running on the earth, made me think about gratitude and thanks for the simple things in life. Henry David Thoreau offered one perspective of  thanksgiving that I'd like to share with readers of Scooter in the Sticks...

“I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual. It is surprising how contented one can be with nothing definite - only a sense of existence. Well, anything for variety. I am ready to try this for the next ten thousand years, and exhaust it. How sweet to think of! my extremities well charred, and my intellectual part too, so that there is no danger of worm or rot for a long while. My breath is sweet to me. O how I laugh when I think of my vague indefinite riches. No run on my bank can drain it, for my wealth is not possession but enjoyment.” ― Henry David Thoreau

All the best to you and yours for a fine Thanksgiving Day.

Steve Williams

My Snow Riding Checklist

Riding in winter, especially in the snow, generates the most interest and traffic on Scooter in the Sticks.  I'm uncertain if that's true because it's like watching an accident, or people are searching for reasons to try it themselves, or something more or less profound.  Regardless, this activity that I find so satisfying resonates.  With that resonation in mind I thought I would share the mental checklist I go through before venturing out into the snow.  I made all these pictures this morning and started gathering my checklist thoughts on the road.

There was snow on the ground when I got up this morning with more on the way until changing to sleet and freezing rain.  That transition was many hours away.  When I made the above photo I had already made the decision to ride.  Shoveling snow and cleaning the cars could wait until later.  A rider has to have their priorities straight.

Winter riding, for me, is considered on three distinct levels: mental, physical, and technical.  The mental aspects of winter riding, and especially riding if there's snow, are focused on risk, acceptance, and patience.

The risk of an accident and bodily harm are greater in the winter.  People aren't looking for motorcycles and scooters.  Traction is reduced.  Snow, ice, sleet, cold temperatures all conspire to turn a miscalculation into a disaster. Anyone who asks me about riding in winter will be my elevator speech about risk.  I simply suggest they think about a crash, an injury, or death as a possible outcome.  This same thing applies in warm weather but a lot of riders sort of gloss over the risk.  In winter the risk is greater (I don't know how much) and I ask myself how important is riding.  For me, riding is a quality of life issue.  It's not recreation or play that could easily be replaced by racketball or golf.  It is important enough to me that I accept the risk.  If you plan to head out in the snow you need to carefully consider how important it is to you.

Acceptance means letting go of your riding habits.  In snow you simply have to ride differently.  Snow means a rider must constantly scan the road surface and travel at a speed that will allow a stop in a very short distance.  This means riding slow.  A curve managed normally at 35mph may have to be negotiated at 15mph.  Or slower.  Some riders just can't do this.  If you can't ride slow for many miles then leave the bike or scooter at home.

Acceptance also means having to yield to traffic.  Constantly.  When the road surface is snow covered and you're moving along at a very slow speed it can mean moving to the side of the road for each and every vehicle approaching from the rear, waiting at intersections and traffic lights until there is a stretch of empty road to gain another 200 yards of distance before pulling over again.  A 20 minute journey on dry roads can turn into a 2 hour adventure in snow because of the defensive posture you may have to apply.  If you don't have that kind of acceptance in you, leave the bike at home.

The physical part of the ride relates to the body and the environment.  There are few things for me more miserable than being cold.  With this knowledge I sometimes wonder why I spend more time on the road in cold weather than warm.  Having the right gear to stay warm and dry is imperative.  Don't have that covered -- then leave the motorcycle or scooter at home.

Environmentally checking the temperature and weather forecast comes first.  Threats of heavy snow, sleet or freezing rain inform a go/kill decision.  This morning indicated 29F, snow showers turning to sleet and freezing rain in the afternoon.  For me that gave a green light to move to the next step.

I spend considerable time evaluating the environment before making a decision to ride.  I'll walk the road in front of the house testing my boots on the pavement to gauge slickness.  After a lot of experience I can tell from that first test if I can manage on two wheels.  This morning I determined the road surface in front of the house was easily managed and not much worse than wet roads.  Slush with a few snowy patches.  But conditions can quickly change down the road.

Two miles from the house the road was completely snow covered and almost packed.  Because the temperature was close to the freezing mark the snow left enough give so that the Heidenau SnowTex tires had some bite.  Some.  On this stretch of road I would travel at 15mph.  Slower on turns.  Bicycle speeds.

Another physical aspect to address is the scooter or motorcycle.  Each rider has to make an honest appraisal of their ability to manage weight and mass.  I am comfortable with the 320 pound Vespa but would not want to deal with anything much bigger.  Or taller.  And don't forget the pounding a scooter or motorcycle will take from salt and grime.

Being able to flatfoot easily when necessary or push the scooter through snow when it gets stuck is important.  I read about riders moving through snow on Harleys and Goldwings but that's not for me.  Too often I have managed slides on the scooter that would be impossible on anything bigger.

And each rider will have to assess traffic.  In the sticks I have the luxury of reasonably light traffic in most cases.  For some suburban and urban riders the reality of traffic may absolutely preclude riding in snow.  I still am amazed at how some riders negotiate big city traffic in winter.  Gary Charpentier, author of Rush Hour Rambling, being one of many notable winter riders.

The last thing I consider is my riding skill and experience.  The only times I've ever been tested on skills was on dry pavement in warm weather.  Most of those skills have little bearing on snow and ice.  The skills I deem important in winter are a sharp eye for road surface hazards, an ability to manage speed for conditions constantly and quickly, and being able to develop risk management solutions to navigate the journey.

In the MSF course they taught me to look far ahead on the road and evaluate hazards -- mainly the course of the road and other vehicles.  In snow it doesn't work that way.  You manage the road in front of you and adjust speed accordingly to deal with what you see.  I can recall more than one instance of moving along a dry road and suddenly come upon a completely ice covered roadway. If I had not been managing for that I would have surely gone down.

Developing plans on how to get from point A to point B is an art.  Part of it is knowing all the various routes available and what the traffic patterns and density might be.  More than once I have had to put together some circuitous routes to get home from work.  Or look for creative solutions to navigate a particularly steep and dangerous snow covered road.  That kind of action has little resemblance to what most consider riding.

Another skill that comes in hand is sensitive braking.  While riding up this snowy road I took the opportunity to play around with the front and rear brakes.  The verdict remains the same.  Don't touch the front.  Learn to modulate the rear.  Learn to slide.  Learn the limits for brake, traction and speed.  I'm certain there must be an equation.

Well, those are the thoughts I had today, and this evening while looking at the pictures, related to riding in the snow.  I don't recommend this to anyone and there is ample argument in the motorcycle riding literature to avoid snow and for good reason.  All I can say is be honest about your reasons, your abilities, temperament and limits.  As I started up this hill which is much steeper than it looks I stopped to consider what I was getting into.  I figured I might be able to get to the top but since it was a snow covered dirt path I didn't really know what the surface would be like.  And I could already feel the drive wheel break free on a minor incline.  Coming down could be problematic and I didn't want to drop the scooter on who knows what.

So I figured this was my limit.  Besides, a warm house was waiting.

My final advice?  Stay home when it snows.  Why do I do this?  I'm not sure but it is important for some reason.  If I figure out an answer I'll let you know...