Christmas comes so quickly now, the long anticipation and waiting as the season's magic grew that I felt as a child now seems like a sudden flash, a moment come and gone. And as I sit here on Christmas eve, snow falling quietly outside, the house warm and quiet as the kids have just left and Kim and I prepare for that long winter's nap, I have a little time to reflect and share best wishes for a fine holiday.
The Vespa still sits in the garage waiting for me to engage in repair actions and return to the cold roads of winter. Reaching into the archives from a few years ago I retrieved this image of the scooter hauling home a Christmas tree. After 8 weeks of Vespa free living I have begun to forget how capable that machine is...
Yesterday morning I rode my daughter's Yamaha Vino into town, temperatures hovering around 28F and some snowy reminders that on the ground that my scanning style has to shift into winter riding mode. On the short trip I identified a half dozen stealthy ice patches that could cause problems for an unsuspecting rider.
Saint's Cafe feels like home -- a quiet festive atmosphere where people know my name. On Sunday morning I get to spend some time with friends, talk about life, photography and the things that bring us together.
An early view, not long after the doors opened, before people begin to arrive. In those silent moments my mind wanders through Christmas past and Christmas present.
The Vino has begun to grow on me. Lights and trees and trappings of the season remind me of trips to Pittsburgh as a kid with my mother, the pilgrimage to Joseph Hornes to see Santa Claus, the Christmas Town trains at Buhl Planetarium, candlelight services as church on Christmas even and all the other little experiences that color my ideas of the holiday. And they wash over me as I ride beneath the twinkling lights as if I was 6 years old again.
More riding magic perhaps.
One last stop on the ride home to admire the home decorations that come closest to Clark Griswold in the movie "Christmas Vacation." This site would have fueled years of seasonal magic for me as a kid.
The clock draws near Christmas morning and it's time to shut down the computer and hold hands with my wife and await the arrival of Saint Nick.
So to all who visit and read here, Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!
