Rode Easy And Put Away Clean
Today was one of those days where the weather conditions sat on the fence. On one side was rain, the other brief moments of sunshine. Regardless of the outcome, I was going for a ride.
First stop would be the Blue Dolphin Carwash. There was so much dried road crud on Mule that needed to be removed, and without wanting to unwrap my outdoor faucet, and reattach the hose, the carwash was the way to go. And this crud was really dried on. I hate to use high pressure, but had to a few times. Soap, water and elbow grease finally won over the Elmer's Mud that coated everything. So with this chore done, it was time to ride awhile.
Our next stop was out at the new facility that our company is building on Highway 101 east of Port Angeles. The siding is well on the way to being finished, then the metal roof comes next. It's better to go out on the off days when the construction crews are gone, so I don't end up being stink-eyed by someone that doesn't know that it's my store. The ride out also allows me to get up to highway speed for awhile, and that felt good.
It became obvious that the low hanging dark cloud above me was tired of retaining water, and heading back toward town was a good idea. I chose to wear a heavy leather bomber jacket today, and was warm enough to really feel comfortable cruising around with no real destination in mind. So I just wandered about till the rain shifted to a higher gear. It was as I was coming out of the downtown area that I picked up on something that I probably wouldn't have had I been driving.
For a short moment, the raindrops were coming down about the size of a half-dollar. But at that same time, the sun broke through the clouds and lit everything up, making the colors all around pop against the dark backdrop. Brilliant greens, reds, yellows, everything was so bright. I felt so good being out IN it, and seeing it, rather than missing out by being protected under it. Just a moment that I enjoyed, and was glad that I didn't miss. I had been missing the chance to have these moments.
Lately I've been doing some homework on vintage Vespa scooters, mostly to compile some information toward Jeff's Allstate project. This has given me some inspiration toward my own Vespa, Ol' Blue. I looked at Big People's Scooters website, and e-mailed them about the Allstate motor. These guys are in Seattle, and have been around for quite awhile. I'll call them as a follow-up this week, and if all is good, I may take Ol' Blue to them to run through a tune-up, and finally get my front brake adjusted. I'd heard good things about this business, and think that I will benefit from being around a real Vespa shop, with real Vespa mechanics. A road trip to the Emerald City to search out scooters sounds like my kind of fun.
I wouldn't mind splitting time between Mule and Ol' Blue as daily commuters. It would be pretty cool having two vintage scooters parked together in front of our business when Jeff is up and running. All we have to do now is just get the job done. Should be a darn good time.
Have fun,
Bill
First stop would be the Blue Dolphin Carwash. There was so much dried road crud on Mule that needed to be removed, and without wanting to unwrap my outdoor faucet, and reattach the hose, the carwash was the way to go. And this crud was really dried on. I hate to use high pressure, but had to a few times. Soap, water and elbow grease finally won over the Elmer's Mud that coated everything. So with this chore done, it was time to ride awhile.
Our next stop was out at the new facility that our company is building on Highway 101 east of Port Angeles. The siding is well on the way to being finished, then the metal roof comes next. It's better to go out on the off days when the construction crews are gone, so I don't end up being stink-eyed by someone that doesn't know that it's my store. The ride out also allows me to get up to highway speed for awhile, and that felt good.
It became obvious that the low hanging dark cloud above me was tired of retaining water, and heading back toward town was a good idea. I chose to wear a heavy leather bomber jacket today, and was warm enough to really feel comfortable cruising around with no real destination in mind. So I just wandered about till the rain shifted to a higher gear. It was as I was coming out of the downtown area that I picked up on something that I probably wouldn't have had I been driving.
For a short moment, the raindrops were coming down about the size of a half-dollar. But at that same time, the sun broke through the clouds and lit everything up, making the colors all around pop against the dark backdrop. Brilliant greens, reds, yellows, everything was so bright. I felt so good being out IN it, and seeing it, rather than missing out by being protected under it. Just a moment that I enjoyed, and was glad that I didn't miss. I had been missing the chance to have these moments.
Lately I've been doing some homework on vintage Vespa scooters, mostly to compile some information toward Jeff's Allstate project. This has given me some inspiration toward my own Vespa, Ol' Blue. I looked at Big People's Scooters website, and e-mailed them about the Allstate motor. These guys are in Seattle, and have been around for quite awhile. I'll call them as a follow-up this week, and if all is good, I may take Ol' Blue to them to run through a tune-up, and finally get my front brake adjusted. I'd heard good things about this business, and think that I will benefit from being around a real Vespa shop, with real Vespa mechanics. A road trip to the Emerald City to search out scooters sounds like my kind of fun.
I wouldn't mind splitting time between Mule and Ol' Blue as daily commuters. It would be pretty cool having two vintage scooters parked together in front of our business when Jeff is up and running. All we have to do now is just get the job done. Should be a darn good time.
Have fun,
Bill
posted by Bill Sommers at 2:21 PM
4 Comments:
Those moments don't come often enough, but when they do, the hair stands-up on the back of my neck.
John
Those special nature moments are awesome. I have yet to be on my motorcycle when that particular one happens. I have ridden in lots of rain, but the sun never broke out, lol. Glad you had a good ride.
John,
Man, I tell you what, it's these things that make the difference for me. I like to keep my senses tuned to pick up on whats going on around me as a general rule, so when the little moments like these come along, I like to look back and say "Yeah, I caught that"!
Betty,
Hey, where have you been?
A gal that I met on an Amtrack train told me one time that "You have to find moments, and recognize that something is special, then try to take it all in so you will remember it clearly later on".
I've adopted this outlook and benefitted ever since. It's now my piece of wisdom to pass along.
Have fun,
Bill
Seems life can keep us busy at times. I haven't even had time to post lately. Thanks for the wisdom.
Take Care,
Betty :)
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