Our world is awash with the gentle silence of the white falling snow...
Everywhere the quiet fills the courtyard with winter's shining glow...
The trees stretch in the cool blue winter air, joyful to be adorned by the angels...
A cozy day inside awaits with hot chocolate, old movies, and a good book...
Ruckus Scooter Love
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Merry Christmas! Happy Holly Daze!
Ho, ho, ho to and Merry Christmas to all you riders out there in Blogger Land!!!
'Tis the eve of Christmas Eve and my flower delivery gig is about to be up. One more day of spreading floral cheer throughout the land!
And am I ready for a rest!
After over a thousand miles and hundreds of flower arrangements, poinsettas, center pieces, and fruit baskets, I am finally coming to a close on my seasonal busy-ness.
And it has really been FUN and oftentimes HARD WORK! But mostly FUN!
Naturally I've learned a few things and seen a few things and concluded a few things.
Flowers smell delightful crowded into the car going down the road!
Big fruit baskets weigh a TON!
Candles do NOT want to stand up in the middle of floral centerpieces.
Poinsettas do not want to stand up inside an SUV cab-they love to lean and tilt.
Most people never use their front door. They come and go via their garages, so set the orders out where they can see them when they drive up.
Few people seem to know their neighbors but are willing to hold orders for them until they come home.
Lillies and roses smell the best.
Dog owners do NOT need to install doorbells on their front doors. WOOF!
People LOVE getting flowers and fruit baskets and centerpieces and I loved seeing their smiles of delight when they opened the door.
And finally, I loved this gig and I am hoping to continue doing something like this after the holidays.
Hope all your holidays are filled with love and laughter!
See ya next year!
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Happy Little Gig!
I have to admit that my time living in the country changed me into a simple little soul. Yea, by that I mean I like to keep it simple.
Life, that is.
For me, life is best enjoyed on a primal level and that goes for my work as well.
I like simple, clean, pure work. Nothing complicated. No monumental accomplishments.
Just quiet, simple, productive work.
I like being "out and about" too. In the outdoors, that is.
Not sitting in a confined office space.
So, I've come upon this little gig that I will run through Christmas.
It is a simple, happy little gig: delivering flowers!
I ride in my cute little truck with my cute little Maxidog, Co-Pilot Extraordinnaire, and we drive around the nearby neighborhoods and bring joy and happiness and color to people!
It's only through Christmas Eve, but it's fun, it's easy, and it's fulfilling in a simple sort of way!
No wonder HE loves his gig!
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Get Thankful, Turkey!
All right...quit yer bitchin' and GET THANKFUL, Turkies!
Oh, yeah...and have a WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING DAY while yer at it!
Love to all and SAFE RIDING!
Deb, Squirt, and Maxidog, "Co-Pilot Extraordinnaire"
Monday, November 19, 2012
Scootin' the Loops and Waves
Where have I been, perhaps you ask?
I ask that same question myself...especially when I ride around and around and around the local mall loop on my Met!
Yes, I am actually still getting in some rides, and I foresee riding through the winter as long as it does not snow or ice up.
These might be little rides, but I am out there, yes I am!
I am keeping my scooter in a local storage unit next door to our apartment complex and I go over there twice a week (at least) and ride the scoot around inside the storage unit lanes.
This is a blast, because the lanes are curved and dipped to facilitate drainage. It's like riding waves of concrete, rise up, dip down, rise up, dip down...
That is "minimal scootin'", these concrete waves, but they give a thrill and keep the battery charged up pretty good. My little Maxi sits in the truck and watches me go 'round and 'round.
For more of an "immediate rip-out ride fix" on the scoot I go across the street and ride the looped perimeter of the local mall parking area. Now this is a pretty big area and there are offshoot loops to explore and scoot around on.
It too is a blast!
Sunday has become my favorite scooting day around here, especially after 6 pm when the mall shuts down and the cars go home for the most part. That is getting ready to change, however, with the "Christmas Crazies" out shopping 24/7 beginning after Turkey Day.
After then we will probably focus on the Waves and other residential side roads in the neighborhood.
I have also considered some "night scooting" around here after 10pm as there are limitless shopping plazas, offshoot roads, etc to explore with 24 hour food and restrooms readily available to me if I need to stop and take a break.
This is a scenario where I can feel like I "own the roads" around here as hardly any cars are out. It's pretty neat, actually. And it's so brightly lit that I can see even without headlamps shining in front of me.
As long as there is no snow or ice and I can suit up to tolerate the wind, I see me and Squirt out and about through the winter.
Oh, and we are asking Santy for a WINDSHIELD! Don't know if he can scrub one up, but it would be nice to have to cut the icey wind! Brrrrr....
I've been good, Santa...please bring a windshield for Squirt to use to keep the wind out of her eyes and increase her speed by 2-5 mph!
Just a little Metro windshield would be good...
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Incomprehensible
Like many of you, I have spent the last few days glued to the TV watching the coverage of the devastation on the east coast caused by Hurricane Sandy.
The amount of loss and tragedy is incomprehensible to the human spirit.
There is nothing I could say or show or do to express how horrific this experience has been to every single person involved.
I just felt that to NOT mention this on my blog would be to NOT acknowledge what may be the most horrendous weather-related disaster of our time in the US.
My heart goes out to the millions affected by Hurricane Sandy.
My prayer is for a speedy and complete recovery and for the strength to endure as you surmount this overwhelming personal tragedy.
To each and every one of you, no matter your situation, I wish you blessings,love, and future prosperity.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
3 Grumpkins Sittin' on a Bench
Here we are, the "3 Grumpkins", sitting on the bench just watching the leaves blow and feeling the ice crystals dancing on the breezes that swirl around our yard.
UGH! :=(
Why are we grumpy? Because it seems that scooting weather is coming to a close for the season and Squirt is now in the storage unit preparing for her winter nap.
Oh, my! What will we do with ourselves? We are really gonna miss her!
But we've got a gig on Halloween night, doncha know...
We're going to sit out here on this bench and frighten away the ghosties and goblins and winter ghouls so that the little children can go around the apartments and get candy and popcorn and all sorts of goodies in their sacks.
Pretty good work for a bunch of dried up ol' Punkin Heads, eh?
HEY YOU! Yeah, we're talkin' to you: BOO!!!
And have a HAPPY HALLOWEEN, ya hear?
Monday, October 22, 2012
Pretty Day in the Burbs
Not far down from my apartment complex I found an access road to a pretty plat of homes along 2 lane rural roads and side streets with cul-de-sacs.
It was 75 degrees, sunny, and a balmy autumn day. So nice for a little ride...
Another view down a peaceful side street...
And another...
Here's a "deer warning" sign next to an open field that stretches for acres.
Who knew "the country" was so close to my own doorstep?
Saw a lot of motorcycle riders. Unlike in "the country", no one waved back. Ho hum.
Hey, this burb scootin' is not so bad after all!
Looking forward to more joy rides this week with warm temps in the forecast...
Friday, October 12, 2012
Quick Zip = Lousy Trip
Around my neighborhood this afternoon on the scooter.
And I mean "quick".
No photos, nothing.
No time for THAT.
Just constant glances in the rear view mirrors, to the right, to the left.
The constant threat of cars everywhere!
Did I enjoy ANY scenery? No.
Did I relax, enjoy the ride? No.
Do I look forward to going out again tomorrow? Hell no.
What I DID feel is that I took my life in my hands today just to get in a 30 minute scooter ride.
I am so sad. I have lost the joy of scooter riding as I knew it.
I don't know what this means for my scooter riding future or if there even is one.
Right now I feel as if I've lost more than I've gained by moving here.
I lost my job, almost lost my dog, and now lost my scootering joy that got me through times like these.
Things are not going well...
And yes, I'll have some cheese with my whine...:=)
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Changes
Here we are, sitting in our new scootin' digs! This will be my first day to take a ride around the area later this afternoon as it has rained or I have been super busy dealing with the last details of settling in the new place.
What an adventure getting here! A week ago Sunday I rode Squirt down (or over, depending on how you look at the map) from the county where I had lived for 6 years and into THIS county now which I called home for over 10 years before that.
I am here and I'm not going ANYWHERE! LOL
The 57 mile ride along the back roads of southern Ohio was fabulous! I started out around 12:30pm and I arrived here around 3:30pm. Yes, I meandered along on my 49cc, but I stopped along the way for "butt rests" and half-way through for lunch and hot chocolate!
No kidding! It was COLD riding in 60 degree temps out in the country! At least to start out. By the time I got into the second half of the journey I was warming up and starting to relax and enjoy the scenery.
By the time I got into the burbs of Cincinnati in Clermont County I was hitting roads that were two lane with little or no shoulder and I did find a few cars on the road on this Sunday who rode my hi viz hiney a bit too close for comfort. I just pulled over into drive ways or on to side streets to let them go by. It worked ok.
Here is the last photo I took out of Adams County as I departed the area:
It is a pretty autumn scene of the reservoir in Winchester, Ohio. A place I enjoyed scooting to on some of my lunch rides over the years.
I'm going to miss those bucolic rides, but I am really excited about some of the adventures I am going to have down here too!
Within the last week some other changes occurred too. We had quite a scare on Wednesday when we almost lost our Maxi, "Co-Pilot Extraordinaire":
She became very ill overnight and I rushed her to our new vet, howling in pain. She had a blocked urinary tract and had to have emergency surgery and her kidneys shut down due to the blockage. We were beside ourselves with worry, but she had the surgery and came out all right. She is such a trooper, that girl!
She came home the next day and I've been her bedside nurse ever since. Right now she is wanting to go full tilt and jump and run, but the leash is out and the Dog Mom is holding on to her to keep her as quiet and calm as possible.
She is doing fantastic and we are grateful beyond belief.
Also, our new vet examined our Tree Walker hound and told us he is NOT "terminally ill" with cancer as our previous vet clinic did in August. She examined him and said he is healthy and the tumor can be removed easily. We plan to do that and he is back home here and adjusting really well to apartment life. Just amazing...
If that weren't enough, I lost my job yesterday and I won't post the details, but suffice it to say that we will somehow be ok and I will find something that I enjoy and that will be fulfilling. Strangely I am not worried. Some endings can be better than we anticipate.
So that's my update to changes in my scootin', dog-lovin' world!
We are loving living here and I look forward to posting some ride reports and pics within the month of October, at least.
Then comes the cold and Squirt goes over to storage for the winter.
Maybe it will be a mild one again and I can get a few "putts" in on the scooter and on the golf course!
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Finally!
As of last Saturday night, we are finally sleeping in the apartment! Hurray! I made two trips out to the almost empty farm house these past two days and we have one more trip to make on Saturday. Then on Sunday I plan to ride my scooter across two counties to this location. About 50 miles.
It is quite an adjustment to go from a house to a 1.5-ish bedroom apartment. The biggest issue is that our kitchen has very little cabinet space. We are having to get really creative in order to set it up for even light snacks and meals.
But we will figure it out.
Otherwise, it is so nice to be so close to everything and to see people on a daily basis.
Here where we live there are lots of dogs. We have 4 plus my Walker hound who is terminally ill with cancer. We are hoping to see him gently over to the end when it comes. I can't say that managing this many dogs in an apartment is easy. It's not.
But we are getting lots of walking in that we never got to do in the country setting where we lived. I think I will lose weight here quickly and get even more fit than I was when I lived here before.
Am I happier? Mostly.
I am in that strange psychological middle place where I am no longer part of my old life yet not part of any life here. I went from "burb girl" to "country girl" and now back to "burb girl".
I know I have changed since I lived here 6 years ago. I became a "country woman" out in the wilds of that county. As to whether, or how, (or who) I will become I do not yet know. I've had a few tearful, reflective moments wondering if I will ever get over this transition.
Here there is noise, exhaust fumes, constant traffic versus total silence, fresh air, and virtually no cars.
Sometimes out there I would hear the clomping of horse hooves on the pavement from the passing Amish buggies. I always enjoyed that throw back experience to a simpler time.
I loved looking at the stars in a clear night sky as well. Here the suburban lights obliterate any viewing of even one star.
As for scooting here, that I do not know either. I have seen no scooters at all and very few motorcycles. This immediate area is heavy traffic congestion, 24/7.
On the Met I will be forced to ride on the side of the road like a bike most of the time or get creamed. It certainly won't be a relaxing experience in the least. My alternative is to go to a larger scooter or motorcycle and ride in traffic.
Neither option appeals to me right now.
I see pictures of the places I used to ride and I feel a sad longing, like leaving an old friend that I will never see again.
I am in a "letting go" place right now.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Moving Update: Draggin' My...
...cup of java around this morning in the almost empty house in the country!
We're at that point in the move where we're are still sleeping here and our clothes, shoes, and kitchen stuff are down in the apartment 50 miles away. We are using plastic forks and knives from Mickey D and plastic picnic plates.
We're also eating only take-out, which around here means Subway foot longs and McDonald's breakfasts. There's pop and snacks around if you can dig through the clutter and find them. Usually I am too tired to care!
But, hey, it's a bunch of FUN!
Still got our TVs and beds and dog children all out here and we can still take a shower out here so it's all good!
And about "scaling down" to move? Wow! We are really having to scale down and purge our stuff, but we are finding it to be liberating and really a plus.
Maybe by this weekend we will have our dogs, beds, bathroom shower curtain, TVs, and such down there for sleeping. That is the plan.
My scooter is still out here and I am going to scoot down one day and take it to a friend's garage half way the distance until we can get it down the other way. I have to coordinate rides on both legs of the journey.
Lots to move out still, but it is past the "rough stuff" of clearing and cleaning out.
At some point brawny nephews will move our big furniture items down for us.
Got no photos to share about all this, sorry.
The little creature above pretty much sums up how I feel right now....
Pooped!
Monday, September 10, 2012
Easy Livin' Comin' Up...
We've been running back and forth these last few days taking things down to a big storage unit and taking measurements of the floor plan in our apartment. It's been a busy time, but exciting!
We are on the first floor, corner apartment with a small undercover patio deck on the back. We will be able to do some landscaping off of our deck and also to add rails, steps, any set-up that suits us. We can even choose to go in and out of our apartment off the back porch if we so choose. Here is a pic of the "raw" outside:
Another angle showing where I plan to park my scooter until colder weather. It's in front of the window where my friend is standing. This window is right outside where I will be sleeping, so I could hear anyone trying to steal her. This is a safe neighborhood, so I hope to not have that experience, but it is a nice precaution.
Here is one direction from our apartment. This is a green, landscaped, pretty walking area. The best part is that I don't have to mow or trim it! That is Maxi, Co-Pilot Extraordinaire, in the foreground:
Another angle the other direction toward what is called the "courtyard". We lived in a second floor apartment here, in the opposite building, for 10 years before moving to the country house. Maxi knows this as her puppy hood home. For me, it feels like home too. I love it here:
Our little "naked" kitchen with breakfast bar:
My "built-in" office area (they must have known I worked out of my home!):
The exterior yard area has lots of shade trees, offering a pleasant outdoor experience both morning and evening. Plus we will have a pool to enjoy in the summer months.
My scooter will winter in our storage unit next door and my local Honda/Yamaha Power Sports dealer is about 5 miles away. Plus there is a Harley store about 1/10 mile up the road where I can hang out and drool and buy gear.
My partner will drive 10 minutes to work, instead of an hour. I will still work out of my home office, but drive out into the country to serve clients, as I did when living out there.
We can easily get to the zoo, aquarium, concerts, restaurants, dog parks, golf courses, bike trails, scooter club events, museums, the arts, and THE COUNTRY within a few minutes.
I can scoot out my door to wonderful markets,grocery stores, malls, and anything else you can imagine as they are all minutes away.
These things many of you take for granted, I know. But for us, we have lived in rural isolation for the past 6 years. It was 10 miles to the nearest dollar store and you looked out your window and porch and saw nothing but trees and an occasional deer or rabbit. You had to drive everywhere to get anywhere for anything.
Now that is nice for awhile, but after awhile it works on a person's mind and spirit. Moving out of there for me is like getting out of solitary confinement.
Picture Tom Hanks finally getting off that island and it is feels similar to me!
Friday I get the key and we start to set up our household as "Burb Girls".
Will 49cc cut it in the burbs or will I get my keester run off the road and be shopping 125-150cc in the spring?
Time will tell, as it always does...
We are on the first floor, corner apartment with a small undercover patio deck on the back. We will be able to do some landscaping off of our deck and also to add rails, steps, any set-up that suits us. We can even choose to go in and out of our apartment off the back porch if we so choose. Here is a pic of the "raw" outside:
Another angle showing where I plan to park my scooter until colder weather. It's in front of the window where my friend is standing. This window is right outside where I will be sleeping, so I could hear anyone trying to steal her. This is a safe neighborhood, so I hope to not have that experience, but it is a nice precaution.
Here is one direction from our apartment. This is a green, landscaped, pretty walking area. The best part is that I don't have to mow or trim it! That is Maxi, Co-Pilot Extraordinaire, in the foreground:
Another angle the other direction toward what is called the "courtyard". We lived in a second floor apartment here, in the opposite building, for 10 years before moving to the country house. Maxi knows this as her puppy hood home. For me, it feels like home too. I love it here:
Our little "naked" kitchen with breakfast bar:
My "built-in" office area (they must have known I worked out of my home!):
The exterior yard area has lots of shade trees, offering a pleasant outdoor experience both morning and evening. Plus we will have a pool to enjoy in the summer months.
My scooter will winter in our storage unit next door and my local Honda/Yamaha Power Sports dealer is about 5 miles away. Plus there is a Harley store about 1/10 mile up the road where I can hang out and drool and buy gear.
My partner will drive 10 minutes to work, instead of an hour. I will still work out of my home office, but drive out into the country to serve clients, as I did when living out there.
We can easily get to the zoo, aquarium, concerts, restaurants, dog parks, golf courses, bike trails, scooter club events, museums, the arts, and THE COUNTRY within a few minutes.
I can scoot out my door to wonderful markets,grocery stores, malls, and anything else you can imagine as they are all minutes away.
These things many of you take for granted, I know. But for us, we have lived in rural isolation for the past 6 years. It was 10 miles to the nearest dollar store and you looked out your window and porch and saw nothing but trees and an occasional deer or rabbit. You had to drive everywhere to get anywhere for anything.
Now that is nice for awhile, but after awhile it works on a person's mind and spirit. Moving out of there for me is like getting out of solitary confinement.
Picture Tom Hanks finally getting off that island and it is feels similar to me!
Friday I get the key and we start to set up our household as "Burb Girls".
Will 49cc cut it in the burbs or will I get my keester run off the road and be shopping 125-150cc in the spring?
Time will tell, as it always does...
Saturday, September 8, 2012
A Perfect Home
One of my two dogs that must be adopted out for the move, Rascal, found a perfect home last night. I interviewed a bunch but these kind souls and their cute Shit Zu brothers became my Rascal's new family.
He has a big fenced in back yard, a dog park and walking trails out back, and wonderful dog-centered parents who plan to lavish him with love and care.
I am so grateful to this kind couple for giving him a loving, forever home.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
STUFF...Packin' It Up
STUFF. Too much of it! That's what I am all about right now.
Room by room, cupboard by cupboard, box by box. It seems to go on and on.
I hate moving, but I love getting out of here!
Where will this go or that go? Do we really need this anymore, or at all?
The garbage pile, the Good Will pile, the storage unit pile, the apartment pile.
Take these to the library donation shelf, these to the curb, this to the dump.
Just when I think I've made some progress, there is more STUFF.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Ouch!
Squirt is sick! No, really "ailing" sick. Something is wrong with her front fork and the guy from the little rural Honda Power Sports shop is supposed to stop by and look at her this week. Luckily she is still under warranty.
What is happening is that as soon as I sit on her, the front fork suspension "bottoms out". It is the weirdest thing. And no, I am not THAT heavy, so that's not it!
She just started doing this and I can think of nothing that has brought it on. I did not hit any cavernous pot holes or jump any ditches or gulleys.
Or not that I can remember!
I've got to get her up and running because in two weeks I will need to ride her 55 miles to the west into the burbs of the city to her new home.
Woe is me!!!
Friday, August 31, 2012
Green light.....GO!
We got the apartment! Move in date, September 14th!
Yippee!
Next month is going to be busy, that's for sure!
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Skid Marks...
Things could be happening to slow down our running!
We have applied for a little bungalow style apartment a few counties over, nestled in some green, leafy burbs. Lots of great scooting potential too.
We are now in waiting mode to see if we get accepted.
Oh, yeah, and I may have found a nice "forever" home for my small dog.
Time will tell on both issues...
Monday, August 27, 2012
Running From and To...
With the impending move, I find myself running.
Not the sneaker, water bottle, fitness type of running.
Running from the coming winter weather which will soon be upon us.
Running from coming gusts of cold, rain, swirling leaves, frosty mornings.
Running toward Autumn.
Running to get things sorted out, packed, and ready for the move toward the west, at the edge of the City.
Running to find a new home. Looking at apartments, viewing houses, talking to real estate agents and rental agents.
Running to get it settled and in place before the cold, rainy weather comes slithering in by mid-October.
Running toward many little goals that are part of this whole moving process.
Goals which involve finding decent homes for two of our rescue dogs. A heart breaking and difficult goal.
Goals of cleaning out, packing, and whittling down to the essence of what we need and want to carry to our new household.
Running to get rid of George Carlin's "stuff".
Running to set up yard sales, Good Will donations, bags for the county dump.
Running from, running to, running toward.
Running toward a new life that will bring with it opportunities for renewed life, joy, inner peace, and opportunity.
Running to the next phase of our life while running from some of the catastrophic sadness of the past phase of our life.
Running, moving, striding, galloping toward sweet, delicious change!
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Finally!
Out the door...finally! It was a beautiful day with a balmy feel of slight chill and warm sunshine. With no forethought whatsover, I hopped on the scooter and headed off into the back roads.
About four miles from my house there is a very small village called Lawshe. At one time it was a railroad hub and now is a little place composed of about 6 cross streets. On the way into this area there is a creek running under an old railroad trestle (now the road) and here is that peaceful view looking westward.
I paused here for a bit and took a few snapshots of Squirt. She is such a "ham"!
From there I headed up another ridge road into an area that is cornfields, cattle, and family owned greenhouses. Here is a long, lovely landscape showing a dairy farm in the background and gorgeous clouds overhead.
We rode on for about 20 miles and I came upon a back entrance into another village where I stopped at the local IGA store and loaded up on grapes, plums, orange juice, coffee creamer, dog food, and a chocolate cream pie.
Even though I didn't have my saddle bags on her, Squirt managed to tote all this the final eight miles home thanks to her wire basket, bungees, and under seat bin.
This turned out to be a mighty fine ride and I realized that though I will be facing new scooting adventures, I will miss some of these back roads out here.
Five weeks, no riding. Wow! Now I am back in the saddle and rarin' to ride again!
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Changes Put Upon Us
Change can be good, can be bad. Mostly at my age I hate it.
Sometimes it is refreshing. Other times it is downright scarey.
I think it's always better to get to choose change, rather than have it forced upon us.
But then that happens, and it happened to us a few days ago. We got a surprise visit from the people who own the house we rent. They live over 90 miles away in another state, so I knew something was up.
Well it was. Turns out they want their house back for family reunions, etc. and we have so many months to vacate the premises.
Wow. What the hey?
Well, we DID want to move next spring, back closer in toward the city, where there are people and fun things to do and restaurants and just "life".
People living life!
For me it's the social isolation, for my partner it is the 100 mile commute. So we were ready and planning it all in our heads anyway.
But now we've "been told" and so the hunt for a new house or apartment or condo (or whatever we will live in) begins.
We are hoping to be out of here by winter as winter out here is just plain awful.
But I wonder, what will scooting be like where I go? What type of riding will I be able to do? If I am in an apartment, where will I keep my scooter? Will I continue to ride at all if I live where there is a lot of traffic? Many questions emerge.
Change has been put upon me and I wonder if I will be able to continue to ride the back roads somewhere or ride safely at all or even want to continue riding where there is lots of traffic. It does not seem appealing.
Time will tell. As it always does.
Meanwhile, life is soon to be over as we've known it for the past seven years...
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Confession...
...I have not ridden my scooter since July 12th! There, I said it. And I feel miserable and yet still can't get myself to get on it and ride.
Day after day I take the cover off and say I will take it out that day and then I don't. Too lazy, too distracted, too busy, too tired, blah, blah, blah.
Granted it's been way too hot some days, raining and storming others, or I've been working or busy or whatnot. But it's more than that and I am struggling to define why I am not riding now.
Part of it has to do with personal stresses that take my concentration to the point that I would not feel focused enough to ride safely.
Another part of it is that I am feeling tired of riding alone all the time or riding to the same places all the time. Boredom has set in.
Also when I feel anxious or depressed about stresses I want to "nest" in my house or on my back porch and not leave the calmness and comfort of my home and my canine companions.
I could add more layers of excuses and I'm not sure I'd really come up with an explanation that would suit me or really define why I am not riding.
It's some kind of "dry spell" that I can't explain. Maybe I need a vacation from the routine. Not sure.
Anyway, this is the way it is for now and I'm wondering...am I the only one who has gone through an extended time of not riding (by choice!) such as this?
Oddly too, it seems the more I don't ride the less I want to push myself to ride.
I love my scooter, but her battery is running down now. I do go out and start her up and let her run on the stand to keep it revved.
I feel I really am a neglectful owner in addition to a curious mixture of laziness, apathy, and "supreme-guilt-on-a-stick".
So I write about lazy dogs and wooley worms and time that is passing by as summer slips into autumn...but not scooting. At least not just now...
Monday, August 13, 2012
Wooley Worms on the Move...
"Wooley Worm", "Wooley Bear", same thing. The little fellow is making his or her way across the county roads right now and stirring up conversations in the fields, around dinner tables, and down at the Wal-Mart aka "general store".
The larval form of the Isabella Tiger Moth, you can read all about them here and follow their doings:
http://www.almanac.com/content/predicting-winter-weather-woolly-bear-caterpillars
I first learned about the Wooley Worm from an old farmer out here in the county when I was doing a home visit as a health care social worker many, many years ago.
He and his brothers stood around their front porch and talked about the characteristics of the fuzzy critter and how it "portended" the severity of the coming winter. They recounted bad winters and good winters and could tell when and where they saw their first Wooley that season and how dark and thick his "hairs" were and what it meant.
And all in fine detail.
If it was dark, fat, and bushy, it meant a snowey, cold, long winter. If it was sparsely "haired" (their words) and thin, then it was going to be a mild winter.
I never forgot that lesson and in the subsequent autumnal visits I made over the years to homes in the area, more of the time the Wooley Worm was brought up in conversation along with the the height of the corn, the amount of rainfall that planting year, and the seasonal movement of the Canadian geese overhead.
This year I saw my first Wooley in mid-July!
I want to ask him, "Why is it whenever I see a you, Wooley Worm, you are always crossing the road, never slinking down the road with me on my scooter, bicycle, or in my car?"
He never replies, as odd as he is, but when he shows up fat and dark and bushy I shiver a bit and feel a sense of the ice, snow, and darkness that will surely follow after Thanksgiving and Christmas.
God's "first meteorologist" or the farmer's faithful eye on the horizon, the Wooley Worm never fails to get it right.
Or so they say...
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Time
Time is many things, has many qualities, many variations.
We do many things to Time. We pass it. We kill it. We buy it.
Some Times are good, some are old, some are hard.
We lament our lack of it..."if I only had more"....
When the "Time is right" it works. When it's not, it is "all wrong".
It waits for no man, while others serve it.
We take it for granted, yet it passes quickly.
We can look back at it and wonder where it went, we can glimpse it for a second in the present, and for the young there is all of it in the world.
Many regret the passing of it.
Many win victories or even medals due to how briefly it passes.
Clocks track it, the spin of the Earth drives it forward, everyone wastes it, some don't know how to fill it, yet all want more of it.
Time.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Crossed Over to the Dark Side....
And I'm riding a MOTORCYCLE!
Er, I meant "MOWERCYCLE"!
Between the heat of the day and the acres of grass that continue to grow in spite of it, I figured why not combine the two pastimes while I'm at it?
And she "runs like a deer" too! LOL
(photo courtesy of some clever person on the Internet)
Er, I meant "MOWERCYCLE"!
Between the heat of the day and the acres of grass that continue to grow in spite of it, I figured why not combine the two pastimes while I'm at it?
And she "runs like a deer" too! LOL
(photo courtesy of some clever person on the Internet)
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