Let there be riding!

This is the reason we are spending the summer here!  Out on the scoots today, and it was good!

The local weather weasel was calling for warmer than normal today, so we made it a point to get out mid-morning before the heat.  I just had a significant service done on my Vespa and Joan hasn't had the opportunity to really run her Xmax through the curves since she got it last October.  Not because of lack of desire, but she got it on our way home, and as I have said before: the roads in south Texas are less than spectacular for some spirited riding.  Oh, sure, you can ride fast (the way everyone drives there), but the roads are straight and flat.  We have been anxious to start these riding days!

One minor glitch, and nothing to do with the scoots: seems that the last time I used my Nikon was to take photos of the full moon; which means shooting on "Manual."  That allows the operator to control the f/stops and shutter speed.  I didn't switch it back to "Program"... so, there is a lot of exposure compensation happening to get images today.  If they look a bit contrasty or over-saturated - well, I'll do better next time.  I wasn't able to catch it until our first stop, which was over half way on the miles we rode today.

Um, didn't you used to be a photographer, Jim?  Thanks for asking - yes.  But I wasn't shooting portraits and commercial photography while riding a scoot.  LOL  It was an "oh, shit" moment when I had the opportunity to see what I had been taking, while stopped to re-hydrate.  The humidity is a teensy bit lower than south Texas - it is important to stay hydrated.

With that in mind...

It was on that shot above that I first switched the camera setting.

That is "yard art" on that shot above.  Tough to see in that photo, taken at 50mph, but that is a metal sculpture of a stage coach, with two horses and a driver.  Some other day, I may slow down a bit to get a closer photo.

Today, it was about getting ourselves "tuned up" for even more riding.  Both scoots were great; and Joan is delighted with the comfort, performance, and handling of her Xmax.

We got home before the hottest part of the day, but it was still plenty warm.  94º and sunny as I am writing this.  In an unusual thing for us, the "feels like" temperature is also 94º.  What a day!