Winter in Kansas.

[mckitterick]

At the moment, snow is piling down from the skies. Because it's relatively warm (37°F), the roads are staying mostly clear and the flakes are huge and sticky. Check out my front yard:



Ah, the joys of scooting in the winter: Watery eyes, stiff muscles, frostbite.... As much as I enjoy some aspects of winter (like those gorgeous trees), I can do without others (frostbite being one). So a few weeks ago I ordered a windshield for my new Vespa (which I bought a few months ago replace the smashed Aprilia RS50; note the two-stroke Aprilia's charming "leavings" beneath the new scoot).

Well, I installed the new windshield a few days ago. Here's my new winter-riding gear: Tall windshield to protect against icy winds and sleet (even protects the hands), thick rain-and-wind-resistant gloves, awesome carbon-fiber full-face helmet.



Also note the other winter-related stuff that shares space on my front porch: snow shovel (quickly wearing out from all the shoveling this year), container of sidewalk salts behid the shovel, and all-weather scooter cover.

Stay safe out there - especially if you live in Snowpocalpse-2010 Land (i.e., out East). Of course, you locals drive safe, too: No one knows how to drive in this stuff 'round these parts.

Chris

Comments

[gwyndolin.livejournal.com]

I, too, used to make snide remarks about Kansas drivers and snow.

Then I moved to Arkansas. Dude, they closed the university for 1/2" of slush.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Ha! At least KU stayed in business, despite buses not being able to crawl up the snowy hills to campus....

[nottygypsy.livejournal.com]

I took a pic of PDA out there shoveling, the snow IS pretty, even if it is a bitch, kinda like me. ;)

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Hahahahaha!

[roya-spirit.livejournal.com]

I like it well enough, but without a proper snowy weather vehicle and all those idiots out there, I choose to minimize my risk these days. And I'm old enough now to get away with it, lol.

I can't imagine scootering in the cold. YOU'S CWAZY!!!

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Aw, this is nothin'. Back in Seattle, I commuted every day on my motorcycle, 12 miles across the floating bridge and through winding highways in the rain and occasional hail. I think I only needed to drive one day when it snowed, but then all the rest of town shut down. It was worth it because the commute time difference went from 20 minutes to over an hour (cycles get to use the Diamond Lane).

I'd often show up with stiff hands and legs, but the full-body rainsuit kept me from dying. Lemme tell you though, I'll never ride 70mph through 30°F weather when it's raining again; it started to hail half way there. BRRRR-OUCH!

[roya-spirit.livejournal.com]

Ouch is right!
There was a time in my 20s when the motorcycle was our only vehicle, .. in Northern Nevada, and I sure don't want to go back to those days. I LIKE being too spoiled to even consider a December Toy Run anymore.
And I still think Kansas cold is worse than any cold I experienced out west, or maybe it's just that it affects me worse these days.

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

Those trees are just jaw droppingly beautiful.

(And as for winter, why, we've had rain TWICE!)

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

In Kansas, it's usually too warm for the snow to turn dingy and gross, and the warmth also means snowfalls are usually sticky. So when we do get snow, it clings to everything and looks pretty-white, then (usually)disappears before its overstays its welcome.

[madmatmax.livejournal.com]

i guess the rumor is fineline closed down

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

No way! I didn't even see a "for sale" sign.

Their website doesn't say anything yet....