Friday, January 4, 2013

its a long way, to the top if you want to rock and roll

yesterday morning was DK's "Buds and Buds Birthday Ride", taking place on his birthday, of all days.  This is the second annual, and i have been lucky to be a part of last years as well.  and last year, what shep brought to the party besides fun, was some blood from his nose and a few minutes of wondering what was going on.  good times indeed.  definately to be repeated.

this year had a little more meaning.  DK's 18 year old dog, buddy, loved one, partner in life, and savior, had to be put down wednesday after a long fight with cancer, and that pup fuckin' fought.  the ride was to honor Red Boy as well.  i like very few dogs, the ones i do either understand enough english that when you tell them no, they get it, or the ones that act like cats.  i really like cats.  that's why i'm on instagram like the rest of these feline fanatics.  dog's very rarely have a "fuck you look".  that's how cats wake up.  i respect that.  Red minded when it was important, but also did what he wanted.  perfect mix.

the laughter and air guitar to the original black bars kept the mood smooth, never mind the mimosas and chilled, creamy bourbon's ability to calm most any situation.  coffee and colorful bites brought smiles around the table as we prepared for the morning roll out under sunny skies and just above freezing temps.  with a familiar route, and extra time, we took the opportunity to do a little exploring, finding new things in old places, and destinations for future endeavors.

i. love. riding. with. DK.  many moons ago, when we were on the same schedule, we'd go mountain biking all the time.  chasing after each other with wreckless abandon, tearing through the woods like mad men.  pushing our speed, luck, and abilities until reaching the beginnings of crashing.

so far beyond reasonable measure, there would be this moment that everything just slowed down, as if impending pause was overcoming us.  a breath from complete and total loss of control, the motions of plummeting into whatever lay before us with the veracity of a trebuchet.  blood pressure and heart rate maxed, vision pulled taunt and piercing, an unconcious flex of a muscle would pull you from the cusp of disconnection.

exhale brought awaking from a dream.  colors would change to a more timid hue, breath would calm, and all tension would lift and float away.  a glance at each other, and without a word, it would end right there.  sometimes one lap, sometimes three, but we always pushed to that edge.  the goal was to reach this state, and remain as long as possible.  it was art.

we did not do that this day.  nope.  we just chatted and pedaled and hung out and played on a waterfall.  a couple charges, but they amounted to nothing more than waiting for the others to catch up.  there was to be none of that.  we were riding together.

once we arrived back from our loop, lunch was waiting on us, along with deserts, other amenities, and more booze.  it was a great way for friends to honor both DK and Red, and it meant more than words.

here is a pictorial of a few of the morning's enjoyments.


 



 



celebrate life.







1 comment:

  1. YOU HAVE WRITTEN A BRILLIANT PIECE IN TRIBUTE TO ME AND RED.THANK YOU,ME AND PEGGY LOVED HAVING YOU,AND HOPE WE CAN RIDE AGAIN SOON. D

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