"He Likes It! Hey Mikey!"
So I'm probably dating myself here, but I'll bet many of you remember the old Life cereal commercial cited in the title. That's because this post is about a ride with my brother-in-law, Mike - and yes, he does answer to "Mikey".
Mikey's been having heart problems, something called A-fib, and five weeks ago he had a defibrillator implanted in his chest. His recovery has been slow but steady. Before his surgery, I built up an old Pugeot U08 for him to help him get back into shape. Well, Sunday the 3rd was our first ride together.
Here's Mikey, "Mr. Incredible", ready to ride in style!
Mikey is a character, as you can see from the photo. Great sense of humor, generous to a fault, he's actually one of my best friends. Anyway, we went to my favorite spot in Hastings, MN, and rode the flat section of the trail beside the river and along the levee before turning around at the climb up the bluffs. Grand total of about five miles, it was just the perfect ride to get him motivated. Brunch at "El Mexican" was ample reward:
I rode my hefty Pugeot Orient Express, loving the big fat comfy tires. We took many photos, allowing Mikey time to catch his breath frequently. These bikes look good together:
We stopped at the observation deck so he could try out the old art-deco binocular. He said he couldn't see a thing through it, and wants to come back with some Windex and paper towels to clean off those lenses. See what I mean?
Anyway, at one point the trail winds through the woods and, as I rode behind him at his pace, I noticed the sun dappling the trail ahead. I turned on the camera, aimed it in his general direction, and pressed the shutter on rapid fire:
One of them was timed perfectly! Here's Mikey, racing his shadow through the woods.
For the photographic purists out there, yes, I've manipulated this image quite a bit. It is meant to be an impressionist rendering of what I saw, not an accurate document. In other words, it was blurry... 
But it sure does convey the spirit of the moment, doesn't it? Here's one in black and white, but I don't think it has the same pizzazz...
Any way, it was a perfect ride for him on a beautiful day, and it will lead to many more in the future. My work is done here...
__________________
Roulez pour la joie, jamais pour la douleur.
USMC 1981-1991 Semper Fi!
Last edited by DQRider; 09-06-17 at 07:33 AM.