This isn’t a sad story though I confess I brushed away some tears as I wrote the words.
If you’ve been here a while you know Monte’s my service dog. For 11 years he’s been 80 lb. people magnet, loving companion, and my bike riding buddy. Once he realized I was preparing for a ride, I couldn’t get out the door without him.
We’ve shared adventures–corn and cotton along the Mississippi River, gators in Florida, scorpions in Arizona, cheeseheads in Wisconsin–and Monte took it all in stride. But some of the best times were cool morning spins around our neighborhood, checking out familiar sights and smells that always seemed brand new to him.
A year ago, I wrote these words.
It’s become a tradition for us to take you along, via our GoPro helmet cam, on a ride right before a big tour. As Monte gets older I wonder how many more of these tours we’ll be able to share.
Turns out that was our last pre-tour ride. Both of us are getting older. I still crank my bike but Monte’s 13-year-old hips just won’t stand up to even a jog around the block.
This isn’t a sad story. It’s a story of love and loyalty between old friends. Those don’t depend on running and bike rides.
So I’ll share with you our traditional pre-tour ride from last year. I enjoyed watching it.
I hope you do as well.