EVERY DAY IS A BLESSING

went up to him and said, “Come on, man, how about giving this citizen a break?” He just ignored us and continued writing the ticket.

Mike then called him a butthead. The officer glared at him and started writing another ticket for having a worn-out tire. So then, Mike called him a jerk and I squawked loudly. He finished the second ticket and put it on the windshield with the first. Then he started writing a third ticket for a cracked lens.

This went on for about 20 minutes. The more Mike offended him and the more I squawked, the more tickets the cop wrote. He finally finished, sneered at us, and walked away. Just then, our friends we rode with came out of the store. We walked two parking places down, jumped on our bikes and left, heading to OCC Roadhouse.

Mike tries to have a little fun each day now that he’s into his golden years. It’s so important at his age to stay active and teach me, his prodigy, how to enjoy life when I get older!

Mike breaks in, “Yes Spyke, when I pass on to the great bike night in the sky, I don’t want you to be stuck in a cage and bored with your new owner. So, I wrote this one late night, fighting insomnia about the goals of what you need to keep in mind while I’m here and when I’m gone.” Mike cleared his throat and began reading his manifesto to me. “Every day is a blessing. It is a gift that has been given to you by Mother Nature. She put you on this earth and by my side to make people around us smile no matter what they’re going through. I’ve taught you how to love humans, and through your presence, you’ve taught people how to love all of nature’sbeautiful creatures like yourself. You have learned to be patient and take things one talon at a time. You’ve taught humans how to let nature run its course good and bad, moved mountains by making someone’s day, and been a driving force for all those who disbelieve.”

I could see some. moisture in Mike’s eyes as he soldiered on. “You are Spyke, the ambassador of goodwill, the maker of smiles and the reason why everyone should love life. Lord knows I couldn’t do it alone, but with you, I can and have! Even though we’ve had our moments, I love what you do and what you stand for. You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me, right behind my mother and father!”

Mike laid down what he wrote and smiled at me. “It’s Thursday, wrap up the story with your typing talons so we can head on over to bike night and you can hang out with your thousands of fans. I need to get your wings in the wind, my knees under the triple trees, and the Fat Bird 3 wheels rolling down the road.”