ALIBI @ The Salty Dogg

CHARMED LIFE

There is nothing more humbling then knowing you have escaped all most certain death and or disaster and realize you missed an opportunity to meet your maker.  I know that I am not only blessed but I am, a charmed individual as well..

I have lived in a very rural wooded area nearly my entire life.  The paved roads, with gradual inclines, sloping hills filled with all kinds of twists and turns make for some great tiding.  The road surfaces and conditions are excellent in this part of Jefferson County, compared to other parts of the country.  They are kept up and marked well here in Missouri.

 Its maybe another in a long list of reasons I am as fortunate as I am because to have ridden for as many miles on two wheels as I have, I couldn’t  have asked for better conditions

Unlike the majority of riders I gave up drinking many years ago.  Simply put beer and bikes don’t mix. Because of my non-drinking I believe that also has contributed to why I have spent as much more of my time in the saddle riding.

Then  there are times when I suppose everyone gets a little restless.  Everyone has their reasons for riding, especially if it’s a warm summer night and with a particle moon shining bright in sky full of stars.

 That or maybe it was a wild hair that caused me to take a ride that night.

There are countless horror stories I have heard over the years of riders who have met their fate meeting a deer in their headlights.

Many more have suffered with server injury’s to themselves and there passengers, A few were not so lucky, tragedies making me that much more humbled by this event.

There is nothing like the wind in your face to help blow the cob webs from your mind and since I hadn’t been able to sleep, I knew a ride would do me a lot of good.

 I was just going to head down to the local service station and get something to drink. 

Throttling through the gears I brought up the speed on the straightaway, well over 70mph.

The thrill of that ride couldn’t have been more intense, other than maybe having a girlfriend topless smearing her breast up against me. That thought had crossed my mind,

I had backed off the throttle, rolling off it as I crossed the Dutch creek bridge.

Within a few seconds I was climbing up the next hill before seeing a flash of light, from an oncoming vehicle.  Suddenly in the corner of my eye a deer appeared..

It was all I could do to stiffen my arms and brace for what was to happen next. Everything went into a slow motion from there.

The deer had crossed the other lane and was virtually broadside directly in my path. There was no time to react.

A second later the lights of the oncoming vehicle blinded me.In that instant it was as if I were transported to what could have been.

 Had I gone down the bike would have leaned into the oncoming lane and not only would there have been scrapping me up off the highway, but they would have been picking parts of me up from under that oncoming vehicle.

 There is no doubt in my mind, that I have known for some length of time that I am a blessed individual, this just confirms it once again.

I am unsure of the statistics of how many riders actually survive and for that matter keep riding after an event like this. Much less managing to keep their two wheels up and not go down.

But it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to know, that things like this don’t just happen everyday and the rider as well as passenger live unscratched to tell about it., While it may be a wake up call for  someone else,  I‘d like to believe things like this happen for a reason.

Perhaps it’s to tell you that if I can do it’s possible you can too, maybe its just ironic this happening again.  Yes I said again,  I hit a small deer nearly 10 years ago and kept it up then  also. But for whatever reason it’s another in a long list of my riding adventures.  I am far from being done, and my life is far from over.

Live life to the fullest, make a difference and ride free, perhaps I will add those deer whistles back on again.

Joe Inkley Stix Douglas & Tessa Folk performed for a private party in Ellisville, MO over the 4th of July. This gig was just before Tessa & Stix were arrested for lottering in Pacific later that night. Talk about your Arlo Gutfrey moments...