I mount my bike in the near darkness, illuminated by the faint moonlight. In reality, it's probably the glow of the nearby streetlight, but I like the idea of the moon better. And it's clearly visible amid the deep blue of the sky overhead.

We are headed for the ferry landing. We have started cycling earlier than our 6:40 start this morning, but never this late in the year. It is still 40 minutes until sunrise. I can just barely make out the pavement ahead of me. The headlights of the approaching cars blind me. Blinky lights on the front and rear of my bike seem a feeble attempt to be seen. And they do nothing for my own vision. I am thankful, remembering the good smooth pavement on these roads.

The approaching sunrise lifts the darkness surprisingly quickly. Cycling west, I can see its glow in my rear view mirror. There is a pink cast at the horizon in all directions, topped by pastel blue as the world gently shifts toward daylight. Barely a car passes us on the main road. The gradually waking morning is ours alone.

The chilly air penetrates as I speed through it, fully awakening all my senses. Occasional rises bring blasts of warmer air. I welcome the warmth that envelopes me, however briefly. The wind is absent and glimpses of shoreline reveal calm water reflecting the morning's colors. Cycling seems effortless and 10 miles pass quickly.

We over-achieve and reach the ferry landing long before the boat's 8:00am departure. We could have left a good half hour later and still made it. And avoided that pre-dawn cycling. But I'm glad we didn't. It was a memorable ride. A good morning on Drummond Island.