sunday morning

up at 4:15, lycra donned, pedalling to be done.
First hour in darkness and wet -not raining- but plenty of puddles and spray. Sun came up at about 6 just as we headed through Tenryu and the first of the hills.
As we hit roads, steeply climbing through forest, the air is alive. Fresh and electric, light sets ablaze tree-tops beginning their turn. Within the forest, mist sits on and in the needles -all vertical- casting barcodes across the tarmac and its wavering yellow lines. Beams pentrate in slow motion and remain static; still and composed in the muted damp, earth waking silence.
Proceedings are slow on steep gradients but the tones -not the colours- but the tones, are glorious.