"Ocracoke Rental", oil, by Mike Rooney

It was a pleasure to ride my bike along the windswept roads at an early hour today. The air was cool on my skin, and the breezes kept me refreshed all the way. I rode out to the beach, then down the beach road to a small coffee shop near a bridge over a stream rushing to the sea. On gusty mornings like this, especially when the temperatures are brisk and reviving, I always feel frisky and sure of myself. I felt like a champion under the strengthening sunlight.