It was a beautiful fall day and Julie was anxious to start sketching. She grabbed her bag with all her paraphernalia and jumped in her car and started driving. Julie did not know where she would end up, but would know when she found the spot. She drove around the curvy scenic road that headed out into the country. The air was crisp but felt great blowing through her hair as she drove along. She wanted to find a nice quiet spot that she could sit and sketch.
Life was good. She was thankful for the time that allowed her to get away. She loved sketching the countryside and has sold many of her latest projects at a local shop in her small town. The demand had increased the last couple years and has allowed her to work only part time now. The money she made gave her the freedom to tour the many beautiful areas in Canada. Julie spotted an area that was just what she was looking for and pulled down a short narrow road that led her back into a wooded area. She grabbed her bag, a cooler with her lunch and her music. She was set for a day of artistic solitude.
As she sat in the sunshine and went to work, she couldn't believe the beautiful scene in front of her. The leaves were brilliant and the reflection off the lake increased its beauty. Would she be able to capture this in her sketch? She could only hope.
Several hours later...Julie got up and started to walk around. She was getting a bit stiff sitting and drawing for so long. Every once in a while she'd need to get up, stretch her long legs and move around a bit. Julie decided to walk down the hill along the narrow path and walk along the lake.
It was warming up quite nicely and she felt the urge to go swimming in the brisk water. The lake was so clear you could see the smooth sandy bottom. Looking around, making sure there was absolutely no one around, she quickly undressed and plunged into the very chilly water. Julie swam around, feeling the cold water all around her nakedness. Although she was off shore a ways, she could still stand and feel the sand between her toes. As she lay back in the water, the warm rays of the sun kept her warm on top of her body as the water below kept her quite cold. Finally, when she got too cold but very energized, she swam toward shore. After Julie dried off a bit in the sunshine, she got dressed and went back to sketching.
From a distance she could hear someone coming from the breaking of twigs and the crunching of leaves. Julie looked up and saw a man walking toward her with a dog close by him leading the way. She was glad she wasn't still skinny-dipping! Julie continued to sketch as she heard him getting closer. The dog practically leaped into her lap; tail wagging wildly, as it knocked over some of her materials. The man rushed toward her and helped pick things up. He was amazed at the sketch he saw and complimented on how artistic she was, (not to mention beautiful, he was thinking to himself.)
He said, "Hi, I'm Mark and I apologize for my overly friendly dog. It's just we never see anyone usually when we walk this way."
Julie didn't know what to think other than the fact that he was very handsome!
Shyly she said, "Hi, I'm Julie. That's ok, I love dogs. He just took me by surprise."
Mark asked her if she minded if he sat and watched for a bit. She said that was fine and continued her work. He was not only watching her sketch. He watched her face as she looked out onto the lake. It was as if she was in a trance, as she artistically sketched away, not realizing he was watching her every move and expression.
He thought to himself, "God, she is beautiful."
A few hours later, Julie decided to call it a day. Mark helped her put her things in her car and asked if she'd like to get a bite to eat.
"Looking like this?" Julie said, as she ran her fingers through her now dried hair. "I shouldn't have gone for that swim!"
