Thread: New studio
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Old 04-20-2018, 01:54 AM
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joseph engraver joseph engraver is offline
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Sarzana,Italy
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Default Re: New studio

Life is full of the unexpected.
I was standing in front of my place with the perfume in the camera carrying case pocket at 6: 25 expecting to wait at least twenty minutes for Gina to show.
To my surprise, at exactly 6:30 she drove up in her jeep. I was impressed.
In my entire life I had never known a woman to be on time; and what impressed me even more was her Jeep.
It had all wheel drive with off road tires, a roll bar, and a three ton electric winch attached to a custom brush guard grill in front. And a five speed manual transmission. Sitting in the back seat with his head out the open window was the boxer named Jack. I knew this was no ordinary gal.
Gina leaped out of her Jeep, “Don’t move, Jack considers this Jeep to be his personal property and until I introduced you, he can be very possessive of it.” I froze, Jack growled, I retreated back to the entrance of my apartment building, as I did; I thought for a moment that the dog gave me a wicked grin.
By now Gina was standing next to the dog, petting him and telling him I was a friend.
I don’t think he believed her, the hair on his back was standing straight up his ears were laid back and he was staring straight into my eyes. “It is ok Jack, he is a friend, and he is going for a ride with us. Now you stop it and be a good dog.”
The transformation was amazing, the beast sat down and wagged his stub of a tail, then his tongue came out and he licked her hand. “Now come here Joe, and meet Jack.”
“Gina, I make my living with my hands and I want to keep all my fingers intact. Are you sure that I need to get close to him?” She put her hands on her hips and laughed out loud. “You tell me that you loved dogs and had one as a boy, and now you say you are afraid of this wonderful, adorable and affectionate eighty pound puppy?” She walked over to where I stood and looked into my eyes, took my hand, and led me over to the now docile beast, saying as she did so, “You can trust me Joe, now come here and let me introduce to Jack”.
I am not sure if it was her voice, so sweet and caring, or the smile, or the warmth of her hand in mine that seduced me, or maybe it was all three that caused me to follow her like Mary’s little lamb over to the Jeep and put out my hand for Jack to smell, “Now say hello Jack, what a nice dog you are, You are a good boy.” As I repeated her words the dog put is ice cold nose to my hand and took his time smelling to see if I was a friend or foe. As he did not sink his fangs into my hand I assumed he decided that I was harmless and suddenly put his front paw on my arm as if to say welcome to my Jeep. “There you see, he likes you and wants to be friends. Shake his paw, say good dog and we can get going, it is going to be a beautiful sunset.”
The beast and I shook paws; His was rough and hairy, mine smooth, white and tender.
I got into the Jeep; I could not help myself when I told Gina. “This is some chariot you get around town in” It sounded odd the way she said. “It belonged to my brother, but he is gone now.” Then I buckled up, and we three roared down the Vegas strip. As she drove I was relieved to notice her fingernails were unpainted, I had had many unpleasant experiences with women who grew long sharp daggers and painted them in a multitude of violent colors.
Though the windows were partially open, there was a hint of fresh Camay soap, blended with a delicate perfume she was wearing. Gina´s long black hair was tied in a single braid that showed of the graceful curve of neck and well formed shoulders. She was wearing the ear rings, a bright plaid mans cut woolen shirt, tucked into a pair of brown corduroy slacks and a pair of tan laced hiking boots. The whole picture she presented was most pleasing; I inhaled the fresh air and was enjoying myself when a most unpleasant smell drifted into my nostrils. Gina smelted it also, and rolled down her window, “Jack just farted. Boxers do that frequently, in fact they are notorious for it, which is why he has a dog house and sleeps outside on the patio. He really is a sweet dog and a good companion; I do hope that you two will become friends.”
I rolled down my window trying to recapture the scent of Gina but it was gone, evaporated into a dog tainted memory. Turning around I looked at the dog and said to it. “Thanks pal, at least she knows it was not me. “I patted him on the top of his broad head, as I did he licked my hand and I swear to you that he winked at me.
“Well Joe at least you have a sense of humor, that’s encouraging” and she gave me that beautiful smile. She suddenly pulled over to the side of the street and said. “Do you mind if we go to a favorite place of mine to have dinner? It will be my treat and we can leave Jack at home .He is very loyal to me, perhaps too loyal for a restaurant full of strangers.
I cannot express how relieved I was to hear the words “leave Jack at home” So I said," If you think it is best I don’t mind at all.”
“Joe, I have to tell you how I found Jack. He was in the alley by a dumpster behind the casino, someone had cut off his tail and put a band aid over the raw stub, then abandoned him there to be found, or to be crushed by the traffic,
I can’t imagine how anyone can be so callous; I mean dogs are not disposable. I took him home and then to a vet who saved his life. I decided to adopt him and named him Jack like my brother, that was more than two years ago. Even though he can be a pest, he is too much a part of my life now to ever part from him, I hope you understand.” I decided not to tell her that I had met many people at the card rooms that were worse.
I was beginning to know more about Gina and the more I learned the more I liked her.
So I said. “This is turning out to be the best day I have had in years. “
“It going to get better Joe, let´s stop here and let Jack run, and he needs to exercise before we have dinner.”
I admired the dog as he ran, not as dog lover, but with the eye of a man who admired racing horses. This dog was the living sculpture of animal perfection, every bit equal to a fine quarter horse stallion, so I got out my camera and made a short video of him. After a twenty minute run, his honey colored coat was glistening in the sun, and every muscle stood out in him. His pink tongue was panting and hanging out of his mouth.
The only dog I had ever known was a little white dust mop that weighed four or five pounds that had spent most of its time chasing her tail and sitting on my mother’s lap.
“He is magnificent Gina.” She took the dog´s water bowl out of the jeep and filled it from a plastic bottle, set it down, and we watched as he lapped up the water in great noisy slurps, spilling water everywhere as he emptied the bowl. “Gina and it has been wonderful to see him run free, but don’t you think his drinking manners could be a bit improved on?” She reached over, put her hand on my arm looked into my eyes and said,
“You are funny, I like that. Now I want to take you somewhere every special to me, it is my place of privacy and tranquility, there is something very special waiting for you there.”
Jack was now standing next to the jeep as if he was waiting for his chauffer to open the door to his private limousine. A ten minute drive later she stopped the jeep, turned to me and said.
“Follow me city boy”
I followed Gina as we began the steep climb up a set of stone stairs, Jack leading and still urinating on every bush, God, how I admired that dog’s bladder. Having become accustom to elevators, I was slowly bringing up the rear. As we climbed, I must admit to you that the posterior view Gina presented me was well worth the effort. We would stop; I would catch my breath while she pointed out the wild flowers. “Do you know what those are she said, pointing to a small patch of yellow flowers?” I took a picture, then I answered, “Of course I do, those are little yellow flowers, and those over there are little violet ones. And for your information that one over there is a cactus with little strawberry colored ones, what do you think I am, a city boy?
By the way, just where are we going?”
I think that my answers made me points in our budding relationship.
She turned around, came back to me, and then kissed me on the cheek, which led to a passionate kiss on the lips. “I won´t tell you where we are going City Boy.” She untangled from my embrace, shaking her head she said, “The sun is setting. let´s go, I am starving.
”Gina can you hear the silence of this place? I am so accustomed to the constant noise of Las Vegas, the Police, Ambulance, street noise and the never ending human hum inside the casinos I had forgotten that this existed. You were right this is a very special place.”
“I hoped you would like it here Joe.” Jack came up to us, sat and lifted his paw telling Gina that he is hungry...
Women have a rare sense of when they are in control of man´s passions, and they know just how to manipulate that power.
She pulled away from me, saying “Isn’t it a beautiful sunset?”
We watched the neon glow of Las Vegas on the horizon, the sky turn from deep sea blue to violet and orange, then a dusty rose as the sun was setting. As I studied the sky, I wondered if I could ever begin to capture those colors on a canvas.
“Gina, this day with you has been a breath of fresh air for me. I never do much other than play poker and paint my thoughts on canvass. The truth is I am tired of that life and am looking for a more fulfilling way to live.” We sat in silence, and then she said, “I am having a wonderful time with you, and I am also lonely, and tired of the casino.” Then she went silent, and put her hand on my arm.
“Gina, when I bought those earrings I bought them specifically for you. I have thought about you more often than you know. Some of the things I admire about you are the fact that you have principals, and are loyal to your dog. Those two things are very hard to find in this world.”
“Joe, I hope you like spaghetti with bolognaise sauce and Chianti wine, because that is what we are having for our first dinner date. My house is that one over there and the guests are waiting. I could have driven here, but I thought you would like the walk, and the sunset.”
Jack was already on the porch drinking more water and staring at his empty food dish when we got to the front door. “Joe, before you go in and make yourself at home, please take off your boots.” Meanwhile I will feed the monster.” She unlocked the door, switched on the lights, turned and went out to feed Jack.
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"What a large volume of adventures may be grasped within this little span of life by him who interests his heart in everything"-Lawrence Sterne
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