Country Girl Goes to the Beach

CJ gets a day off from her job at the local gym. She works there to help pay her way through art school, being the first in her family to do so. She is happy to get the time off, though. Her aunt and uncle have a house on Pamlico Sound, and offer it to her. She packs up the jeep with her gear, and brings Beau, her old hound, along for the trip.

At the house, she is delighted. Even though it's the first week of October, Summers on the North Carolina coast can last well into the Fall. It's a warm and sunny day! CJ strips out of her shorts, T-shirt, and cowgirl boots, and puts on her microkini. The tide is going out, and a sandbar is exposed, the perfect spot for a few hours of private sunning.

CJ drags the small flat bottom her uncle keeps under the deck out to the dock. After loading all her stuff, she tries to start the old Evinrude. Not a chance. She opens the cowling, and sees the spark plug wire is corroded off.

"Shew! C'mon Beau, we'll jest have to paddle across." Using the oarlocks, CJ skims across, getting a bonus workout in for her thick arms, back, and legs. Once on the sandbar, she spreads out her towel, pops the top on a Jack and Coke, and takes her top off. She's not worried about anyone seeing her. It is the middle of the work week, and not too many folks are out on the water.

Two chapters in to her trashy romance novel, CJ hears that familiar call...A couple of sea ducks are coming her way. "Whoo, hoo, Beau, we're going to have Duck for dinner!" Being the Country Girl she is, this time of year she always has her hunting gear: her vest, license, boots, and a Mossberg double-barreled 12-gauge shotgun with a box of shells. Sea ducks are fair game after October 1 from where she is sitting. Not bothering with the bikini top, she quickly pulls her vest and boots on. She doesn't want to ruin her pedicure in the mud or clam beds. CJ unzips the gun case, and gently draws the weapon, keeping the gleaming barrel and receiver away from any sand. The Mossberg is her baby, and she treats it almost as well as she treats Beau. She then steps in the water to get a better angle.

CJ quickly loads two shells, and trains her gun on the pair of ducks. BAM...BAM!!! The wind had kicked up and she mis-leads the birds. The shots sail past. "Aw, cow poop!" She says out loud. With lightning speed developed over years of shooting, she cracks the breech of the gun, and pops two more rounds in, muttering to herself for missing the first time.

BAM...BAM!!! This time she gets the trail duck. "Alright, Beau! C'mon!" The bird has fallen in the water just off the end of the sand bar. CJ puts her gun back in the bag, and with Beau, they both run to the closest point. "Fetch, Beau!" Beau, not as spry as he used to be, looks glumly at CJ, and reluctantly heads into the water. He paddles his way out to the duck, and collects it in his mouth. The tide has started to come in, though, and Beau begins to tire. CJ sees this, and takes off her hat, vest, and boots. She swims topless out to Beau, and helps him in. On shore, Beau drops the duck, and shakes all over CJ. She laughs loudly as she puts her vest back on. "Beau, you may be gettin' a bit on in years for this." They both trudge back to the towel.

At the towel, CJ pulls her trusty, razor sharp lock back knife, the one that is spring balanced and opens with a flick of her thumb. She cleans the duck, and buries the scraps in the sand. Mother Nature will take care of those with the tide, she figures. Thinking of the tide, she see's it starting to roll in. She puts the duck meat in a bag, and then into the cooler she has. CJ and Beau then ride the tide back across the Intercoastal to the house.

That evening, CJ makes a nice dinner of seasoned roast duck with potatoes, onions, and carrots. After saying thanks for the blessings of the day, she shares her meal with Beau. That evening they both sit on the deck, watching the sun set. They are both content. She cleans her weapon while listening to a country station in the waning sunlight. The evening sun feels good on her face. She knows to appreciate the warmth, for Fall is coming.


This is first of a short series of pencil drawings, done with a simple .5 MM mechanical pencil on bond. CJ is modeled on a girlfriend of mine, an artistic gym rat who can shoot the lights out of anything that moves. And yes, she does look like this, and loves to wear a camouflage ball cap.