It was a decently long drive out of the sprawling city up into the hills. The location of the address was a bit of a surprise. It wasn't located among the hustle and bustle of city life. Mark's home was seemingly located among the more calm and peaceful atmosphere of the natural world. Most of the hills were owned by the richer citizens. Was Mark one of them?<br/><br/>As she drove up and up, the homes got progressively richer in certain spots, then in other spots the houses were older and less obviously wealthy. An old throw back to ranchers and farmers. Those days, at least for this area, were long gone. Corporations had long ago taken control of those markets. Now many people owned large swaths of land that was useless to them or in the case of the rich, because they wanted space away from others.<br/><br/>More and more trees began 'sprouting' up. The greenery was beautiful. Manzanita trees, most in more of a shrub form, created a nice red contrast, with their bark, to all of the green. Their dull white-green leaves added a nice creamy blend.<br/><br/>The road was a throw back to the days of building roads to contour the road instead of just blasting through the rock and dirt to create a straighter road. It winded left and right, up and down. It felt right, however.<br/><br/>After a forty minute drive, she spotted the address she had been emailed by Mark. There was a large sturdy gate, open. Mark had said it would be open just for her. As she drove in, the gate slowly closed. Apparently he didn't like unwelcome visitors.<br/><br/>The driveway was long and lined with well maintained land. At first the acreage was natural, trees, shrubs, untamed grass and rocks, then it became a manicured grass with blooming flower trees, with beds of colorful flowers. Obviously Mark had tastes beyond the average male. He enjoyed the intrinsic beauty in the world around him.<br/><br/>A small beige mansion soon appeared from behind a cosp of trees. It was a beautiful home. It was modest in contrast to many of the wealthier homes before it. Mark had money, but how much, wasn't obvious. He either moderated himself or was simply not as wealthy as the others on the hills.<br/><br/>As she arrived before the door, no one awaited her. She was free to climb the small stair case and make her arrival known.<br/><br/><div align="center">(http://news.ncdcr.gov/news/wp-content/uploads/mansion62small.jpg)</div>