Calling all writers!

It's contest time!
First of all, thank you for those who've stopped by to check out my very first contest on this fabulous blog! For those who'd like to participate, here are the details . . .

Below are different drawings of people. Pick at least one drawing (you can pick as many characters as you'd like) and write a short story based on that drawing. The story needs to be no more than 3,000 words. Keep the content of your writing clean (No sexual content or foul language). It should go without saying, but no plagiarizing allowed. Only one short story per person.
Fellow writing friends and avid readers will judge the short stories based on entertainment, characterization and if it's well written. Any genre is welcome.
I will post the top 3 winner's stories on my blog giving others a chance to vote on their favorite.
The Prize?
The favorite will win either a large (11x14) or two small (5x7) pencil drawing(s) of one of their own characters from your own original works for you to gawk at (a value of up to $200). (Sorry for the more free spirited folks, I will not draw nude images). The prize does not include the images below.
Rest assured that I will not use the drawings of your characters in any of my own novels/stories. I will only post the drawings here on my blog and in my personal portfolio. The original drawing will be yours to keep. I will mail it to you.

This will all be done anonymously by emailing your story, title and name to cwwritingblog@gmail.com then Jared will pass on your story only (leaving out your name) to my email where I will divvy them out to be judged.
This is for US participants only. (Sorry Canada).
In the body of your email please include your name and title of your story. Attach your word document to the email, leaving out your name on any part of the document. Please add a header with your title. If a name is left on the document it will be disqualified.
The deadline for your entries will close October 10th at midnight.
I will have to put a limit to how many I can read through, so only the first 25 stories will be entered. I will post the winners as quickly as I can. Hopefully I'll be though by the end of October so I can participate in NANOWRIMO.
If things go well and we get a lot of participants then I will do this again. :)
Please share this blog with others and I'll love for you to follow me.

Here are the characters to choose from . . .

Sugar Free Peach Cobbler

Wouldn't you like to sink your teeth into a plate of this? I know I would. My mouth is watering just looking at it. Would you believe me if I told you this didn't have any sugar in it?
Well, believe it. It was made with honey. It's heavenly. Try it for yourself and see.

No Sugar Peach Cobbler
Peach mixture:
1/2 cup raw honey
1 tablespoon of corn starch
1/4 tsp cinnamon
5 cups of sliced peaches
1 tsp lemon juice
Topping:
1 cup flour
3 Tablespoons raw honey
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 to 4 tablespoons of butter
1/2 cup milk
Mix your peach mixture together and pour into a baking dish (9x13). Mix topping ingredients together until well blended and a bit sticky. Spoon clumps of it over the peaches. It won't spread over the entire peach mixture and you don't need it to. It will puff up and the peaches will boil around the puffs of dough to caramelize and look tasty. Bake at 400 for 20 to 30 min. (My oven cooks hotter than most, so you may want to check it after awhile).
I've found that cooking this with honey creates the topping to be crispier. It's divine and I know you'll love it.
Enjoy!

Open Wide, Mr. Ed.

Little known fact about me; I've only been on a horse once. They set me on one without much instruction and sent me off into the woods to help look for a Christmas tree. Not long after I was thrown from the horse and never set my butt on one again. I've wanted to. I love horses, just never had the opportunity to return to the saddle.
But, hey, I'm good at drawing them. :)
Say hello to Mr. Ed.

Copies of this 11x17 drawing are available for $20. Just email me at qrissyw@gmail.com

The Rendezvous Experience

This last week my family and I attended the Fort Bridger Mountain Man Rendezvous up in the prairies of southwest Wyoming. If you've never attended you should look into stopping by next Labor Day weekend to see what it's all about.
Rendezvous across the country are much the same. People dress up in period clothing (from the late 1700's to the mid 1800's), sleep in tipis (or teepee, depending on how you want to spell it), and hold shooting contests, buy and trade goods and have a merry ol' time. You might wonder what kind of goods they sell, well, anything you'd find during the nineteenth century. Nothing modern. The rules are strict and clearly stated. No plastic. Only items found during the time period.
Because of the strict policy it makes for a historical environment. It smells, looks and feels old.
Authentic.
Nearly every canvas covered shop you enter will hold the scents of metals, leathers, wool and wax. And it's not just a few shops you'll see. Trader's Row is what they call the dirt road that circles around next to the fort and you can meander all day to look over everything the shop owners have to offer and you'll still miss something.
Along with the shops and black powder shooting, hatchet throwing, and arrow shooting contests there are old homes to tour and of course the museum and fort itself. Several times a day over the weekend they have representatives from different Native American tribes show us a thing or two about their heritage by dancing in their traditional costumes. It's a sight worth seeing.

The only downfall of this trip was my camera didn't work as I needed it to. I had planned on taking loads of pictures to share with you all. My camera only worked for an hour before it decided it didn't like me anymore. Here are a few of my pictures worth showing . . .

As you can see we are all dressed up in period clothing. My daughters are wearing the wool cloaks I had made for them. I've spent all summer making an entire wardrobe for my family and because my camera pooped out on me I don't get to show you the rest of our costumes.

Here's my two little ones watching their Uncle made a leather pouch for my son. I wish I could have snapped a shot of his handy work.

Nothing would be right about this until someone wielded a pitchfork.

Stop on by soon and I'll have a drawing posted of a laughing horse I drew.