Winner

This spectacular Gwynn's Island sunset from last summer was taken from the very beach where our Blog Fest picnic will be held in July. I am posting this up here for a couple of reasons. One, this spot of Earth always calms and relaxes me. Two, I'm tired of the dreary brown, lifeless scenery that abounds this time of year.

Speaking of Blog Fest, which rhymes with contest, it's time to announce the winner of our recent competition.

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I cannot begin to express my gratitude to the participants in our recent story-writing contest. I was very pleasantly surprised with the responses, and I loved each and every one of them.

If I were writing this for work and/or if I were the succinct sort, I would have told you in the first sentence who won, short and sweet. As I wait for you to stop laughing at the notion that I might be capable of being succinct, I will go into more detail about who wrote what and other background information; in other words I will drag this out until you're blinking back tears.

First of all, I want to identify the writers using their internet screen names:

Contestant #1 - Moon Over Mathews - Submitted by first-timer "Jack" who has never commented before, but says he's been reading a while. I hope he and his crew continue reading and that they'll leave comments and/or send me more stories.

Contestant #2 - Most Memorable Hitch-Hiker - Commenter Anonymous Mathews Native (AMN)

Contestant #3 - Everything Old is New - Commenter Anonymous Mathews Native (AMN)

Contestant #4 - Cast of Characters - Ann Marie

Contestant #5 - First Kiss - Commenter Mathews Mountain Man, aka MMM

Contestant #6 - Young People - Phyl

Contestant #7 - Chesapeake Bay Middle Sister - Commenter Icey

Contestant #8 - Hitch-Hiking: A Lost Art - Commenter Anonymous Mathews Native (AMN)

Contestant #9 - Larry -Foolery

Every single story received votes, and truly they all are winners. It is important to me that all the participants know it was a very close race, and there were only a few votes separating the winners from all the others.

And now, without further ado, I am pleased to announce we have a tie for first place between

Moon Over Mathews by "Jack" and Young People by Phyl

I am declaring these two winners. Congratulations! They both received the same number of votes. The runner-up was First Kiss, and all the others were very close on the heels of these 3. Again, I truly applaud your efforts and thank you so much for participating.Thanks to all who took the time to vote as well.

So, "Jack" and "Phyl" went up the hill to fetch a pail of water....

No, just kidding. "Jack" and "Phyl", please send an e-mail to ChesapeakeBayWoman@gmail.com and let me know if you prefer lunch at Linda's Diner or a $25 gift certificate.

And now, folks get ready to go into hibernation until our next contest, because it is back to the Same Old Same Old CBW hot air since I no longer have other people's stories up here to carry me through these winter doldrums.

Given that I'm off to the paying job today and tomorrow and have absolutely nothing lined up as far as posts for this week, you can rest assured that anything you read here after this contest will be as mind-numbing as ever.

If not more.