When I was through, I asked hubby to do the honours.
He carefully mixed up the names to ensure that everyone had a fair chance and then he drew a name...
Tammy from Lattes and Lollipops. Congratulations, Tammy. I will need your mailing address. 
Chicken Soup for the Soul What I Learned from the Dog will be released on September 22. Imgaine my surprise when my contributor copies arrived by courier today. I knew I would get them but didn't think they'd arrive until after the release date.
Last Sunday when hubby and I went to the War of 1812 reenactment, we stopped at a farm produce stall on the way home. We bought tomatoes (ours are done for the year) and sweet corn. They had mum plants on sale for $2.00 each. I chose a yellow one and hubby chose the lavender one. They look nice on the porch railing and bring colour into the yard.
I also brought my houseplants in from outside. The ivy in the basket is the one that Brandon planted in the spring and the spider plant on the left is one that he gave me for my birthday last year. There isn't much light in our living room and I often have trouble keeping plants alive. However, the entertainment unit has a light in the mirrored shelf, so I sent hubby to buy bulbs for it and we've put the plants there. They will get articifical light all day. I'm hoping that they will live until spring when I can once again get them outdoors.
Here he is sitting beside hubby in the yard. I tried to get one of myself with him, but he wasn't cooperating.
Dakota and hubby playing. He loves to go outside and jump around the yard. He also does this with me, but not tonight.
Rough housing. Dakota is feisty and likes to play rough. He is more gentle with me and the boys.
Yes, he likes to dance too. As you can see he has changed a lot since we brought him home at the first of February. He has changed from a biting, scratching puppy to a calmer dog. He still has a lot to learn, but we can leave him alone for hours and he never has an accident in the house. He was one of the easiest dogs to housetrain that I've ever had. The one thing he's still doing the odd time is chewing. However, he is a good companion and very protective, which is just what I was looking for when we adopted him.
We arrived at the conservation area, parked and then started walking. I had been to Backus Mills once when I was a child, but had forgotten how far you have to walk. We went down a hill and saw the mill right in front of us. It ceased being a working mill in 1955, but today it is a National Historic Site.
This pond is across a little wooden bridge from the mill. A tranquil place and it is stocked with fish.
This is the sluice of the mill. The water was crystal clear.
Another view of the mill, the sluice and the water wheel.
If you look closely, you can see the water wheel just at the back corner of the mill.
This is the John Backus House. It was just up the hill from the mill and John Backus would have been able to see the mill from the front porch.
Just past the house is where the sutlers had set up. One woman was making kitchen hooks. Others had coffee pots and other household items.
The people who take part in the reenactments camp on the grounds. Quite often the entire family is involved. There were people of every age taking part.
Here come the Americans. They are preparing for battle.
And here are the British at the opposite end of the field. While they stood there, the Americans attacked.
The British are trying to push the Americans back. Here is the first fatality.
The British are gaining ground. They have the Indians as their allies.
The British still trying to push the Americans back. They are gaining ground, but can't break through the American lines.
The Americans are retreating. The drummer boys were very young, just as they were in the original battle.
Americans on the run. They are going to head around and try to ambush the British in a different spot.
These three young men are Americans. The narrator explained that the Americans didn't have the cloth to always have blue uniforms. Sometimes they were grey and yes, even green. The British also had a shortage of cloth and dressed some of their troops in green. This caused great confusion.
American officers rounding up their men for the retreat. Notice the Native lodges in the background. This is where the Native people taking part in the battle were staying. I would have liked to have been able to get closer, but it wasn't possible with retreating American soldiers everywhere.
We walked back down the hill, past the Backus house and crossed the wooden bridge. There is a small dam there. It looked so refreshing.
Across the path from the dam is this gazebo with the old hand pump and trough in front of it. That old pump brought back memories.
We saw these two Americans on the way to the second part of the battle. They are just beginning to take part in the reenactments.
The Americans are taking a stand and other troops are in the woods, trying to hold the British back.
The light blue flag has the most beautiful picture of an eagle on it. Notice the commanding officer stays behind the troops.
More casualties. The smoke was thick on the battlefield. The narrator explained that these men didn't need camouflauge, as often the smoke was so thick they couldn't see the enemy.
The British are gaining ground once more and pushing the Americans back.
More casualties. Those who are "killed" stay on the ground for a while, but not for the entire battle.
Thick smoke and this is only from the muskets, not from the cannons. When they resounded, the narrator warned us to cover our ears with the palms of our hands and open our mouths. The sound of those cannons was loud and the ground vibrated so much that if you were standing nearby, it almost knocked you off your feet.
Checking the fallen to see if any of them are alive.
Only one of them survived and these young drummer boys helped him off the field. The crowd cheered them on.
The Americans are on the run and theBritish have won the Battle of Backus Mills.
After it was all over, the narrator (standing at attention) explained that the reenactors don't condone war but instead do the reenactments to keep history alive. The band in the background is playing a lament and the crowd was asked to remain silent at this time. 