Morning Report May 31/2020

Good Morning! We are having some sunshine this morning. Temperatures at the time of this post were sitting at 5.6 C | 42.08 F. We did have a touch of frost last night. I did however take precautions and covered things up in my vegetable gardens. They look a bit scruffy this morning but they are all alive LOL I had to cover them with what ever I found laying around the place. Didn’t look that good last night but it did the job. I don’t think we will have a frost tonight but will see how things progress through the day. With this sunshine it should warm up the ground which should hold off anything that might affect things through the night tonight. But we will see how things goes. Highway 522 is quiet this morning so far but it will pick up later on and into tomorrow. I kind of like these cooler temperatures as it makes things much nicer for working around the house here. Tomorrow will be really nice. The black flies and skeeters are still out in full force but this cooler weather will keep them at bay for awhile. I hope LOL. Today I will work away on another Podcast for next Friday, which should keep me busy for most the day. With that I am off once again for my morning cup of coffee with my lovely wife. Take care, stay safe …. and do what’s right. GW

Frost Advisory for Port Loring Ontario Canada

Frost Advisory Ended

West Nipissing – French River-Port Loring
Frost Advisory
Frost Advisory in effect until Sunday, 8:28 AM EDT. Source: Environment Canada
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Frost may damage some crops in frost-prone areas.

Temperatures will fall to near freezing or just below freezing tonight, resulting in frost conditions.

Hazard: Frost conditions.

Timing: Tonight and early Sunday morning.

Impact: Damage to crops and other frost or cold sensitive plants is likely.

Morning Report May 30/2020

Good Morning! Things have sure cooled down this morning here in Port Loring, Ontario, Canada. At the time of this post temperatures were sitting at 12 C | 53.6 F. It won’t warm up much more than it is today. Temperatures will remain cool for most of next week actually. Tonight and tomorrow night things will get quite cool so the vegetable gardens will have to be kept an eye on for frost. It is going to be cloudy so if that trend holds things should be okay for tonight. But just to make sure I might pile up some grass cuttings that I have been saving around each plant to protect them. Better be safe than sorry. After Sunday night time temperatures will warm up some at night. Highway 522 is sort of busy this morning and it is early so I am thinking it will be a busy weekend with folks out an about. Black Flies are still with us in numbers along with the mosquitoes which are starting to be real bad. So we will have to deal with them for awhile, or till the warm temperatures return with some sunshine. Today I will work on another Podcast as it isn’t a nice day to be outside. Which should keep me busy for most of the day. With that stay safe. GW

Morning Report May 29/2020

Good Morning! Cloudy misty morning for us here in Port Loring, Ontario, Canada. We won’t see any sunshine today or into tomorrow. We will also be having showers off and on throughout the day. Highway 522 is quiet as it always is at this time of day. It did pick up a wee bit yesterday and I suspect it will be busier today once the Liquor Store opens. Folks will be stalking up for the weekend. Ha ha. On another note the Black-flies are still pestering us humans and now with this muggy weather the Mosquitoes are starting to annoy us too. It’s amazing how they manage to get into our house at nights and bug you while you are sleeping. I suspect we let them in throughout the day time hours and then the wait till dusk to strike LOL. It’s a constant battle in the early summer months. Yesterday I did manage to fix up my weed-eater and finished knocking down some grass and weeds around the property. It sure looks nice when all said an done. The grass is growing fast these days, greener than I have ever seen it since moving here. Nice to see. The Lilacs are starting to come out, my lovely wife and I look forward to them every spring along with the Lilly of the Valley. I don’t think there is anything that smells as nice as them. I bring in a few each day and in no time the whole house is smelling good LOL. So with that I am off for my morning cup of coffee and will let the day unfold around me. Take care, stay safe and do what’s right. GW

Morning Report May 28/2020

Good Morning! We are in the midst of some clouds here in Port Loring, Ontario, Canada this morning with a bit of sunshine peeking through now and then. The hot weather we have seen for the past two days should be behind us for a few days. Actually it will get quite cool in the evening hours for the next three days. I am keeping a close eye on that, as Saturday and Sunday night, it is calling for temperatures to drop down to 35 F/ 2C. So if that happens there is a chance of some frost. Which won’t be good for the vegetable gardens. All depends on the cloud cover on them nights. Temperatures this morning were sitting at 20.4 C | 68.72 F. It will warm up some as the day moves forward but not as hot as it got yesterday. Which is okay by me, as I don’t like the really hot days. But it did help eliminate a few of them black-flies. The only issue with the hot humid weather is it brings on the skeeters Ha ha. Sheesh can’t win. But things will eventually get better as the summer moves closer. Highway 522 is quiet this morning but it is early. I suspect it will pick up as the day moves ahead. Especially nearing the weekend as that is party time for a lot of folks. LOL. Myself every day is the same not one any better than the next. I enjoy them all. Today I will work on my old weed-eater as it is acting up a bit. Then maybe clean my shop and after lunch will work on another Podcast for tomorrow. So with that I am off for my morning cup of tea with my lovely wife. Have a great day and stay safe. Do what is right. GW

Morning Report May 27/2020

Good Morning! It’s another sunny day here for us in Port Loring, Ontario, Canada. While the sun is nice it sure is hot. Yesterday was a scorcher and today will be much the same. After today though things will cool down some and it will become cloudy for a few days. With some showers around. Which will bring out them pesky black-flies in swarms. Yesterday I didn’t do much outside and today I will do the same. Staying in where it is cool. Crazy weather to say the least. But … we are living in the north so not much we can do about it. Highway 522 is slow this morning but I suspect it will pick up as the day moves forward and the closer we get to the weekend the busier it gets. The busiest store in town is the Liquor Store. Ha ha. Tells a lot. On another note my vegetable gardens are starting to perk up a wee bit. This hot sun played havoc on my tomato plants, but I am thinking they will recover in a week or so. My lettuce is starting to show themselves too along with my cucumbers. So won’t be long and we should be eating some fresh lettuce. I give it a couple more weeks. Potatoes too are showing their leaves and I hilled them a wee bit yesterday for the first time. I have to do that a few times when they are just starting. So if things goes to plan we should have a bushel or so of potatoes later on in the summer. That will be a nice treat. With that I am off for my morning cup of coffee and a bite to eat with my lovely wife. Take care, stay safe and most of all do what is right…. distance yourself from others. GW

Morning Report May 26/2020

So how you all doing today? Good I hope. Looking out the sun is shinning here in Port Loring, Ontario this morning, and I suspect it will continue for most of the day. Temperatures were sitting at 17.4 C | 63.32 F which is nice and will warm up even further a bit later on this morning. Nice to have the warm temperatures along with the sunshine. It’s been a long time coming. I kind of think that as the country starts to have higher levels of humidity, we could see a small reduction in virus transmission. “That might be really beneficial in terms of containment measures, but I don’t think it will be enough that it would actually stop the virus on its own. But you never know what Nature is really capable of doing. If nothing else these warm humid temperatures should slow it down giving us more time to figure things out, that is if everyone does what they suppose to be doing … like social distancing and wearing a mask when going to places where there are a lot of people. Highway 522 is a touch busy this morning and I suspect once again it will pick up as the day moves forward. Not too much we can do about that I suppose, other than protecting yourself. Which is what we are doing. On another note them pesky Black Flies are out in full force these days, which might be a good thing as they do have the ability to keep folks inside their cottages and homes. I should also mention that it will be really hot today and tomorrow, so it might pay to close up some of your curtains later on this afternoon. Temperatures could get up to 35C. Things will cool down by Thursday. Things sure have greened up the past few days and I can’t rightly say I’ve seen it so green, the colours are really nice. With that I am off for my morning cup of coffee with my lovely wife, and then will see what I can get myself into. Just never know these days. Stay safe. GW

Morning Report May 25/2020

Good Morning! We are in the midst of a lot of clouds this morning here in Port Loring, Ontario, Canada. We had a good rain yesterday afternoon and through the night off and on. Which was needed as things were pretty dry. My gardens are liking it a lot. It seems no matter how much you water Mother Nature does it better. Amazing. Highway 522 is starting to get busy but it is still early. Yesterday before the rain I manged to half mow my grass around the house. Not an easy chore with them Black Flies. This year they are really bad in certain areas, the worse I have seen it in fifteen years. But the good thing is other than cutting the grass once a week We don’t have to be among them. The rain sure made the leaves come out and green up which makes things nice. More privacy. Today I will do some work in the basement cleaning and things I headed that way yesterday but didn’t make it. That’s the joy of being retired you do what you want when you want. I am liking it a lot. With that I am off for my morning cup of coffee with my lovely wife and will then see how things go. Just never know. Take care and stay safe. GW

Working Up Your Garden Idea

An elderly Italian man lived alone in New Jersey . He wanted to plant his annual tomato garden, but it was very difficult work, since the ground was hard. His only son, Vincent, who used to help him, was in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament:

Dear Vincent,
I am feeling pretty sad, because it looks like I won’t be able to plant my tomato garden this year. I’m just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot. I know if you were here my troubles would be over.. I know you would be happy to dig the plot for me, like in the old days.
Love, Papa

A few days later he received a letter from his son.

Dear Pop,
Don’t dig up that garden. That’s where the bodies are buried.
Love,
Vinnie

At 4 a.m. the next morning, FBI agents and local police arrived and dug up the entire area without finding any bodies. They apologized to the old man and left. That same day the old man received another letter from his son.

Dear Pop,
Go ahead and plant the tomatoes now. That’s the best I could do under the circumstances.
Love you,
Vinnie

Morning Report May 24/2020

Good Morning! This morning we are all waking up to some rain here in Port Loring, Ontario, Canada. Temperatures were sitting at 17.8 C | 64.04 F. It will warm up later on, but it won’t be as warm as it was yesterday. The rain should remain with us for most of the day an then tomorrow we should see the return of some sunshine. But we do need the rain as things are really dry. I also need my rain barrel filled Ha ha. Highway 522 is quiet this morning but it will pick up as the day progresses. Yesterday it was really busy pretty well non stop with cars. Not a good thing in my eyes, but it’s what some folks want to do, not caring if they get the virus or spread it. Or so it seems. The new cases in Ontario are slowly rising every day as I suspected and will continue I am sure. On another note I did take advantage of the hot sunny day yesterday and painted two of my decks. I got tired of staining them every year as with the cheap stain they are making these days it wears off in one year or less. I should say it isn’t cheap buying it but the quality is not good. Today being that is raining I will stay inside and do some work in my basement. Clean things up and get it ready for next winters wood. Always something to do when owning a home. The Black Flies are out in full force these days. Kind of hard to stay away from them. I am not getting bit as much this year but they are still annoying let me tell you. The folks from Toronto and places of such, that aren’t used to them, well … they are in for a shock. LOL I see lots walking up and down the Highway in shorts with their arms just a waving trying to shoo them away. Ha ha. With that I am off for my morning cup of tea with my lovely wife and will then see what I can get myself into. Have a great day and stay safe. GW

Morning Report May 23/2020

Good Morning!. Once again we are in the midst of a great looking day. The sun is shinning with hardly a cloud in the sky. Temperatures at the time of this post were sitting at 16.2 C | 61.16 F. It will warm up a lot as the day moves forward. Actually it will become quite hot today so it might pay to close your curtains or pull down your blinds on the west side of your house this afternoon. That’s what my lovely wife and I do every day throughout the summer. Windows are open in the west in the mornings, then closed in the afternoon. Anyways … Highway 522 is quiet this morning but it did pick up as the day moved forward yesterday, and I suspect more of the same for today. But in saying that, traffic and tourists aren’t as they were last year. Which is a good thing as home is the place to be. As I keep saying, I believe opening the stores and places is the wrong thing to do. There is nothing different with this virus now from when it started, it’s still there waiting, and I believe it will get worse when people start to mingle, like in churches, stores and places like that. Actually we were doing quite well with what we were doing, ordering on line, phoning the store of choice and then picking it up. We were just getting used to it and it was becoming the thing to do. Now opening things I believe will start things all over again. It is actually rising now within the past few days. Crazy thinking in my mind. But hey, it seems money is the main ingredient these days. On the good side of things they are getting closer to a vaccine, we just have to outlast what is happening. With that I am off for my morning cup of coffee and will then see what I can get myself into today. Take care, stay safe, and do what is right …. not what others think is right. GW

Episode 24: The Mullein Plant

Episode 24: The Mullein Plant. Here is a bit of information that I gained over the years, regarding the Mullein Plant. It’s a great plant with a lot of health benefits. Everyone should have a few leaves drying for winter, especially with what is going on in the world today. Stay Safe.

You can reach George Walters at; [email protected]

Morning Report May 22/2020

Good Morning! Well it’s another great looking day here in Port Loring, Ontario, Canada. The sun is shinning and it should stay with us for most of the day. Temperatures were sitting at 8.3 C | 46.94 F. It will warm up quite a bit as the day moves forward. Actually it will feel more like summer weather than spring. Highway 522 is quiet so far this morning but it is early. Things I suspect will pick up as the day progresses. On another note my lovely wife and I did get to North Bay yesterday and picked up our groceries that we ordered. We don’t linger as we used to anymore or stop for something to eat. Actually … we bring our lunch and thermos of coffee with us. Then we pick a nice spot away from folks and enjoy our lunch. We can then watch what is going around without getting near anyone. It’s all on how you make it work. Today I will work on my front deck finishing what I started a couple days ago. Then maybe I will get into some painting. With that I am off for my morning cup of coffee and then will get to work. Take care and stay safe. GW

Morning Report May 21/2020

Good Morning! Well it’s another great looking day here in Port Loring, Ontario, Canada. The sun is shinning and temperatures are … or were sitting at 10.9 C | 51.62 F at the time of this post. It will warm up a lot as the day progresses. Great day to do just about anything outside. The only issues would be the Black Flies, as they are out feasting on us humans and critters these days. Not much we can do about that, other than stay inside or some place they don’t bug ya too much. Ha ha. They don’t seem to bother me as much anymore, my lovely wife says it because I am not as sweet as I used to be. Hmm. Highway 522 is getting a bit busier every day with new folks travelling into our area. Not as many as last year, that’s for sure, but there are still a few that thinks they are invincible. The trouble with that is, they also put others at risk. But … as I keep on telling my boys. As long as we keep on doing what is right, we should be okay. Time will tell. On another note, I did get into tearing my front deck apart yesterday of all the board that were getting a wee bit weak. Now I will replace them, as Steve across the street at Home Hardware dropped me off some new ones. Great fellow for sure. Not much he doesn’t know when it comes to purchasing things or helping out with some advice on things now and then that I am not sure of. Once that is done I am thinking I will do some painting. Get a new look for out front. With that … I am off for my morning cup of coffee and an English Muffin, and then will let the day unfold around me. Have a great day, stay safe … and do what is right, when out an about. GW

Morning Report May 20/2020

Good Morning! Well it’s another beautiful day here in Port Loring, Ontario, Canada. The sun is shinning with nothing but blue skies. Temperatures aren’t too bad starting things off sitting at 10.9 C | 51.62 F. It will warm up as the day moves forward. Which will make things quite nice. Highway 522 is quiet this morning, but it is early. Yesterday I managed to get the rest of my gardens planted with a few things and even planted my tomatoes which we started from seed. So we will see how they make out. I have to say they look good this morning, after planting them, but time will tell. I also manged to cut the grass out by the highway which is another thing of the list of things to do. I don’t see how anyone that owns a home can say they don’t have anything to do these days. LOL Today I will be working on my decks fixing a few boards that are getting a touch weak. That should keep me busy for most the day. It kind of depends on how these Black Flies are today. With that I am off for my morning cup of coffee with my lovely wife and will then let the day unfold around me. Take care and stay safe. GW

Good Information Dealing with This Virus

7 Ways You’re Sanitizing Your Groceries All Wrong
Next time you go out to buy food, avoid these mistakes at all costs.

Now that you’ve taken all the right safety precautions at the grocery store during the corona virus pandemic, the last thing you want to do is waste all of your efforts by not properly sanitizing your groceries at home. Don’t worry, there aren’t a ton of steps you need to take in order to keep your food (and yourself) safe and healthy, just a few that you should keep in mind.
So the next time you come home from your grocery store excursion, here are things you don’t want to do when sanitizing your groceries.
1
No matter what, the first thing you should do after getting home from the grocery store is wash your hands. You don’t want to go around touching your groceries—or any other items in your kitchen—before washing your hands first. If you don’t, then you won’t really be properly sanitizing your groceries, and all the effort you take to creating a clean kitchen environment will go to waste. The best thing to do is to remove your mask first before washing your hands.
2
You’re not sanitizing surfaces.
Even if you’re clean in the kitchen and wash your hands, it’s important to wipe down all surfaces just in case. This way you are not only furthering the spread of germs, but you’re avoiding any food cross-contamination that could happen if your kitchen isn’t properly sanitized. So before you empty out those groceries on the counter, wipe it down with an antibacterial wipe or spray first.
3
You’re washing your produce with soap.
While it may seem like you need to wash everything down with soap, trust us, you don’t have to—and it’s going to make your produce taste really strange. To properly wash your produce when you get home, simply rinse them down with cool water. Even if your produce needs to be peeled—like potatoes or carrots—still rinse them down so you aren’t getting any possible food contamination on your peeler and the inside of whatever produce you are peeling.
4
You’re not regularly cleaning your fridge.
You’re probably cooking a lot more than usual lately, so it’s important to keep account of what’s in your fridge and how often you are cleaning it. Take some time to evaluate what’s inside your fridge every weekend and wipe down all the surfaces, while simultaneously tossing any cooked food that’s been in there more than a week, or any other foods that have gone bad. Why is this an important step for sanitizing your groceries? Because if you don’t, your groceries will then mix in with any rotting food and crease possible food contamination because of it.
5
You’re not storing items properly in the fridge.
Speaking of your fridge, it’s also important where you store your groceries. Food safety experts say the best way to organize a fridge is to start with your leftovers and pr-cooked foods on the top shelf. Middle shelves should contain dairy products (milk, cheese) as well as eggs and juices. The lower shelves should contain any raw meats and fish that you plan on cooking soon. The bottom crisper should contain your fresh fruits and vegetables, and the doors should have all of your condiments and beverages. Storing your foods this way helps to keep your groceries sanitized after going through all of these safety precautions beforehand.
6
You’re not washing your reusable bags.
While some stores aren’t allowing the use of reusable bags right now, if you are going to a store that does allow it, you need to make sure you’re running those bags through the laundry before your next trip. This will help to prevent all kinds of germs to spread and food-borne illnesses to arise. So keep them clean.
7
Now here’s something you probably weren’t expecting, but it’s true. You do not need to wipe down every single item that you buy! According to the FDA, there is no evidence of COVID-19 spreading through packaged pantry goods, so you don’t have to wipe them down. However, if it would make you feel better to do so, make sure to leave them out on the counter after wiping them down so they can air dry. But trust us when we say, you don’t have to worry about it. It’s the refrigerated items you want to make sure are being stored in a clean fridge and your produce that needs rinsing before you cook. Take care folks and look after yourselves. GW