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Good morning. You know, I’ve been doing this long enough to know that not every morning has a lesson to be learned, but in saying that… some still manage to surprise me.

Here’s the low-down on our weather for today, tonight, and tomorrow:

• Today (Wednesday): Expect intervals of clouds and sunshine, with a spotty thunderstorm this afternoon. High close to 79 °F (26 °C), dipping to around 60 °F (15 °C) tonight. Perfect fishing morning, but keep an eye on the sky later, as those afternoon storms can sneak up.
• Tonight: With that low around 60 °F (15 °C), a light jacket might be just the thing once the sun sets, if out by the camp fire. The breeze will be calm, so you’ll get a quiet night.
• Tomorrow (Thursday): It’s shaping up to be mostly sunny and downright delightful—high near 79 °F (26 °C), low about 57 °F (14 °C). Ideal for morning fishing or porch-sitting.

Fishing Times for Port Loring – Wednesday, July 9

Well, if you’re thinking about dropping a line today, here’s the sweet spots:

• Best time to wet a line: 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM
• Pretty fair early bite: Around 3:15 AM to 4:15 AM (if you’re up with the loons)
• Evening stir: Just before dark, from 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM

Fishing Tip of the Day:
If the bite slows down, don’t go changin’ your whole setup right away. Sometimes all it takes is moving twenty feet or throwing from a different angle. Fish aren’t always fussy, but they can be moody. Give it a little time before you start second-guessing yourself.

Highway 522 Report:
Traffic’s been picking up these days with lots of campers rollin’ through, trucks towing boats behind them, all of them looking to settle into their favorite fishing holes. Others just want a glimpse of how we live up here in the north. And honestly, who can blame them? This really is one of the finest places in all of Ontario. More folks are setting their sights on this area too—some just visiting, but more and more are lookin’ to stay. Can’t say I blame ’em, especially with places like ours hitting the market. There’s a lot to love up here, that’s for sure.

On another note, yesterday, my wife decided to head off to North Bay to pick up a few things we were in need of. While we were there, we filled up the car with gas. Looking around, we saw that half the gas stations were selling regular for $1.43 a liter, and the other half were down around $1.26. Actually, it was the same the last time we were in town. So when we see a place gouging folks, we just move along to the cheaper one. Makes me shake my old head at what they’re doing.

At any rate, we picked up what we needed—and then some. Ended up having a Canadian pizza at East Side Mario’s with a nice cup of iced sweet tea, had a nice chat with our favourite waitress, and then grabbed a coffee for the ride home. We then took our time, enjoying everything back roads had to offer—which, if you keep your eyes open, is quite a bit. Pulled back into our driveway around 5:00 PM. All in all, a long, busy day—but a good day.

So what are you up to today, GW?

Well, being market day here in our small town means there’s a good chance, folks will be out and about. So we’ll be putting our garage sale signs back up and opening the doors to our gift shop once again.

We’ve had a steady stream so far of people stopping by this spring, picking out things that caught their eye. But there’s still plenty left, so don’t be thinking we’re all picked over. That sure isn’t the case. Especially in the gift shop, where we’ve added all sorts of new pieces we designed and made over the winter, right here in our own workshop. Each one is unique and just waiting to find the right home.

We also just set out a fresh batch of our handmade flutes and opened a new box of books I’ve written. Truth be told, we’ve been having a hard time keeping them on the shelves with the way folks have been picking them up lately.

So if you’re in the area and feel like seeing something a little different, drop by 11588 Highway 522 here in Port Loring, Ontario. You won’t leave empty-handed, and I reckon you’ll be glad you came.

With that, I’m off to enjoy the breakfast my lovely wife made for me—a couple of breakfast sausages wrapped in fresh lettuce, along with a soft-boiled egg. It’s the kind of meal that’ll stick with you right up till lunchtime and keep a fellow going.

Until the next time: Keep Your Minds Open & Your Stories Alive. GW