All posts by George Walters

George Walters is a Canadian columnist and author with more than forty years of writing experience. For over twenty years he has written a weekly column for Postmedia Network — Canada's largest newspaper chain — never missing a single week, publishing fifty-two stories a year. Combined with his work in Reader's Digest Community Voices, World News, Country Living, The Country Register, and farm and rural lifestyle magazines across Canada, he has published well over two thousand stories drawn from everyday life. He writes about farm work, fishing, old trucks, and the kind of people you only find in small towns — but just as likely he'll hand a voice to a weathered telephone pole, or turn his eye on something happening in the world today and tell you exactly what he thinks about it. No subject is off limits. If there's a story in it, George will find it. He has been called a philosopher of everyday life, a description that came up more than once during his television appearances over the years — and it's not hard to see why. His writing has a way of making the ordinary feel worth sitting with. He is the author of eleven books, including yearly short story collections and the Clay Moretti Files mystery series. Clay is a fifty-year-old private investigator who drives a 1967 Ford Galaxie, smokes cigars, and operates by a code the modern world gave up on a long time ago. The cases are present day. The man handling them is not. All titles are available in paperback and eBook on Amazon. Together, George and his wife Ruth have also created Elmer Finds His Way, the first in what he hopes will be a long series of children's books. Ruth did all the illustrations, as she has for every one of George's books — and beyond that she designed and painted the covers as well. Her work is woven into every page of everything he has published. A few words from readers: "I pulled up a kitchen chair and read your story three times." "You have a way of making a person homesick for a place they haven't been to." "Thank you for writing things that make old people and kids feel the same way at the same time." All my titles are available in paperback and eBook on Amazon.ca here.

Unraveling What’s Happening On Feb. 14/2024

Good Morning, where the sun’s greeting us with open arms like a long-lost friend, but the cold’s giving us the cold shoulder!

Yes it is a cold one waking up here in Cottage country, but as I said, the sun is shinning which makes it feel a lot nicer. The temperature at the time of this post was sitting at … -17.4 C | 0.68 F

Highway 522 does have some icy sections throughout, especially going towards Highway 69, but it’s always that way, or so it seems. I find that time slows down driving on Highway 522 chocked up to all the neat things you see along the way. It’s not just about getting from point A to point B; it’s about enjoyin’ the journey, one mile at a time.

Politician Humor: “Back in my day, politicians were like hens in a hen house, always clucking, never laying any eggs! They haven’t changed all that much over the years.”

On another note, yesterday, my wife and I managed to get our driveway cleaned out and the snow off our decks. Took us a bit, but we enjoyed the fresh air and the exercise was nice too. In part.

Today, well, I never really know what I will be doing, I reckon you could say I’m like a prospector with a rusty shovel, digging for nuggets of wisdom, occasionally striking it rich, and always discovering little treasures along the way! Life is sure interesting to say the least.

With that, I am off for a bowl of porridge that my lovely wife is making for me.

Have a great day, and remember: A fence that’s built to last is built one post at a time. Take each day as it comes, GW

All my books are available on my Amazon Author Page.

If you purchase a book, a brief Amazon review really helps new readers discover my work—it means a lot.

Support my writing: Support My Writing

In Closing, I Would Like to Wish You Well!

George Walters | [email protected]

“Ford’s Government Ditches License Plate Renewals: A Welcome Change”

I must say, Doug Ford’s government’s move to scrap license plate renewals is a smart decision. It’s the kind of practical thinking we need more of these days. GW

All my books are available on my Amazon Author Page.

If you purchase a book, a brief Amazon review really helps new readers discover my work—it means a lot.

Support my writing: Support My Writing

In Closing, I Would Like to Wish You Well!

George Walters | [email protected]

Keeping You Posted on Small Town Life Here In The North On Feb. 13/2024

Good morning! Where last night’s snowfall turned the town into a picture-perfect scene straight out of a holiday card! Actually better.

So we all woke up to some snow here in cottage country. I would say so far we had 6 or so inches. Which means I will have to wake up our snowblower a bit later on today or … wait until tomorrow. It’s still snowing, so I will wait till it has it out of its system. The good news is, the snow is real light, which will make shoveling a lot easier.

Highway 522 is snow covered throughout, and so far this morning I have only seen one truck roll by our home. But If you are planning on going somewhere today, remember: Fresh snow is as slippery as a politician in election season! Keep a grip and stay safe!

Dad would sometimes tell me tales of winters past, about when the snow was piled so high that it covered the fences and turned the world into a sparkling wonderland. “Why, you couldn’t tell where the yard ended, and the sky began!” he’d say, his eyes twinkling with the memories of what it was like when he was growing up. I would smile, knowing … that, in the north, winter isn’t just a season, it’s a way of life. As it is here in Cottage country today.

On another note, I worked once again here at my computer, writing up a couple more stories for my newspaper columns. I like to get a few ahead so I won’t have to be sitting in the house when the warm weather arrives. I do enjoy writing, though, and look forward to bringing words to life. But I must say that this winter so far, I have been doing more things outside than I was doing. Which is a good thing, as it keeps the mind spry and body moving, and I sure need it. And with the snow we had overnight, my wife and I will be getting some more exercise a bit later on in the day, or tomorrow.

With that, I am off for a bowl of porridge and a piece of toast that my lovely wife has put together for me, and then will see what the day has in store.

I hope you all have a great day, and remember: “You can’t milk a cow by whispering sweet nothing’s. Sometimes you have to roll up your sleeves, grab a bucket, and get your hands dirty – just watch out for the kickback.”

You might have had to milked cows by hand to understand that statement. GW

All my books are available on my Amazon Author Page.

If you purchase a book, a brief Amazon review really helps new readers discover my work—it means a lot.

Support my writing: Support My Writing

In Closing, I Would Like to Wish You Well!

George Walters | [email protected]

Food For Thought

In this post, I want to talk about a little something called the carbon tax, a modern-day imposition that’s got the working man scratching his head and his pocketbook feeling lighter.

You see, in the grand scheme of things, the powers that be, have decided that slapping a tax on carbon emissions is the way to go. They say it’s for the good of the environment, a noble cause if there ever was one. But let me tell you, from where I’m sitting, it’s the working man who’s bearing the brunt of this burden.

Now, they’ll try to sell you on the idea that they’re being oh-so-generous by giving us a refund now and then. But let’s call a spade a spade. Simply put, charging carbon taxes to the working man, and then handing back a fraction of it, in the form of a refund, is like taking a dollar out of your left pocket, giving you back a quarter, and expecting you to like it.

And what’s worse, this whole charade isn’t doing diddly squat for the environment. You see, while they’re busy patting themselves on the back for being eco-warriors, the reality is that the working man is left struggling to make ends meet. The cost of living keeps climbing, and every extra penny squeezed out of our pockets for carbon taxes just adds to the hardship.

Back in my day, we didn’t have fancy terms like “carbon footprint” or “emissions trading schemes.” But what we did have was common sense. And let me tell you, there’s nothing sensible about burdening the hardworking folks who keep the wheels turning, with a tax that’s as ineffective as a screen door on a submarine.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m all for doing right by Mother Nature. But there’s got to be a better way than squeezing the life out of the working man’s paycheck. I think it’s time for the powers that be to wake up and smell the coffee brewing. We need solutions that don’t just sound good on paper, but actually make a difference where it counts.

So, that’s my two cents for what it’s worth: In closing, I think we need to put our heads together, and come up with real solutions that benefit everyone, not just line the pockets of the bigwigs up in their ivory towers. Because at the end of the day, it’s the working man, the backbone of this country we call Canada … who deserves better than being treated like a piggy bank for the powers that be. And don’t get me talking about taxes other than the carbon tax.

That’s another story in itself. All Of The Above Is My Opinion Of Course. GW

All my books are available on my Amazon Author Page.

If you purchase a book, a brief Amazon review really helps new readers discover my work—it means a lot.

Support my writing: Support My Writing

In Closing, I Would Like to Wish You Well!

George Walters | [email protected]

In Search of Hardwood for Crafting an Axe Handle

Hi Folks, I am looking for a piece of hardwood for making an axe handle. I have an old axe that I want to make one for. Iron wood would be my choice if anyone has a piece, but I would settle for ash or hickory. The piece would need to be a few inches over 36 inches long. I usually have some hardwood lying around, but it seems I am all out. Anyway, have a great day. GW

All my books are available on my Amazon Author Page.

If you purchase a book, a brief Amazon review really helps new readers discover my work—it means a lot.

Support my writing: Support My Writing

In Closing, I Would Like to Wish You Well!

George Walters | [email protected]