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.
George's Writers Corner, Weather, What's Happening

Something to Chew On With Your First Cup

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Morning. Thinking back I remember my Uncle saying that coffee tastes better when someone else makes it. I think he just liked having company.

Backwoods Weather Report – Port Loring, Ontario
Date: Wednesday, October 22, 2025

Well, it’s a calm one out there this morning. The temperature’s sitting around 41°F (5°C) with humidity at 78%, and not a breath of wind to be found. The barometer is steady, maybe starting to rise a touch, which usually means we’ll get a decent stretch of weather today.

Today:
Expect a mostly cloudy sky with a few peeks of sunshine through the day. It’ll stay cool, right around the low 40s, and with the air sitting still, it might feel a little damp if you’re out for long.

Tonight:
The clouds will thicken up again, and the temperature will drop close to freezing. Wouldn’t surprise me to see a light frost on the fields by morning. The air’ll stay calm and still, making it one of those cold, quiet nights.

Tomorrow (Thursday):
A mix of sun and cloud, with a slight breeze out of the northwest trying to move things along. It’ll stay cool — around 43°F (6°C) — and there could be a light shower later in the day if that barometer starts falling again.

Nature’s Signs:
The deer were moving along the back fields early this morning, noses low to the ground which is a sure sign they can smell the frost coming. The blue jays have been noisy, squabbling in the trees and at our bird feeder, which they often do before a change in weather. I even saw an old bull moose the other day while on my way to the dump out near the swamp, moving slower than usual. They all seem to know what’s on the way which is… colder nights and shorter days ahead.

On another note: Yesterday once again I made some good progress in my woodworking shop on them Native American flutes I’m making. Still lots of steps to do yet before they’re finished, but that’s the way things are when you’re making musical instruments. But then again, that’s how it is making anything in the old woodworking shop. I got a nice note from a fellow woodworker who’s been at it for over fifty years. He said he agreed with what I wrote earlier about how things just don’t last like they used to. He told me about a kitchen job he priced a few years back … the lady went with one of those store-bought ones instead. Well, just last week she called him to come fix the doors, as the hinge pockets had torn out of that MDF. Now she wants him to build new ones out of solid maple, finished proper. Goes to show, like he said, we surely do live in a throwaway society these days. That said, no one’s ever going to throw away my flutes, that’s for sure. They’re built to last a lifetime and then some if you take care of them … not like some of that store-bought stuff you see around these days. They’ve got real wood, real joints, and a bit of sweat and patience in every one.

So what are you up to today GW?

Well today I suspect I will carry on with them flutes, but one never knows, something else might strike my interest. Kinda nice being able to do that. But you know, being the age I am, I figure I earned that right. Anyway, you all have a great day. I am off for my breakfast that my lovely wife has made for me, and will then see what the day has in store.

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

George's Writers Corner, My Opinion Only, What’s Really Going On

When Nature Does What Nature Does

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Only On The Walters Post

You know, I read an article about the North Atlantic right whale the other day. Apparently, their numbers are up a little, more calves born, fewer getting tangled or struck by ships. Sounds like good news, and I guess it is. But in the midst of all that scientific talk, I couldn’t help but think: maybe nature’s just doing what it’s always done.

The way I see it, the earth has been balancing itself long before we showed up with clipboards and government forms. Some animals disappear, others show up in unexpected places, that’s just the natural order. It always has been.

These days, though, you can’t open a paper or turn on the radio without hearing about someone trying to “protect” something. There’s a group for every bird, fish, or patch of grass. I’m not saying we shouldn’t care, don’t get me wrong, but it seems like there’s a rush to save everything, whether it needs saving or not.

What really makes me shake my head are the folks who want to fence off hundreds, sometimes thousands, of acres of prime land for some little creature hardly anyone’s ever seen. Imagine that: hundreds of acres for a frog, a beetle, or maybe a patch of moss, while people struggle to find a place to build a home or grow a crop.

Now, I know the right whale’s had a tough time, and I’m glad the numbers are climbing again. But maybe that’s not entirely because of us. Maybe the ocean shifted, the food moved, and the whales just followed. Nature knows how to take care of itself if we give it some room.

So here is the thing: I’m not saying we should ignore the world around us. I just think we ought to use some common sense before trying to save everything in sight. Protect what truly needs protecting, sure, but remember, nature has a plan, too. Sometimes, the wisest thing we can do is simply not interfere.

Until the next time, keep your minds open and your stories alive.
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]

George's Writers Corner, My Opinion Only, What’s Really Going On

History Isn’t Meant to Be Comfortable

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Only on The Walters Post

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So, I was reading this article about all these Confederate statues being taken down, melted, and turned into art pieces, and it got me thinking. Now, don’t get me wrong, there’s no denying a lot of bad things went on back then. A lot of those Confederates were on the wrong side of history. But you know what? The other side wasn’t perfect either.

Now, about these statues being destroyed or turned into what some people call “art,” my take is simple. We shouldn’t pick and choose what stays and what goes just because it makes us uncomfortable. That was the way things were. Not pretty, not right by today’s measure, but real. If anything, those statues should stay standing as a reminder of what actually happened. Not as heroes. As history.

Kind of like that Aunt Jemima syrup that took the image off the label. Makes me shake my head. Back in the day, I always saw it as a nod of respect, strange as that sounds now. Funny how something so small can shift meaning depending on who’s looking and when.

So yeah, my take on things… leave the statues alone. Leave the books alone. Let people live with them, see them, learn from them. History isn’t always pretty, but it’s ours. Trying to hide it or melt it down into something easier to swallow doesn’t teach anyone anything. Better to see it, sit with it, and move on smarter than we were before.

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

George's Writers Corner, The Old Craftsman's Woodworking Shop, Weather, What's Happening

A Few Lines to Keep the Day Humble

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Good morning. You know, the older I get, the more I find that laughter and coffee fix most things… just not the same things. Coffee gets the body moving when the joints are stiff and the mind is foggy. Laughter, though, that’s what loosens the grip of worry, the kind that settles in your chest when you’ve been thinking too hard about things you can’t change. I’ve noticed they work best when you don’t force either one. A good laugh has to sneak up on you, same way the first sip of morning coffee tastes better when you’re not rushing it down.

Backwoods Weather Report – Port Loring, Ontario
Tuesday, October 21, 2025

Morning Update (8:30 a.m.)
The barometer is falling, a sure sign that weather’s moving in before long. Still, we’ve got a wee bit of sunshine slipping through this morning, lighting up the wet grass and warming things just enough to make you think maybe it’ll hold. The air’s 41°F (5°C) with 86% humidity, and the wind’s just a lazy breeze out of the east-northeast at 3 km/h. Feels calm for now, but that quiet has a weight to it — like the woods are waiting.

Today:
Enjoy that morning sun while it lasts, because clouds will thicken as the day goes on, with light rain or drizzle likely by mid to late afternoon. The temperature will climb to around 46°F (8°C), though the dampness will make it feel cooler.

Tonight:
The sky should stay overcast, and you can expect patchy fog or mist in the hollows. Lows around 37°F (3°C). A good night for the fire and maybe a cup of something warm, the kind that doesn’t come from the kettle.

Tomorrow (Wednesday):
Still mostly cloudy early, with a few lingering showers, then slow clearing late in the day as the system slides out. Temperatures near 48°F (9°C), and the barometer will start to rise, pointing toward a stretch of fairer weather ahead.

Nature’s Signs:
This morning’s sunshine brought a few chickadees and doves out to our bird-feeder, but not much else. The woods are quiet, the air’s heavy, and that faint smell of damp leaves says the rain isn’t far off.

On another note, yesterday I worked the whole day in my woodworking shop on that batch of new Native American flutes I’m making. Things have been rolling along pretty good, which makes it nice. Nothing worse than spending hours on something time-consuming only to have it all go sideways on you.

So what are you up to today, GW?

Well, today I’ll be continuing on with those flutes. That said, I did bring a new chopping block into my shop earlier this morning. My old one finally gave up the ghost. But it didn’t go to waste. It’s still keeping me warm, just in another way now.

So with that, I’m off for my breakfast that my lovely wife is making for me. Then I’ll have a cup of tea while enjoying our regular morning chat. Can’t miss that. After that, I’ll see what the old world has planned for me.

Until the next time, keep your minds open and your stories alive. 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]

Weather

Backwoods Weather Report – Port Loring, Ontario

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Date: October 20, 2025

Good Morning: Well, it’s a chilly start this morning at 45 F (7 Celsius), and the air’s sticky with humidity around 80 percent. The barometer’s low and steady this morning, so nothing sudden, but you can feel the day holding its breath. Winds are calm from the west-northwest, barely moving, which is nice for a slow start, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the clouds thicken later.

Tonight, it’ll dip into the low 40s F (just above freezing), and the damp air’s going to linger. The sky’s mostly cloudy, and the wind stays quiet… a night to hear the woods settle, the kind that makes you pause and listen.

Tomorrow, highs only around 50 F (10 Celsius). The sun might peek through here and there, but it won’t bring much warmth. Winds light from the west, and with the lingering moisture in the air, the day will feel raw, like it’s holding a bit of the night with it. Perfect weather for staying close to the stove, or the kettle.

Nature’s Signs:
Look around the sky—clouds moving fast from the west-northwest tell you a front’s shifting in, nothing drastic but a change is coming. The smell of wet earth is strong, and moss on the north sides of trees is plump, both signs that moisture’s sticking around. The old timers would watch this sort of thing, reading the woods instead of a forecast, letting the clouds and wind and air pressure tell them what’s coming before it hits.

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]