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, News, Information & Events, What's Happening

Something Small to Begin the Day With

Leave a comment

Click on Image to Enlarge

Good morning. You know, I’ve carried my share of regrets, such as moments I failed to appreciate and chances I let slip, but never once have I regretted the life I chose. That road was mine, crooked as it was, and I would walk it again.

So, it is a bit cloudy out there this morning, and we did get some much-needed rain through the night. That said, I’m hoping we’ll see at least a little bit of sunshine today.

Here is our weather for Port Loring, Ontario, Canada:

Today (Sept 26): Mostly cloudy, with a chance of a passing shower. High around 18 °C (64 °F).
Tonight: Cooler, with temperatures dropping to about 6 °C (43 °F).
Tomorrow (Sept 27): Breezy, with a mix of sun and cloud. High near 22 °C (71 °F), low around 10 °C (50 °F).

Highway 522 saw quite a bit of traffic yesterday, with lots of trucks and cars pulling boats, ATV s, and just about everything else. The reason is that many hunters and fishermen are taking advantage of our nice weather. Truth be told, this is about the best time of year to be in our neck of the woods. The leaves are turning color, there are no bugs, and the solitude people seek can only be found in areas like ours.

On another note, yesterday I managed to finish my new desktop. I put three coats of urethane on it and let it dry in the old woodworking shop overnight. I have to say, it sure looks nice—you could call it a one-of-a-kind desk. After that, I worked a bit in our gardens, cleaning out things that are done for the year. Once that was finished, my wife and I took advantage of some sunshine that decided to show itself on our front porch. All in all, in spite of not feeling up to par, it was a good day.

So what are you up to today GW?

Well, today, now that I’ve finally finished the desktop, I’ll be carrying it into its new home and setting things in order. But first, I have to deal with the few wires under the desk. My son told me to tag each one so I’ll know where they go. Makes sense—otherwise, I’ll end up pulling my hair out later. I’ve always said, learn from the past and move on, though in this case, I “learn the hard way first.”

After that, I’ll lend a hand to my wife. She’s been out there working harder than most men I’ve known, putting our flower gardens to bed for the winter. Timing is everything with those gardens. Miss the window and you’ll be paying for it twice over come spring. She never misses.

With that, I’m off to enjoy the breakfast my lovely wife has made. She’s worked hard all morning, and I get to reap the rewards. After that, I’ll see what the day has in store. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll stay one step ahead of those wires.

Until next time: Keep Your Minds Open & Your Stories Alive.
GW, From the Desk Where I’ve Seen It All.

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, Weather, What's Happening

A Few Lines to Carry You Into the Morning

Leave a comment

Click On Image to Enlarge

Good morning, every blank page is a chance to start over. Don’t waste it worrying about yesterday’s scribbles.

Here’s the weather outlook for Port Loring, Ontario, today, tonight, and into tomorrow:

🌧️ Today & Tonight (Sept 25)

  • Now / Daytime: Mostly cloudy, about 16 °C (60 °F).
  • High: Around 21 °C (69 °F)
  • Evening / Overnight Low: Down to 12 °C (53 °F)
  • Conditions: Periods of rain expected through the day and into tonight.

⛅ Tomorrow (Sept 26)

  • Sky: Mostly cloudy
  • High: Around 18 °C (65 °F)
  • Low: Near 9 °C (48 °F)
  • Precipitation: There’s a chance of a passing shower.

Highway 522 has been pretty quiet these past few days, although there are a few hunters entering our area. As for myself, I don’t go hunting anymore. At my age, things have changed in that department. If some meat is needed, I head to the meat store we buy from and pick up some grass-fed beef. It seems the older I get, the less things like going hunting mean to me. It’s funny how life changes, or should I say, how the mind changes.

On another note, yesterday I managed to get my new desktop cut out, sanded, and stained twice with an Early American stain. I have to say, it turned out mighty fine. It makes things nice when everything comes together. On top of that, I picked some more tomatoes and put them out on our wagon for sale. They are getting close to being finished for another year, and I am going to be sad to see them go. But, in saying that, we do have a lot in the freezer, which should last us for the winter and into next spring.

So, what are you up to today, GW?

Well, today I am planning on putting two or three coats of urethane on the new desktop and letting it dry in the old woodworking shop. Once I get that finished tomorrow, I can install it onto the frame of my old desk. I can’t wait to see what it looks like.

With that, I am off to have the breakfast my wife has prepared for me. It should give me the energy I need for a full day of projects, stories, or whatever else comes my way. But as I always say, you just never know.

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, Health, My Opinion Only

Tylenol, Trump, and a Few Thoughts of My Own

Leave a comment

Only On The Walters Post

I’m no doctor, and I don’t hand out medical advice, but what I can do is share my own thoughts and what I’ve seen and learned over the years.

Lately, there’s been talk about Tylenol—acetaminophen—after Trump claimed it might not be as safe as we’ve all been told, especially for pregnant women. Right away, Health Canada and other experts responded by saying there’s no conclusive proof tying Tylenol to autism. That’s fair, and they have their evidence lined up.

But here’s a fact no one disputes: Tylenol is hard on the liver if you take too much. That’s written right on the label. Doctors, pharmacists, and health departments all warn about it. The damage it can cause is real, and it doesn’t take much of an overdose to get there.

In my opinion, that’s worth paying attention to. We’ve gotten used to reaching for a pill for every ache and fever, and Tylenol is one of the easiest to grab. But just because it’s common doesn’t mean it’s harmless.

So when Trump says maybe we ought to take a harder look, I don’t think he’s completely off track. He might not have all the science tied up in a bow, but sometimes it takes an outsider to voice the doubts regular folks already have.

Now I’m not saying never take it as Pain and fever need treating. But I am saying we ought to be cautious, ask questions, and remember that even the “safe” drugs come with warnings for a reason.

That’s my take, plain and simple.

Until the next time: Keep Your Minds Open & Your Stories Alive.
—GW, From the Desk Where I’ve Seen It All

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

Trading Ourselves Into a Corner

Leave a comment

Only On The Walters Post

So here we are again. We just barely crawled through the mess with the good old USA, tariffs, Trump, all that, and now our bright idea is to go knocking on China’s door? That’s not just a speed bump, that’s a straight-up pothole big enough to swallow the whole damn car.

Look... from where I sit, China isn’t the partner we ought to be cozying up with. They’ve got their fingers in every store shelf, every gadget, every piece of cheap junk that falls apart the second you bring it home. And we’re supposed to believe more trade with them is the golden ticket? No thanks.

The truth is, we’ve been selling off our backbone for decades. Instead of making things here, for our own people, we ship the work overseas because it’s “cheaper.” Cheaper for who? Sure isn’t cheaper for the family trying to make a living wage. What it really is, is cheaper for the big shots and their shareholders, all worshiping at the altar of the almighty dollar.

We don’t need more “partnerships” with countries that don’t share our values or our interests. We need partnerships with ourselves, with our workers, our farmers, our small businesses. Remember them? They’re the ones who built this country. But nah, our leaders would rather play dress-up on the world stage, pretending they’re pulling strings, while the strings are already tied around our necks.

Here’s the kicker: this isn’t about trade, it’s about control. The more we depend on imports, the less say we have over our own future. And China, of all places, is not the kind of landlord you want collecting rent.

So instead of jumping into another ring of fire, maybe it’s time we took a step back. Make it here, grow it here, build it here. Stop pretending the world owes us a deal and start remembering we can still make our own damn hammer, grow our own damn tomato, and fix our own damn tractor.

Because if we don’t, folks, the joke’s on us… and it won’t be funny.

Until the next time: Keep Your Minds Open & Your Stories Alive.
—GW, From the Desk Where I’ve Seen It All

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, Weather, What's Happening

A Handful of Words to Start Your Day

Leave a comment

Click on Image to Enlarge

Good morning. You know, over the years I have found that words are a bit like an old wood stove. If you fill them up carelessly, they smolder half-burned. Keep at them, stir them, and tend them properly, and suddenly they light up the room. But neglect them, and you’re left with a room full of smoke.

Well by the looks of things were are in for a nice day here in good ol Port Loring Ontario Canada.

Currently 62° · Mostly sunny

Partly sunny and pleasantToday71°56°Partly sunny and pleasant
Periods of rainThursday69°53°Periods of rain
Considerable clouds with a passing showerFriday65°51°Considerable clouds with a passing shower

Highway 522 wasn’t all that busy yesterday. There were a few campers passing through, but with this nice weather, I figure we’ll see more day-trippers out and about. Especially the bikers, since it won’t be long before they have to tuck their bikes away for the winter. Winter is slowly edging closer. Truth be told, I can feel it, it’s like that first nip in the air when the loon calls from the far side of the lake, as if to say, “Get ready, the long sleep’s coming.”

On another note, yesterday was one of those days that sneaks up on you and makes you wonder what you were thinking. I finally got my new desktop pretty much all made and sanded, so I decided to clear my old desk—monitors, wires, the whole mess—so I could lay the new top down and mark it out. Simple enough, right? Well, you’d think so.

I only had two—no, three—wires to worry about: one from my Starlink and two running to a few other things. I figured I’d remember where they went. Ha! Wires ended up everywhere. I spent over three hours trying to untangle the mess after marking the new top, and still couldn’t get anything working.

By the end of the day, I figured my son Karl, being home from work, could help. I called him and tried to explain what I’d done. He laughed, asked a few questions, and somehow—somehow—he had it all figured out in fifteen minutes. All of a sudden, my computer was up and running again.

I have to tell you, I’ve never been so happy to sink back into my old La-Z-Boy. I didn’t do a thing the rest of the evening. Truth be told, if it weren’t for Karl, this computer might never have run again.

So what are you up to today GW?

Well, today I am going to cut this new desktop to shape and size—that is, after I mark some wires. My son says to label each end of where they should go for future projects, which I am going to do. Sometimes it’s the simple things in life that can save a whole—and I mean a whole—mess of stress.

And then, if the weather holds, I am planning on heading to our front porch and doing some front porch sitting, as these nice days aren’t going to be around forever. There is no better time of year to sit outside than now, with the leaves all turning color and taking in how nature is slowing down for another year.

So yeah, that’s the plan. Whether it all works out that way—well, we will have to see.

So with that, I am off to enjoy the breakfast my lovely wife has made for me—pan-fried bread covered with fresh berries and all sorts of delicious things. I have to say, that woman of mine has a knack for creating meals that would put even a five-star restaurant to shame.

Until the next time: Keep Your Minds Open & Your Stories Alive.
—GW, From the Desk Where I’ve Seen It All

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]