Good Morning!

Well … here it is July 1st. Boy, time sure fly’s by. One minute we are in the midst of winter, the next we are in the middle of summer, heading towards fall. Although, winter isn’t something I am looking forward to at the moment. Looking outside, there is a bit of haze, but that is all it is. There isn’t any smoke in the air … as yet, but that could change in the coming days as we are going to be in for some really hot weather for the next four or five days. Let’s hope it stays clear of our area.

Highway 522 is still quiet, but I suspect it will get busier every day now. But in saying that, we have had a steady stream of folks dropping by our small gift shop picking up a few of our unique items. It’s nice to see folks out and about enjoying themselves.

Bug Report: There are a few deer flies around, but for most parts things are good.

On another note, my wife and I did take it a bit easy yesterday, and today I will see about working up my vegetable garden a wee bit. Our tomatoes and potatoes need to be hilled, along with removing some suckers from the tomatoes. In doing so, we will have some better tasting produce along with them being a touch larger. It’s also time for us to start doing up things for winter. Out with the old and in with the new is our way of thinking. In doing so, we eat healthier along with saving us a lot of money come winter. And I am thinking food is going to get a lot more expensive. And I also believe we are going to lose a lot of the quality as we here in Canada relies too much on other countries for food. We should be growing it here in our own country.

With that, I am off for a bowl of cereal and will then see what the day has in store.

Have a great day! GW

Good Morning!

We are starting the day off with some rain, which will make the plants and things happy. It will also help with the forest fires that are out of control all through the north. We should also see some sunshine throughout the day along with a possible thunderstorm. We will have to see what develops as the day moves forward. The good news is, we don’t have to water our veggie garden for a few days. But in saying that, we are in for some more really hot weather starting on Saturday and lasting until next Thursday. So you might have to follow the shade for a few days, along with wearing a hat.

Highway 522 was quiet yesterday, not many folks moving around. But that will change now that the kids are out of school, along with a lot of people starting their summer holidays.

Bug Report: Things are pretty good in that department these days, other than some small ones that are attracted by the exhaust fumes from your car or equipment. They don’t usually bite, but they are annoying as there are so many of them.

On another note, my wife and I did get all our grass cut and trimmed up yesterday. It took us most of the morning. The grounds around our home looks like a manicured park. Actually better, as over the years my wife and I have developed a knack in making things look pretty. Today I will clean up my shop as it is a mess with all the work we have been doing on the house. After that we will see, if it isn’t too hot in the coming days I might extend one of our decks making it a touch larger. I need room for the new outdoor checkerboard I made awhile back. Ha ha. We will see how that goes.

With that, I am off for some pancakes that my lovely wife is preparing, and will then see what the day has in store other than what I have planned. I never know, really.

Have a great day!

Good Morning Folks!

It’s a sunny morning here, waking up, and the skies are clear of smoke and clouds. How long that will last is another question, that I don’t really have and answer for. The one thing in our favor is that there is hardly no wind at all, and what we do have is coming in from the SS East. Let’s hope the trend continues. On the downside of things, the next rain we get, that is, if we do get any, will be on Friday afternoon. After that we are back into some hot dry weather again for a week.

Bug Report: Actually they aren’t bad at all in our area at the moment, which makes it nice for working outdoors, or just sitting enjoying nature. Which is what my wife and I need to do.

Highway 522 is picking up and as I said yesterday with the kids getting out of school and people starting their holidays for the year, I suspect things will pick up a lot and even more if they lift the fire-ban for nighttime burning. Reason being that people that comes into cottage country like to sit around the campfires at night roasting marshmallows, have a few beers, along with swapping some lies. Or at least that is what I used to do growing up.

On another note, my wife and I finished up installing new eves on the one side and front of our home yesterday. It took a lot out of us having to do everything ourselves from a ladder, but we managed. My wife doing most of the ladder work. Today is mowing day, which takes the morning to accomplish. After that, I suspect we will both be ready for a shower and wanting to put our feet up. We will see how that goes. I still can’t stand or walk too far without having to sit down and rest for a while. But I am moving and doing some things, so not complaining. As I keep on saying, it’s nice to be able to walk to the front porch or chat to folks that drops by. Actually, Barry, my fishing buddy, dropped by yesterday, and we had a good old chat for an hour or so while sitting in the shade. It was sure nice to see him.

With that I am off for a bagel with a sweet topping as my wife says I need sweetening up a bit. Ha ha. Could be she is right. After that, I will head on outdoors.

Oh, and yesterday we had some folks drop by from Beamsville my hometown saying hello. They were telling me one of the owners of Stad’s Lumber reads my Blog every morning, he is in his 90’s. I remember he gave me a great deal on lumber many years ago for our deck when we had our farm on Aberdeen Road. They were great folks to deal with. I wish you all the best, my friend.

Have a great day. GW

Good Morning!

It’s a cloudy morning here in Cottage Country, but the good news is the smoke that has been in our area is all but gone, at least for now. And on top of all that, we had some rain. Looking out at my vegetable garden, it looks as if things have grown a foot. Of course the weeds have also grown which is saying that I need to sharpen my hoe. It also has cooled down a lot, but once the sun makes its appearance it will warm up a lot.

Highway 522 was quiet with all the smoke in our area, but it will pick up now, being that we are nearing July. And it is the long weekend coming up, and the kids are out of school. Summer is here, be it what it is. With the price of gas and things, I am thinking a lot of people will be watching their spending, which is a good thing.

Bug Report: All is well in that department other than a few mosquitoes.

On another note, yesterday my wife and I took it a bit easy as being so busy for the past week or so we decided to give our bodies a rest. Today I have some outside work that needs attending, so I will see how that works out. I never know these days it all boils down to what my body is capable of doing.

With that, I am off for a bite to eat that my lovely wife is making for me.

Have a great day, enjoy the sunshine. GW

Good Morning!

Well, we finally got some much-needed rain in our area, which in turn got rid of most of the smoke that was in our midst. The rain did help, but the winds switching from the east to the west helped even more. And it should be noted, that forest fires have been taking place for as long as our earth has been around. And on top of that, the fires are a valuable asset in how the trees and plants reproduce and stay healthy. Now with us humans it is a different story, but if our earth is to survive we have to learn to live with these things as much as we don’t like it. And truth be told, there isn’t much we can do about it. Nature has her own way of taking care of business, and we humans aren’t going to change her way of doing things. Being a farmer for a good number of years, I have learned that.

Highway 522 is getting busier every day. I say that as more folks are dropping by our small store seeking out that special treasure, and we have lots of them. It is nice to see and chat to folks.

Bug Report: Everything is good in that department these days, other than some mosquitoes. And once the sun comes back out, they will be less noticed.

On another note, my wife and I went to North Bay yesterday, picking up some supplies and groceries. I have to tell you, things are sure expensive these days, makes me shake my head at what some are charging for items. And the thing is, most of the high prices aren’t warranted. As I always say, once they have the price up there, they don’t bring it back down. It seems it’s all about making the all mighty dollar these days, not what is good for the people.

After we picked up what we needed we had our lunch in our car and headed on home taking in what nature had to offer which was quite a lot really. It seems that no matter how many times we go to town, we always see something new.

Have a great day! GW

Good Morning!

Well, starting things off, we are in the midst of a lot of smoke this morning, which is caused by the forest fires in Quebec and North East of us. You can really smell and see it this morning. A blue haze covering our whole area. So care will have to be taken if out and about for any length of time. But in saying that we have been lucky, as for most of the year so far it has stayed clear of us. It all depends on which way the wind is coming from. So until the wind changes direction, or we get some rain, we will have to put up with it. Other than that it is a nice day with the temperature sitting at 17.1 C | 62.78 F. We should be getting some rain later on this afternoon and through the night. I hope so, as we sure need it, as do the plants and things. A lot of humans only think of their own kind, when in reality there are a lot of other things, and critters that are effected. Even the soil for that matter.

Bug Report: Every thing is good in that department other than a few Mosquitoes and Deer Flies, which aren’t all that bad.

Highway 522 is or was busy with lots of people roaming around our area from other parts of the world, along with a lot of motorcycles. There is also a lot of new homes and buildings being built these days, as there is a never-end amount of trucks with building materials going up and down our highway. Sign of the time, I suppose. Is it a good thing? Well … I can tell you what I think, but it wouldn’t do any good. It’s kind of like when folks say the more business in the area, the better, when in reality if there are too many, all selling the same thing, the end results are that the business community dies. Being the age my wife and I are, we have seen it all. At any rate, folks do what they do, that’s how they learn. Right?

On another note, my wife and I worked most of the day installing our new eve troughs along the one side of our home yesterday, as the fellow we had working on it had some issues. So, wanting it done, we decided to finish it ourselves. It was a job for sure, and we still aren’t finished, but will finish it this morning if things goes to plan. My wife is doing the ladder end of things. She is a worker for sure. It isn’t getting done as fast, but it’s getting done. And if it doesn’t rain, we will have to water our veggie gardens. I am hoping it rains, Ha ha.

We also have been steadily eating this year’s garlic, digging one every day and adding it to our daily in-take of food. I like it now as it is so tasty and not as hot. You should try it sometime. We also are using the Scapes, a top part of the garlic in our salads that we are getting from our gardens now I have to tell you it sure tastes good. If you have never had fresh lettuce or spinach you’re sure missing out as there is no comparison to what they are selling in the grocery stores these days.

With that, I am off for some pancakes this morning and my lovely wife just opened another jug of Mike Clappertons Maple Syrup. I don’t think there is any better out there these days.

Have a great day. GW

Good Morning!

Looking outside, things are shaping up to be a real nice day. The sun is slowly rising in the east, which makes me happy I am able to get out of bed. My wife and I enjoy the morning sunrise every bit as much as the sunsets. It will warm up a lot as the day moves forward. This is the kind of weather that you need to get up early and get your outside chores all done up before 10 when the heat arrives. It’s nothing new for my wife and I, being farmers in the beginning we were always out of bed by 5, sometimes earlier. We had a whole day’s work done before most folks even thought about rollin’ outta bed. Ha ha! Them days, sure do bring a smile to my face, though I have to admit, I’m mighty glad for the things we’re able to do nowadays. It’s a different kind of satisfaction.

Highway 522 is getting busier every day with a lot of new folks, tourists and cottage folks roaming around. It is nice to see folks out and about enjoying life.

Bug Report: All is good these days other than a few mosquitoes and deer flies. Other than eating a bit of garlic or wearing some green clothing, there isn’t much you can do. For me, they don’t bother me all that much and the ones that do … well my old hat takes care of them.

On another note, being so dry, my wife and I watered my veggie garden. With the sunny, warm weather and the water we have been giving our plants, they are growing leaps and bounds. I will take a few pictures later on to show you how they are making out.

Today we will finish up our eaves, all that is left is to put our eve troughs back up, and we should be good for the summer.

With that I am off for a bagel that my lovely wife is preparing for me and will then see what the day has in store other than what I have planned. Who knows what kind of shenanigans and adventures await me?

Enjoy your day, and remember, the power to make it truly good rests solely in your hands. GW

Good Morning!

It’s another hazy morning, waking up in cottage country. Once the sun is out of bed, it will burn it off. It is also a bit cloudy, which will make the heat a bit more bearable. The good news is, we should be seeing some rain over the next three or four days. Which would be nice as things are very dry out there.

Bug Report: Other than some Deer Flies and a few Mosquitoes, things are pretty nice these days.

Yesterday, my wife and I got up early and got our mowing out of the way before the heat hit. Sure looks pretty now. I enjoy nothing more than looking around our property when things are all done up right. The good news is my old riding mower is working okay after I fixed it a bit. But with that, my weed eater is not running that good. So I am going to have to see if I can fix it. If not, I will drop it off at a repair shop in North Bay the next time we are in town. I can’t complain though, as most of my equipment is on the older side, something like myself. Ha ha.

Today I am going to work a bit in my shop on some projects I have on the go. After that, I will pick a spot in the shade and relax. Maybe a game of horse shoes or two with my wife.

With that I am off for a Bagel that my lovely wife is putting together for me and will then see what the day has in store, other than what I have planned.

Have a good day! GW

Good Morning!

It’s another hazy, lazy morning here, waking up in Cottage Country. The sun is slowly creeping over the horizon, and it won’t be long before it starts to show itself in earnest. It will also be another hot day, so hot my wife and I decided to get up earlier than we usually do and get our mowing out of the way.

Bug Report: Actually it is quite nice there at the moment other than a few deer flies.

Highway 522 is starting to get busy with tourists moving into our area.

On another note, I did do a wee bit of work outside yesterday as my wife did. Today as I said earlier is mowing day for us, so that will keep us busy for a spell. And the fellow that is fixing our eves is supposed to be here also. I will be happy when that is completed and out of the way.

With that, I am off for a bowl of cereal this morning and a piece of toast that my lovely wife is getting ready for me.

Have a good day and stay safe, or maybe I should say … stay cool. GW

Good Morning!

It is a bit hazy this morning, but not caused by smoke. It’s a norm for this time of year, being the warm air meeting the cool morning air. Actually, I enjoy seeing the haze in the morning hours, especially rising up above the water. Takes me back to a time when I used to go fishing with my old dad many years ago. Amazing what can trigger the mind into remembering things. The temperature waking up was sitting at 16.3 C | 61.34 F. However, it will become quite warm as the day moves forward. The good news is the wind is coming in from the North East, which should bring a bit of coolness with it.

Highway 522 is still quiet, but it will pick up as we near July, as that is when most folks start taking their summer vacation.

Bug Report: My wife and I sat outside for a good portion of the day yesterday, and we didn’t see hardly any irritating critters. Other than a couple annoying deer flies, that I looked after with my old hat.

On another note, we did move a few plants that we wanted to relocate yesterday. The trick of moving things in the summer, is to make sure just before you put the plant in the ground, is to dump a pail of water in it before planting and filling it in around the plant. A pail then is like giving it ten pails a day later. After we finished that, we kind of took things easy for the rest of the day. Today … well, I will see how I am feeling. Being the age I am, and what has been happening lately, I never know. But I am moving, which is something to be grateful in itself.

With that, I am off for a bite to eat that my lovely wife is making for me.

Have a great day! GW

Good Morning!

And once again it is a really nice morning, with the temperature sitting at 18.2 C | 64.76 F. It sure is nice for sleeping. It will warm up a lot more as the day moves forward, actually it will become quite warm later on this afternoon and into next week. Summer is here, that is for certain. Well, actually tomorrow. While some individuals prefer a precise and concrete approach, others, like myself, are content with approximations or general proximity. For instance, if we consider a future event, like tomorrow, individuals who prefer definitiveness may appreciate knowing specific details and exact timelines. On the other hand, individuals like me are more comfortable with a more flexible understanding of time and are satisfied with knowing that something will happen in the near future. To each their own, I always say.

Bug Report: Things once again are pretty good out there these days. The Black Flies have left us, the mosquitoes are around, but not annoying and the horse and deer flies are here but not too bad … yet. But that will change with the heat as they like the hot sunny weather. They are an annoying bunch of critters.

Highway 522 is still quiet, at least yesterday. I suspect with not being able to have camp fires at night has a wee bit to do with it, as folks go to the campgrounds to sit around a campfire enjoying a few cool ones, while swapping stories. Not much we can do about that, as just one spark can cause a lot of problems, especially right now with it being so dry and no rain in the forecast.

On another note, my wife and I worked outside yesterday for most of the day, well she did most of the work. I did what I could. We are still working on the eve of our home, replacing the old with the new. I suspect it will take another couple days to complete. My wife trimmed our Lilac Bush, as the time to trim it is when it is finished flowering. Big job, but she managed to get it all done, and it is looking good for another year.

Today, being that it is going to be a hot one, I am thinking we will find a spot in the shade and take it easy. We will see how that pans out. Now I am off for a bagel that my lovely wife is putting together for me. She looks after me. It’s been that way for over fifty some years, I wouldn’t have gotten this far without her.

Have a great day. GW

Good Morning!

It’s another cool morning here, waking up in cottage country. And once again the sun is shinning. For our surrounding area, the smoke is no longer expected or has moved out of the area. But for us here in Port Loring, it hasn’t been bad at all so far this summer. Reason being the winds have been keeping it at bay. Other parts of Ontario haven’t been that lucky. The temperature has also been very nice for sleeping, and we have kept our window open every night. The temperature waking up was sitting at 10.9 C | 51.62 F. It will warm up as the day moves forward. The warmer temperatures will also remain with us for the week, and after that things will cool back down to where is more comfortable. But I am not complaining as it was a long cold winter.

Bug Report: It’s nice out there now, the Black Flies are all gone now as Father’s Day is behind us. Mother’s Day to Father’s Day is their duration. And the Mosquitoes and Horse Flies aren’t bad at all.

Highway 522 was quiet over the weekend, but it will pick up a bit more now being a week day.

It should also be noted that there isn’t any rain in the forecast for the next week or so, which means for those that have veggie gardens, we will have to do some watering. Which my wife and I will do this morning. You have to give to get.

On another note, the fellow we hired to fix our eves on the house has been steadily working away. It’s quite a job, but it’s coming along and looking good. At least so far. I think it should be finished by the middle of the week. After that, my wife and I are going to relax other than doing small odd jobs around the house and in our gardens. It’s time to sit outside and take in what nature has to offer. And let my body heal. I have been, but not enough.

With that I am off for a soft-boiled egg with a piece of toast that my lovely wife is preparing for me, and will then head on outside.

Have a great day. GW

Good Morning!

It’s another nice day here in Cottage Country. The sun is shinning once again with the temperature sitting at 10.9 C | 51.62 F. It will warm up a lot as the day moves forward, along with a lot of sunshine thrown in for good measure.

Highway 522 is quiet this morning, but it is Sunday where some are having a day off work, getting rested up a bit for the week ahead. And I can’t say I blame them. Things will pick up more tomorrow, being Monday.

Bug Report: Yesterday, my wife and I worked outside and didn’t see any bugs at all, other than a few bumblebees going about their daily chores. I kind of like watching them.

As I said, for most of the day I worked outside helping a chap that we hired to work on our facet boards on our home. It is a job that needed doing now for a long time. Once that is complete, our home will be like new. Actually, our home was built around 1926 and we are the second owners. Strange in some ways, as the first owners name was George Lee and my name is George Walters. I have to admit that George is a good name. Even if I do say so myself. Tiller and keeper of the land, it is said. At any rate, looking around at our home and property, we do have a lot in common. Old George Lee and me.

Today I will be doing the same, and in the afternoon my wife and I will do some front porch sittin’ soaking up some of the Vitamin D3, that the sun gives away so freely. It’s what we all are in need of, especially with what is going on in the world today. Along with taking the time to enjoy nature.

With that, I am off for a bowl of cereal that my lovely wife is making for me, and will then see what the day has in store. I never really know what is going to take place. I make plans, but I never plan the results.

Have a great day! Make it a great day! GW

Oh, and Happy Father’s Day to all you Father’s out there.

Good Morning!

Well, it looks as if we are in for a real nice weekend here in Cottage Country. The sun is rising in the east ever so slowly, the birds are chirping, and the trees are showing off all their leaves, along with the grass. Our property is back to looking like a park. Sure is nice to look outside taking it all in. The temperature getting out of bed was sitting at 9.1 C | 48.38 F. It will warm up a lot as the day moves forward. Actually, it will get a lot warmer for the next week or so, along with lots of sunshine. Which will make it nice for those that enjoy the outdoors. Like myself, as, there is nothing I hate worse than being in the house throughout the summer months. Especially after being cooped up all winter.

Highway 522 is getting busier every day. And there are still a lot of new homes being built. There isn’t a day that goes by that we don’t see loads of lumber going past our home, along with a lot of new portable homes. Some of them are pretty nice. It’s amazing what they can do these days.

Bug Report: Other than some Mosquitoes and a few Deer Flies, things are pretty good these days. There are still a few lingering Black Flies, but they are pretty well out of the picture for another year. Which is fine with me.

On another note, my wife and I decided to go to town yesterday, North Bay. We had a good day, other than what it cost for groceries and things. But all in all it wasn’t too bad. While there, we went to the Dairy Queen by Canadian Tire and I had a Chocolate Milk Shake. I don’t think there is any around that can compare to theirs. I enjoy a few throughout the summer months. The only part of them I don’t like is the whipped cream, or what ever they put on top. So lately I tell them to make it without. Tastes a lot better that way. Once we picked up our things, we had lunch in our car people watching and then headed on home. Great day and it was good to get away. And it does take a day. We leave at around 8:00 AM and no matter what we do or where we go, we never get home till late in the afternoon.

With that I am off for a bagel for breakfast, my lovely wife picked up a few at the bakery while in town yesterday, which I enjoy in the mornings occasionally. I get tired of the same old thing every day. She spoils me. But I don’t mind.

Enjoy your day! GW

Good Morning!

It’s a cloudy morning here in Cottage Country, but in saying that, things are about to warm up. And it will remain warm now for most of the summer. And on top of all that, we should be seeing a lot more sunshine, which is what us humans need to survive and stay healthy. There is nothing better a person can do than to get your vitamin D3 every day. Fifteen minutes is all you need to replenish your body.

Highway 522 is starting to get busy a bit more every day. We are also getting a lot of new folks dropping by our small store saying hello and picking up a few things. Makes our day seeing folks.

Bug Report: The Black Flies are pretty well gone now for the year, but the mosquitoes are out in full force. Once the sun gets to where it stays warm all day, it will get rid of a lot of them. They need damp, warm, shady places to survive. The Deer Flies aren’t all that bad yet, but they will be around for the remainder of the summer.

On another note, my wife and I did manage to get our grass cut yesterday, and after sitting down a few times I did get our weed eating done out front of our house along the boulevard. I can’t stand looking at it when it gets out of hand. It’s a job that a lot doesn’t do around these parts, but in reality it gives your home that finished look.

My old mower though is acting up, but I guess I can’t complain as it is an old Roper. It was here on the property when we bought the place 20 years ago, so I would say it has to be close to being 35–40 years old. I guess we are going to have to buy a new one. I was hoping we could hold off one more year, as putting the new roof on the house a couple of weeks ago set us back a bit. Unless someone out there has a good used one that runs good. You never know if you don’t ask. The price of a new John Deer is over $3000.00 now and that is for the small 110. Makes me shake my head, how they can justify that price. At any rate, there isn’t much one can do about it.

With that, I am off for a bagel that my lovely wife is making me, and will then see what the day has in store. I never know these days. It kind of depends on how my body feels.

Have a good day. Make it a good day. GW

Good Morning!

It is a good morning, I kind of figure any morning is good when I can get out of bed and able to walk a bit. However, it is cloudy out there, waking up, and it does look like rain. But if things goes to plan we should see some sunshine later on in the day and then things start to get real nice for summer.

Bug Report: The Black Flies have all but gone, there are a few, but nothing like it was a week ago. As I have always said, you can expect Black Flies to be here between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. Them bloodsucking parasites the Mosquitoes though are another story, as there are lots of them lingering around in the shade waiting for a tender morsel to feed on. But so far they haven’t been all that bad.

Highway 522 is busy with lots of construction going on, and I suspect it will be that way for most of the summer. With the price of lumber though I suspect it will make a dent in the old pocket book as it is with most things these days. Once they get them prices up using all kinds of excuses which amount to nothing, they keep them there. Oh, they might drop a few cents on certain things, just so you think they are trying to help, but in reality it is all a ploy just to keep some folks happy. They have been doing it for years, and I don’t suspect things will change much.

With that I am off for a bagel that my lovely wife is getting ready, and will then see if my old rider mower will start, and if so I will see if my old body is capable of doing some mowing. I never know these days. Anyway, you all have a great day. GW