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.

A Cool Morning on Route 522

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Good morning!

Well, she’s a cool one waking up here in Northern Ontario. To top that off, we even had some frost, which tells me one thing: it’s not time to plant my vegetable garden just yet.

That said, I did get my old rotavator out the other day and worked the dirt up for the first time. I like to do that a couple of weeks ahead of planting; it gives the soil a chance to breathe after being compacted down over the winter.

I have to say, freshly turned soil sure looks nice. It smells nice, too—something akin to the first time you cut your grass in the spring. You can smell it for miles around. Well, at least I can! For the folks who use all those air fresheners in their homes, their sense of smell has just about had it. It’s a shame, too, as smell makes up a good portion of one’s life. It’s really no different than hearing or seeing.

On another note, the black flies aren’t out annoying anyone just yet, but the stripe-headed birds are back. That’s a sure sign that it won’t be long before those blood-sucking parasites show themselves.

Highway 522 is still quiet, which is normal for this time of year. We could see a bit of an uptick being that this is the long weekend. I say could, but nothing is definite. With what these oil companies are doing to us right now with the price of gas, well, I am sure that will keep plenty of folks at home, too. Can’t say I blame them, either.

The thing is, there is no earthly reason why they are raising these prices. Well, there is one, I guess, which is that they are making money hand over fist. But you know how it goes. All these folks that cause trouble or cheat people will get their just reward somewhere down the road a ways. It’s just a shame that we the working folks have to suffer from their idiocy in the meantime.

Anyway, that is about all I have to say here this morning.

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]

Hello from the Woodworking Shop, Writing Desk and the Studio!

How is everyone doing this morning? Good, I hope!

It’s been a while since I last posted anything here on the blog. The truth is, my lovely wife and I have been incredibly busy throughout the winter months. She has been hard at work on her paintings, and as for me. I’ve been logging some serious hours in the old woodworking shop.

I’ve been making a bunch of new wooden flutes, including some truly special ones this time around. It took the better part of three months to get them finished up, but they were worth every second. After the dust settled in the shop, I went straight into writing mode—but I’ll explain all of that in an upcoming post in a day or so. There is a lot happening right now, and a lot more on the horizon!

Reading Mother Nature’s Signs

On another note, we’ve had a wet, cool spring so far, but looking at things today, I’m thinking it will soon change for the better. At least, that’s what the signs Mother Nature is throwing out are telling me. Then again, she can be tricky, showing signs in one direction and then, for no reason at all, heading off in another.

Kind of like my wife and me, actually! All our lives, we’ve thought one way, gotten all set, and then completely changed our minds—heading off in a brand-new direction just like the weather. But you know, that’s exactly what made us who we are today. Our lives have seen many roads, and not all of them were straight. Which makes for an interesting life, and we wouldn’t want it any other way.

Quiet on Highway 522

Moving along, Highway 522 has picked up a wee bit traffic-wise, but for the most part, it’s been quiet. Until the weather finally straightens out, I expect things will stay that way.

Anyway, that’s all I have to share this morning. I hope you all have a wonderful day, and a very Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there. Without them, none of us would be here!

In Closing, I Would Like to Wish You Well. 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 Forecast For Port Loring Ontario, Canada

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The Weather Station is Back Online!

I’m happy to share that our weather station is officially up and running again! I still have a bit of fine-tuning to do with the help of my son, Karl, so we’ll see how things hold up over the next few days.

Here is a quick snapshot of our current readings below.

Going forward, if you’re ever curious about our local weather and I haven’t posted an update, you can check it anytime. Just click Weather Station on the main menu bar (right alongside Home and About) to see our live, real-time conditions!

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]

Back At It

Hi folks, it’s been a really busy winter, and along the way I ran into a few issues with the blog. Those are worked out now — all except the weather station, and that’ll have to wait until the frost is out of the ground.

With that behind me, I’ll be making the occasional post here again. Just wanted to let you know what’s been going on.

More to come as the days move forward.
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]