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Good Morning! The woodpile’s shrinking, the snowbanks are growing, and the coffee pot’s working overtime—must be a Northern Ontario morning.

Well, folks, for once, we’re waking up to a bit of sunshine. Been a while, and I was starting to wonder if ol’ Mother Nature up and lost the recipe for clear skies. But sure enough, there it is, peeking through like a neighbor dropping by unannounced—welcome, but still surprising.

But, don’t get too comfortable just yet. As today, we’re looking at a high of around 30°F (-1°C), which ain’t exactly shorts weather, but compared to what we’ve been getting, it’s downright balmy. And we might catch a bit of melting if the sun sticks around long enough.

Come nighttime though, things will dip back down to a crisp 14°F (-10°C), so don’t be putting away those wool socks just yet. And if you’re heading out, best bundle up.

Tomorrow? Well, we’re back to playing the guessing game. Expect clouds to roll in again, with a chance of snow flurries here and there, just to remind us winter’s still got a grip on things. We’ll see a High of 28°F (-2°C), a low of around 12°F (-11°C), and a wind that might just whisper sweet nothings in your ear.

So, there you have it. A little sun, a little cold, and a whole lot of winter still left to go. But hey, at least it keeps the mosquitoes away.

Highway 522’s looking mostly clear this morning—well, as clear as it ever gets this time of year. But don’t let that fool ya. There are still some of those sneaky icy patches hanging around in the curves where the sun don’t shine

So, if you’re out and about, best take ‘er easy. No sense turning a quick trip to town into an afternoon waiting on a tow truck. But then again, you folks around here already know that right? The thing is, most of us that live here in the north has been dodging black ice and potholes longer than some city folks have been driving. But—if you do happen to slide a little, well, at least it’ll give the fellas at the coffee shop something to shake their heads about. Although it doesn’t take much to do that.

On another note—yesterday, I had it in my mind to head out to the shop and work on my flutes. But you know how winter goes—what you plan and what actually happens are usually two different things.

After spending half the day wrestling snow off the driveway and decks, any thoughts of crafting tunes went right out the window. And by the time we finished, my lovely wife and I were both so beat, we barely had the energy to lift a coffee cup—let alone a carving knife. So, for the flutes? Well, I figured they’d keep. Didn’t reckon they were gonna get up and walk away… least I sure hope not.

Today—well, that’s another matter. As my old woodworking shop is warming up, with the wood stove throwing off just enough heat to take the chill out of the air. My carving knives are sharpened, sitting on the bench, ready for work. You know…there’s something about a well-honed blade and a fresh piece of wood that just feels right, like they were made for each other.

So with the sun shining for a change, there is no better day to get back at it. The way I see it, any day I can spend working in my shop instead of shoveling snow is a good one. The weather may have slowed me down a bit, but I am making progress. Little by little, chip by chip, things are coming together. That is the way of a woodworker—patience, steady hands, and knowing that some things just take time.

With that, I’m off to enjoy my breakfast—nothing fancy, just some good ol’ toast with eggs and a touch of sweetness, made by my lovely wife. It’s the kind of meal that’ll hold me over until lunchtime, though I wouldn’t be surprised if I find myself sneaking back in for a cup of hot cocoa later on. We’ll see how that goes—it might just become the perfect mid-morning treat.

Until the next time: Keep your minds open and your stories alive!

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Good Morning! The coffee’s hot, the road’s covered with snow, and somewhere in between, there’s a good day waiting.

Well, looks like we’re all waking’ up to a fresh blanket of snow here in the north. Ol’ Mother Nature decided we needed another 6 inches overnight, and when you add that to the couple inches from the day before yesterday, we’re sittin’ at about 8 inches total. Good for the snowmobilers, not so much for those of us with a shovel in hand.

Weather for Port Loring, Ontario

Today (Thursday, Feb. 13)
A bit more snow’s gonna fall off and on through the morning, maybe another inch or so, then mostly cloudy the rest of the day. Not much for sunshine.

• High: 20°F (-7°C)
• Low: 4°F (-16°C)

Tonight
Cloudy and colder than a well digger’s boots. Gonna dip down near zero in some spots, so best throw an extra log on the fire.

• Low: 4°F (-16°C)

Tomorrow (Friday, Feb. 14)
Another gray ol’ day, but at least the snow’ll ease up. Still cold, though, so don’t be in a hurry to put the long johns away.

• High: 19°F (-7°C)
• Low: 11°F (-12°C)

So all and all, you might wanna hold off on any long hauls ‘til the roads get cleaned up. And if ya do have to go out, drive like ya got some sense—there’s always one fella out there who thinks he’s in a race.

Highway 522, well— it’s snow-covered this morning, which isn’t much of a surprise for folks living where we do. And if I had to guess, I’d say it’ll stay that way for most of the day. That’s nature’s way of telling us we might be better off hunkering down at home, keeping the fire stoked and the coffee pot full. No sense battling the elements unless you have a real good reason-like the coffee running low. Now that would be a true emergency.

Meanwhile, here in our little northern town, folks are finding ways to keep busy. Some are out shoveling, trying to stay ahead of the drifts, while others are looking out the window, convincing themselves it can wait until tomorrow. The smart ones? Well—they’re sitting by the wood-stove, swapping stories and wondering how much snow it will take before the “Purolator” truck starts delivering by dogsled.

Just another good old winter day in the north.

On another note, yesterday I had every intention of heading out to the woodworking shop to work on those flutes I’ve got on the go. But as is often the case, plans changed. A delivery showed up—my new battery backup—so I figured I’d best get it hooked up.

Now, that might sound like a simple enough job, but let me tell you, with all the wires I’ve got running here, there, and everywhere, it turned into a real morning project. By the time I was done untangling, plugging, and scratching my head, half the day was gone.

The real surprise, though, was that my computer fired up and ran just fine—maybe even better than before. A rare victory when it comes to tinkering with technology. The only thing that has me wondering is the handful of extra wires I ended up with. No idea where they belong, but since everything is still running, I’m going to assume they were just along for the ride. Either that, or I’ll find out what they were for when something stops working. Time will tell!

Today, like just about everyone else in our small town, my wife and I will be spending some time digging out from under all this snow. But first things first—breakfast, a good chat, and a cup of hot cocoa. Got to fuel up before tackling a job like this.

From what I saw on my walk to the woodworking shop earlier, I’d say we’re in for a real workout. Might not need to do any stretches beforehand—as Mother Nature has taken care of that with knee-deep snowdrifts. My lovely wife and I will no doubt start out strong, full of ambition, but I suspect that after a while, the enthusiasm will fade, and we’ll be standing there, leaning on our shovels, wondering if we really need a driveway after all.

One way or another, we’ll get it done.

You all have a great day, and don’t forget—shoveling is just nature’s way of reminding us we’re not as young as we used to be. Take it slow, take plenty of cocoa/coffee breaks, and if the snow gets too deep, well, there’s always tomorrow.

Until next time—keep your minds open and your stories alive! GW