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Good Morning Folks… You know, years ago, a Handshake Meant Something and So Did Your Word.

She’s a cool morning here in Cottage Country, folks. The kind of morning where your breath hangs in the air and the coffee pot works overtime, … if you’ve still got power, that is.

Today in Port Loring, we’re enjoying plenty of sunshine, but temperatures will stay on the crisp side. The high should top out around 50°F (10°C). A great day to be outside if you’re bundling up, though not ideal if you’re relying on electricity to get things done.

Tonight, expect clear skies and a real dip in temperature, down to about 31°F (-1°C). If you’ve got a wood stove or generator, it’ll earn its keep tonight. Otherwise, an extra blanket or two wouldn’t hurt.

Tomorrow, we’ll see increasing cloud cover with afternoon showers rolling in. The high will hit around 55°F (13°C), with a low near 43°F (6°C). Good weather for rain barrels, but not so great for any outdoor chores that need dry ground.

And a quick note for our neighbors: Hydro One is still working hard to restore power after yesterday’s storm knocked out electricity across our region, including here in Port Loring. The latest estimate has power being restored sometime between 5:00 PM and 11:00 PM tonight, depending on location and storm damage. Crews are out, and they’re making steady progress, so hang tight and check on your neighbors if you’re able.

​And as of this morning, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, there are no reports of washouts or major road damage along Highway 522 near Port Loring. The road is currently bare and dry, making it suitable for travel.

So yeah, it’s been an interesting few days here in and around our area with the power being out and all. For us, though, we’re making out just fine. Years back, I had my son and my wife’s brother—who’s an electrician—set us up with a generator system. It’s wired right into the house, so we can keep the essentials running when the grid goes down.

The generator handles our well pump, oil furnace (though we’ve got plenty of wood if we need it), a few lights, and some outlets—like the one I’m using right now for my computer. It’s a comfort knowing we’ve got things in place to keep on going, no matter what the weather throws at us.

That’s the thing about living in the country: you have to be ready for just about anything. You can’t depend on modern-day conveniences to always be there when you need them. I was raised that way—preparedness was just a part of life. So, even with the power out for a couple of days, life around here hasn’t changed much. Feels like a regular day, really.

We were lucky, too. On our last trip to town, I topped off two 20-litre gas cans while the price was down. That gave us just the edge we needed, and the timing couldn’t have been better

So what are you up to today, GW?

Well, with the power being a bit restricted and the air outside still holding a bit of a chill, I figure I’ll spend some time working away here at my computer. I’ve got a couple of story ideas floating around in my head that I’d like to get down, but then again, I might turn my attention back to scanning old newspapers.

I wrote for quite a few over the years and have literally hundreds of clippings tucked away. Bit by bit, I’ve been scanning them so we can have everything stored digitally. It’s a lot easier than hauling around heavy boxes full of old newsprint.

My son’s been helping out by backing everything up, too—which is a good thing. You can’t always count on modern technology to hold steady, and those computer hard drives have a funny way of giving up the ghost when you least expect it.

So with that, I’m off to enjoy my breakfast that my little woman’s made for me. It’s simple but just right—some warm Shredded Wheat with a touch of honey, a piece of toast with grass-fed butter. After that, we’ll settle in with a hot cup of cocoa and get into our regular morning chat.

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