Click on Image to Enlarge!

Good morning. You know, my old Dad used to say, “George, you can tell a lot about a person by how they treat an empty day.”

He meant the kind of day with no appointments, no obligations pulling at your sleeve, no one telling you where to be. Just you and the hours stretching out ahead.

Some people panic when they meet a day like that. They fill it fast with noise, with errands that don’t matter, with screens glowing in their faces. They can’t sit still with themselves. That tells you something.

Others settle into it like good soil. They might read, or tinker in the garage, or sit on the porch watching the light change. They’re comfortable in their own company. That tells you something too.

Then there are the ones who see opportunity. They pick up that project they’ve been meaning to start, call an old friend, walk somewhere new. They treat the day like a gift, not a problem to solve.

Dad figured you could map a person’s character by watching what they do when no one’s watching and nothing’s required. The empty day doesn’t lie.

Backwoods Weather Report – Port Loring, October 16, 2025

Well, this morning had a real bite to it. The thermometer showed 29°F (-1.6°C), which is about as close to freezing as you can get without calling it that. The air’s sitting heavy at 83% humidity, and the wind’s calm from the north-northeast (23°) — still as a fence post.

Now, that barometer sitting at 995 millibars (29.39 inches of mercury) tells me things aren’t settled. That’s low enough to hint that a change is brewing. The kind of reading that makes old-timers glance west and say, “Feels like something’s coming.”

For Today:
It’ll stay cold most of the day, though the sun’s shining through now, glinting off the frost and giving the fields a bit of sparkle. It might warm things just enough to take the edge off, but not by much. Even with the sunshine, that damp chill will hang around. Later on, I expect clouds to build back in toward evening, likely bringing that dull, gray look that says rain or flurries might not be far off.

Tonight:
It’ll dip back below 30°F (-1°C) once the sun’s gone, with the air staying thick and still. Wouldn’t be surprised to see a bit of light snow or freezing drizzle after midnight. Nothing heavy, just a slick reminder of what’s waiting around the corner. Watch the steps and the back road in the morning … both’ll be slicker than they look.

Tomorrow (Friday):
More of that in-between kind of weather. Temperatures hovering near 33°F (1°C), maybe touching a few degrees warmer if we catch a south breeze by afternoon. Could see drizzle early on, maybe some breaks in the cloud later. All in all, it’s shaping up to be one of those gray October stretches where fall and winter can’t quite decide who’s in charge.

Good time to stack a bit more wood, keep the kettle handy, and enjoy the quiet before the real snow comes calling.

Highway 522 has slowed down quite a bit these days as most of our tourists have left us for another year. Cottages are being closed up, boats are being stored away, and snowmobiles are being slowly brought out of hibernation with folks making sure they’re all up to par for what lies ahead.

On another note: Yesterday I spent the whole day in my woodworking shop working on them flutes I have in the works. I have to say I made some progress as everything seemed to fall in place.

Funny how that is. Some days the wood cooperates, the tools behave, and your hands remember what they’re supposed to do. The grain runs true, the cuts are clean, and you look up surprised to find hours have passed. Those are the days that remind you why you started this in the first place.

Other days, well, the wood fights you. The blade wanders, measurements that were right five minutes ago are suddenly off, and nothing wants to line up. You can force it, but forcing never makes good work. On days like that, the shop’s teaching you patience whether you want the lesson or not.

Yesterday was one of the good ones. You take those when they come and don’t ask too many questions.

So what are you up to today GW?

Well today I’ll be back out in my old woodworking shop working on them flutes. You’ll probably hear me talking about them for most of the winter, step by step as I go along. Making them isn’t an easy chore. It takes a lot of patience and expertise, but patience is something I’ve learned over the years. Or should I say been taught over the years. You either learn it or you keep paying the tuition.

The shop’s a good teacher that way. It doesn’t care about your schedule or your mood. The wood will split if you rush it, the finish will blotch if you’re impatient, and a flute that’s forced together will never sing right. You can’t bargain with the work. You either slow down and do it proper, or you do it twice.

I wasn’t always good at waiting. When I was younger I wanted everything done yesterday, wanted to see the finished piece before I’d even sorted the lumber. The shop knocked that out of me one ruined project at a time. Now I know that patience isn’t about standing still. It’s about moving at the speed the work requires, not the speed you wish it would go.

So yeah, you’ll be hearing about these flutes all winter long. Each step in its own time.

With that, once again I’m off for my breakfast that my lovely wife has made for me. Then I’ll head on out to the shop and put another piece of wood in the old wood stove, which I lit earlier. Nothing like a warm shop. After that I’ll come back in, have a cup of hot tea with my little woman, and then, well then, I’ll get to work.

Rough life, huh?

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

Click On Image To Enlarge

Good morning, You know, I’ve discovered that, much like writing, life is mostly about editing, and understanding when to stop making changes.

Port Loring Weather Forecast

Wednesday, October 15th

---

Morning Observations

Well, it’s 42.4°F (5.8°C) out there as of 8:25 this morning, which isn’t bad for mid-October if you’re dressed for it. Humidity’s sitting at 75 percent, so there’s a dampness in the air… the kind that makes everything feel a little heavier than it is. Wind’s calm, barely moving, just a whisper out of the north-northwest. You wouldn’t notice it unless you were paying attention.

The barometer’s reading low at 997.5 millibars, which tells me the air’s thinking about something. Not today maybe, but soon.

---

Local Wisdom Over Long-Distance Forecasts

Now, I don’t put much stock in what the big government or corporate weather outfits say. I’ve got my own weather station set up out back, it’s nothing fancy, but it’s honest and it’s local. Truth is, I trust what I see out my window and what I pick up from nature more than any forecast that comes from a city a hundred miles away.

You pay attention to the jays getting quiet, the squirrels packing things away early, the way the wind shifts, or the air smells as nature’s got her own way of telling you what’s coming. Sometimes I’ll just step outside, stand there a minute, and I can feel it… a change brewing, even if the digital readout hasn’t caught on yet.

---

Today and Tonight

So here’s what I’m seeing: expect some sun today, but keep an eye on the western sky this afternoon. Low pressure like this has a way of inviting weather in when you’re not looking. Could be nothing, could be clouds moving in earlier than you’d figure.

Tonight will be cold, down near freezing so if you’ve got anything tender still out in the garden, you might want to cover it or bring it in.

---

Looking Ahead

Tomorrow’s looking fine, sunny again, but by Thursday, I’d say showers are likely—that lines up with what the barometer’s been whispering about, and the way the crows have been acting.

---

Final Thoughts

Anyways, that’s what I’m seeing. Dress warm, enjoy the sun if it shows up, and don’t be surprised if things shift sooner than expected. The air’s got that October restlessness to it.

---

On another Note: Yesterday I worked the whole day and then some in my old woodworking shop. I managed to get a bunch of wooden flutes cut out, 22 to be exact, and now I’m starting to laminate exotic wood into places that I think will make them look downright beautiful when all’s said and done.

This part of the process takes time; it could take me three or four days, depending on the feelings I get when I’m doing what I’m doing. Funny thing is, truth told, it sometimes seems that someone else is making these flutes other than myself.

Well, maybe there is, as who really knows what this life of ours is about. I’ve figured after living for so long that there’s a special energy that lies around us. Most folks don’t pick up on it, but I have. It’s nothing like most folks think, not God or a higher power, as I don’t cater to those things. But it’s there just the same, and well, I have to say, with its help we sure do make some nice one-of-a-kind flutes, let me tell ya.

---

So what are you up to today, GW?

Well, today we’ll carry on with what I was doing yesterday. However, there are still some leaves that need to be cleaned up, and I might do just that if I feel I need to get away from my flute making for a spell. We’ll see how that works out. So with that, I’m off for my breakfast that my lovely wife has made for me, and I’ll enjoy a cup of hot cocoa while we have our regular morning chat. Then, well then, I’ll head on out to the woodworking shop.

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

From the Desk Where I’ve Seen It All. GW