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Good Morning. You know, years ago, life was shaped by hard work, family, and the weather. I used to say, “If the stove’s warm and your boots are dry, the rest of the day can find its own way,” and that was enough.

Meaning: A warm stove meant the house was livable. Dry boots meant you could step outside ready for the day. If you had those two things, you knew you could handle whatever came next.

Back-Woods Weather Report, Port Loring, Ontario, Canada; December 21, 2025 – 8:03 AM EST

Current Conditions from Our Weather Station Temperature: -7.9°C (18°F) Feels like about -14°C (7°F) with the light breeze. Humidity: 81% Barometer: 983.9 mbar (29.06 in-Hg) – holding steady Wind: Light from the WNW at 7.6 km/h (4.7 mph)

Today (Sunday, December 21) A mix of sun and cloud with a 40 percent chance of morning flurries. Northwest winds building to 30 km/h gusting to 50 km/h before easing late afternoon. Temperature dropping through the day to -11°C (12°F). Wind chill: -14°C (7°F) this morning, falling to -19°C (-2°F) this afternoon.

Tonight Clouds thickening overnight. A few flurries beginning late evening, adding about 2 cm of new snow. Winds light up to 15 km/h. Low starting at -15°C (5°F), then rising toward -8°C (18°F) by morning.

Tomorrow (Monday, December 22) Daytime: A few flurries continuing into early afternoon (another 2 cm possible) before tapering off to mostly cloudy skies. Winds staying light up to 15 km/h. High reaching -3°C (27°F).

Tomorrow Night: Cloudy with a 60 percent chance of snow. Low near -5°C (23°F).

Stay warm and watch those gusts today, folks; it’s a sharp, wintry one here in the backwoods.

Highway 522 has some snowy and icy sections throughout. So care should be taken if out and about and if the wind picks up later on it could cause some drifting.

Yesterday was a day when nothing went to plan. I drove over to the hardware store, picked up the mail, and came back home, only to find that a piece of steel or something sharp had cut the sidewall of my snow tire. Now I’m going to have to get another tire.

Getting the damaged tire off and the spare back on was a real chore. I have to admit, I’m starting to think I’m getting a bit too old for this kind of thing—lying in the snow with the wind blowing around your ears and the cold sinking in. At any rate, the spare is on, but it has issues too. So for the moment, I’m just thinking about what to do next.

So what are you up to today, GW?

Well, today being Sunday, and with everything closed around here, I am going to spend the day working away in my old woodworking shop. I am getting back to making picture frames for my wife, which will keep me busy most of the day.

So with that I am off once again for my morning breakfast and will then enjoy a cup of tea (just because I can) and then head on out to the shop. Have a great day.

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

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Good morning. If the barn’s warmer than the house, you know you’ve planned wrong… or lived right.

Simple explanation:
It means, years ago the work came first. The animals were cared for, the chores were done, and comfort was secondary. Maybe you forgot to tend the house fire, or maybe you were raised to believe that responsibility matters more than ease. Either way, it speaks to a life where duty comes before comfort, and that is not always a mistake.

Back Woods Weather Report

Port Loring, Ontario, Canada Friday, December 19, 2025

Our weather station logged these numbers at 7:24 AM EST:

• Temperature: 0.3 °C / 32.5 °F — parked right on the freezing mark.
• Humidity: 81 % — air’s thick and damp.
• Barometer: 28.3 in Hg (958.2 mbar) — still falling, so the weather’s shifting.
• Wind: Calm for now, blowing lightly from the SSW (203°).

Today’s Outlook Rain turns to periods of snow this morning, bringing 2 to 4 cm (1 to 2 inches) of fresh cover locally. Winds freshen out of the southwest at 30 km/h (19 mph) gusting to 50 km/h (31 mph), then swing northwest early this afternoon with the same punch. That kind of gust is strong enough to rattle the house windows, sway the taller pines, and whip up drifting on open stretches of road, so take it easy if you’re heading out. Temperature will drop all day to minus 7 °C (19 °F) by evening. You know… wind chill was something we never bothered naming years ago but for those that are interested it will be around minus 17 °C (1 °F). Back then, cold was just cold, and you dressed for it, so if your out today… bundle up good and drive careful.

Tonight light snow ends late evening, then skies clear. Northwest winds stay brisk at 30 km/h (19 mph) gusting to 50 km/h (31 mph) before calming after midnight. Low near minus 15 °C (5 °F). Wind chill dips to about minus 21 °C (-6 °F).

Saturday, December 20 Clouds roll in during the morning, then snow starts up again with 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 inches) possible. Winds turn south and build to 20 km/h (12 mph) late in the afternoon. High near minus 4 °C (25 °F).

Stay warm out there, keep the stove fed, and watch your step on the ice.

On another note:
Lately, I’ve been busy making picture frames for my wife’s new paintings. 🎨 She’s fixed up her art studio just the way she likes it, and I’m glad she finally has a space set up for what she loves.
It means a lot to see her happy, working on her art with everything she needs right there. 😊 She’s a wonderful artist, and I’m proud of what she does.

So what are you up to today GW?

Well, I’ll be heading out to the old woodworking shop again to work on some more picture frames.
🛠️ Took me about four days to really get things figured out.
That’s woodworking for you:
🔄 A lot of trial and error, and maybe a few choice words here and there.
But I enjoy it,
🌧️ Especially on a day like this when the weather’s not so great. Makes the shop feel even cozier.

So that’s what’s on my plate today!

With that I am off once again for my breakfast that my lovely wife has made for me. Have a great day.

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

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Good morning. You know I kinda figure that the way the coffee tastes on the first sip… tells me how my day is going to be.

Backwoods Weather Report – Port Loring, Ontario
Monday, December 15, 2025

Early morning conditions:
It’s cold and still in the bush this morning. The temperature is sitting at 5°F (-15°C) with humidity at 87%, The barometer is low and falling at 29.35 inches (993.8 mbar), which usually means unsettled weather will hang around. Winds are near calm, with a light east to southeast breeze. Skies are fully clouded over.

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Today

It will be cloudy, with a few flurries drifting through, mainly this morning. Snow amounts around 2 to 4 cm, about 1 to 1.5 inches, just enough to freshen things up. High will reach near 25°F (-4°C).

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Tonight

Any lingering flurries end early, then it turns quiet and cloudy.
Low near 5°F (-15°C).

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Tomorrow – Tuesday

Still cloudy, with a 40% chance of flurries, mainly in the morning. There’s also a risk of freezing drizzle, so roads and walkways could be slick.
Winds will shift to the south and increase to about 30 km/h by early afternoon.
High near 28°F (-2°C).

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Nature’s signs

The woods feel quiet this morning, sound carries farther, and the snow underfoot has that crunch that only comes with the cold. It feels like winter is tightening its grip on us here in the north… at least for today.

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On another note, yesterday I spent the day back in my old woodworking shop, losing track of time as I worked. By the end of the day, I had a few picture frames finished along with turning the place into one heck of a mess. Got to the point I couldn’t find anything.

So knowing that... today’s plan is to clean things up enough to find what I need, then get back to making more frames… and hopefully not another mess.

With that I am off for my morning breakfast that my lovely wife has made for me and will then head on out to the shop. Have a good day.

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

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Good morning. I used to think hard work made a man tired. Turns out it mostly just makes him honest. And if you’re lucky, honest enough to admit you’re tired too.

Backwoods Weather Report – Port Loring, Ontario
Sunday, December 14, 2025

Well, this morning started out cold enough to make a man rethink about getting out of bed. The thermometer at our weather station read -8.7°F (-22.6°C) just before eight, with the humidity sitting at 85 percent. The barometer is low at 29.27 inches (991.2 mbar), but it’s rising, which is a good sign. Wind is light, around 15 km/h (9 mph), enough to push the wind chill down near -22°F (-30°C) in the open spots.

Skies are partly cloudy, that pale winter sun trying but not really doing much for warmth. Visibility is good, the kind of cold, clear air that makes sound travel farther than it should. You can hear someone chopping wood a mile off.

Today:
A mix of sun and cloud, with about a 30 percent chance of flurries early, then mostly just cold and quiet. Winds stay light, up to 15 km/h (9 mph). High around 10°F (-12°C), but it won’t feel like it. Wind chill near -27°C (-17°F) this morning, easing some by afternoon.

Tonight:
Cloudy early, then becoming partly cloudy later this evening. It will remain cold, with a low near 1°F (-17°C). If there’s any breeze, wind chills could dip to around -6°F (-21°C). Winds will stay light, up to 15 km/h (9 mph).

Tomorrow, Monday:
Mainly cloudy, with flurries becoming more likely as the morning wears on, jumping to about a 70 percent chance. Winds will stay light, up to 15 km/h (9 mph). High around 25°F (-4°C). Wind chill near -19°C (-2°F) in the morning, easing to something closer to tolerable by afternoon. Monday night drops back down to around 0°F (-18°C) with a few flurries still possible.

Best deer movement times along Highway 522 line up early this morning and again toward dusk, especially with the rising barometer and light winds. Cold like this keeps them moving between bedding and feeding, but not much extra wandering.

Nature’s signs:
The cold has a tight feel to it today. Snow’s crunchy underfoot, pine trees are stiff and quiet, and even the clouds look thin and brittle. When the barometer starts climbing like this, the woods seem to hold their breath. Its like winter settling back into its chair for a longer sit.

On another note, I spent the whole day yesterday in our old woodworking shop making picture frames. I’ll be working on that for the next few days, as come spring, the frames will complement my wife’s paintings that she’s working on now.

With that, I’m off to enjoy the breakfast my little woman has made for me, along with a Florida grapefruit—none of those ones from Africa or Israel. You really can’t beat Florida grapefruit this time of year. Have a great day!

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

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Good Morning. You know one thing about living here in the North you can always tell a lot about a day by how much snow we had overnight.

Backwoods Weather Report – Port Loring, Ontario
Saturday, December 13

As of early this morning around eight o’clock, the temperature at the station was 24.8 F which is minus 4 C, with humidity sitting near 86 percent. The barometer is low at 28.85 inches, showing the system that brought last night’s snow is just moving out. Winds are generally out of the west to northwest.

Overnight we picked up around six to eight inches of snow. Roads are snow covered, and care will be needed if traveling, especially along Highway 522, where conditions may be slick and visibility reduced at times.

Today will stay cold with a high near 27 F, minus 3 C, feeling closer to 18 F due to the wind. Winds from the west around 7 miles an hour, gusting near 19. There remains a 40 percent chance of a few flurries, with little additional accumulation.

Tonight turns partly cloudy with temperatures dropping to about 12 F, minus 11 C, feeling closer to 1 F. Northwest winds near 6 miles an hour. Snow chances drop to around 30 percent.

Tomorrow morning, Sunday, will be mainly sunny but cold. Temperatures near minus 2 F, about minus 19 C, with a north wind around 7 miles an hour, making it feel closer to minus 15 F. Snow chances remain low at 20 percent.

Nature’s signs:
Fresh snow has quieted the woods. Trees are holding still, and the deer tracks stand out sharp against the white. Winter is settling in here in Port Loring.

On another note, yesterday I worked the entire day in the old woodworking shop. This time, I am making some picture frames for my lovely wife. It takes a bit of figuring out, but now that I have made some templates, making them will be much easier.

So what are you up to today, GW?

Well, as you can see by the picture above, we had quite a bit of snow overnight. With that in mind, it looks as if our morning’s work is cut out for us, cleaning out the driveway and decks. After that, I suspect a coffee will be in order. So yea, we will definitely be getting our exercise this morning.

With that, once again, I am off for my breakfast, which will consist of a bowl of porridge that my lovely wife has made for me. None of that stuff they say is good for you; the kind I buy is made from real oats. The thing is, most of the regular kinds are not all that healthy for you. In case you’re interested, here is what I eat—and they make really good cookies, too: Stoked Oats Run of The Mill Rolled Oats. You can buy them on Well.ca online. If you enjoy a good bowl of porridge occasionally, or cookies, it’s best to order more than one, as you’ll be glad you did. Have a great day.

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