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Good Morning! If you want to become a writer like GW, you……must embrace typos like old friends, ‘cause they’ll never leave you alone.

It’s a cloudy morning here waking up in cottage country. But it isn’t snowing or raining, which is something for this time of year. Although we are crowding into March. Hard to believe spring is just around the corner.

Today:
Cloudy skies will be hanging around, with a few snowflakes drifting down here and there. Nothing to write home about, just enough to remind us it’s still winter. Temps will reach about 38°F (3°C) this afternoon, so not too bad for this time of year. Might even feel a little mild if the wind stays down.

Tonight:
Staying cloudy, and it’s going to cool off quite a bit. Looking at around 0°F (-18°C) overnight, so if you’re heading out, bundle up.

Tomorrow:
A cloudy start to the day, with a chance of more snow in the afternoon. Not a big storm, but enough to freshen things up a bit. Temps will be around 19°F (-7°C) in the morning, then dropping to 12°F (-11°C) by evening.

Typical late-winter weather—just enough to keep us guessing.

Highway 522 is pretty well clear of snow and ice this morning, making travel easier for those needing to stock up on supplies. As for my wife and me, we’re all set, as yesterday, we took a trip to North Bay to pick up what we needed. Turned out to be a great day. The sun came out, it wasn’t all that cold, and there weren’t too many people getting in our way, which is a plus these days.

After finishing up our shopping, we had lunch in the car with a cup of coffee from a new place in town. Truth be told, it wasn’t anything special, so once we wrapped up our meal and spent some time watching the world go by, we swung by a spot we knew had good coffee and grabbed a proper one for the drive home.

It’s nice to get away once in a while, aside from what everything costs these days. But all in all, we had a great day, and really, what could be better than that?

Now, city shopping folks are a different breed. You can spot them a mile away, zigzagging through parking lots like they’re in some kind of survival race, clutching their reusable bags like they hold the secret to happiness. Meanwhile, us country folks just take our time, trying to remember why we came in the first place.

So, what are you up to today, GW? Well, today I’m getting back into making those Native American flutes I’ve been working on, the ones we call Fluture Flutes. They’re our own style, something we came up with years ago, and there’s nothing else like them, each one is truly one of a kind. Today’s the day I start tuning them, so I’ll be setting up my cameras to video how I go about it. Should be an interesting day, to say the least.

So with that, I’m off for my breakfast, which will consist of an egg, some bacon, and cheese on top of a toasted bun. That should hold me over until lunchtime. After that, before heading out to the old woodworking shop, my lovely wife and I will enjoy our hot cocoa along with our regular morning chat. What would a day be without them?

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

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Good morning! You know… there’s no better way to start the day than with a deep breath of country air and a strong cup of coffee. Which is exactly what I am going to do here in a few minutes.

So starting things off, we’re waking up to a sky full of clouds and a fresh dusting of snow up here in the north…just Mother Nature’s way of reminding us who’s boss. A good, strong cup of coffee and a warm fire ought to set things right.

Now, let’s take a look-see at the weather for Port Loring, Ontario:

Today:

Expect cloudy skies with some scattered snow flurries now and then. It’ll be a chilly one, with temperatures hovering around 30°F (–1°C). Some wind but nothing much to speak of, just enough to remind you to keep your hat pulled down.

Tonight:

The clouds aren’t going anywhere, and we could see a few more flurries before the night’s through. The mercury’s gonna dip to about 20°F (–7°C), so best keep an extra log on the fire.

Tomorrow:

More of the same…cloudy with a chance of light snow. Daytime highs around 32°F (0°C), which ain’t bad for this time of year. Might even feel a touch warmer if the wind stays put.

Highway 522 is mostly clear, though a few patches of snow are hanging on for dear life. Overall, traveling should be just fine. But around here, the weather isn’t the only thing you need to keep an eye on.

You might find yourself slowing down for a deer that figures the middle of the road is a great place to ponder life. Or maybe you’ll get caught behind someone who thinks turn signals are just “suggestions” and stopping for a roadside chat is more important than keeping traffic moving. And of course, there’s always that one fella in an old tractor, chugging along at a speed that makes a Sunday stroll look fast.

So, take it easy, enjoy the drive, and remember—around here, the road’s not just for getting somewhere; sometimes, it’s part of the entertainment!

On another note, my wife and I kept ourselves busy yesterday morning, clearing snow off the decks and driveway. Figured it was a good time to do it, seeing as the power was out till noon—couldn’t even get the coffee pot to perkin’. But you can bet that the moment the lights came back on, that coffee was brewing, and let me tell ya, it tasted mighty fine.

After lunch, I got to work making some weather sticks for our store, which we’re planning to open this spring—around June if all goes well. My wife and I are always coming up with new, one-of-a-kind items whenever we get the chance. Keeps things interesting, and you never know what’ll end up on the shelves!

What are you up to today, GW?

Well, this morning, I’m planning on wrapping up these weather sticks. Then, after lunch, I’ll wander on out to the old woodworking shop and get back to making those flutes that have been hogging my time these past few weeks. They’re slowly coming together, and if all goes well, I figure another week should see ‘em all finished up. I have 20 on the go, so it’s been keeping me busy.

Now, that’s the plan…but as any old woodworker knows, plans are just fancy ideas until the wood decides to cooperate. Sometimes things don’t pan out… or in this case, they don’t bore straight, don’t sand right, or split when they’ve got no business splitting. But hey, that’s half the fun of working with wood… you never really know what kind of day you’re gonna have until you get your hands on it!

So, with that bit of info, I’m off to enjoy the breakfast my little woman is kindly whipping up for me. After that, we’ll see what the day has in store… though not before my lovely wife and I sit down with a hot cup of cocoa and a good old-fashioned chat, which we do every morning.

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

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Good Morning! My old Dad used to say that: If hard work builds character, I reckon you should be quite the character by now. True in a lot of ways.

It’s a cloudy start to the day here in good ol’ cottage country. Late in the day yesterday, we got ourselves a little taste of some more snow, I would say about 4 inches or so. ‘Course, that ain’t much to write home about for us northerners…just enough to freshen things up and keep the snow shovel from getting’ rusty.

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Here’s the weather forecast for Port Loring, Ontario:

Today, Sunday, February 23, 2025:

• Morning: Cloudy skies with temperatures around 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius).
• Afternoon: Highs reaching 36 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius) with a chance of light snow flurries.
• Evening: Temperatures dropping to 30 degrees Fahrenheit (-1 degree Celsius) with overcast conditions.

Tonight:

• Overnight: Cloudy with lows near 26 degrees Fahrenheit (-3 degrees Celsius).

Tomorrow, Monday, February 24, 2025:

• Morning: Windy with snow showers, accumulating an additional 1 to 3 centimeters. Temperatures around 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius).
• Afternoon: Continued snow flurries with highs reaching 36 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius).
• Evening: Overcast with temperatures steady at 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius).

Looks like winter’s still got a bit of a grip on us.

Highway 522 is mostly clear of snow, though there are still a few snowy patches on the north side of the road. So, if you’re out and about, it might pay to keep an eye on things…unless, of course, you’re looking for an excuse to test out that new set of winter tires.

As for my wife and me, we’re pretty well set for a while. We made the trip to town a few days ago, stocked up on the essentials, and now we can sit back and watch the snow pile up… at least until something runs low. Funny how in a small town, you never seem to need much until the weather turns bad. Then suddenly, you’re fresh out of whatever it is you can’t do without. But that’s country living for you… where a trip to town is more of an event than an errand.

And with that, I’m off to enjoy the breakfast my lovely wife has made for me…best get to it before the power goes out. They’re planning an outage between 9:00 AM and noon, though I suspect we’ll be too busy moving snow to notice much. That should keep us occupied till things flicker back to life.

One thing I’ve learned living in this neck of the woods is that you’ve got to roll with whatever comes your way. No sense fussing over what you can’t change. That’s just the way it is.

You all have a great day! And Until The Next Time:

Keep your minds open and your stories alive! GW