Category Archives: Gardening

Spot for you to do some reading on gardening and staying healthy. Also a great place to put your feet up and relax for a bit.

Gardening, News, Information & Events, Weather, What's Happening

Mornings in the Countryside on June 1/2024

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Good Morning! “There’s a whole lot to be thankful for today, so let’s get to it.”

It’s another beautiful morning here in Cottage country. The sun is doing its job and the temperature is sitting at a comfortable 16 C | 60.8 F. Pretty hard to beat that. Other than the trees, plants, wildflowers and grass being so green. I have to tell ya it sure is a sight to see, so nice I did a YouTube Video of our property yesterday, which I will post on my channel when I find some time. Which is scarce at the moment with all that my wife and I have on the go.

On another note, yesterday my wife and I managed to get our grape posts, anchors and wire strung, and once finished we planted our young grape vines into their new home. Waking up this morning they sure look like they’re happy, so in two to three years we will have enough grapes for making jams, jellies and maybe a bottle or two of homemade wine. I can’t wait.

Today, I am planning on installing some bearings I bought on Amazon, for my water wheel on our new fishpond, as the wheel wasn’t turning like I wanted it to. So if things goes to plan, I should have it up and running later on today sometime.

Grand Opening Today!

We are excited to announce the grand opening of our gift shop this morning! Inside, you’ll find a charming assortment of items, each one handcrafted by my wife and me right here at home.

With many years of experience in woodworking and my wife’s artistic touch, we take pride in offering unique, high-quality products that stand out from the rest.

Why visit our shop?

  • 100% Locally Made: Every item is created with skill and passion, ensuring exceptional quality and uniqueness.
  • No Offshore Items: Unlike many stores today, pretty well all our products are made right here at our home.

In a world that’s constantly changing, it’s nice to find something genuine and made with pride. So if you have a few minutes to spare, why not come and discover the beauty of our handmade goods. We look forward to welcoming you!

Highway 522 is really picking up, traffic-wise. We’ve got boats, ATVs, you name it, all closing in on us. It’s a refreshing sight for a change, and folks seem to be eager to leave the hustle and bustle of city life behind.

Bug Report: For the past two days or so, the Black Flies haven’t been all that bad, which is sure nice to see. The mosquitoes are out there, but the dragon flies are cleaning them up, along with a helping hand from the birds. Mother nature is better than any bug spray. We just have to have patience.

With that I am off for my morning breakfast that my lovely wife has prepared for me and will then get to work on that water wheel.

You all have a great day, and I will leave you with this: “Fix the fence while the sun’s shining, not when the cows are out.”

Fishing Times for Saturday
06/01/24

Major Times
7:59 AM-9:59 AM
8:23 PM-10:23 PM

Minor Times
2:18 AM-3:18 AM
2:54 PM-3:54 PM

Day Rating: I give it a 2-star rating out of 5 for catching a few.

Fishing tip of the day: “If you see Raccoons, Herons or Beavers near the water, chances are there’s fish around. Those critters know where the good spots are.” GW

All my books are available on my Amazon Author Page.

If you purchase a book, a brief Amazon review really helps new readers discover my work—it means a lot.

Support my writing: Support My Writing

In Closing, I Would Like to Wish You Well!

George Walters | [email protected]

Gardening, Weather, What's Happening

Life Away from the City on May 31/2024

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Good morning! There’s nothing like a piece of the country to start the day.

It’s another sunny morning here in cottage country, 7:00 AM, and the sun is well above the tree line, which means summer is almost here.

Lately, my wife and I have been very busy doing things outdoors. Like mowing the grass, planting fruit trees, small shrubs, plants… along with our vegetable garden. We did however have to cover some things up with the frost we had for the past two nights. I kind of think, we have seen the last of it now as tonight the temperature will be hovering around the 50F/10C mark. At least, I hope it does. But in saying all that, things are really growing. Our zucchini, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce and beans are above ground showing off. Which is sure nice to see, as my wife and I are sure looking forward to some fresh, out of the garden, pesticide free salads and things.

Today I am going to see about planting some grape vines. I wanted to do it yesterday, but we had too many other things on our plate, and never got around to planting them. Today, we will see.

Highway 22 is getting a touch busier every day, but not as busy as it has been in other years. But it will probably pick up more once the kids are out of school.

Bug Report: Actually, other than the mosquitoes, things haven’t been all that bad. The black flies are slowly leaving us thanks to the dragon flies. And I am hoping the frost we had keeps the mosquitoes at bay. Again, we will see how that pans out in the coming days.

With that I am off for my breakfast that my lovely wife has ready for me and will then head on outdoors.

You all have a great day, and I will leave you with this bit of wisdom I learned over the years: “Hard work never hurt nobody, but it sure makes the porch feel nice at the end of the day.”

Fishing Times for Friday
05/31/24

Major Times
7:11 AM-9:11 AM
7:35 PM-9:35 PM

Minor Times
1:59 AM-2:59 AM
1:35 PM-2:35 PM

Day Rating: I give it a 2-star rating out of for catching a few. Weather wise, it’s a nice day to be out on the water.

Fishing Tip of The Day: “My old Dad used to say the best fishing days are when the cows are layin’ down in the fields, and I have found that to be true over the years.”

All my books are available on my Amazon Author Page.

If you purchase a book, a brief Amazon review really helps new readers discover my work—it means a lot.

Support my writing: Support My Writing

In Closing, I Would Like to Wish You Well!

George Walters | [email protected]

Gardening, Weather, What's Happening

Morning Thoughts from the Countryside on May 29/2024

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“Good morning! The day’s young and the possibilities are endless!”

We are finally seeing a wee bit of sunshine for a change here in cottage country. After four days of light rain, it sure is nice to see. But we did need some rain, as there is nothing like a nice rain to get the tomato plants along with other veggies to growing. And I have to say they are growing. Our zucchini is up around an inch or so, along with the cucumbers, sunflowers and squash. Our apple, prune and pear trees are out in full leaf, and it won’t be long before we see some blossoms; our crab apple has already blossomed, and some small apples are beginning to show themselves. It’s an earlier variety.

Yesterday, in spite of the rain, I worked between the drops and tilled up a new spot where we are going to make a raised bed for a new addition to our land… “Asparagus.” We have some nice roots to put in the ground and once planted we should have a few to eat next spring, and for twenty years or so after that. It’s a very healthy plant to eat, especially if you grow it yourself without any pesticide and things. We never put any man made chemicals on our plants. And why should we? With nature all around us providing everything we need.

Today I will make the raised bed and get to planting them. After that we are going to put in some grape posts and string some wire, and once finished we will plant some grape vines that we bought a week or so ago. Once all said and done, I will put in some anchors at the end of each row, which will keep the wires nice and tight that will hold up the vines themselves. So, a full day of working outdoors is ahead for us two old timers. With the wisdom of age and the spirit of youth, remember, you’re only as old as you allow yourself to feel.

On another note, traffic on Highway 522 has city folks questioning their GPS directions more than ever these days Recalculating routes has become the unofficial motto of the summer, with the GPS voice sounding increasingly frustrated. Which is normal for our area. And if I might say is a good thing, as it brings folks back to what is important in life.

Bug Report: “Well, the black flies are easin’ off a bit, thanks to them dragonflies chompin’ ’em up. But now them mosquitoes are starting to throw a party, and guess who’s the main course?”

With that bit of info under your hat, I am off for a waffle with an egg on top, covered with some of Mike Clappertons Maple Syrup, that my lovely wife has prepared for me. Which should give us the energy to make it till dinner time.

You all have a great day, and I will leave you with this bit of wisdom I learned over the years: “The best lessons I’ve learned came from mistakes, along with a bit of dirt under my nails.”

Fishing Times for Wednesday
05/29/24

Major Times
5:32 AM-7:32 AM
5:57 PM-7:57 PM

Minor Times
1:16 AM-2:16 AM
10:57 AM-11:57 AM

Day Rating: I give it a 1-Star Rating out of for catching a few. Not the best day for fishing, but… one never knows.

Fishing Tip of The Day: Listen to the Wind: “A few old timers like myself say, when the wind’s from the west, the fish bite the best; when it’s from the east, the fish bite the least. You could say that Nature’s got its own way of tellin’ you when it’s time to fish.” Good Luck! GW

All my books are available on my Amazon Author Page.

If you purchase a book, a brief Amazon review really helps new readers discover my work—it means a lot.

Support my writing: Support My Writing

In Closing, I Would Like to Wish You Well!

George Walters | [email protected]

Gardening, My Opinion Only, Weather, What's Happening

Morning in the Countryside on May 26/2024

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Good Morning! The day’s just getting started, and it’s already looking mighty fine.

However, it is a touch foggy in some areas, which should clear out when the sun manages to break through. Now in saying that it looks as if we are in for some more rain tomorrow and into Wednesday, but after that things start to warm up a bit, and we will be seeing a lot more sunshine. At the moment, you could say we are in transition stage from spring to summer. Which is normal for our area. But things were a touch dry, and I was hoping for some rain as we planted our vegetable gardens, and nothing could be better than a nice rain to get them settled into their new home. And I have to say they are doing quite well.

On another note, yesterday my wife and I made a trip to North Bay as we were in need of a few things. We ended picking up, more than we needed, had a pizza at East Side Mario’s, grabbed a coffee at a local shop, and then headed home feeling a bit poorer. Man, things are so expensive these days. And another thing we noticed is that people are in a real hurry. A few times, folks bumped into my shopping cart, telling me to get a move on. I’ve heard of road rage with folks getting upset, but now I see it has moved onto shopping cart rage. Who knew grocery shopping would become so extreme. But all in all, other than my wife getting her hair wet and looking like a shaggy dog, as it was raining and feeling a bit poorer, we had a great day.

Highway 522 we noticed was quite busy yesterday with a lot of campers trucks, boats and ATV’s coming into our area.

Wisdom I’ve learned growing up : Don’t let a small weed turn into a big one. Pull it out fast and keep your fields clear. It ain’t always easy, but it’s got to be done if you want a good harvest.

With that I am off for my morning breakfast that my lovely wife is making for me and I will then get to installing two new bearings to my water wheel that I made a month or so ago. Which should keep me busy for the morning, that is if the weather stays nice.

You all have a great day, and I will leave you with this: Life’s full of ups and downs, just like the seasons. You have to roll with it.

Fishing Times For Sunday
05/26/24

Major Times
2:42 AM-4:42 AM
3:12 PM-5:12 PM

Minor Times
–:—–:–
7:06 AM-8:06 AM

Day Rating: Not the greatest day for fishing. I give it a 1-Star rating out of 5 for catching a few. But as I always say… you never know till you throw that line in the water.

Fishing Tip of the Day: When you’re out on the water trying to catch some fish, remember to keep the noise down. Fish get mighty skittish when they hear loud sounds or see too much commotion. So, keep your voices low and the racket down to a minimum if you want to reel ’em in. GW

All my books are available on my Amazon Author Page.

If you purchase a book, a brief Amazon review really helps new readers discover my work—it means a lot.

Support my writing: Support My Writing

In Closing, I Would Like to Wish You Well!

George Walters | [email protected]

Gardening, Weather, What's Happening

An Old Feller’s Morning on May 24/2024

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Good Morning! Where the woods, the fields, the critters – they all got somethin’ to teach us, that is… if we just take the time to listen.

It‘s another beautiful day here in the north. The sun is shinning, the birds are enjoying their breakfast at our bird feeder, and our lilacs are showing off, like no get out. And being a white heirloom lilac, they smell absolutely delightful. I brought one into the house for my lovely wife, and it has filled our home with its wonderful fragrance. We don’t need any air fresheners. Actually, we never use them, and for those who don’t know, some products, like Febreze, can mask odors by dulling your sense of smell. Which isn’t a good thing.

On another note, yesterday, my wife and I managed to get the grass cut in the morning. I have to say, it sure looks nice around our property when everything’s all cleaned up. Even more so now, with all our perennials growing nicely. We’re sure lucky to have such a beautiful piece of land. In all my years, I’ve never seen another place so inviting. Well, there was one other, our cottage in Sarasota, Florida, back in the sixties. We sure do miss it. Looking back, if we knew then what we know now, we’d have never let it go.

Well, today my wife and I are planning to finish planting our vegetable gardens, which will likely take up the whole morning. After that, I reckon we’ll get cleaned up and open our gift shop for the season. We’ve got a lot of new products for folks to check out. Now, all our items are handcrafted right here at our home—none of that offshore stuff like you see in most gift shops. My wife and I have pretty much made everything ourselves, putting our heart and soul into each creation. It’s a real labor of love for us.

Highway 522 is still very busy, which will continue now for the remainder of the summer.

Bug Report: Actually, with the wind and cooler temperatures, the bugs haven’t been too much of a bother. The good news is that yesterday, my wife and I noticed the dragonflies have made their grand entrance. While we were mowing, they were flying all around us, gobbling up the bugs. A few even perched on my hat while I was on the riding mower—guess they were enjoying the ride! We sure do love seeing them every year.

Well… I reckon it’s time for my morning cereal, made by my little woman. . After that, we’ll sit on the porch with a hot cocoa and admire what we got done yesterday. Sets us up nice for the work we’ve got today. Ain’t nothing like living where we do

You all have a great day, make it a great day, and I will leave you all with this: “Life’s like farming: you reap what you sow, so plant good seeds.”

Friday
05/24/24

Major Times
12:47 AM-2:47 AM
1:15 PM-3:15 PM

Minor Times
5:18 AM-6:18 AM
10:18 PM-11:18 PM

Day Rating: I give it a Star Rating for catching a few today.

Fishing Tip of the Day: Rub your hands with grass or leaves before handlin’ your bait. This helps mask any human scent that might spook the fish. Good Luck!! GW

All my books are available on my Amazon Author Page.

If you purchase a book, a brief Amazon review really helps new readers discover my work—it means a lot.

Support my writing: Support My Writing

In Closing, I Would Like to Wish You Well!

George Walters | [email protected]