Well Folks, my third book, “Moments In Time” is now out.  It will be in the book stores with in two weeks.  You will be able to purchase them at Cole’s In North Bay…. or at Cole’s in Sudbury and also at Gulliver’s there in the Bay.  Coles in North Bay at the Mall is holding a book signing for me on June 19th from 1 PM To 3 PM Fathers Day weekend, what a great gift.  Sure would be nice of you all to drop by, say hello and pick up your signed copy of Moments In Time.  Also will be handing out free book marks to those that purchase one of my books.  Had them made up special for you all at Beatty Printing there in the Bay.  Great outfit to deal with and should say they do the printing of all my books.  Just ask for Ian.  Will keep you up to date on other signings as time goes by.

Thought I would share my last weeks Column, which comes out every Saturday in the North Bay Nugget.  Enjoy.

A Bit On Sports

Sports throughout my life wasn’t to high up on the list of priorities as for most parts we just never had time to watch them. As we were usually up before the sun and in bed at dusk. Later on in life in the 60s I did get into watching hockey a bit and have to say I enjoyed it a lot. The reason I enjoyed it so much was because there was only six teams, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadians, Chicago Black hawks, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers and the Detroit Red Wings. With six teams it was easy for a feller to remember each and every player. My favourite team back then was the,  Chicago Black hawks but I did have an eye on the Boston Bruins too. If the Black hawks were out of the series, my second choice would be Boston. Not sure why I didn’t get into liking the Canadian teams that much for my home team, maybe it was because most of my hockey watching was looked at in Florida, as my wife and I usually went south for the winter. Seemed I could become part of the team back then, with just so many players, if one got hurt you hurt, if one played bad you felt bad, but no matter what happened in a game you never lost faith in your team.  Hull and Mikita, bar none were my most favourite players and when they were on the ice there was never a dull moment. Might say they kept folks on the edge of their seats. Did for me anyways. In Boston my favourite players were, Phil Esposito, Ken Hodge and Fred Stanfield and I suppose the reason for that was because they were all former Black hawks and back then a fellow was loyal to the players he or she liked.

I watched almost every game back then and looked forward to them. I did manage to get to a couple games in Chicago over the years as my brother-in-law worked in a place that had the means of getting tickets for free. Sure had a good time let me tell ya.  Still can smell them hot dogs that they brought around to the spectators while the game was being played. The games were exciting back then, more so than today in my eyes and a fellow knew exactly at all times what was going on, as things were done with ease. Later on another sport got my attention which was golf. I never played much of it myself, maybe a few games here and there, but my boys liked it and to help them out I got them some lessons. Today they both are good golfers and enjoy what ever time they can on the course. For myself I enjoyed being out there with the boys but to make it a regular thing, well lets just say it wasn’t in me. I do watch one game a year though and never miss it. That game is the Masters in Augusta Georgia.

The Masters is one place that I have put on my wish list before I meet my creator and if the opportunity ever arises, my two sons and wife will be there.

Some players that I got to know and respect over the years was, Byron Nelson, Sam Snead, Jack Nicklaus, Gene Sarazen, and not to forget, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Greg Norman and Nick Faldo. Later on and into today they were, Mike Weir, Chris DiMarco , Ben Crenshaw, Fred Couples, Nick Price, and David Duval. But my most favourite of them all, other than Sam Snead and Arnold Palmer would be, Phil Mickelson.

In 2004 Phil Mickelson won his first Masters and here in Canada there was no one more happy than I was. Then again in 2006 he put all his talents together and came up with another win, again we were right there with him throughout the whole four days. He is a great family man, along with that he enjoys what he does which is golf of course and each and every game he gives his all to his fans.

The Masters this year in 2010 was one of the best and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. Just to name a few highlights, Mickelson made back-to-back birdies from the par-three 12th and went on to miss an eagle from only three feet at the par-five 13th.  ended the hole with a birdie. The other spectacular shot was when he made a 20-foot downhill putt at the par-three 12th, amazing. There was many more but after them two eagles both in a row, I knew as he probably did, his third green jacket wasn’t to far off.

Watching him hug his wife and children at the 18th hole was sure a sight to see. The gleam in his wife and daughters eyes and their smiles was enough to melt anyone s heart, yes it was a great game, a game that gave everyone such an emotional ride, one that will go down in the history books.

The Masters.

Finally, for those that have called, E-Mailed and sent letters asking about my third book. Well … ‘Moments In Time’ which is what it is called, is in the printers hands and should be done shortly. Soon as it comes available I will let you all know right here at the Nugget at the bottom of my column.

Good afternoon.   Just thought I would let you all know my third book Moments In Time is almost compete.  If things go to plan we should have it in the stores around the middle of May.  I also plan to announce when it is available in with my column in Saturdays paper at the Nugget.  Also in month or so we will be starting our book signing events.  We will be at Gulliver’s in North Bay and also at Cole’s at the Mall in North Bay.  There again I will let you know dates and time soon as I know.  The way things are heading it looks like a very busy year, with our small store ready to go, three books on the market, speaking engagements, attending different events and book signings.  I also would like to meet you folks, so if you see one of my book-signings, or in our area, just drop in, open invitation.

Here is the old ice house today at our home here in Port Loring.  Still standing and looking good. Well………maybe a bit for wear, but after fifty years I am thinking it is in pretty good shape.  Imagine the stories it could tell. Click to enlarge.

So hows every one been doing?  Myself I have been steadily working on the third book which will be coming out this spring, say around first of June or end of May.   Things are going as planned and I got a feeling it is going to be an exceptional book, with a whole new cover look, more stories, longer stories, fantastic sketches by my wife and a few surprises thrown it to boot.   Cold here this morning down to around 5 below old scale/. Still don’t like that metric no matter what folks get to tellin’ me.  Old wood furnace here is earning its keep in-spite of all the huff over global warming.  Burned six cords so far this year but looking at things nature, the rest of this month it is going to be a bit above normal I am thinking so….that is a good thing.   Well guess it’s time to have a cup of that fresh perked coffee that my lovely wife put on and get to doing things around here.  Take Care and have a great day.

For years now I have tried to portrait what it was like years ago through words and pictures. In this picture here is an old feller in the fields working with out a care.  Enjoying life to the fullest, without any of the modern day equipment of today.  Amazing picture. Click on it to enlarge.

Well had a buddy send me these photos the other day and figured it would bring back a few memories of years gone by, for some of you too.  First one is the old A & W Restaurant, where you drove in and they came out to serve you.  The second needs no explaining, as many a nights us older folks seen this before retiring for bed. Click On Pictures To Enlarge.  Enjoy!

Thought you might like this add I came upon in the paper the other day.   Bit of humor for ya.

FOR SALE BY OWNER.
Complete set of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 45 volumes.
Excellent condition. No longer needed.
Got married last month. Wife knows everything.

For a few years now folks have come up to me and asked for some tips on how he or she could get into writing.  Well thinking about that I decided to put down a few words here on how I do it.  Hope this helps.

1. Do not wait until you have gathered all your material to begin writing. Once you have some idea of your topic, you should start writing.
2. Do not avoid writing something down for fear of having to change it later. When you have an idea, you should write it down even if it is out of place. With modern word processor technology, changes can be made quickly and easily.
3. After you have begun writing, do not stop. That way, you won’t lose your train of thought.
4. If you become mired on a particular part, reread your previous several pages to see if you can use continuity of thought to push you past your difficulty.
5. Always be on the lookout for ideas, facts, or words that may make a good beginning to a new section or chapter of your writing.
6. Often an opening paragraph will, upon rereading, seem alien to that which follows it. Such an occurrence is no cause for great concern and can be remedied through rephrasing or removal.
7. You should know your preferences and peculiarities regarding the mechanics of composition, whether you prefer to write a draft in pen first and then type it or how you like your books and notes positioned. Other important factors may include lighting, posture, and clothing. By indulging yourself with these seeming trivialities, you will have no excuse to put off your task, and the future presence of these factors will elicit good working habits.  The most important of all things would be.   Just Be Yourself.  If you are to be a writer or poet of words, it will happen, believe me.  Happy New Year.

I changed the day from Sunday to Clouday as there isn’t one bit of sun in the sky in our neck of the woods.

Had an old friend of mine send me this bit of humour, some have probably read it before but for those that haven’t here ya go.

An old prospector shuffled into town  leading an old tired mule.
The old man headed straight  for the only saloon in town to clear his parched throat.
He walked up to the saloon and tied his old mule to the hitch rail.
As he stood there brushing some of the dust from his face and clothes, a young gunslinger stepped out of the saloon with a gun in one hand and a bottle of whiskey in the  other.
The young gunslinger looked at the old man and laughed, saying, ‘Hey oldman, have you ever danced?’
The old man looked up at the gunslinger and said, ‘No, I never did dance, — just never  wanted to.’
A crowd had gathered quickly and the gunslinger grinned and said, ‘Well, you old fool, you’re gonna’ dance now,’ and started shooting at the old man’s feet.
The old prospector in order to not get  a toe blown off or his boots perforated was soon hopping around like a flea on a hot skillet and everybody was laughing fit to be tied.
When the last bullet had been fired the young gunslinger, still laughing,holstered his gun and turned around to go back into the saloon.
The old man turned to his pack mule, pulled out a double barreled shotgun, and cocked both hammers back. The loud, audible double clicks carried clearly through the desert  air.
The crowd stopped laughing immediately. The young gunslinger heard the sounds too,
And he turned around very slowly. The quiet was almost deafening.
The crowd watched as the young gunman stared at the old timer and the  large gaping  holes of those twin barrels.
He found it hard to swallow. The barrels of the shotgun never wavered in the old man’s hands.
The old man said, ‘Son, did you ever kiss a mule’s behind?’
The boy bully swallowed hard and said,   ‘No. But I’ve always wanted to.’

There are two lessons for us all:

1. Don’t waste ammunition.

2. Don’t mess with old people.

Kind of like this an old friend sent me.  Take A Look.

*How I learned to mind my own business** *

* *

I was walking past the mental hospital the other day, and all the patients were shouting,
’13….13….13.’

The fence was too high to see over, but I saw a little gap in the planks, so I looked through to see what was going on…..

Some idiot poked me in the eye with a stick!

Then they all started shouting ’14….14….14’…

Thought I would let folks know I am now full swing into getting my third book done up.  Lots to do but on the bright side after two books I at least know what lies ahead.  Right now it’s picking the stories that I would like to go into the book along with editing, editing, editing and more editing.  Amazing how you can write up story then later on come up with new things and ideas to add to it.  But I enjoy doing it,  that is all that matters.  My lovely wife is working steadily on the colour scheme for the cover and along with the painting.  It will be major change from my other two books and I am sure you all will like it.  She is also working on the sketches for each story. My sons are working on the technical stuff so as you can see things are getting done.  Also got a special poem going to be going into the book which I am sure you will all enjoy.  Not written by me, but by some one close, my sister Barb.   So……………if everything goes to plan, we should have it in the stores for the first of June. Hope to see you all at the book signings.  The dates of when they will be, I will post on here and put in with my columns as time goes by. Going to be a great book for sure.  New stories, longer stories, new sketches, a poem to remember and a whole new look.  What more can you ask for.   Talk Soon.

Question; Dear Mr. Walters;  I was just wondering if you would share where all your story writing takes place?

Well I have been a bit reluctant in telling folks, as it is hard to explain so….. figured instead of saying it in words, I would let you take a look.  I know it probably isn’t what one would have figured, but it does me well.  I am surrounded by the days of long ago, which brings stories to mind at a glance, and, well, that is what is suppose to happen.  This picture was taken last year and my lovely wife has changed things a touch, with a book case here and there which are filed  with hundreds of old time novels and things.  I will see about getting another picture in the coming days that does it more justice.  To enlarge the picture below, just click on it.    Hope this helps.

Well not sure why they call it  SUNDAY, as there is no sun to be seen today, or should say any to speak of.  At any rate, not doing to much today other than writing up a few stories for my columns.  You know, I have heard of folks having writers block and never could figure out what they were really talking about.  I have always figured and even told folks, to just sit down and start writing, what comes to mind, is what is meant to be wrote.  Thing is, I have found that a few things that I have figured to be standard thinking, are, well, maybe are not always correct.  So being me, I figure I should be the one to let you folks know that I can slip up once in awhile.  Amazing I know, but true, ha ha. The problem I guess I am having today, is that after twenty some years of writing short stories relating to pretty well the same thing, one gets, well lets face it, bored and wanting to look for different avenues. My columns I will never stop as I look forward to writing them as much as my readers enjoy reading them.   So don’t take me wrong, I would never say I want to quit writing, as that is the furthest thing from the truth, but I am looking for other avenues that my writing can take me.  I have a novel novel on my mind now, which will pertain to a thriller mystery.  Can’t wait till I can give it the time it deserves.  I have also given some thought to doing more stories on my old Grandfather and his adventures through the USA, surveying in the late 1800s and early 1900s. I have a lot of info on him, and put into stories, I am thinking his material would make for some very entertaing reading for folks. My style of writing has done me well for a great number of years and was told to never change, early in my writing career, which I still believe is right on the  money and will continue to put words down as I always have.  So……………………there you go. As you can see, my mind is trying to get out of this slump I am in, which is very bothersome.  I guess I just have to use my own advice, set down and just start writing.   Hmm……….maybe my thinking has been right all along.  Talk Soon.

What’s mainly wrong with society today is that too many Dirt Roads have been paved.
There’s not a problem in America today, crime, drugs, education, divorce, delinquency that wouldn’t be remedied, if we just had more Dirt Roads, because Dirt Roads give character.
People that live at the end of Dirt Roads learn early on that life is a bumpy ride.
That it can jar you right down to your teeth sometimes, but it’s worth it, if at the end is home…a loving spouse, happy kids and a dog.
We wouldn’t have near the trouble with our educational system if our kids got their exercise walking a Dirt Road with other kids, from whom they learn how to get along.
There was less crime in our streets before they were paved.
Criminals didn’t walk two dusty miles to rob or rape, if they knew they’d be welcomed by 5 barking dogs and a double barrel shotgun.
And there were no drive by shootings.
Our values were better when our roads were worse!
People did not worship their cars more than their kids, and motorists were more courteous, they didn’t tailgate by riding the bumper or the guy in front would choke you with dust & bust your windshield with rocks.
Dirt Roads taught patience.
Dirt Roads were environmentally friendly, you didn’t hop in your car for a quart of milk you walked to the barn for your milk.
For your mail, you walked to the mail box.
What if it rained and the Dirt Road got washed out? That was the best part, then you stayed home and had some family time, roasted marshmallows and popped popcorn and pony rode on Daddy’s shoulders and learned how to make prettier quilts than anybody.
At the end of Dirt Roads, you soon learned that bad words tasted like soap.
Most paved roads lead to trouble, Dirt Roads more likely lead to a fishing creek or a swimming hole.
At the end of a Dirt Road, the only time we even locked our car was in August, because if we didn’t some neighbour would fill it with too much zucchini.
At the end of a Dirt Road, there was always extra springtime income, from when city dudes would get stuck, you’d have to hitch up a team and pull them out.
Usually you got a dollar…always you got a new friend…at the end of a Dirt Road!
~by Paul Harvey~

I never miss your column in the North Bay Nugget or  Community Voice. I Love it. Reminds me of my Grandfather  A gentle hard-working orderly person who never  wasted a thing in his  life and could make me a whistle or a toy or a very useful  item out of something he knew the exact where-abouts-of.  He went overseas during  World War I, and the only stories I remember him telling  were in relation to the kindly and appreciative people  he met and the countryside.  He raised a wonderful family of 5 after his wife died  in child-birth.  Mom was the oldest and had to quit school at the age of 13  to stay home with her siblings. You are so right.  It WAS a hard life, but those people will never be forgotten. Thanks for keeping their memories alive. Elva