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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
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In Closing, I Would Like to Wish You Well!
George Walters |
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