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Good morning. You know… I’ve found that words kinda age the way wood does… you’ve got to let them dry before they’ll hold their shape. Fresh-cut lumber looks strong enough, but it’s still green inside, still shifting, and still liable to twist on you if you build with it too soon. Words are the same. When they’re fresh from the tongue or pen, they’re swollen with feeling, not yet settled. Give them a little air and time, though, and they’ll cure into something straighter, steadier, and fit to build on.

Tip of the day from a seasoned writer of over 40 years… to a new writer:
Before you shape your story, let your words dry out. Step away, then come back with fresh eyes. You’ll be surprised how much stronger and straighter your writing will be.

Well, we have had some frost for the past morning or so lately, and I am quite happy I covered my vegetables and tomatoes. However, this morning wasn’t as bad as yesterday, but it was still enough to do some serious harm. At any rate, we will still have some tomatoes to put out for sale on our wagon in front of our home. I’ll get to that as soon as I have my breakfast. Self-service: just take what you want and drop your money in the container. And I have to tell you, those tomatoes are like nothing you’ve ever tasted before. You really can’t compare them to greenhouse tomatoes, or to the kind some farmers are growing these days. They just don’t have any taste at all. Truth be told, if I blindfolded someone and gave them one of those store-bought ones, they most likely wouldn’t even know it was a tomato. We’ve become a country that believes as long as it looks good, it is good. It’s a damn shame too.

On another note, yesterday my wife and I took our car to North Bay to get it undercoated, which will kinda protect it for another winter. I have to tell you, they sure don’t make car frames like they used to. Truth is, nothing is made like it was in yesteryear. I’m thinking we’ve become a throwaway country… buy it, use it for a year or so if you’re lucky, then toss it and buy a new one, probably made in China. Back in the day, we made things right here in Canada, or the USA, or maybe even Germany. Not today. Today, like I said, we’re a throwaway nation, buying and selling cheap, mass-produced junk. And the real kicker? It’s nobody’s fault but our own, because people just keep on buying it.

So what are you up to today GW?

Well, a couple of days ago I managed to get my new desktop cut out and glued up, and now I’m planning on cutting it to size and then sanding it down. I’m not sure if I’ll get it all done today, but if I don’t, there’s always another day. Or at least I hope there is. After that, I’ll stain it an Early American color and then fasten it to my old desktop. I can’t wait to see what it looks like when all is said and done.

It’s funny, this all started because my old desk, built the way so many things are today, just didn’t hold up. Mass-produced, rushed through, never given the time or care to last. Now I’m taking the good pieces, the ones worth saving, which aren’t many, and rebuilding it the way it should have been from the start. This time it’ll be a one-of-a-kind desk with some real country flare, the kind any writer would appreciate.

So with that, I’m off once again for the breakfast my lovely wife has made for me, and then I’ll see what the day has in store.

Until next time, keep your minds open and your stories alive. GW

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Good morning, stories and fence posts share the same truth—if you don’t set them deep, they won’t stand. A post that’s only stuck in the topsoil will tip with the first hard wind, or worse, sag slowly until the whole fence looks tired. Stories work the same way. If they’re told shallow, without any root in truth or lived experience, they fall over just as quick. You can prop them up for a while with polish or exaggeration, but they won’t last.

So how you all doing this morning? Good I hope. Looking outside this morning once again we are in the midst of some clouds but in saying that I do see some blue sky up there which tells me we will be having some sunshine a bit later on this morning.

Today (Friday): Mostly sunny skies. High around 61 °F (16 °C). Crisp, dry, good for getting things done outside.

Tonight: Clear and much cooler. Lows dipping to about 36 °F (2 °C). You’ll want a jacket or extra blankets if you’re out late.

Tomorrow (Saturday): A beautiful day coming. Plenty of sunshine, warmer too — highs near 67 °F (19 °C), lows around 43 °F (6 °C).

Luckily, we didn’t have a frost last night, but tonight might tell a different story. So, it might pay to cover things up in the vegetable gardens before heading off to bed, which I will do, as we still have some tomatoes and other things, and we wouldn’t want to lose them. They sure are tasty this year.

Highway 522 has seen a bit more traffic these days, with a lot of campers and trucks with ATVs, along with quite a few vehicles towing boats loaded up with supplies. Whether they are heading home or just arriving, one can only guess, but I would think that many of them are now taking advantage of our nice weather and doing some fishing, as it has been good for the past few weeks or so.

On another note: Yesterday, despite not feeling all that well, I managed to get quite a bit done in our vegetable garden, clearing out weeds and plants that have just about had it for the year. By the time I finished, I was all in and ready to take it easy for the rest of the day. I wanted to glue up my new desktop but wasn’t up to it. Still, I accomplished a lot that needed to be done.

“So, what are you up to today, GW?”

Well, I’m planning to glue up that new desktop, but I’ll see how I feel after breakfast. If I’m still not up to par, I’ll just do some front porch sitting with my lovely wife.

Until next time, keep your minds open and your stories alive. GW

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Good morning. You know, over the years I’ve found that even an old notebook has something to say, That is… if you listen close enough. Pages worn thin, ink faded, corners bent, there’s still a voice tucked inside. Sometimes it whispers what you once forgot, sometimes it reminds you of a promise you never kept. And then other times, it just sits quiet, letting you realize that words you wrote can surprise you years later.

Well, looking outside here this morning, we are in the midst of some clouds, but, in saying that, the temperatures are holding steady at a comfortable level.

Today (Thu, 18 Sep):
Mainly cloudy. Fog patches dissipating this morning. Wind becoming north at 20 km/h this afternoon. High of 19°C (66°F). UV index 5, or moderate.

Tonight:
A few clouds. Winds from the north at 20 km/h, becoming light this evening. Low of 3°C (37°F), with a risk of frost.

So with the temperature dropping tonight, I reckon I’ll throw an old tarp over the veggies out in the garden, just to be safe. We’ve still got tomatoes, lettuce, and kale coming along real nicely, and I’d hate to lose them to a bit of frost.

Highway 522 is real quiet traffic-wise these days, with most of our tourists closing up their cottages for the winter. But, that being said, we’ve seen an uptick in motorcyclists out enjoying the nice weather, taking in the sights while they still can. And there sure is a lot to see around here, especially this time of year, with the leaves all starting to show their colours.

On another note, my wife and I took a little trip south for a couple of days to visit a farmer friend of ours. While we were there, we picked up a fifty-pound bag of his Huckleberry Gold potatoes and some squash. These potatoes have a beautiful purple skin and a nice yellowish inside, and they keep well through the winter. There’s nothing quite like fresh, farm-grown potatoes—especially when they’re organic.

He’s been growing potatoes for as long as I can remember. Actually, we used to sell our peaches when we were farming right beside him at the Oshawa Market, many years ago. It was real nice to see him again. After our visit, we slowly made our way home, taking in the sights—it’s kinda nice to see what others are up to. All in all, we had a good time, but I have to tell ya, it sure was nice to arrive back home.

So, what are you up to today, GW?

Well, today I’m planning to clear out some of the old plants that are pretty well done for the year in our vegetable gardens. After that, I’ll get back to gluing up a new top for my writing desk here. I managed to get all the pieces planed down a few days ago, so they’re ready to be put together. So yeah, that’s what I’ve got planned—along with a bit of front porch sittin’, too, if the weather holds.

So with that, I’m off once again for my breakfast that my lovely wife has made for me—some porridge is on the menu this morning. After that, we’ll see what the day has in store, other than what I’ve already planned. You never know what a day will bring.

Until next time, keep your minds open and your stories alive. GW