“Mornin’, folks! Time to rise and shine, or at least rise. We’ll work on the shine part later.”

This morning in cottage country started off with some clouds, but now the sun is trying hard to break through. That will be nice, as my wife and I have some mowing to do. It seems there’s always something to be done when you own a home, especially in this neck of the woods.

You know, I retired up here in the north many years ago, wondering what I was going to do. The thing is, I’ve been busier now than I ever was when we had our farm along with two other businesses. Turns out, retirement is a full-time job… without the paycheck!

Highway 522 is picking up a wee bit, traffic-wise. With the long weekend closing in, I suspect it’ll get busier. Then again, if we have a rainy weekend, it might keep a few folks at home. So far this year, most of our weekends have had some rain, which is fine by me but not so good for those who only have weekends off. Not much one can do about that other than to find other things to do inside.

Bug Report: Actually, things are pretty good out there these days. My wife and I worked outside by my woodworking shop all day yesterday, and we hardly saw any. Which made it a real nice day.

With that, I’m off for my breakfast—a bowl of porridge that my lovely wife is making for me. After that, I’ll see if our old mowers are going to run. One never knows, being that they’re getting up there in years. Kind of like me!

You all have a great day and remember, the best fertilizer for the field is the farmer’s footsteps. See you next time!

Thursday
06/27/24

Major Times
5:09 AM-7:09 AM
5:33 PM-7:33 PM

Minor Times
12:05 AM-1:05 AM
11:25 AM-12:25 PM

Day Rating: I give it a 2-Star Rating out of 5 for catching a few. Good Luck!

Advice from an Old Angler: “Use a sliding bobber to adjust your bait’s depth easily. This lets you fish at different depths without constantly retyin’ your rig.”

Good Morning, and as my old dad used to say: Life’s like a good cup of coffee; take it slow and savor every drop.

It’s one beautiful day here in the north. The rain has left us, for a while, the sun is shinning with just a couple of fluffy clouds, the humidity is starting to drop, and the wind coming in from the North West is light. You could say it’s been a perfect spring and summer so far. And by the looks of things it is going to continue. “What’s all the fuss about global warming? Sure, there are changes happening in some parts of the world, but it’s nothing the planet hasn’t experienced before.”

On another note, we did have a lot of much-needed rain over the past week or so, which really made everything start growing. Today, I plan on doing some hoeing in my vegetable gardens, as those pesky weeds are starting to show themselves in earnest. I just cut them off and leave them where they fall, since they rot and act as fertilizer. It would be a shame to waste them.

I remember years ago when my wife and I were farming. Every winter, we had to trim our grapevines, which left a lot of brush between the rows. Most people would drag it out in piles and burn it, but I had an idea. I decided to hook up my rotary mower to the back of the tractor and cut the brush into small pieces, thinking I wouldn’t have to burn it anymore, which would save a lot of work. It worked great! Before long, folks from miles around were doing it too. Another benefit was that the small pieces would rot and act as fertilizer, which the plants loved. Sometimes, it just takes a bit of ingenuity, which isn’t as common today.

Highway 522 has picked up a wee bit, but not as much as it has over the past years. But that could change being that we are heading into July. Thinking of that, it seems time is sure flying by fast this year.

Bug Report: As I mentioned in my last post, the black flies have left us for another year, but with all this warm, wet weather, the mosquitoes are having a field day feasting on us humans. Additionally, the deer flies are particularly bad this year. They are so bad that they are forcing deer and moose out of the bush and onto the highways. We saw several spots along the highway going into town yesterday covered with blood where someone had hit one. So, best to be careful if you are out and about.

Today along with doing some hoeing in the gardens I am also going to get this old boat of mine ready to put out front of our home for sale. I was going to do it the other day but got side tracked. Which is normal for my wife and I, as we head off to do one thing and a lot of times do something totally different. Such is life living here in the country.

With that I am off for my breakfast that my little woman is preparing for me and will then, enjoy a cup of coffee on the front porch with my lovely wife, before I get to work, just because I can.

You all have a great day and don’t forget, every day’s a gift. Take care, folks

Fishing Times for Wednesday
06/26/24

Major Times
4:20 AM-6:20 AM
4:45 PM-6:45 PM

Minor Times
–:—–:–
10:05 AM-11:05 AM

Day Rating: I give it a 1-Star Rating out of 5 for catching a few. Not the greatest day for fishing but hey! You never know. Good Luck!

Advice from an Old Angler: Look for bubbles on the water’s surface. They’re often a sign of fish movin’ below, stirrin’ up the bottom. Cast your line where you see the bubbles, and you might find a school of fish.

“Good morning on this June 24th, 2024. Another day, another chance to make it count.”

It’s looking like a nice day is shaping up for us here in Cottage Country. Which is fine with me after all the rain we have had in the past few days. But the good news is it will cut down most off all the forest fires in our area. And along with that the trees, plants and things, all had a nice drink. I think our vegetable gardens grew a foot, especially our tomatoes, lettuce, pumpkins, zucchini, squash and corn. Which means we will be having some more fresh veggies and things for our table sooner than later. Although, we have been eating fresh lettuce every day.

Now, let me tell you this: I have no use for that hydroponically grown stuff. I’ve been growing vegetables all my life in good old dirt, and there’s just no comparison. Plants need soil to get what they need to stay healthy. The richness of the earth gives them a taste and nutritional profile you just can’t get with those water-based growing methods.

The soil-grown veggies are the real deal. There’s something about the way the roots dig into the ground and pull up all those nutrients that make them taste better, and be better for you. It’s the way nature intended, and that’s the way I like it. You can’t beat the flavor and wholesomeness of a vegetable grown in good, honest dirt.

On another note, yesterday being so wet once again, I worked steadily here at my computer writing up stories for my newspaper columns I write for. I had another productive day, which always puts a smile on my face.

Today I am going to clean up my boat, motor and trailer that I am selling, and hook up the trolling motor. It’s a nice combination for someone that enjoys being out on the water. After that, I have some weeds to look after, in our vegetable gardens. They also are liking all this rain we have had.

Highway 522 is not too busy these days, but closing in on the long weekend, I suspect things will pick up a bit.

Bug Report: Other than them bloodsucking parasites, the mosquitoes, things are pretty good these days. The black flies have left us for another year, but in saying that in some areas the deer flies are pretty bad.

With that, I am off for my morning breakfast that my lovely wife is making for me, and will then head on outdoors and enjoy some of that much-needed sunshine. It’s what everything that is alive here on earth needs to stay healthy.

You all have a great day and remember: “It’s in the simple moments, that we find the greatest joys. Take care and enjoy your day!”

Fishing Times for Monday
06/24/24

Major Times
2:31 AM-4:31 AM
3:00 PM-5:00 PM

Minor Times
7:23 AM-8:23 AM
11:18 PM-12:18 AM

Day Rating: I give it a 3-Star Rating out of 5 for catching a few today. Good Luck!

Advice from an Old Angler: You can’t go wrong with a juicy nightcrawler. Thread it on your hook, let it wiggle a bit, and watch the fish come swimmin’. They’re like candy for fish. GW