Click on Image to Enlarge!

Mornin’! As my old Dad used to say. ‘The weather might change, but a good attitude will steer you right.

Here’s your weather forecast for Port Loring, Ontario:

Today, Friday, January 17, 2025:

• Morning: Mostly sunny with temperatures around 16°F (-9°C). A great excuse to enjoy that extra cup of coffee indoors.
• Afternoon: Plenty of clouds rolling in, with a brisk breeze. Highs reaching 33°F (0°C). Hold onto your hat—literally!
• Evening: Cloudy skies continue. Temperatures dropping to a low of 28°F (-2°C). Perfect weather for a cozy night by the fireplace.

Tomorrow, Saturday, January 18, 2025:

• Morning: Light snow ending in the morning, with an additional 1-3 cm expected. After a cloudy start, sunshine makes a comeback. Highs around 36°F (2°C). Time to dust off the snow shovel—again.
• Evening: Clear skies with temperatures taking a nosedive to -7°F (-22°C). A night so cold, even the snowmen are shivering!

Stay warm and enjoy the winter wonderland!

Highway 522 is pretty well bare this morning, but there are a few snowy sections here and there—just enough to keep you guessing. Care should be taken if you’re out and about, though let’s be honest, in this neck of the woods, care should always be taken if you’re out and about. Between the snowy patches and that one neighbor who insists their snowmobile is an all-season vehicle, it’s best to stay sharp!

On another note, I spent yesterday working away in my old woodworking shop. I managed to get it tidied up and even put a coat of stain on the new Yellow Pine Harvest Table I made for my lovely wife. Originally, we were going to stain it Early American, but it didn’t quite appeal to her. So—being the artist she is—she whipped up her own custom stain with what we had on hand, and voilà! I have to say, it turned out beautifully. Not too dark, not too light, just perfect, with a hint of that charming old-time yellow mixed in.

That’s the thing about stains and urethanes these days—they’ve lost that classic appeal. The look of yesteryear seems to have been replaced with something dull and lifeless. It’s kind of a shame, really. It reminds me of how food has changed—everything’s been stripped of its flavor, supposedly for the sake of health. Most vegetables and meats today are tasteless unless you jazz them up with your own spices and seasonings. Just like we had to do with the table—add our own flair.

But I’ll tell you this: the table turned out fantastic. One of a kind, for sure. And I couldn’t be happier with it.

Today? Well, earlier this morning, I stoked up the wood-stove in the shop, and it’s already warming things up nicely as I sit here typing. Once I’ve had a good hearty breakfast, I’ll head back out to put the first coat of semigloss urethane on the new harvest table. After that, my wife and I will tackle the driveway and decks, clearing off the five or six inches of snow we got yesterday. Not a huge amount, but enough to warrant firing up my trusty old snowblower and dusting off the shovels.

It looks like a busy day lies ahead for the two of us, but you won’t hear any complaints. These days, we do things on our own schedule—when we feel like it, not when we’re told to. I’d say we’ve earned that right after all these years. And truth be told, there’s something satisfying about a day spent getting things done, knowing you’ve got a warm fire to come back to and a cozy evening waiting at the end of it. Life doesn’t get much better than that.

With that, I’m off to enjoy the breakfast my little woman has made for me—just like she does every morning. It’s a simple gesture, but one I treasure deeply. After that, I’ll head out to the shop and get started on the day’s tasks.

You all have a great day, and remember: life is like working with wood—you get out of it what you put into it. Take your time, do things right, and don’t forget to appreciate the grain that makes each day unique. As I have always said, “A good life is built with steady hands and a patient heart.”

Until next time—keep your minds open and your stories alive! GW

Cick on Image to Enlarge!

Morning, friends! My old Dad had a way of putting it: “‘George—the best days start with work and end with a story.”

We here in the north are waking up to some snow flurries along with cooler temperatures this morning. By the looks of things, it will get a lot colder.

Here is the weather forecast for Port Loring, Ontario, Canada:

Today: Light snow at times, with accumulations of about 1 cm. High of -3°C (26°F).
Tonight: Mostly cloudy and much colder, with a low of -12°C (10°F).
Tomorrow: Cloudy with some breezy conditions in the afternoon. High of 0°C (32°F) and a low of -2°C (28°F).

A weather advisory is currently in effect for us here in Port Loring, Ontario, until 4:00 PM EST. Hazards include reduced visibility in heavy snow and blowing snow, with additional accumulations of up to 5 cm. Travelers should exercise caution as conditions on the roads may change suddenly.

Highway 522, at the time of this post, is snow-covered with some icy sections throughout. It might pay to stay home today instead of venturing too far—unless you’re one of our old locals who claim they’ve “seen worse back in ’68” and figure their rusty pickup will make it through anything.

But even the toughest among us might think twice when the snow starts flying sideways and the ice on the roads gets slicker than a greased frying pan. Not that it’ll stop old Joe from heading out in his snowmobile to check his traps or Mrs. Miller from walking to the post office, insisting she “needs to see if that catalog arrived.”

As the saying goes, when the snow gets deep and the wind howls, we don’t stay home because we have to—we stay home because we’re smart enough to know better! So, grab another cup of coffee, sit by the fire, and let the storm have its way. There’s always tomorrow, or at least we sure hope so!

On another note, knowing what was coming for today and the weekend, my wife and I headed to North Bay yesterday to stock up on some groceries and other odds and ends. The roads weren’t bad—just a few snow-covered spots here and there, but nothing to slow us down too much. Well, that’s not entirely true—we did slow down quite a bit, but not because of the roads. It’s pretty hard to pass up all that Mother Nature has to offer along the way.

On the way, later in the day, we spotted a few deer taking their time moseying across a field. Then, a little farther along, we saw some wild turkeys scratching around under a stand of pine trees. And just when we thought we were done with critter sightings, we had to stop as more deer crossed the road. One even stood still long enough for me to snap a picture or two. Nice of him—or her—to cooperate.

Once we got back into town, I couldn’t help but notice the price of gas. It was sky-high when we filled up—$1.69.9 a litre—thanks to the new carbon tax and all the extras they’ve added on. Wouldn’t you know it, this morning it’s dropped to $1.48.9. Figures, doesn’t it? We filled up at the Sunoco on Algonquin Ave, as we always do. Simple reason, really—they still come out to the car and pump the gas for you. Hard to find that kind of service these days.

After that, we picked up what we needed and stopped for lunch at East Side Mario’s. We ordered a large Canadian pizza with some extra Parmesan cheese freshly cut and sprinkled on top. And to go with it, we each had a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon from Barone Montalto in Italy. It’s one of the best wines out there these days—not too sweet, not too bitter, and no aftertaste. And it pairs perfectly with an Italian pizza. We always order a large one so we can take half home for supper. A win-win, as they say.

To finish off the trip, we grabbed a couple of coffees at a local shop and headed home, enjoying the sunshine and each other’s company. All in all, it was a great day. And with what I’ve been going through lately, it was just what we both needed.

Today? Well, today I’m planning to clean up our woodworking shop first thing. Then, I’ll get busy staining the new Yellow Pine Harvest Table I’ve been working on for my lovely wife. If all goes to plan, tomorrow I’ll add a couple of coats of urethane to really bring out the beauty of the wood.

I was up early this morning and got the old wood stove fired up, so it should be nice and toasty out there by the time I get started—right after breakfast, that is. Speaking of which, my little woman has it all ready for me now, so I’d best not keep her waiting!

And as my Dad used to say. “A warm stove and a full belly make for a good day’s work.” There’s a lot of truth in that, if you ask me.

With that bit of info, you all have a great day!

Until next time—keep your minds open and your stories alive! GW