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Good Morning. I remember my Dad saying. , “A man’s worth is shown in what he fixes when no one’s watching.” Took me years to see the truth in that.

Backwoods Weather Report – Port Loring, Ontario Wednesday, December 3, 2025

So… heading to my shop earlier I could feel, that damp, nipping cold. This morning our own weather station’s reading 31.28 F (-0.4 C), and humidity’s high at 85 percent. The barometer’s sitting low at 28.91 inch Hg, so the air feels heavy, unsettled.

Now, the wind… it’s tricky this morning. My station’s a little blocked by trees, but you can feel it in patches, swirling in from the southwest. Enough to make the cold bite and push the wet snow around. Speaking of snow, expect an inch or two or three today. Just that slow, sticky winter stuff that clings to branches first, then decides if it wants to pile up on the ground. Watch the shaded roads and trails as they could get somewhat slippery.

Tonight, the snow will taper off and the temperature will drop a little more. And looking ahead, there’s a bigger system lining up that could bring a heavier layer in the next couple days… nothing to panic about, but keep an eye out if you’ve got wood to haul or trails to check.

Nature’s signs this morning are quiet but telling. The spruce tips are heavy with wet snow, ravens are flying low, and the branches swaying just enough to show where the wind is sneaking through. When the woods act like this in the damp cold, it usually means the day’s about to settle into what winter likes to do.

Highway 522 is not clear—there are a lot of icy, snowy sections throughout, which won’t make traveling all that good. If it were me and I wanted to head to the city for supplies, I would wait till tomorrow, when we should be seeing some sunshine.

On another note: yesterday I worked the day away in my woodworking shop on the flutes I’m making. Got them all tuned except for two, which I’ll get to after breakfast.

So with that, I’m going to enjoy the breakfast my lovely wife has made for me, and then settle in for our regular morning chat and a cup of tea before heading to the shop.

Until the next time: Keep Your Minds Open & Your Stories Alive. GW

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Good morning. The old timers used to say, “Start steady, finish strong.” For myself at my age… most days I’m just happy to get out of bed.

Backwoods Weather Report – Port Loring, Ontario Monday, December 1

Well, walking to the shop to lite the stove this morning the cold hit me right through my winter coat… with the temperature sitting around 7 F, about minus 14 C. The humidity’s high at 88 percent, so the air’s got that heavy feel to it even though nothing’s moving. Barometer’s down at 29.55 inches, which usually means something’s brewing, and the wind’s asleep this morning, not a lick of movement out of the northwest.

Looks like the day ahead will stay cold… not much warming to speak of. We could see some light snow sliding in later on. Right now the setup feels like one of those days where it stays gray and quiet along with a bit of sunshine, until mid to late afternoon, then we could see some more flurries.. Tonight, well tonight gets colder yet, and that could lay the groundwork for a bit more snow overnight.

Tomorrow’s shaping up cloudy with a few flakes left over in the morning, nothing major, then holding steady below freezing.

Nature’s signs… the trees were still this morning, not even a whisper through the spruce. Sky’s got that low, pale look to it, almost like it’s holding its breath. I’ve found that when the air sits this still and the cold bites sharper, something’s shifting, just hasn’t made up its mind how bold it wants to be.

Highway 522 is mostly bare in our area but there are some icy snow sections here and there especially in the curves.

On another note, for the past few days I’ve been working steadily in the old woodworking shop on that batch of new flutes I’m making. I’m at the point of tuning them all now, and I’d say I have about half of them done and I am happy to say that they’re all singing nicely. I’ve got around ten more to go.

So, what are you up to today, GW?

First off, I’m going to start up my old snow blower for the first time this winter and clean out our driveway, since we got about six inches of snow yesterday. I like to keep it cleared, because if someone drives in before I do, the snow gets packed down and that makes it that much harder on both the old snowblower and me. After that, I’ll rest a bit and have a cup of coffee, and then I’ll head out to the woodworking shop to get back to tuning flutes. At least, that’s the plan. One never really knows what a day will bring.

With that I am off for my breakfast that my lovely wife has made for me. You all have a great day.

Until the next time: Keep Your Minds Open & Your Stories Alive. GW

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Good morning. I have always said, “You can’t blame the hammer if you miss the nail.” Life’s pointed that out to me a few times since.

Backwoods Weather Report – Port Loring, Ontario Friday, November 28, 2025

Well, you probably saw the same thing I did when you looked out the window… a good two inches of snow tucked in around the yard, clean and quiet, like it tiptoed in while we were sleeping. And it’s still coming down, that light steady snow, the kind that doesn’t hurry but never quite stops either.

Temperature’s holding near 21.5 F which is about -5.8 C, so the snow’s staying fluffy for now. Humidity is up at 88 percent, and the barometer’s down at 28.92 inches, so the day’s pretty much set for more of the same. No big storm feel to it, just a patient winter day settling in.

Wind’s still out of the WNW, about 7 mph, enough to drift the flakes sideways a bit but not enough to build real drifts yet. Today will stay snowy and cold. Tonight it’ll tighten up more, and the sky might clear for a while after midnight, but not before we get a bit more accumulation. By tomorrow morning I’d expect a crisp start and maybe a few leftover flurries.

Nature’s signs: The snow was clinging to the spruce needles in perfect little clusters, which usually means the air’s moist and mild enough to let it stick instead of blowing off. The clouds sitting low over the tree line looked soft around the edges… that often means the snow will taper off on its own once the air dries a bit.

Highway 522 is snow covered with some icy sections throughout this morning, which won’t make traveling all that good. My advice: stay home where it’s warm, as there will be lots of days when the roads are better.

On another note, yesterday I got back to tuning those flutes I’ve been working on. The first one—the same one that gave me a real headache a couple of days ago—finally came around. After a bit of fiddling and setting things straight, it sang like a songbird. It’s amazing how that goes: one minute, you’re ready to throw in the towel and move on, and then suddenly, it’s as if something shows you exactly what to do to fix it.

So, what am I up to today?

Well, earlier this morning I lit the old shop stove, so it should be nice and warm out there by the time I finish this blog post and have my breakfast. That’ll make it cozy for working on those flutes. That’s another thing—if it’s too cold, the flutes are hard to tune correctly, so patience is in order. Light the stove, let things warm up, fill the old stomach, enjoy a cup of tea and a chat with the little woman, and then—well, then it’s time to get to work.

With that, I’m off to enjoy the breakfast my lovely wife has prepared, then I’ll head out to the shop. I sure do enjoy working out there, especially on these cold winter days—with the stove going and a good project at hand, there’s nowhere I’d rather be.

With that you all have a great day and remember: “Take things as they come, keep warm, and remember there’s no rush as simply put… good things have a way of working themselves out.”

Until the next time: Keep Your Minds Open & Your Stories Alive. GW