Just Saying: The Big Club

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In The News today. You know, I’ve been watching this whole mess unfold and it feels about as useful as two kids arguing over who pushed who first on the playground. That’s what we got running things… grown folks in nice suits playing tit for tat like they’re back in grade school fighting over the last cookie.

Trump cuts off trade talks because Ontario ran an ad with Reagan talking about tariffs. Ford spends seventy-five million taxpayer dollars to make a point. Trump fires back. And round and round it goes. Meanwhile the rest of us just stand here watching the circus.

Now I’ve heard folks say if you don’t vote you got no right to complain. Well I’m here to tell you that’s about the furthest thing from the truth you could get. It’s like them old books they keep reprinting, changing the words because someone somewhere decided they knew better than the fellow who wrote it in the first place.

The way I see it, if you don’t vote for any of them that actually gives you the clearest voice of all. Because when things go sideways , and they always do … you can stand there with a clear conscience and say, “See? I told you. None of them are worth a damn. Why would I waste my mark on someone I don’t believe in?”

Here’s a thought. Maybe at the voting station there ought to be a special card that says something like, “I’m not happy with how this government’s running things and we need to clean out the whole nest and start fresh.” Now that would shake a few trees, wouldn’t it?

And this business with Ontario dropping seventy-five million on that ad campaign featuring Reagan? Come on now. That money could’ve gone toward health care, housing, keeping farmers afloat, you name it. There’s no shortage of real problems these days. Instead they blew it all on a political show to stick it to Trump, and all it did was give him an excuse to walk away from the table.

You want to know what really gets me? It’s not even about tariffs or trade or who’s right. It’s about ego. Two leaders puffing up their chests and the rest of us get to live with whatever falls out of it.

Someone once said, “It’s a big club… and you ain’t in it.” They weren’t wrong.

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

All my books are available on my Amazon Author Page.

If you purchase a book, a brief Amazon review really helps new readers discover my work—it means a lot.

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In Closing, I Would Like to Wish You Well!

George Walters | [email protected]

A Few Words to Keep the Day Honest

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Good Morning. You know, my granddad always said a handshake meant something. It wasn’t just skin on skin. It was your word. Your measure. What you’d actually do when you said you’d do it. These days, folks tap out a text and figure that’s good enough. A little picture of a thumb where a promise used to stand. Now I’m not saying we all need to line up and shake hands like the old days, but somewhere along the way, I think we swapped showing up for quick and easy. And I think we gave up more than we knew.

Backwoods Weather Report — Port Loring, Ontario
Friday, October 24, 2025

Well, this morning started off cool, sitting around 38°F (3°C). The barometer’s low and holding steady, which means the air’s still a bit unsettled. Humidity’s high, and there’s hardly a breath of wind from the west-northwest—just enough to stir the leaves once in a while.

Today:
Looks like a gray kind of day ahead. Clouds thickening as it goes, maybe a touch of drizzle or light rain later on. Temperature will stay in the low 40s°F (around 6°C), not much warmth to be had.

Tonight:
Clouds stay with us, could see more mist or drizzle toward midnight. It’ll cool down again close to 33°F (1°C), maybe a bit of frost in the open low spots by morning.

Tomorrow (Saturday):
By midday, the sky should start to clear as that low moves east. The air will feel a bit drier, and we might see some sunshine in the afternoon. Highs around 46°F (8°C), light winds from the west.

Nature’s Signs:
The chickadees were calling and waiting for me to fill up the bird feeder early today, which usually means change is coming but nothing wild. The squirrels are still hauling acorns like there’s no tomorrow which is another sign winter’s not far off and maybe coming in early this year.

On another note, Highway 522 is a lot quieter these days with the tourists staying home. Cottages are closed up, most of them anyway, and pretty well all the boats are out of the water. Seems sad in one way. Empty docks, shuttered windows, no kids yelling off the end of a pier. But in another way, the lake gets to rest. The loons come back closer to shore. The water goes still enough you can see clear to the bottom. Maybe that’s the trade. We get our noise and our summers, and the land well… it gets its silence back when we leave.

On another note, yesterday I worked most of the day away in my old woodworking shop on them new Native American flutes I’m making. Really didn’t feel up to it, but I managed. I chalked it up to our trip to North Bay the day before. My wife and I stopped at Stacks, and an hour or so after we ate, we weren’t feeling all that well. Not sure what happened there. At any rate, we’re both feeling much better this morning and jumping at the bit to get our day started. Nothing like a queasy stomach to remind you how good it feels when everything’s working right again.

So what are you up to today, GW?

Well, earlier I did get the old shop stove going, so by the time we finish our breakfast it should be nice and comfortable out there. Nothing better than a warm shop to work in, especially on these damp cool days. And I’ll get back to working on them flutes. They’re coming along nicely, but that said, I’ll be at them for the next month or so. There’s no rushing good work. The wood tells you when it’s ready, not the other way around. So yeah, that’s what I’m up to today.

With that, I’m off for my breakfast that my little woman has made for me, and then I’ll see what the day has in store beyond what I’m already fixing to do. You can plan your day all you want, but it’s got a mind of its own.

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

All my books are available on my Amazon Author Page.

If you purchase a book, a brief Amazon review really helps new readers discover my work—it means a lot.

Support my writing: Support My Writing

In Closing, I Would Like to Wish You Well!

George Walters | [email protected]

Something to Chew On With Your First Cup

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Morning. Thinking back I remember my Uncle saying that coffee tastes better when someone else makes it. I think he just liked having company.

Backwoods Weather Report – Port Loring, Ontario
Date: Wednesday, October 22, 2025

Well, it’s a calm one out there this morning. The temperature’s sitting around 41°F (5°C) with humidity at 78%, and not a breath of wind to be found. The barometer is steady, maybe starting to rise a touch, which usually means we’ll get a decent stretch of weather today.

Today:
Expect a mostly cloudy sky with a few peeks of sunshine through the day. It’ll stay cool, right around the low 40s, and with the air sitting still, it might feel a little damp if you’re out for long.

Tonight:
The clouds will thicken up again, and the temperature will drop close to freezing. Wouldn’t surprise me to see a light frost on the fields by morning. The air’ll stay calm and still, making it one of those cold, quiet nights.

Tomorrow (Thursday):
A mix of sun and cloud, with a slight breeze out of the northwest trying to move things along. It’ll stay cool — around 43°F (6°C) — and there could be a light shower later in the day if that barometer starts falling again.

Nature’s Signs:
The deer were moving along the back fields early this morning, noses low to the ground which is a sure sign they can smell the frost coming. The blue jays have been noisy, squabbling in the trees and at our bird feeder, which they often do before a change in weather. I even saw an old bull moose the other day while on my way to the dump out near the swamp, moving slower than usual. They all seem to know what’s on the way which is… colder nights and shorter days ahead.

On another note: Yesterday once again I made some good progress in my woodworking shop on them Native American flutes I’m making. Still lots of steps to do yet before they’re finished, but that’s the way things are when you’re making musical instruments. But then again, that’s how it is making anything in the old woodworking shop. I got a nice note from a fellow woodworker who’s been at it for over fifty years. He said he agreed with what I wrote earlier about how things just don’t last like they used to. He told me about a kitchen job he priced a few years back … the lady went with one of those store-bought ones instead. Well, just last week she called him to come fix the doors, as the hinge pockets had torn out of that MDF. Now she wants him to build new ones out of solid maple, finished proper. Goes to show, like he said, we surely do live in a throwaway society these days. That said, no one’s ever going to throw away my flutes, that’s for sure. They’re built to last a lifetime and then some if you take care of them … not like some of that store-bought stuff you see around these days. They’ve got real wood, real joints, and a bit of sweat and patience in every one.

So what are you up to today GW?

Well today I suspect I will carry on with them flutes, but one never knows, something else might strike my interest. Kinda nice being able to do that. But you know, being the age I am, I figure I earned that right. Anyway, you all have a great day. I am off for my breakfast that my lovely wife has made for me, and will then see what the day has in store.

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

All my books are available on my Amazon Author Page.

If you purchase a book, a brief Amazon review really helps new readers discover my work—it means a lot.

Support my writing: Support My Writing

In Closing, I Would Like to Wish You Well!

George Walters | [email protected]

When Nature Does What Nature Does

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You know, I read an article about the North Atlantic right whale the other day. Apparently, their numbers are up a little, more calves born, fewer getting tangled or struck by ships. Sounds like good news, and I guess it is. But in the midst of all that scientific talk, I couldn’t help but think: maybe nature’s just doing what it’s always done.

The way I see it, the earth has been balancing itself long before we showed up with clipboards and government forms. Some animals disappear, others show up in unexpected places, that’s just the natural order. It always has been.

These days, though, you can’t open a paper or turn on the radio without hearing about someone trying to “protect” something. There’s a group for every bird, fish, or patch of grass. I’m not saying we shouldn’t care, don’t get me wrong, but it seems like there’s a rush to save everything, whether it needs saving or not.

What really makes me shake my head are the folks who want to fence off hundreds, sometimes thousands, of acres of prime land for some little creature hardly anyone’s ever seen. Imagine that: hundreds of acres for a frog, a beetle, or maybe a patch of moss, while people struggle to find a place to build a home or grow a crop.

Now, I know the right whale’s had a tough time, and I’m glad the numbers are climbing again. But maybe that’s not entirely because of us. Maybe the ocean shifted, the food moved, and the whales just followed. Nature knows how to take care of itself if we give it some room.

So here is the thing: I’m not saying we should ignore the world around us. I just think we ought to use some common sense before trying to save everything in sight. Protect what truly needs protecting, sure, but remember, nature has a plan, too. Sometimes, the wisest thing we can do is simply not interfere.

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

All my books are available on my Amazon Author Page.

If you purchase a book, a brief Amazon review really helps new readers discover my work—it means a lot.

Support my writing: Support My Writing

In Closing, I Would Like to Wish You Well!

George Walters | [email protected]

History Isn’t Meant to Be Comfortable

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So, I was reading this article about all these Confederate statues being taken down, melted, and turned into art pieces, and it got me thinking. Now, don’t get me wrong, there’s no denying a lot of bad things went on back then. A lot of those Confederates were on the wrong side of history. But you know what? The other side wasn’t perfect either.

Now, about these statues being destroyed or turned into what some people call “art,” my take is simple. We shouldn’t pick and choose what stays and what goes just because it makes us uncomfortable. That was the way things were. Not pretty, not right by today’s measure, but real. If anything, those statues should stay standing as a reminder of what actually happened. Not as heroes. As history.

Kind of like that Aunt Jemima syrup that took the image off the label. Makes me shake my head. Back in the day, I always saw it as a nod of respect, strange as that sounds now. Funny how something so small can shift meaning depending on who’s looking and when.

So yeah, my take on things… leave the statues alone. Leave the books alone. Let people live with them, see them, learn from them. History isn’t always pretty, but it’s ours. Trying to hide it or melt it down into something easier to swallow doesn’t teach anyone anything. Better to see it, sit with it, and move on smarter than we were before.


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

All my books are available on my Amazon Author Page.

If you purchase a book, a brief Amazon review really helps new readers discover my work—it means a lot.

Support my writing: Support My Writing

In Closing, I Would Like to Wish You Well!

George Walters | [email protected]