What Writing Yesterday Can Teach Us Today

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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

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]

Stories Worn Thin, but Still Worth Telling

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Nice Store to Browse Through

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

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]

Science, Ant Queens, & An Old-Feller’s Wonder

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I was reading the news the other day, and I had to stop and shake my head. One page said the rover on Mars may have found a sign of life. Another said ants are giving birth to a whole new species. Then, out past the stars, there was some kind of burst of light that no one could explain. Mixed in with that were stories of glaciers melting, oceans slowing down, and plans to live on the Moon.

Mars stood out to me. The rover might have found what they call a biosignature. That’s just another way of saying something lived there once. If that’s true, then life may not be so rare. It shows up where it can. I thought about how I’ve seen weeds come through gravel or a seedling push out of a crack in an old stump. Maybe Mars isn’t all that different.

The ants made me pause, too. A queen that can bring another species into being—I don’t know about that. Ants, to me, were always steady workers: carrying and digging, never stopping. Seems there’s more to them than meets the eye. Nature’s like that. Just when you think you’ve got her figured out, it surprises you. Same as when I cut into a piece of wood, expecting it straight and smooth, only to find the grain has curled on me.

And then there’s the sky. Black holes, waves in space, stars sending out signals no one can explain. They even found a planet with a carbon atmosphere circling what they call a black widow star. Sounds more like a story than science. Maybe that’s the way it is… the universe isn’t here for us to solve, just to watch.

Meanwhile, the earth goes on. Glaciers sliding into the sea, oceans changing their path, storms gathering. And while all that’s happening, they say we may be living on the Moon before long. That struck me as odd. It’s like leaving chores undone at home while talking about starting a new place down the road.

Being a little up in years, I don’t get alarmed much any more by these things, more curious than anything. At any rate, the ants will do what they do, the oceans will move, the stars will shine, and we’ humans will keep trying to make sense of it all. Science doesn’t hand us final answers. It hands us questions. And sometimes, that’s enough.

Maybe the lesson is simple: keep on going, watch closely, and leave room for wonder.


Until 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]

From the Quiet End of My Desk

Only On The Walters Post

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Good Morning. You know, I often wonder if the meaning of life isn’t hiding in the pauses we skip right past. Those little silences between words, the quiet stretch between chores, the still moment when nothing much seems to be happening. We treat them like dead space, but maybe… that’s where the real weight of living sits. Not in the noise we make, but in the things we don’t notice. Food for thought on this fine Sunday Morning!

It looks like once again we are in for another nice day here in the North. Other than some clouds that might hang on throughout the day.

Highway 522 has slowed down a lot from what it was, and I see a lot of folks putting their boats away for the year. The steady summer traffic has faded, replaced by the quieter routines of autumn. Docks are starting to look emptier, and the cooler air has everyone preparing for the colder months ahead. It’s a clear sign that the season is changing, and the lakes, rivers, and streams are settling in for a long winter’s rest, not to forget the trees, which are starting to show their colors. And I have to say they are sure looking nice.

On another note, yesterday I managed to put the first coat of paint on the old wooden horse I am restoring. My wife will now add her touches, and then it will be ready to set back outside for all to see… and for the kids to sit on when they drop by for a visit. As I mentioned in other posts, I’ll take a picture for you to have a look at when it’s all said and done.

So what are you up to today GW?

Well, today I am going to be starting another project in my old woodworking shop. I have a desk here in the living room that I use for writing, but it’s not exactly what I like, so I’m planning on adding a new wooden top. When that’s finished, my wife is going to put a sign of sorts on the front of it with a logo that says “One More Story,” which is what I write under, in my newspaper columns, magazines, and a few other places. Kinda fitting, I thought. And again, when it’s all said and done, I’ll take a picture of the desk before and after to show you. Hmm…. maybe I could even make a YouTube video about it, I’ll see how energetic I get. At any rate, I first have to pick out some nice yellow pine from my stash and get it planed down, which I’ll do this morning. Yesterday, I installed some new planer blades, which will make the job a lot easier. So, yeah, that’s what I’m going to be doing today.

So with that, I am off to have the breakfast my lovely wife is making for me, which will be a few homemade pancakes with, of course, a layer of fresh syrup over the top. If I’m lucky, she might even add an egg easy-over on the top, along with some grass-fed bacon. That should hold me for the morning. After that, I’ll enjoy a cup of hot English tea we order from Britain while sitting on our front porch. Pretty nice way to start the day, don’t you think?


Until 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]