George's Writers Corner, Weather, What's Happening

Things I Think About While My Coffee Gets Cold

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Good morning, you know, the older I get the more I’ve noticed that the past doesn’t really stay behind us, it just waits until we’re tired enough to listen. And I been doing a lot of that lately.

Well, looking outside this morning, it really looks like it’s going to be a beautiful day. Once again, the sun is shining, and I have to say, our property is looking especially nice. You know what I love the most? It’s the way the sunlight hits the trees and the shadows stretch across the open areas. There’s just something about that moment that makes me want to pause, sit back, and truly take it all in.

Highway 522 is still quiet these days, as are our stores around town. It really lets you know that the season has changed—which is just fine with my wife and me, as we enjoy the quietness of the country that surrounds us. That said, things will pick up a bit when hunting season arrives, but that’s still a ways off yet. Deer season usually starts around the second week of November. Still, time sure seems to be flying by fast these days.

On another note, yesterday my wife and I managed to get our mowing out of the way for another couple of weeks. I have to say, it really makes the grounds look mighty nice… so nice that some front porch sittin’ will definitely be in order after breakfast. We also had a lot of folks drop by our gift shop yesterday, even though I somehow forgot to put up our open sign. Not sure how I managed that… probably too much on my mind. But in true small-town fashion, people found their way in anyway. Actually we had ourselves a great afternoon, sold a bunch of books, some flutes, some small wooden items we made, and a some of my wife’s paintings.

We also had a lot of our American friends stopped by, which is always a treat. I sure do enjoy hearing what’s happening south of the border. You know over the years, we’ve made some great friends in the good ol’ USA—honest, salt-of-the-earth folks who understand that if your boots are muddy, you probably got something done today. The kind who’ll swap stories about just about anything, share a laugh if you’re still in your overalls at noon, and know that “fresh air” sometimes smells like a little manure.. That’s real country friendship… where nobody cares if you forgot your sign, as long as the coffee’s hot and the stories are good. And I have to tell ya I have plenty of them.

So with that, I’m off to enjoy the breakfast my lovely wife has set in front of me. After that, we’ll both head out to the front porch and then? Well, then I’ll think on what I want to do today. Just because I can. Sometimes, that’s the best plan of all.


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]

George's Writers Corner, My Opinion Only

Canada’s Submarine Choice: My Opinion!

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Only On The Walters Post

A while back, I weighed in on Canada’s hunt for new submarines. I thought I had it figured out, but after digging deeper, here’s where I really stand.

When it comes to submarines, I we shouldn’t play roulette with our navy.

Let’s skip the sales pitches. Canada has two options: Hanwha from South Korea and Germany’s ThyssenKrupp.

Hanwha’s promising the works—“We’ll build fast! Create jobs! Supercharge Canadian industry!” It all sounds great, but here’s the thing: speed and big promises don’t equal quality. You can build a flashy sports car in a hurry, but let’s see how it holds up when you hit a pothole the size of Lake Ontario.

Now the Germans on the other hand—ThyssenKrupp. They’ve been making submarines since before disco. Trusted by NATO, built to last, engineered with that famous German precision. When you buy German, you get reliability. No frills, just function.

Bottom line: Hanwha might deliver on time, maybe even build something kinda decent. But for submarines—where lives are at stake—you don’t go with the new kids on the block. You trust the team whose record proves they know what they’re doing. That’s Germany.

Deep underwater, a shiny promise won’t keep you alive. It’s not about speed or showmanship. It’s about trust—knowing what you have will last. That’s what really counts.

And that’s the way I see it.


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]

George's Writers Corner, Weather, What's Happening

Stories Worn Thin, but Still Worth Telling Only On The Walters Post

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These roses from our garden are pretty. I call them a lady’s rose.

Well, instead of sunshine this morning, we’re in the midst of a lot of clouds. That said, we should see some sunshine a bit later on. Which is fine with me, as today is mowing day for us here in Northern Ontario. The grass has slowed down a lot, so now, instead of cutting it every week, we only mow every two weeks. That’s also fine with me, since by this time of year, I’m getting a bit tired of it. Still, it does keep my wife and me fit, and it doesn’t take us all that long—about half a day.

Highway 522: It has slowed down a lot traffic-wise these days, since most of our tourists have packed up and left for another season. Which is just fine with my wife and me, because we enjoy the quiet. Not that it’s ever very noisy around here anyway. Truth is, it’s so quiet inside our house that we can’t even hear anyone coming up the driveway. I blame it on that new insulation we put in a few years back. It works so well, we might need to buy a dog just to let us know if anyone’s at the door.

On another note, yesterday I managed to almost finish up that old wooden horse that George Lee, the former owner, made many years ago. I have to say, it turned out pretty darn nice—I think old George would be happy to see it now. I’m not sure why, but something over the past few years kept nagging at me to fix it up. At any rate, it’s all finished now except for a bit of paint, which my lovely wife is going to do when she finds the time. After that, I’ll let you all have a look at it. I did take a picture before I started, so I’ll be able to show you a before-and-after. It might be a day or so, though, as my wife is pretty busy these days. Well, truth be told, she’s always busy.

So with that, I’m off to enjoy the breakfast my little woman has set in front of me. After that, I’ll have a cup of English tea, and then I’ll head outdoors to see about waking up those mowers.

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]

George's Writers Corner, My Opinion Only

Canada and Carbon Removal: Leading Alone—or Just Trying?

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Only On The Walters Post

So, we hear it again. Canada could lead the world in pulling CO₂ out of the air if Ottawa backs the market and keeps things moving. Now on paper, that sounds ambitious, even exciting. But the truth is, we are far from the only country working on this. The United States has its direct air capture projects, Europe boasts some carbon storage successes, and private companies all over the globe are working to find ways to pull carbon out of the sky.

Still, I cannot help but feel a bit of pride. Canada is taking this seriously. From federal investments to the work of companies like Deep Sky and Carbon Engineering, there is real effort being put in. However it is one thing to talk about net-zero, but it is another to actually put money and energy behind it.

But here is the thing, and this is where my old feller instincts kick in. As much as I believe we need to do things to help the environment, I worry that a lot of these “solutions” might do more harm than good in the long run. Wind farms, solar panels, even some of the new carbon capture technologies all come with their own problems. Big tracts of land, rare materials, heavy energy demands, and long-term maintenance headaches. We patch one hole and open another. Honestly, sometimes it feels like we are running around trying to look virtuous, while just making a bigger mess.

Then I think, we have oil, gas, and coal in abundance. Maybe it would make more sense to figure out ways to use what we already have cleaner and smarter, instead of chasing the next shiny idea that promises a perfect world but probably will not deliver. That is the kind of thing an old feller like me frets about. We want progress, we want to feel like we are doing something important, but sometimes the simplest and most obvious solutions get ignored because they do not sound exciting or newsworthy.

Still, Canada is moving forward, doing honest work in carbon removal, and that deserves acknowledgment. But let us keep our eyes open and our wits about us. Leadership is not just about being first, it is about getting others to follow, without tripping over our own ambitions along the way.

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]

George's Writers Corner, Old Days, Old Ways

Port Loring Winter 2025–2026: Reading the Season Through Nature

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Only On The Walters Post

Here in Port Loring, winter tells its own story if you know how to read it. Watching the animals, the lakes, and the sky, it’s clear this winter will be cold and long, with nights that really bite.

Late November will give us the first real taste. Nights will drop to around 18°F (-8°C), and the first snowfalls will dust the land. Squirrels are busy burying nuts, deer are growing thick coats, and birds are heading south. All signs point to a winter arriving steadily, not all at once.

Early December will bring more consistent cold. Nights will regularly dip to 10°F (-12°C) or lower, lakes will start to freeze, and snow will settle on the ground. It’s the kind of weather that makes you check your woodpile and appreciate the warmth inside after a day outdoors.

By mid-December and into January, winter hits fully. Nights can drop below 0°F (-18°C), with stretches of crisp, clear days between snowfalls. Wildlife is quiet, but their tracks in the snow tell the story of life continuing even in the deepest cold.

Looking back at last winter gives us a sense of what to expect. The coldest night on record in Port Loring was -4°F (-20°C) on January 20, 2025, and the coldest day reached 11°F (-11°C) on January 21, 2025. These extremes remind us how sharp northern Ontario winters can be.

Late January might bring brief warm spells, but they won’t last. February will show signs of the season turning: days slowly lengthen, ice softens along lake edges, and wildlife begins to stir. But the nights will remain harsh, and winter will hang on well into the month.

For Port Loring, this winter looks like a classic northern Ontario season: bitter nights, steady snow, and stretches of quiet that invite reflection. Watch the squirrels, notice the tracks in the snow, and pay attention to the rhythm of the land—it will tell you everything you need to know.

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]