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Good Morning

It’s a cloudy morning here in cottage country, but the good news is it’s not all that cold. Which is fine with me as I am looking forward to some front porch sittin’ with my lovely wife.

That said that porch sittin’ part might be cut short a wee bit, if them black flies gets to roaming around. But speaking of them black flies I have noticed a lot of the birds are back that enjoys them for their meals, like the swallows, bluebirds, wrens and the stripped headed ones. And once it warms up some and the dragon flies wake up after their long winters nap, they will clean them up real quick.

But other than testing human’s sanity, and trying to carry you away piece by piece, and being a ready-made meal for the birds, they do have other uses. One would be that the black fly larvae are one of the main foods for brook trout and rainbow trout which in turn is great for us fishermen, as it keeps them fish nice an fat.

They also produce a large amount of waste, or what I would call fertilizer which feeds a lot of plants, especially the ones that grows in the water like water lilies.

Another thing that many doesn’t know is that they are great pollinators and without them there wouldn’t be many wild blueberries or wild flowers.

The old-timers used to say black flies build character. If that is true, Northern Ontario should be producing philosophers by the truckload. However… looking around these days, I can only assume some people stayed indoors.

Highway 522 has picked up traffic wise, which tells me folks aren’t staying home because of the high gas prices.

On another note I did manage to get my old rotavator running the other day and got my vegetable garden worked up. It’s a lot different from the rototiller’s of today, as it really chews and turns the soil over fine… instead of just scratching it up. Different beast entirely. I have to say I sure do enjoy the smell of fresh turned soil in the spring.

And once it warms up a wee bit more, my wife and I will get to planting our vegetables that we have been nursing for the past week or so. Nothing like fresh veggie salads all summer long. Not to forget them toasted tomato sandwiches. Damn making me hungry just thinking about them.

With that I am off for my morning bowl of organic oatmeal, not the kind you buy in most grocery stores though, but the kind that I order in special, no pesticides… or ingredients that I can’t even pronounce, or begin to figure out how to write. Some will know what I mean… those ‘good things’ we’re told are perfectly safe for us to eat, because the powers that be always have our best interests at heart… or so we’re told.

Until the next time: Keep your minds open and your stories alive. GW

How is everyone doing this morning? Good, I hope!

It’s been a while since I last posted anything here on the blog. The truth is, my lovely wife and I have been incredibly busy throughout the winter months. She has been hard at work on her paintings, and as for me. I’ve been logging some serious hours in the old woodworking shop.

I’ve been making a bunch of new wooden flutes, including some truly special ones this time around. It took the better part of three months to get them finished up, but they were worth every second. After the dust settled in the shop, I went straight into writing mode—but I’ll explain all of that in an upcoming post in a day or so. There is a lot happening right now, and a lot more on the horizon!

Reading Mother Nature’s Signs

On another note, we’ve had a wet, cool spring so far, but looking at things today, I’m thinking it will soon change for the better. At least, that’s what the signs Mother Nature is throwing out are telling me. Then again, she can be tricky, showing signs in one direction and then, for no reason at all, heading off in another.

Kind of like my wife and me, actually! All our lives, we’ve thought one way, gotten all set, and then completely changed our minds—heading off in a brand-new direction just like the weather. But you know, that’s exactly what made us who we are today. Our lives have seen many roads, and not all of them were straight. Which makes for an interesting life, and we wouldn’t want it any other way.

Quiet on Highway 522

Moving along, Highway 522 has picked up a wee bit traffic-wise, but for the most part, it’s been quiet. Until the weather finally straightens out, I expect things will stay that way.

Anyway, that’s all I have to share this morning. I hope you all have a wonderful day, and a very Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there. Without them, none of us would be here!

In Closing, I Would Like to Wish You Well. GW