Good Morning!

Well… we are finally getting some much needed rain which will prepare our trees, plants and things for winter. And it kinda looks as if the rain will remain with us off an on for the next couple of days.

On another note, for the past few days I’ve been busy hauling our winter’s supply of firewood into the house. It was a fair bit of work since my wife hasn’t been able to help much due to some issues with her legs at the moment. But I managed to get it all in and piled for this coming winter’s burning.

You know, every year around this time, something deep inside me always seems to say: “George, better go ahead and bring that firewood in.” It’s like a built-in guide or inner compass telling me what needs to be done and when. And it’s not just about the wood as these feelings and intuitive nudges come up with most of the things I do or have done throughout my life.

Hard to really explain, but over the years I’ve learned to trust those feelings and listen to them closely. Because in turn, tuning into that inner wisdom has shaped who I am today and helped me avoid a lot of trouble along the way!

So yeah, my lovely wife and I are all ready now for when winter hits us here on 522, and I’m feeling good knowing we’re all set with warm wood stockpiled for those cold nights that is ahead of us. Just another part of our life’s preparations as we wind down toward closing up for the season ahead!

Old highway 522 is a lot quieter this year, quieter than usual, but I suppose that’s to be expected with everything going on in this country of ours. The day-trippers and weekenders don’t seem to be venturing out like they used to, or at least not as much. But you know, it’s not all bad news up here at our little gift shop.

If there’s one thing we can say for certain, it’s that business has been booming these past couple of months! Not that I’m bragging or anything, but I’ve sold more of my wooden flutes this year than in any other year since I first started making them. Folks just seem to be drawn to them this season, picking them up right there at the counter, giving them a try before they even decide if they’re buying one for themselves or a grandkid.

And speaking of sales, my wife’s paintings have been flying off the shelves too! If you knew her story, you’d understand why. She’s been painting for over fifty years now… self-taught, never had a single lesson in her life… and for most of that time, she was busy doing commission work and portraits for other people: “Paint me this,” “Paint me that,” they’d say, and she’d do it with skill and care. But last winter, something changed inside her. She decided she was done painting what everyone else wanted, and started putting brush to canvas for herself, painting whatever struck her fancy each day.

The results have been astonishing! She works mainly in acrylics but there’s not much she can’t tackle… doors, saw blades, old milk cans, you name it, chances are she’s painted it at some point over the past fifty years. So when she started putting up those personal paintings of hers this year, they didn’t stay on the shelves very long! Folks have been snapping them up left and right, along with her gift cards featuring all sorts of charming country scenes and critters.

But you know what our biggest seller has been? My books!

We’ve got twelve different titles for sale now, with more in the works. Most summers we do okay selling a few here and there, but this year has just been something else as customers are buying ten or more copies at a time, looking to get their hands on every single one of my stories! I even put out two children’s books last winter: one called Elmer, about a little pig I raised years back (a true story, good for reading aloud to the young ones), and another one titled Untold Tales, based on some real-life adventures my own grandfather had while surveying for the railway down in the USA.

And then there’s that hard-boiled mystery novel of mine, the first book in what I called “The Moretti Files,” Strange Occurrences. It’s a different kind of thing altogether from what I have been writing, but… people seem to be really getting into it!

I have to tell you folks, it makes me feel so good inside knowing folks are enjoying my work. We still have a couple months left before we shut down for the season up here on 522, so if you’ve been meaning to stop by and say hi, there’s still plenty of time yet!

So with that I am off for my breakfast that my lovely wife has gotten ready then we will head on off to the front porch with a cup of tea. Can’t beat that front porch sittin, especially this time of year.

In Closing I Would Like To Wish You Well.

Click on image to enlarge!

Good Morning.

Well, we sure have had our share of hot weather so far this summer, but in saying that, I kinda think our weather has been a lot better than what a lot of other folks are putting up with these days.

Highway 522 is picking up traffic wise a wee bit, and it will get even busier as the days move forward. Most folks who know the north wait till the black flies have moved on for another year, and I can’t say I blame them.

Bug Report: The black flies have gone now for the most part, though there are still a few hanging around in the deep woods. Mosquitoes however, them blood sucking parasites, are another thing altogether. Hard to get away from them in the shady areas, which is where they like it, damp and wet. I was just getting ready to make a dump run — I keep my garbage in an old freezer — and had to put my old hat to work swatting the damn things. Also, the deer flies are back. Well, they have been back now for about a month, and let me tell ya, when they find ya they don’t leave you alone. They also have a nasty bite if you let them sit on your hand too long.

Other than that, not too much happening around town here these days. Although, the farmers market is up and running for another year, and both hardware stores are drawing people in, picking up things they need. Nice to see folks out and about again.

Our gift shop has had a steady flow of people dropping by for the past month, picking up the one of a kind items my wife and I make right here on our property. They have been buying my flutes, my wife’s paintings, and my books too. Last winter I had a splurge of energy and did up five new books. Two of them are children’s books with pictures. I also finished up my novel, first in a series, called Strange Occurrences: The Moretti Files. Along with those, I put together two more books of short stories, each one having fifty stories in it. Sold quite a few of them so far too, so no complaints with sales thus far.

I should also mention that our vegetable garden is growing by leaps and bounds this year. We have been eating fresh lettuce every day, and the tomatoes are just starting to show themselves. I can’t wait for one of them to ripen, as I sure do enjoy toasted tomato sandwiches, especially with the homemade bread my wife makes.

So with that, I am off for my breakfast, which my lovely wife is making for me, and will then head on out to our front porch and do some front porch sittin. We bought an umbrella this year, and I have to say, we have sure been enjoying sitting underneath it. Should have bought one years ago.

Anyway, you all have a great day. This hot weather won’t last forever. When it starts getting to ya, find a cool spot under a tree and think about what lies ahead this winter. Personally, the heat doesn’t bother me all that much. Maybe I got thick skin or something that keeps the heat out. Could be. But I will say this — I had to take off my long handles.

In Closing, Keep Your Minds Open And Your Stories Alive.

GW