I’ve been here at Lake of the Woods for over a week, but, alas, I must return to “reality” tomorrow.

I don’t want to leave.

The lake has over 14,500 islands, and 65,000 miles of pristine pine forest shoreline. It’s been called the “World’s Walleye Capital,” something the locals take pride in.

The only downside to this adventure is the smoke from the Canadian wildfires. It comes and goes, but one day it got so bad, the streetlights in the nearby towns were coming on in the afternoon. It starts to burn your eyes and throat after a while–reminds me of L.A. in the seventies.

Now, as the night falls, it all seems a bit surreal to me; the hypnotic lapping of the waves, the heavy wood-smoke drifting on a burnt zephyr…

No, I don’t want to leave tomorrow. Because I know that the resorts, campgrounds, and marinas of Lake of the Woods will quickly be replaced by trucks, trains, and tractors of northwestern Minnesota. No wonder it’s so hard to leave.

–Photos by me