The Dock
Clearwater Lake - Ontario - Canada
Canon 5D & 17-40L @ 17mm

Tamy and I just returned from a 3 night respite at one of our favorite little spots on the planet. It is a quiet little lake just north of Minnesota in Ontario, Canada. Our good friends Anne and Gary are kind enough to invite us each year to shed the baggage of the working world, civilization, and life's stress as we enjoy their company and serene view. You can't drive there and the walk might wear out your boots, but there is one sure way to visit the north end of Clearwater Lake. Twenty minutes by boat, crossing open water dotted by granitic and gneiss islands, is a little cabin. This is the place to get off the grid, kick up your feet, and stare at the beauty of nature.

Dreaming of Islands
Clearwater Lake, Ontario - Canada
Canon 1Ds mkII & 70-200L @ 70mm

It's a challenge for me, as I have a restless nature and I am thankful for Anne and Gary who remind me that I'm a bit too plugged in and need to find a way to let it all go. You'd think that a nature guy like me could easily leave his computer behind and forego the digital world, but these electronic machines have invaded every corner of our lives and now seem to be tools on which life depends. I didn't grow up with a computer, I took a type-writer to college, and didn't buy a cell phone until 1997. I was a researcher on a little island in Alaska the late 80's, and lived on a research vessel on the Bering Sea. Once upon a time, I'd hike for days in the woods and nobody would know where I was. Yet here I sit, it's 2010, and technology has invade my life, my brain, and my psyche.

Moonlit Chair
Clearwater Lake, Ontario - Canada
Canon 7D & 300 f2.8IS

This is why Clearwater Lake is so very dear to me. There is no power, they use propane to light their rooms, and you don't hear a whoosh after you poop in the outhouse. Life at the lake is about photography in pre-dawn light, reading until it's time to a take a nap, and taking a refreshing dip in the cold clean water. When I'm not in the field chasing the dramatic light, or sitting on the deck reading a good book, I'm engaged in that most gratifying experience... feeding my face. There are no bad meals in north woods, no restless evenings, and no excuse for doing nothing. Everyone needs to find a Clearwater Lake once in a while, kick off their shoes and unplug from the modern world!