A feel a tad guilty buying this. I received six free books in the mail this week. The SO was feeling a bit envious and suggested in his finagling way that for every five books I got free, he should get to buy one for himself. I rolled my eyes because really I have no objections to him buying books for himself, but whatever. So off to the bookstore we went. He negotiated for two books because he had two in mind. I rolled my eyes again and said, okay.

Well once he had a look at the two books he had in mind he decided that they weren't as promising as he first thought. So he came away with nothing. Meanwhile, thinking he was getting two, I found two for myself that I just had to have. This one because it was the book that I voted for for this year's On The Same Page - the one book that all Manitobans should read! Obviously, if I voted for it I should have a copy to read, no? Oh, pure greed I know.

I really don't know if this is the book that all Manitobans should read,but it is certainly a book that anyone who has called Lake of the Woods home will delight in reading. Lake of the Woods is my childhood home and this book instantly transported me back there. It was as if I had reached that place, not far east of the Manitoba/Ontario border, when travelling home by car, I can sense it. I can feel, taste, hear, see and smell it- the rock, the pine, the sun, the earth, the gasoliney, fishy but oh so fresh water, water, water.

I was transported back to when I was a young girl sitting in the boat with my father, confident in my own fishing abilities, sure that I could simply will the fish to bite on my line, as I watched the red and white bobber drift lazily away from the boat or watched the golden Little Joe spinner glinting down into the darkness of the lake, listened for the satisfying plop of the buck tail cast twenty yards away.

Anyone who has looked that goddamned snake in his evil prehistoric eye hundreds of times over, anyone who as ever paid their dues of ten thousand casts - nay, one hundred thousand - and been rewarded with the sight of the mighty muskie's fins stained blood red from exertion will know how this story will end, must end and will be proud to welcome Juliana home.

I took a long walk along the lake. The rain clouds parted and the sun came out. Enjoyed seeing the geese, ducks, cormorants and swans and other assorted sea gulls. A crane even accompanied me for several steps until he flapped away.

I left this book at the Sunnyside docks at about 12:30 p.m. I hope whoever finds it enjoys it as much as I did.