Puddlegineering

In yesterday's post, I lamented the ability of our city to install puddles right at pedestrian crossings, or huge lakes on brand-new multipurpose paths. In many cases, these puddles appear because the "lowest spot" on the road is right at the pedestrian crossing, the better to be enjoyed by wetfooted citizens.

The puddle shown above required real skill to be installed. Notice that it is on the highest point of the road -- the crest of the hill as Somerset goes up and over the Otrain track. This puddle is large enough that it lingered there for over a week each time after it rained during last summer. Now, as the curbside glaciers retreat, the puddle is back again right on the new Somerset bike lane.

Alberta and BC have hanging glaciers -- frozen rivers of ice high up on mountain sides. In BC and Switzerland, hanging lakes are located in little valleys high up on hills and look disconcerting to the eye since lakes should be down, not up. But Ottawa, now that's home to the hanging puddle!