Hog's Back Falls, Part One

The first of three posts, from the place where the Rideau Canal and Rideau River part ways...

Hog's Back Falls empties into a ravine below Mooney's Bay, these days harnessed by a dam that controls its flow. Millions of years ago, this was all under water, and the rocks around the falls- sandstone and limestone- bear witness to those events; one can still see evidence of ancient seas along the stone. Glaciation time and again has left its mark here as well, and more recently humanity. During the building of the Canal, the first diversion projects were undertaken, radically altering water flow here. The falls- originally named for a geological feature not visible because of the alterations- still flow, giving the Rideau River a wild and furious current in the midst of the city. The land around it is parkland, and it's within easy distance for pedestrians. You'll feel the mist as it kicks up over the fence on the right side of the river, and from time to time you'll see rainbows in the mist.

The birds, meanwhile, have the place to themselves, often found among the pools in upper stretches of the ravine. It would seem they know the mood of the falls better than we do, and know where it's safe.