Today we got an engineering lesson while enjoying our view. First lesson: you can have a great day despite rain. God bless those stylish rain ponchos!
We traveled to Haverud to see the aqua duct and canal. Doesn't sound exciting... until you experience it. Of course we all learned about the Panama Canal in grade school, but I've never seen the locks and dams process in action.
We got lucky that a sail boat needed to get through while we were getting our tour. He is sitting up behind that wall.
In very nontechnical terms, they have to get the boat from the lake "down the steps" to the other lake. For each step, they flood it to raise water level so the boat doesn't bottom out.
It moves ahead through the "door" and the door behind closes.
Sometimes it's quite a tight squeeze. You can see the captain pushing against the wall to avoid hitting it. His wife was at the wheel steering. Can only imagine the polite conversations going down the canal!
Made it through!
One more lock and they're outta there!
Then it was our turn! We got to take a cruise "up the steps".
Intimidating when you're the ones squeezing through!
On top is like a river bridge passing over a ravine so we can get over to the lake.
Rail bridge up top. Hope conductor is paying attention.
Home free. Time for lunch!
After our lunch cruise, we docked at the home of our tour guides' cousins. Then made our way to a different lunch time.
Hello, Bullwinkle!
Not 100 percent wild as he's on a nature preserve of sorts. Still cool to see up close.
Then there are the twins. Aren't we, I mean they, adorable? Their mother died in a traffic accident so the farm is providing their nourishment. Would've loved to spend more time there, but that rain!
So we did what we sister's do on rainy days... play games. Here we're playing Sequence with three sisters from Iowa, also on our tour. Our mom would be proud! After dinner they taught us a card game they call "Oh hell." I won the first game.
That's all you need to know!
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