Floating homes of Lemonville 浮宅之鄉

In a sunny afternoon, I was driving north bound along McCowan Road in Toronto. In 30 minutes, I arrived Lemonville at the Bethesda Road and appreciated the beautiful view of the ponds one after the other. The scenery throughout York Region looks fairly ordinary. There is, however, a stretch of countryside atop a sandy hill in Whitchurch-Stouffville lies a series of elegant homes which appear to be floating on water.

These homes do not have swimming pools but rather have ponds which appear quite rare and extraordinary. The water does not come from river or lake but an underground natural "water pool". The soil of the small hill is permeable. Rainwater falls on the topsoil and goes through the permeable soil creating high water levels at the bottom of the hills. The water then flows through the soil near the top of the elevation, it encounters a harder layer of earth. Some of the water moves very quickly to the bottom while the remaining stays near the surface forming an underground lake with only a layer of dirt above it. When the force of the upward flow of the water is so powerful that the top layer of the soil eventually cracks and the water flows out to form a natural pond. The builder takes advantage of this geological phenomenon to design and build these beautiful ponds. 

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Photo equipment:
Nikon Coolpix P7700
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在一個晴朗的下午，我駕車沿多倫多的麥高雲公路向北走，約三十分鐘抵達了巴士達路，沿途觀賞了一個個美麗的池塘。 多倫多約克區的風景祇是一般，但沿麥高雲公路以南，自巴士達路一公里，西至堅尼地道，在史托維爾一帶的小山崗上都建了不少的住宅，看來似是建在水面的「浮家泛宅」，因為住宅的周圍都不設泳池，卻設有池塘，這是比較特別和少見的現像。

原來這些池塘的水源不是來自河流和湖泊，卻來自地下的天然「水塘」。這一帶屬於沙質透水的小山崗是億年前冰河時期所形成。雨水經過透水的泥土，在山腳泥層形成了一個十分深的地下水塘。當地下水向上浮，遇到近地面的一層較硬的土壤，部份地下水便急速向下流，浮游向地質較脆弱的地面的便形成了地下水，這層脆弱的地面祇是一層冰河時期遺下的土垢。當向上流的水力稍大，使地層破裂，地下水便形成了這些天然的池塘。建築商便利用這種天然不利的現像，巧妙地設計成住宅旁邊的美麗池塘了。

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(Click photo for a larger view)

#1: A sunny afternoon
Nikon Coolpix P7700 @7.6mm, 35mm (35mm equivalent), f/7.1, 1/3200 sec, ISO 400
是一個晴朗的下午

#2: The sandy hill in Whitchurch-Stouffville on McCowan Road has permeable soil.
Nikon Coolpix P7700 @14.1mm,55mm (35mm equivalent), f/8, 1/320 sec, ISO 400
史托維爾沿麥高雲路一帶是屬沙質透水的小山崗。

#3: Looking back south from the slope of McCowan Road
Nikon Coolpix P7700 @19.7mm, 89mm (35mm equivalent), f/8, 1/800 sec, ISO 400
我在麥高雲路的山坡向南望

#4: Atop a sandy hill in Whitchurch-Stouffville lies a small hamlet of elegant homes
Nikon Coolpix P7700 @6.5mm, 30mm (35mm equivalent), f/6.3, 1/500 sec, ISO 400
沿著麥高雲路觀看到有不少華宅建於山崗上

#5: A close shot of a giant house
Nikon Coolpix P7700 @19.7mm, 91mm (35mm equivalent), f/8, 1/800 sec, ISO 400
豪宅近鏡

#6: This cyclist rides up the slope on McCowan Road
Nikon Coolpix P7700 @42.8mm, 197mm (35mm equivalent), f/8, 1/500 sec, ISO 400
單車客氣喘喘騎著單車沿麥高雲路向北爬

#7: An eye-catching view of a charming pond
Nikon Coolpix P7700 @7mm, 32mm (35mm equivalent), f/6.3, 1/500 sec, ISO 400
進入眼簾是迷人的池塘景色

#8: Shadows of a small bridge and reflections of the blue sky
Nikon Coolpix P7700 @17.7mm, 82mm (35mm equivalent), f/8, 1/1000 sec, ISO 400
小橋倒影，水泛藍天。

#9: The pond is filled with underground water
Nikon Coolpix P7700 @8.2mm, 38mm (35mm equivalent), f/7.1, 1/1600 sec, ISO 400
地下水形成的池塘

#10: Enjoying a free swim in a beautiful pond.
Nikon Coolpix P7700 @42.8mm, 197mm (35mm equivalent), f/8, 1/1250 sec, ISO 400
水鴨享受著大自然的美景和暢泳的樂趣

#11: Met a rider across the road.  With her permission, I took several snaps and sent her this one she likes best.
Nikon Coolpix P7700 @17.7mm, 82mm (35mm equivalent), f/8, 1/800 sec, ISO 400
那邊廂卻看見一位女士騎著小馬，享受著策騎的樂趣。獲她同意之下，拍下並送給她這一張她最喜歡的一張照片。

#12: I pulled my car on the shoulder to see this big waterwheel.
Nikon Coolpix P7700 @7mm, 32mm (35mm equivalent), f/6.3, 1/400 sec, ISO 400
我停車路旁，因為被這巨型的水車吸引了！

#13: A floating house surrounded by green trees.
Nikon Coolpix P7700 @8.2mm, 38mm (35mm equivalent), f/7.1, 1/160 sec, ISO 400
看來是浮宅，環繞著青蔥的樹木。

#14: Another pond seen at the intersection of Bethesda Road and McCowan Road
Nikon Coolpix P7700 @6mm, 28mm (35mm equivalent), f/6.3, 1/320 sec, ISO 400
另一戶人家的池塘，在巴士達路夾麥高雲路的交界。

#15: A pond built by the Bethesda Road
Nikon Coolpix P7700 @6mm, 28mm (35mm equivalent), f/6.3, 1/400 sec, ISO 400
池塘建在巴士達路旁

#16: A road side pond flourished with green weeds.
Nikon Coolpix P7700 @8.2mm, 38mm (35mm equivalent), f/7.1, 1/320 sec, ISO 400
路旁的池塘，綠草茂密。

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