The best jobs of my career were the field assignments in the power plants . Something about the tiers of catwalks, the huge structural steel beams, the intriguing pieces of machinery, and the miles of conveyor belts and cable trays, was captivating and awe inspiring. And nature’s power – especially water, in the hydro plants – was always present, as much to be feared as to be contained

Watching Cuyahoga slide into Lock 3 on the Canal today, I was reminded of my time in the plants. The industrial architecture is so similar, and the tension of machine versus nature is just as apparent.

But power plants are stationary. The powerhouse never unties itself and motors away.

The guys I worked with in power generation had guts and determination, but operationally they were a relatively cautious bunch. I wonder how they would feel if they had to untie their plant, point it into a very narrow space, and inch it towards a (relatively) fragile barrier, with disaster lurking merely inches away. It must take a very special disposition.