I enjoyed reading about the lock, how interesting! When I was a kid, we vacationed in Northern Michigan and we always made a point to visit the Soo Locks (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soo_locks)in the St. Mary's River. It amazed me the way Mother Nature was circumvented and that those huge ore boats could be traverse what used to be rapids.

Love the picture of the shop in Mells, very quaint - and it's a Post Office, too!