"Ogopogo"

Kelowna, the city my family moved to when I was 12, is situated on Okanogan Lake in British Columbia.

The lake is the home of a fabled water monster called the Ogopogo. 

This statue of the Ogopogo resides next to the lake in downtown Kelowna. It looks a little different than the one I remember from my childhood.

I have never seen the Ogopogo - and I don't know anybody who has - but there are just enough claimed sightings to keep the myth alive.

But the Ogopogo's fame must have spread. In the mall where I walk several times a week here in Ottawa, there are mechanical ride-on toys that one can rent. The green one is named Ogopogo!

I should add that I don't usually see older people riding them, though the ad suggests they might. It could be fun!