What the Helen of Troy is This

“Powder on sidewalk and all over town?”

“Dear PoPville,

Has anyone else ever noticed little piles of powder seemingly strategically placed along sidewalks around DC? I’ve lived here for less than two years but I see these piles all over town, in Southwest, Navy Yard, Downtown, and today in NoMa along L St and 2nd St NE. They are sometimes different colors, but always dropped in neat little piles all along sidewalks and buildings. What’s the deal?

A woman who saw me taking pictures told me she saw a man dropping the powder yesterday and thought it was for some kind of scavenger hunt?”

More photos:

I might be losing my mind but I feel like we talked about this once before. Anyone else remember? I can’t find it in the archives. Anyway, are others noticing this?