Sunday, February 22, 2026

Mayfield Cemetery


Mayfield Cemetery is located south of Alsask, Saskatchewan in the R.M. of Chesterfield No. 261 and northeast of Empress, Alberta.




According to information on Canada Gen Web's Cemetery Project site this cemetery was established when a pioneer named Zach Leach lost his daughter 
May to tuberculosis in the winter of 1913.  It was too cold to make the trip to Alsask so he donated a piece of his land for the cemetery which is named in 
her honour.



As you will see in the photos above, I had some company during my visit.  When I reached the far end of the grounds I suddenly heard a loud rattling.  I had disturbed a rattlesnake that was sunning itself and it was giving me fair warning not to come any closer.  After the initial surprise I got a few photos of it returning to its den underneath a large headstone.

This well tended cemetery sits on top of a hill and offers a panoramic view of the surrounding prairie and coulees.  It's a particularly appealing spot, rattlesnake included.  Everyone should be so lucky to end up in such a lovely setting.


About six or seven years later I made a return trip to Mayfield Cemetery and it looked much the same as in the photos shown here.  Someone is taking good care of it and that's always a good thing to see.  And I also met another rattlesnake sunning itself just down the road from the cemetery.  Nice to see some things don't change.

Photographed on June 2, 2017.

Tuesday, February 17, 2026

Happy!


Winter has returned to the prairies!  Windy, blowing snow and freezing cold.  


These shots of sunflowers were just what I needed to cheer me up.  Hopefully they'll do the same for you.  Enjoy!


Photographed west of Hilda, Alberta on August 11, 2017.

Wednesday, February 11, 2026

Ogema B.A. Gas Station


A vintage service station in Ogema, Saskatchewan that I've had the pleasure to visit over the years, and hopefully for many more years to come.  







Photographed on October 26, 2017.

Thursday, February 05, 2026

Saints Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church


This is Saints Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

During my visit here on July 23, 2022 I met Ernie, the fellow in charge of the restoration and general maintenance of the church and grounds.  He and his crew have done a remarkable job of returning the church to its former glory.   

The church was built 1921 and is located in the Rural Municipality of Dauphin.  There is also a bell house on the church grounds and the associated cemetery is just a couple of miles down the road.


While the exterior of the church has been extensively restored, the interior has been left virtually untouched and just as it was over one hundred years ago.

Kudos to everyone involved in keeping our history alive. 

Photographed on July 23, 2022.

Monday, January 26, 2026

Holy Ghost Ukrainian Catholic Church near Zoria


A handsome country church built in 1937.  The church and grounds are still beautifully maintained.

Photographed near Zoria, Manitoba on July 23, 2022.

Tuesday, January 20, 2026

Kirkpatrick Grain Elevator


The Kirkpatrick grain elevator was originally built as an Alberta Pacific Grain Company elevator in 1924.  In the late 1960s it was purchased by Federal Grain Limited who in turn sold it to the Alberta Wheat Pool in the early 1970s.  Some time in the 1980s is was sold again to an independent farmer.  


And the good news is...all these years later it is still in use.

Photographed in Kirkpatrick, Alberta on October 23, 2025.

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Mac the Moose

Meet Mac the Moose.  

Standing at just a touch under thirty-four feet tall, he is the tallest moose sculpture in the world.  You can see him in person at the Tourist Information Centre in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. 

Photographed on January 6, 2026.

Wednesday, January 07, 2026

Щасливого Різдва!


Merry Christmas to all who celebrate according to the Julian calendar.

Saints Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church was photographed near Insinger, Saskatchewan on January 6, 2020.

Tuesday, January 06, 2026

Святвечір


Enjoy your Orthodox Christmas Eve tonight! 

Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Church was photographed near Sheho, Saskatchewan on January 6, 2020.

Thursday, January 01, 2026