Thursday, October 31, 2019

Happy Hallowe'en



An unsigned masterpiece attached to the inner door of Elk School.  A big orange moon, a bat and a witch on a broomstick...can't beat that for a kid's Hallowe'en!

Elk School is a one-room pioneer school near Major, Saskatchewan.

Photographed on December 12, 2017.

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

3 B's



A little red barn in the bush with bales.


Sighted near Dry Creek, Saskatchewan.

Photographed on October 25, 2019.


Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Divine Light



A captivating marker against the setting sun at Bodnari Cemetery near Alvena, Saskatchewan.

I love Ukrainian churches and cemeteries and all the iconography and imagery that goes along with them.  Maybe it's because I'm half Ukrainian...maybe it's because they're just beautiful. 

Photographed on October 27, 2019.

Monday, October 28, 2019

2 B's



A little red barn with two bales near Lomond, Alberta.

Photographed on September 22, 2017.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

A Church in the Pasture



Formerly the First Lutheran Church of Lignite, North Dakota.


I talked to someone in town and they thought the church had been moved into the country with hopes of making it into a home.  A dream that didn't come true.


Photographed on November 25, 2018.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

1 B



A huge old barn...


...near Weyburn, Saskatchewan.


Photographed on October 27, 2017.


Friday, October 25, 2019

Pelicans



Pelicans floating down the South Saskatchewan River as it passes through Medicine Hat, Alberta.


Photographed on June 12, 2018.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Handmade



A handmade grave marker for the Anderson family in Bethel Cemetery near Wildrose, North Dakota.

This is an unusual beauty.  As well as being visually stimulating it's also aurally pleasing.  The little feather-shaped pieces are individually attached to the framework by links so they can clink and chime against each other in the wind creating an ever-changing soundtrack for the cemetery.  Pretty nice is an understatement.

Photographed on December 18, 2018.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Saint Joseph's Cemetery



This was the first time I'd visited Saint Joseph's Cemetery when the grass was green.  All my previous stops here had been during late fall or winter and, for one reason or another, I was never very pleased with the photos from those occasions.  A trip to a cemetery is always appealing to me in so many ways and this time the photos were "on the mark."

This pioneer cemetery is a half mile off the main road.  Driving is not an option as there is no trail to the site so walking in is the only way to see it.  Personally, I like these locations that are "out of the way."  The walk in gives me a little time to enjoy the wide open spaces while I anticipate what's ahead.  I think there's also a bit of selfishness involved in that so few people ever get to see these places first hand.

Above is the gate sign for Saint Joseph's Cemetery.


The walk in.  The cemetery sign is visible about midway on the horizon.


A view of the cemetery from under the gate sign.


The main marker that lists those known to be buried here.  Yes, there was a church at one time.



A cast concrete headstone that is still in great condition.  I personally like these but they don't last for very long.


A marble headstone at a child's grave.  This little "lamb" marker will last for centuries.



A few shots of ornamental wrought iron and plain steel crosses with the latter marking "unknown" graves.  I love the hand made decorative crosses and the fact that someone was thoughtful enough to mark the forgotten graves.


The flower detail on the gate sign.


It was now late-morning and the temperature was rising...time to get back to the air-conditioned car.  I can't handle the heat like I used to.

Saint Joseph's Cemetery is in farming country north of Foremost, Alberta.

Photographed on May 9, 2019.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

The Virgelle Ferry


One for BW Bandy...

November 27, 2017
The old ferry (retired).

December 1, 2017
The new ferry (in operation during the warmer months).

The Virgelle Ferry crosses the Missouri River and can save up to an hour in travelling time.  I'm usually through the area either too early or too late in the season to take advantage of the trip.  One day I'll get lucky.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Old Vegreville School



On my way to Lamont County last winter I happened past the Old Vegreville School.


Love that peachy-coloured stucco against the fresh snow...the art deco styled entrance adds some intrigue too.


There was no sunshine for the first three days of the trip making the sky the same colour as the snow.  Did I mention the foot of fresh snow?  Made the country roads exciting to say the least.

Photographed on January 5, 2019.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Let's All Go To Sunday School





A sign commemorating the Schuler Church of God in southern Alberta.

The sun was just rising behind the sign which helped me in achieving some glowing photos.

Photographed on September 16, 2019.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Roads


November 14, 2016
Coming home along Highway 41 near Schuler, Alberta.  A five minute downpour resulted in a double rainbow above the sun drenched hills.

March 21, 2017
Along Secondary Highway 500 in southern Alberta.  The bridge in the distance is where the road crosses the Milk River.  Writing-on-Stone Park is just a few miles west and the Aden border crossing is about fifteen miles southeast.

October 18, 2018
I see my share of "wide open prairie landscapes" but this is likely the most barren landscape I've seen in some time.  If you follow the road it will lead you to the pioneer Bethel Bruderthaler Cemetery.  Some distance south is the town of Zurich, Montana; remember these?: Grain Elevators in Zurich

February 27, 2018
The road that passes through the ghost town of Glen Kerr, Saskatchewan.  I'm glad someone put up a sign.  Not too far away is the old one-room school house that now serves as a community hall.

July 12, 2019
A summer day in farming country in the Eastend area of Saskatchewan.  I didn't have a chance to get out on many road trips this year so it was a real treat to get away for a few days.  Eastend is a favourite (and close) "go to" spot.

June 30, 2017
Along Battle Creek Road in the Cypress Hills of Saskatchewan is the "West Benson Trail" turnoff.  Good luck with this one if it rains.

November 25, 2018
Four horses in a pasture near Stampede, North Dakota.  A little used road way out in the boonies.  Lots of old cemeteries, churches and homesteads in the county.

August 11, 2017
A road past a field of sunflowers west of Hilda, Alberta.  In a word: "Happy!"

October 14, 2018
Fall in Vulcan County, Alberta.  I've spent many enjoyable hours traveling the grid roads and trails here in search of pioneer school locations.  There were about one hundred and twenty one-room schools in the county and most of them have been marked with a memorial sign.

May 21, 2017
Driving along Highway 232 between Havre, Montana and the Wild Horse border crossing.  At this intersection is some "road art" attached to the top of a fence post.  The same artist has attached samples of his work all around Montana, Alberta and Saskatchewan.  They generally strike me as cynically fun folk art.

November 30, 2016
A tough old willow tree growing in a ditch not far from Comrey, Alberta.  It was a very foggy day and bitterly cold...everything was covered with a thick frost.  A friend was supposed to join me on this trip but when I told him how remote it was he chickened-out.  What can I say...no sense of adventure!

August 11, 2017
A road allowance not far from the sunflower patch shown above.  About half a mile down this rutted trail is Hilda Bethlehem Lutheran Cemetery.  I parked the car and walked in...no bugs, no wind, just a nice sunny morning.

October 21, 2018
On my way back home to Medicine Hat, Alberta along Highway 232 (again) in Montana.  Only fifteen miles to the Wild Horse border crossing.

I love road trips!

More "road" photos here: On the Road

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Two Windows and a Baptismal Font



These photos were taken in the Foremost United Church in Foremost, Alberta.

Shown above is the window behind the altar.




To the right of the altar is the baptismal font bathed in the coloured light of the stained glass window.

Three additional and equally attractive stained glass windows from the same church but with a "farm life" theme and additional information can be seen here:  Three Windows

Photographed on May 29, 2019.

Monday, October 14, 2019

The Lightning Tree





Near Richmound, Saskatchewan...I stopped here to take a photo of the Little Water Pumper windmill and just across the road was an old homestead and a lightning tree.


Photographed on September 16, 2019.