"Woof"

I spent the better part of a week last winter touring the churches and cemeteries in Lamont County, Alberta.

On my way from one place to another I met this guy.  He looks like a cross between a Norwegian Elkhound and a Golden Labrador Retriever.  He stopped for a few pats on the head and a sniff or two.  Once he was satisfied that I wasn't up to any mischief he gave me a "woof" and went back to the farmhouse and I was on my way to the next church.  I like meeting the locals...even if we don't speak the same language.

Photographed near Star, Alberta on January 6, 2019.

Sonnenfeld Cemetery

Just a mile south of Dravland Cemetery is Sonnenfeld Cemetery, a Jewish pioneer cemetery.

Looks smart with its white-painted steel fence and sign.

Attached to the fence beside the gate is the history of Sonnenfeld Colony.

I grew up only twenty-five miles from here but didn't even know of its existence until researching the area in the fall of 2017.

The spruce trees planted here have almost covered the graves.

It's unusual to see graves in a cemetery that face both east/west and north/south.

The headstones here are in a Jewish dialect with some English surnames.

Photographed near Oungre, Saskatchewan on October 29, 2017.

Dravland Cemetery

A pioneer cemetery near Oungre, Saskatchewan.  I love the name and the design of the sign, both of which are somewhat ominous and add some drama to the otherwise familiar prairie scene.

The cemetery is at the top of a low rise.

The Norwegian names of Hansen, Larsen and Petersen are prevalent here.

The cemetery is still in use and has lots of room for newcomers.

A black metal cross marking an "unknown" grave.

There were a few raindrops that day but for the most part the clouds were just putting on a good show.

Photographed October 29, 2017.

Church of the Weary Traveler

Siracky Chapel was built by three stone masons in 1940 and became known as "Church of the Weary Traveler" or "Church of the Road."  It was commissioned by Peter Siracky, a founding member of the nearby Transfiguration of Our Lord Ukrainian Catholic Church (Spas Moskalyk).

The chapel was built to show the appreciation that he and his fellow Ukrainian settlers had for their new found freedom and love of their church.

As you can see from the photos there was lots of snow all around the chapel...it was a winter wonderland.

Information courtesy of "Lamont County - Church Capital of North America." 

Photographed near Mundare, Alberta on January 5, 2019.

Kerrobert Water Tower

The Kerrobert Water Tower has been a local landmark visible for miles around since being built in 1914.  The half-moon can be seen in the above photos as well...luck was on my side.

One of four remaining "lighthouse shaped" water towers in Saskatchewan, it continues to supply water to the community and was declared a Municipal Heritage Site in 2005.

The other three standpipe water towers are located in Humboldt, Kamsack and Weyburn.  Photos of the latter can be seen here:  Weyburn Water Tower

Photographed on November 19, 2019.

Bums

This is usually how pronghorns are seen on the prairie...white bums running off into the distance.

I saw this small herd late last fall south of Acadia Valley, Alberta.

Photographed on November 17, 2019.

The Open Road

June 30, 2017

Free as a bird on the open road...some photos from road trips near and far.

Above is the road through Fort Walsh National Historic Site in the Cypress Hills of Saskatchewan.  It was a late spring day boasting of greenery and sunshine.

October 22, 2019

A shot taken just off Highway 41 near Schuler, Alberta.  I love prairie views...big and captivating.

October 25, 2019

The post and chain fence along North Canwood Cemetery in Saskatchewan.  By the way, the hotel in Canwood serves delicious homemade burgers.  I met some friendly people who were up for a chat with a stranger too.

November 24, 2017

If you pull off the highway at Cascade, Montana and travel north you'll be rewarded with sights of natural beauty as well as the remains of an old mission.  I took this photo from the high point in Saint Peter's Mission Cemetery looking northwards.  The white crosses mark "unknown" graves that date back to 1866.

January 30, 2017

Just north of Medicine Hat, Alberta...I was out looking for nothing in particular that afternoon but the big blue sky was a never-ending display of the spectacular.

December 14, 2018

I turned off the highway north of Francis, Saskatchewan to find Christ Lutheran Church some miles down this straight and narrow road.  All of the door and window openings have been covered with steel mesh...someone wants this old beauty to last a few more years.

December 15, 2018

Just a few miles south of the Manitoba/North Dakota border on a brisk winter day.  This is Lesje Lutheran Church and is more or less near Roth, North Dakota.  The overall landscape of northwestern North Dakota looks just like this...and there are dozens of country churches in the area.

December 15, 2018

Somewhere in the vicinity of Souris, North Dakota...a power line, some snow, a gravel road and a great big sky. 

March 27, 2017

This photo was taken along the road allowance that passes by Grandview Cemetery in northern Montana.  The Sweet Grass Hills can be seen in the distance.

February 22, 2019

The former site of a pioneer school.  The Berghanson School sign is northeast of Fox Valley, Saskatchewan.  No matter which direction you choose, the view is much the same.

July 30, 2019

As above but five months later that same year...still nothing for miles and miles but the ditches have some green grass.

October 14, 2018

The plains of Vulcan County, Alberta.  The sign at the side of the road marks the former location of Marshall School.

November 19, 2019

The railway crossing at Whitepool, Alberta.  The old elevator is still standing.

January 4, 2020

Late afternoon near the crossroads at Dneiper, Saskatchewan.  The temperature was quickly dropping with the setting sun and it was time to get back to the motel.

It's always a good day out on the open road.

Happy Chinese New Year!

Happy Chinese New Year!  Here are a couple of photos of the Chinese Alliance Church in Medicine Hat, Alberta.

I can remember spending Chinese New Year in Vancouver's Chinatown more than a few times.  Parades with dragons, firecrackers and lots of delicious food.  Good times.

Photographed on March 24, 2018.

CN Caboose

A CN caboose on display in Kamsack, Saskatchewan.

Photographed on January 7, 2020.

A Gopher by Any Other Name...

...is a Richardson's ground squirrel.  This one posed for the camera near Barons, Alberta.  They've really been tearing up the prairie down here in the south the past few years.

Photographed on August 22, 2018.

A Boy and His Dog

A pink marble headstone with full colour ceramic photograph at Saint Nicholas Ukrainian Orthodox Cemetery.

Everyone should have a dog.

Photographed near Drobot, Saskatchewan on December 19, 2019.