Some School Signs

February 22, 2019

A small collection of pioneer school signs mostly in Saskatchewan and Alberta.

Above:  Rolly Point School was west of Hilda, Alberta and about five miles east of the South Saskatchewan River. The sun was at just the right angle to make the snow sparkle.

July 11, 2019

On my way to Eastened this past summer I found the Beaver Dam School sign.  The ghost town of Sidewood, Saskatchewan would have been the closest settlement at the time.

October 13, 2017

The colours are a little faded but I think the sign painter was a John Deere fan.  Saint Clair School was near Simmie, Saskatchewan.

February 22, 2019

Selz School was east of Liebenthal, Saskatchewan and right next door to the Great Sand Hills.  Love the prominent shadow on the snow-filled ditch in this one.

October 25, 2018

This brick monument to Pioneer Grove School is near Eston, Saskatchewan in the R.M. of Snipe Lake.  There has been so much soil erosion here that the base of the sign is now above ground.

October 17, 2017

The Beautiful Plains School sign is east of Drinkwater, Saskatchewan along the Trans Canada Highway.

December 16, 2018

Large modelled wood lilies stand on either side of the Flinton School monument.  Handsworth, Saskatchewan is the nearest ghost town.

June 11, 2017

Lodi School was south of Hilda, Alberta.  There are many variations of this style of school sign in and around the area.  See Rolly Point School School (above) and Ehman School (below) for a comparison.  I was just quick enough to catch a shot of live birds sitting on the H and O.

December 12, 2017

Between Saint Anthony's Church and Saint Anthony's Cemetery near Grosswerder, Saskatchewan was Palm School.  This is a prevalent sign design for pioneer schools.  Usually they are simply painted black but this one has all the letters and numbers painted a creamy-yellow colour.

December 16, 2018

A stone monument to the Menard School located about midway between Viewfield and Benson, Saskatchewan.

July 14, 2018

Ehman School was northwest of Hilda, Alberta.  I've seen the name of this one listed as "Eh Man" in a few books...a sense of humour?

May 29, 2019

My all-time favourite school sign: Jasman School.  Someone dedicated their time to handcraft this one-off design and I thank them for their spark of imagination.  I wonder, (a) if those are the crows from Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" and, (b) if I watch too many thrillers?

December 18, 2018

This is the odd one out in this collection as it's the only one from North Dakota.  I came across the sign near the town of Corinth and the sun had all but set.  As with many signs in this part of the country, the Liberty School sign is rich with decorative wrought-iron curlicues.  Whenever I see scrollwork in a sign's design it reminds me of North Dakota...and that's a good thing.

South Saint Olaf Church and Cemetery

"What's the purpose of your visit?" asked the young lady at the Noonan, North Dakota border crossing.

As soon as I mentioned I was going to spend the day photographing old churches and cemeteries her face both brightened up and relaxed a little.  She immediately began offering suggestions of places to visit nearby.  The first one she mentioned was South Saint Olaf Church and Cemetery where her parents had been married and where she had loved ones that had been laid to rest.

"Enjoy your trip," she said.

That was an undeniably warm welcome to North Dakota on an otherwise cool and overcast day in late November.

Above is the ornate gate that leads into the churchyard.  Most of the old Lutheran churches I've seen in the area have a similarly styled gate.

Even though it was late morning there was still a light covering of frost on the trees.

I love the eight-sided steeple and all the individual roof elements.

The view from the cemetery.

The cemetery has been in use for over one hundred years.

The walls of the church are entirely finished with decorative tin panels.

A particularly appealing altar that looks as good as new.

The church seated about ninety people comfortably.  All of the windows were covered with "pebbled" glass.

Looking south from the churchyard.

One last look and it was time to go.

This part of the county is named Harmonious Township.

Photographed on November 24, 2018.

Rotary Park

I noticed the parks workers taking out all of the colourful seasonal annuals today before winter arrives.  If the weatherman is right it's supposed to snow tonight.

Rotary Park is one of the older, established parks here in Medicine Hat.  I didn't get a chance to take photos there the past few summers but here are some favourite shots from a couple of years back.

Above is the gazebo in the middle of the park.  There are usually a few weddings here each summer.

The original stone arch at the corner entrance.

Richly coloured coleus.

Mostly marigolds and petunias.

Wax begonias for the shady spots.

Fountain grasses surrounded by petunias, coleus and other annuals.

More petunias and coleus.

Night is closing in.

I hope you enjoyed this "last blast of colour."

Photographed on July 7, 2017.

Three Birds

This collection of photos was taken last spring on a drive through the country just north of the Cypress Hills in Alberta.  The sites I visited on that short afternoon were mainly pioneer cemeteries, a long-time personal favourite theme for roads trips.

Above is Saint George's Parish Cemetery in Irvine.  The original Saint George's Anglican Church that established this cemetery can be seen at the Prairie Memories Museum also in Irvine.

Southeast of Irvine...the one and only headstone still standing at Schlaht Cemetery.

"Like a bird, on a wire..."  A ring-necked dove on a telephone line just across the road from Schlaht Cemetery.

Pahl Cemetery is only about 20' x 20' square.  The simply ornate metal fence that surrounds this small plot has no gate.  The only indication of the graves present are mounds and indentations in the ground.

The second site of Salem Evangelical Cemetery*.  There are about ten marked graves here.  And a few miles south...

...is the original site of Salem Evangelical Cemetery*.  All of the graves here have been lost to time.

Saint Peter's German Latvian Cemetery.  A handful of markers remain with one grave enclosed by a handsome metal fence.  Just down the road is...

...Baptist Freedom Settler's Cemetery.  Only four headstones remain and the one shown in the photo is the only one that rises above the tall prairie grass.

At the turn-off to Saint Anne's Cemetery I saw this Yellow-headed Blackbird perched on a cattail in a large pond.  It's always a treat to see one as they are getting rare in these parts.

Saint Anne's Cemetery* sits on a hillside along a dead end road.  Of all the cemeteries in this area this one seems the most remote.  Over the years I don't think I've ever met another vehicle on this road. 

I've always been attracted to the "little lamb" markers in the pioneer cemeteries.  This is one of the few headstones at Saint Anne's and it bears no surname, only the given name of "Tinkletine."

A little further to the west is the long and narrow Evangelical Cemetery*.  The decorative white iron fence stands out dramatically against the landscape.

The silhouette of a robin near...

...Congregational Cemetery*.  It's a few miles down a road with a "Summer Road Only" sign.

Saint Alban's Cemetery* has only one remaining marked grave, an old wooden picket fence that can be seen just behind the fence post.

The six cemeteries marked with an asterisk * had their memorial markers erected in the 1990's.  The design of the stones had a practical use as well as an act of remembrance...the markers are taller than the prairie grass that grows around them so they can be easily spotted during any season.    

I posted an alternative selection of photos and information from this trip about a year ago on BW Bandy's blog "The View from Here."  You can see that post here:

North of the Hills 

Photographed on the afternoon of June 16, 2018.

Little Water Pumper

Over the past year or two I've noticed more of these little windmills dotting the countryside. I saw this one near Richmound, Saskatchewan.  Tiny in comparison with the old ones but they get the job done.  Nostalgic value will come in time.

I have to admit that I enjoy seeing them just spinning in the wind.  It would be even more fun to see them painted with colourful and dizzying spirals and corkscrew designs...a little bit of psychedelia for the prairies.

Photographed on September 16, 2019.

Pink

Some of the virginia creeper vines have started to turn colour for fall.

I love it when they turn this shade of hot pink.  Thank you Mother Nature for an autumn treat!

Photographed on September 20, 2019.