Saint Laurence Anglican Church

Saint Laurence Anglican Church is in the village of Monitor, Alberta.  This is the view from the rear swinging-doors towards the altar.

And this is the view from front to back.

Beautiful solid wooden beams and tongue-in-groove ceiling.

The arched stained glass window above the altar.  The inscription along the bottom reads: "to the glory of God and in loving memory of our pioneers."

The altar with its green and white draperies.

The baptismal font..."suffer the little children to come unto me."

The reverend's chambers.

The view from outside.

A German trench mortar mounted in front of the church.

Monitor and the surrounding area contributed a record amount to Victory Bond sales.

More views from outside.

The Celtic cross on the rear peak of the roof.

The church has never been locked since it was opened in 1915.  It is listed on the Alberta Register of Historic Places.  In my opinion, "It's a beauty!"

Photographed on November 15, 2018.

Happy American Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving wishes from Hogeland American Lutheran Church.

Photographed in Hogeland, Montana on October 21, 2018.

Meeting Lake

The appealing and very photogenic Saint John Cemetery near Meeting Lake, Saskatchewan.

The pink granite main markers listing all those known to be buried here.

The cemetery sign...

...and just down the road is a sign where the store and post office used to be...

...and up the road is where Saint John's Lutheran Church welcomed all.

Photographed on October 24, 2019.

Whitkow Elevator

The abandoned Pool elevator in Whitkow, Saskatchewan.

This one is a nice combination of straight and sturdy mixed with weathered wood and peeling paint.

I stopped to talk with a young fellow who was making some repairs to a combine just down the road from the elevator.  There had been an early snowfall and some of the farmers in the area (including him) still had crops in the fields to be harvested.  The weather really has gone crazy over the past few years.

Photographed on October 24, 2019.

Concordia Lutheran Church

Velkommen to Concordia Lutheran Church, established in 1905.

The church is in good condition and the grounds are well maintained.

It was a nice surprise to see the bell still in the bell tower.

The church sits in a little meadow next to a farm yard.

The stained glass window above the front door.  Overcast days make for the best photos of stained glass windows as it's much easier to control the light.

I'm used to seeing the old-fashioned type of altars in Lutheran churches but this one is of modern and artfully economical design.  It looks very 1960-ish.

The patina on the wooden pews is second to none and a delight to see.  Each pew consists of a tongue-in-groove back with a solid plank for each seat and end.

Looking towards the altar from the entrance.  The church would comfortably seat over a hundred people.

Usually the basement of a Lutheran church has a "gathering place" with kitchen and tables for the parishioners to socialize over a meal.  Not so in this case...these timbers keep the basement walls from collapsing.  Good to see that someone cares.  I hope it lasts for another century.

Photographed near Canwood, Saskatchewan on October 25, 2019.

Saint Joseph's Colony

Last week while driving along a road near Leipzig, Saskatchewan this statue unexpectedly came into sight as I neared the next crossroads.  Gray sky to the east...

...and blue sky to the west.

The surrounding area of seventy-seven townships (over 2700 square miles) was mainly settled from 1905 to 1907 by German Catholic immigrants from the United States.  They named it Saint Joseph's Colony.

It is a Saskatchewan Historic Site...and a captivating sight it is out on the open prairie.  I enjoy researching an area for a road trip but no amount of research will tell you everything...and that's a good thing.  I love coming across these "unexpected" treasures.

Information courtesy of GRHC (Germans from Russia Heritage Collection).

Photographed on November 18, 2019.

Heritage Farmstead

A designated pioneer farmstead east of Battleford, Saskatchewan.

These places are a reminder of the not-so-distant past and, maybe even more importantly, they give a multitude of wild birds and animals a home.

Charles Lee had a pretty nice house.

Photographed on October 24, 2019.

Blue

When I finished up my gardening duties for the season I decided to take a road trip north of Saskatoon.  I'd never been through the area so everything was "new to me."

I stopped at Stump Lake-Hillside Cemetery soon after lunchtime and was greeted by Blue.  As you can see he's a Blue Heeler.

It was one of those days that was overcast but so bright it almost hurt to look up into the sky.  The light seemed to intensify the colours making Blue actually look "blue" and the autumn grass a glowing golden colour.  Notice Blue's peachy-red coloured socks.

As it so happens, three year old Blue takes care of the two fellows who in turn take care of the local cemeteries.  He does a great job, wouldn't you say?

Blue gave me a tour of the cemetery.

He listens well too.  When it was time for him to get back to work and for me to go all I had to do was say "stay" and that was that.  He's a sweetie.

Photographed near Canwood, Saskatchewan on October 25, 2019.