Peekaboo

A baby's headstone in Handsworth Cemetery.

Photographed near the Hamlet of Handsworth, Saskatchewan on December 16, 2018.

Whitesand

The sun reflecting the window-shape behind the altar...I couldn't have planned for a better photo.

The church is undergoing a renovation and the interior has been stripped down to the bare boards.  The sunshine on the aged wood looks warm and alluring.

A shot of the church and gate from the road allowance.

The engraved granite sign inset onto the centre pillar of the gate posts.  This spot has been used primarily by Swedish and Danish immigrants for well over a century.

A small grouping of headstones in the cemetery.

Take note of the tiny white crosses marking "unknown" gravesites.  

The church has new metal siding but the original wooden-framed windows have been retained...the sun reflecting in the windows brings the scene to life.

Don't forget to sign the guest book (on the altar).

Whitesand Lutheran Church and Scandanavian Cemetery was photographed near Sheho, Saskatchewan on January 6, 2020.

Box 172

Some things don't change...well, not much anyway.

I grew up on a small farm just east of Midale, Saskatchewan.  At that time, from the late 1950's to the early 1970's, the post office was the centre of all written communication.  Going to pick up the mail was a big deal...letters and cards written by hand, parcels from mail order catalogues and of course bills and payments of all sorts.  One day when I was about ten years old, my parents and I were parked outside the post office and I was finally "old enough" to take the mail key and pick up the mail all by myself. 

Over forty years later I returned to that same post office to see what had changed...and it really hadn't changed much at all.

Above is a photo of our old post office box.

This is the same mail sorting desk with the same green Arborite® desk top that has been in the post office lobby for decades.

More mail boxes and the community bulletin board which displayed an invitation to a baby shower, a perogie supper at the senior's hall, a reading club and many others.  The notices are new but everything else is just the way I remember it.

Mail your letters here.  The spring on this drop box was awfully strong when I was a kid and it's still a tough one to open.

The only noticeable change I saw was to the exterior of the building.  The upper part of the front facade used to have a stained wooden finish and now it's been painted white while the lower part has been covered in vinyl siding.

All these years later I still have a post office box and some days it's still a big deal to go pick up the mail.

Photographed on October 18, 2017.

End of the Day

Sunset at Lac Qui Parle Lutheran Church...the end of a long and enjoyable day on the road.

Photographed near Torquay, Saskatchewan on October 17, 2017.

"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.