The Krepakevich Family Farm

The Krepakevich Family Farm is now one hundred and twenty-three years old.

It is also the site of the family cemetery.

Photographed near Gorlitz, Saskatchewan on January 4, 2020.

Hello Deer

"Don't mind me while I have a little lay-down in the front yard."

Not only do most yards in town have their own resident bunny but also a deer or two (or more) that are regular visitors year-round.

Photographed in Medicine Hat, Alberta on August 5, 2020.

Happy!

Some cheery daisies blooming in front of Eastend United Church this past spring.

Photographed on June 13, 2020.

Maple Creek S.D. No. 80

The huge old Maple Creek School.

It is now a museum that is well worth a look.

I love the staggered brick detail that surrounds the entire building.  It looks like 1910 was a good year.

Photographed in Maple Creek, Saskatchewan on June 12, 2020.

Barn by the Water

An unusual spot to find a barn...by the waterside.

Lots of Russian thistles in full bloom.

Homestead buildings can be seen in the background.

The barn has only one "eye."  

Photographed near Prud'homme, Saskatchewan on August 4, 2020.

Frenchman River Valley

Three years ago to the day...

Some photos taken while travelling east through the Frenchman River Valley towards Eastend, Saskatchewan.  The light-coloured areas in the hills are white clay deposits.  Great Western Railway operates a rail line through the valley.

It's one of those landscapes that simultaneously feels new yet familiar.  Highly recommended for an afternoon drive at any time of the year.   

Photographed on September 28, 2017.

Frazier Township School

Frazier Township School is about midway between Crosby and Corinth, North Dakota...less than an hour south of Torquay, Saskatchewan, including the border stop at Marienthal.

I like the covered entryway supported by a sturdy lathe-ground post.  The arched window below the roof gable gives a little touch of class to the building.

The chimney is in perfect condition.

Windows on both the south and west sides of the school.  The two small windows are for the boys and girls toilets.

The roofs over the main building and entryway have been metal clad.  I'm thankful for the people who take an active role in preserving a piece of the past.

Photographed on December 19, 2018.

Prospect Valley S.D. No. 4121

A trail that leads to the former location of a pioneer school.

The school is gone but there is a sign that marks the spot.

Photographed near Linacre, Saskatchewan on July 14, 2020.

Pense School

The central detail from Pense School.

These colourful, sometimes anthropomorphic, sometimes cartoonish metal cutouts adorn the upper south side of the building.  Lots of light-hearted fun that the students and teachers see every school day.

Each cutout is individually mounted about three inches from the wall with metal pins.  The shadows created behind the shapes give the photos a "double vision" characteristic.

I don't think there are any exact duplicates.

A view of the main entrance to the school...complete with historic school bell.  How many kids have rapped a knuckle on that old bell?

Photographed in Pense, Saskatchewan on August 2, 2020.

The Lace Window

Above is one of four stained glass windows inside Saint Boniface Catholic Church near Leofeld, Saskatchewan.

I was immediately attracted to the "lace" design on the glass panels being something I had not seen before.  The red and blue pieces are surface-textured stained glass, which is certainly nothing unusual and exactly what one would expect.  But the large opaque panels along with the lime green, harvest gold and amber pendants have all been stenciled to create a "lace" design not unlike a fine lace tablecloth.  Beautiful!     

At the top of each Gothic arched window is a hand-painted panel outlined in blue glass.  This one depicts a chalice, wheat and grapes while the top-most photo shows a lamb holding a pennant with a red cross...both being familiar images in Christian churches.

Photographed on August 3, 2020.