A friendly black lab I met in the country near Grayson, Saskatchewan. She was full of energy and as soon as she saw I had a stick to throw we were instantly best buddies. This is the sort of spontaneous interaction that makes for a great day on the road.
Photographed on October 11, 2020.
These are the three rose windows at Saint Mary's Ukrainian Catholic Church in Yorkton, Saskatchewan.
It was -32°C outside and I was happy to be taking photographs inside where it was toasty warm.
This a just a small example of the many beautiful stained glass windows at the church.
Photographed on December 17, 2019.
Saint Vladimir Ukrainian Orthodox Church is in Vegreville, Alberta.
A touch of the traditional in a modern setting...a mosaic tile representation of Christ holding a bible.
Photographed on February 23, 2020.
This is Lindahl Township School (complete with cast iron water pump). The original three-gabled school must have been quite attractive in its day...
...but there also must have been quite a population explosion in later years, enough to warrant two lean-to additions to the school.
Some decorative elements are the arched window in the west-facing gable, small finials at the tips of all three gables and eave returns on the north and south ends of the original school. (An eave return is where the bottom corner of the roof wraps around to the adjacent side of the building...adding a little "touch of class.")
Lindahl Township is thirty-six square miles of farm and pasture land with a population of about sixty people. Lots of space to move around.
Photographed near McGregor, North Dakota on December 18, 2018.
A country church near Oxville, Alberta.
I was both surprised and pleased to see that the road had been plowed. Since no one lives along this stretch I expected a half mile plus walk-in to see the church. Thank you Mister Grader Man!
The exterior is finished in plain gray stucco...
...while the interior is plaster painted a soft yellow. The floor is hardwood painted gray.
A small table and two chairs for an indoor picnic when visiting on a warmer day. The spartan design (both inside and out) of the building 'suggest' a Lutheran church.
The large windows let in lots of light.
A community cemetery is located just west of the church.
Photographed on February 20, 2020.
A couple of attractive yearlings in a pasture near Otthon, Saskatchewan.
I don't remember ever seeing cattle with these distinctive stripes before so I did a little research. They are a Scottish breed of cattle called "Belted Galloway." That long hair must keep them warm in the winter.
Photographed on October 11, 2020.
The abandoned Brush Hill Reformed Church in Minburn County, Alberta. Take note of the handsome stone cairn erected beside the church in 1995.
The cairn is dedicated to the pioneers who built the church in 1916.
Photographed north of Vegreville, Alberta on February 24, 2020.
Second Avenue and Main Street.
In Hafford, Saskatchewan the street signs are bilingual: Ukrainian and English. A notable touch of cultural preservation.
Photographed on November 23, 2020.
A beautiful sight on a country road from this past summer.
There were several families named "Bodnar" living near the church resulting in the parish being called "Bodnari."
The church was built in 1936 and...
...the bell tower was erected in 1920. It's not often that a bell tower precedes the construction date of a church but there is a simple explanation for it: this is the original bell tower from the previous and much smaller log church that sat just north of the existing parish.
Bodnari Ukrainian Catholic Church of Saints Peter and Paul is near Alvena, Saskatchewan, an area rich in Ukrainian settler history.
Information courtesy of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saskatoon.
Photographed on August 4, 2020.
I woke up in the motel in North Battleford, Saskatchewan and as soon as I looked out the window I knew I was in for a treat...everything was thick with hoar frost. As long as the sun didn't come out the frost would last for hours. After a bite to eat and gas for the car I was on my way.
I had been in the general area about a year previously and wanted to see a few spots that would now be covered with snow. Everything looks different in a winter landscape. Winter is a fresh view of things...all is clean, cold and white.
Not far from Mayfair I chanced upon Saint Joseph's Roman Catholic Church.
The octagonal steeple is unusual and appealing.
A perennial symbol at Catholic churches and cemeteries...the free standing cross.
A shot of the church from the cemetery across the road. I admit to having a soft spot for churches painted this creamy yellow colour...it's just so inviting and comfortable.
Photographed on November 23, 2020.
