Wally

Inside Holy Ghost Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church.

Look up and...

...you will see Heaven.

Seeing the interior of the church was a stroke of good luck.  I had stopped to get a few exterior shots when I noticed someone shoveling fresh snow off the sidewalks.

We talked for a few minutes and then Wally looked at me with a smile and said, "I have a key...would you like to see inside the church?"  He saw me light up at the opportunity.

The altar behind the royal doors.

Wally wanted me to see the church as it would appear during a service so we turned on all the lights.  This is a shot of the lighted chandelier from the balcony.  When Wally was just a boy an artist came all the way from Russia to paint the interior of the church.

The exterior of the church is plain, as are many Ukrainian churches, but does have a central dome and another smaller dome over the entrance.

You can see Wally hard at work on the right hand side of the church.  I forgot to mention...he's eighty-seven years old.  He knows the meaning of commitment.

The bell is mounted on a stone cairn.

This small double gate is the formal entrance to the church  The lettering is an abbreviation of Українська греко-православна церква (Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church).

And now it's time for a break...new posts will be infrequent at best.

Photographed in Hafford, Saskatchewan on November 23, 2020.

Easter Monday

The Easter Bunny!

Photographed in Medicine Hat, Alberta on August 10, 2020.

Easter Sunday

An open doorway.

Photographed at Saint Peter's Lutheran Cemetery near Melville, Saskatchewan on October 9, 2020.

Holy Saturday

The stained glass at Saint Peter's Abbey Church (1990) in Muenster, Saskatchewan.

Above is an assemblage of twelve square windows on the west wall of the church.  Each one is subtly different than the next.

The window over the front doors.

A sample of the clerestory windows.  As the windows wrap around the walls the design and colours slowly change.  This is an exquisite example of modern stained glass windows.

A wide view of the church interior.

Photographed on March 21, 2020.

Good Friday

A hand carved crucifix in Saint Joseph's Cemetery at Frenchville, Saskatchewan.  

Among the hundreds of crucifixes I've seen over the years, this one captures the moment like no other.  

Photographed on June 12, 2020.

Icelandic Cemetery

Just outside of Kandahar, Saskatchewan...

...over one hundred and fifty people of mostly Icelandic heritage are buried in this country cemetery.

Photographed on January 21, 2021.

No Service when Colder than -30°C

Saint Thomas Anglican Church is nestled into the woods near Perryvale, Alberta.

Look closely...no service when colder than -30°C (that seems more than reasonable).

The church is one of four in The Parish of Northern Lights.

A white church with green trim always looks homey and inviting.

A welcoming homemade sign on the front of the church.

Photographed on February 18, 2021.

Rothbury Lutheran Cemetery

My first visit to Rothbury Lutheran Cemetery.

Looking over the double gate and just behind the small fenced cemetery you'll see...

...this bunch (they look like a pretty tough crowd!).  When I arrived at the cemetery they were all grazing in the neighbouring pasture but as soon as I started walking around their curiosity got the best of them.  That said, they were quite shy to say the least.

A shot from inside the cemetery.  Other than the two large spruce trees, this is truly a prairie scene.

Photographed near Churchbridge, Saskatchewan on October 10, 2020.

A Prairie Adventure

On a road trip last fall I met a couple of local fellows who gave me directions to Dressler Cemetery.  Go a few miles up the range road...

...turn left at the abandoned homestead...

...follow the prairie trail...

...across the little bridge...

...up the hill and there you are: Dressler Cemetery!  An adventure on the prairies.

A gate sign on the south side of the cemetery.

Some history:

"1891 - Dressler Centennial - 1991

"This marker commemorates 100 years since Christian Dressler and his family arrived in Canada.

"In 1884 Christian Dressler (1859-1932) married Elizabeth Kendall (1863-1948) in Landestren - a dorf in Galicia, Austria.  Christian and Elizabeth's ancestors had moved to Galicia from their ancient homeland in southwest Germany.

"In 1891 Christian, Elizabeth and their three children emigrated from Landestren to Langenburg District, Assiniboia, Northwest Territories, Canada.  They crossed the Atlantic aboard S.S. Sardinia arriving in Quebec City on April 27.  On May 10 Christian applied for entry to the Dressler homestead on NE 26-23-32 W1st.

"This marker was erected in 2002 by Christian Dressler's descendants."

The grounds are well kept and the headstones are still upright thanks to the boys who gave me directions.  A huge "thank you" to them for keeping our history alive and well.

The view to the east over the creek.  This is a natural and undisturbed wetland that I'm sure the wild animals and birds appreciate.  They need a place to call home as do we all.

Photographed near Churchbridge, Saskatchewan on October 10, 2020.

Slither

A garter snake near the site of the old Chinook School in southwestern Saskatchewan.

They really are quite attractive with their shiny yellow, orange and black stripes.

Photographed on June 12, 2020.