Coppertina®

The colouring on this plant is quite remarkable making it one of my favorite garden specimens.

I can remember planting a number of these shrubs in several different yards when they were new on the market about twenty years ago.  They have all survived the unpredictable southeastern Alberta climate (and that's no mean feat).

Not shown here but...the name "ninebark" refers to the way the plant sheds thin strips of bark that curl into shapes resembling the number 9. 

And now the fine print:  Coppertina® is a registered trademark of Proven Winners North America LLC.  All Rights Reserved. 

Only the plant name is a trademark, not the plant itself.  That means anyone can take cuttings and grow a new plant...but those new plants can't be called Coppertina®.  And that's just fine with me.  The cuttings I've grown have been christened "Coperetta..." like an Italian operetta and just as colourful. 

Photographed in Medicine Hat, Alberta on July 19, 2021.

Larisa S.D. No. 5186

A school sign near Wishart, Saskatchewan.

Photographed on October 12, 2020.

Святий Володимир

Saint Vladimir Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.

One of the cupolas.

The church was built in 1956.

Alternating panes of blue, purple and gray glass above the front doors.

Photographed on October 7, 2020.

This Morning at Daisy's

This morning I was working in Daisy's yard.  She's good company while I go about my gardening duties.

Above is her "serious" pose.

Watching me put my tools back into the truck she's happier and knows I can now give her my undivided attention (and of course she's right).

A quick sniff towards the east...smells like rain.  Since Daisy's nose is more reliable than any weather satellite, I expect to wake up to the sound of rain on the roof in the morning.

Photographed on September 10, 2021.

Angel of Grief

More than just a headstone...a remarkable monument:  Angel of Grief

Barn in Naples...

...Naples, Alberta that is.

The building is still remarkably upright and true...no sagging roofline or wobbly corners.  Surprisingly too, all five lightning rods complete with aluminum globes are still in tact.  In better days it had a fresh coat of creamy yellow paint with white trim.

Big barn against an even bigger Alberta sky. 

Photographed on February 18, 2021.

Immaculate Conception at Fish Creek

Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church at Fish Creek, Saskatchewan.

In better times the recessed alcove in the gable would have held a porcelain statue of Saint Mary.

It is one of only a few churches I've encountered that faces east.

The steeple and bell tower are decorative and very tall.  The cross up top is still standing straight.

A stone cairn at what was once the main entrance to the church.    

The altar...

...nave and balcony.  The ceiling is pressed tin.

The chimney is still straight as an arrow.

A side-long view.

Not far south is the cemetery (which also offers a good view of the church).

The most recent burials I could find were in 1960 and 1980.  According to the locals there are several unmarked graves.

As always, a special "thank you" to those who keep the cemetery so nicely maintained.

A couple of historic photos (courtesy of Linda).  The church opened in 1920...

...and closed in 1957.  

Photographed on July 30, 2021.

Islay S.D. No. 1467

A sign at the former site of a one-room schoolhouse.

Photographed near Quill Lake, Saskatchewan on March 18, 2020.

Big Stone House

An abandoned two-storey stone house near Sintaluta, Saskatchewan.  Big enough that each kid probably had his or her own room.

Photographed on May 18, 2021.

Uspenska

Sunset at Assumption of Saint Mary's Ukrainian Orthodox Church...known locally as Uspenska.

Photographed near Canora, Saskatchewan on July 27, 2021.