A Beautiful Place Out in the Country

Blumenfeld Church was photographed near Prelate, Saskatchewan on 

October 26, 2024.

The Big Bad Wolf

This is Billy.  

He was out for an afternoon walk on the grounds of the Arborg Heritage Village with his dog-sitter on a lovely fall day.    

He instantly reminded me of "the big bad wolf" from Little Red Riding Hood  though my fear of being eaten alive quickly passed...he's a little wild-eyed but very friendly.  Billy was fourteen years old at the time.  Good ole boy.

Photographed in Arborg, Manitoba on October 18, 2022.

Arborg Heritage Village

Lots to see at the Arborg & District Multicultural Heritage Village in Arborg, Manitoba.  

A peek through the front window.

Brandson House and Chapil Barn.

My visit here was well past "tourist season" so I didn't get a chance to see the interiors of the buildings...still a nice visit on a beautiful fall day. 

Photographed on October 18, 2022.

The Narrows

The Narrows is the only bridge that crosses Lake Manitoba.  

Lake Manitoba is quite a marvel...more like an inland ocean than a lake.

The resplendent sound of the Manitou, the Great Spirit, can be heard in the waves.

No land on the horizon.  Did I mention that Lake Manitoba is quite a marvel?

Photographed at The Narrows, Manitoba on October 18, 2022. 

The Brown Ranch

As much a memorial to the Brown family as it is to ranch life.  God bless them.

Photographed at the Johnson Memorial Cemetery of Whitlash, Montana on October 17, 2024.

Fall 2024

After several years of road trips through the prairies I decided it was time for a break.  This decision was made after a long journey through Alberta, Montana, Saskatchewan, North Dakota and Manitoba in September 2023.  By the time I returned home from that trip I was, in a word, tired.

The following winter months were spent on simple pleasures at home...good food, good music, time with friends.  And then, as the snow melted and the sun felt warm once again, spring was upon us and it was time to get back to gardening.  Lots of spring rain followed by summer heat kept me hopping through the growing season.  Even though my body doesn't always agree, I still enjoy gardening.  

Then, about three weeks ago, with gardening pretty well concluded for the season, I was left with plenty of free time on my hands.  Well, it didn't take long before I was once again looking at maps...maybe make some return trips to favourite places or check out some others that I'd missed completely.  

It's now mid-October and a day trip south of the border was just the thing to do. 

Photographed near Gold Butte in the Sweet Grass Hills of Montana on October 17, 2024.

Swaying in All Directions

Photographed north of Foremost, Alberta on October 17, 2024.

Something New at Saint Margaret's

The traditional burial plots at Saint Margaret's are becoming few and far between.  But never fear...

A new columbarium has been installed on the southwest corner of the cemetery.  

Of note, the piles for the concrete foundation were dug fifteen feet down to provide stability for the weight of the granite columbarium.  And during the excavation process, long buried stones were brought up to the surface and those stones were smooth and water-washed.  In the long and distant past the area must have been a river bed or lake.  Ponder on that for a moment.    

I love the reflections on the polished granite surface.

Photographed at Saint Margaret's Church and Cemetery near Eagle Butte, Alberta on October 15, 2024.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

Photographed at Holy Rosary Church near Lancaster, Minnesota on 

September 20, 2023.

Four Years and One Day Ago

A stark autumnal shot taken on the grounds of Saint Nicholas Ukrainian Orthodox Church and Cemetery near MacNutt, Saskatchewan.  

The freshly painted headstones are dazzling against the orange-leaved aspen trees and blue sky.  I love capturing these "moments in time" while passing through the countryside. 

Photographed on October 10, 2020.