Grape Hyacinths

Fresh blooms in Heather's Garden.  They have a lovely fragrance too.

Photographed at Saint Margaret's Church and Cemetery near Eagle Butte, Alberta on May 14, 2025.

Castleton United Church

Welcome neighbors and passers-by...

...to Castleton United Church.

The stone cairn and plaque were dedicated in 1968.  The plaque reads:

"Castleton United Church

This cairn is erected in memory of the pioneers of the Rothbury, Castleton, Pennock and Chatsworth Districts.

During the 1890's and early 1900's, these early pioneers felt the need for spiritual guidance and fellowship.  They were also concerned with the religious education of the young people and did their best to provide it.

The first church was built in 1913 and a new one was built in 1928.

This cairn is also dedicated to those who built on this well-laid foundation of our pioneers."

A few shots inside the church...frugal yet charming.

For King and Country...a framed document listing those members of Castleton United Church who volunteered for active service with Canada's Fighting Forces.

This little country church is well worth a visit when you're in the area.

 

Photographed near Saltcoats, Saskatchewan on October 10, 2020.

Heather's Garden

An early and most welcome colourful spot in Heather's Garden this spring.  As any gardener will know...plant fall bulbs for spring blooms.

The perennials are slowly coming to life.  

As well as the crocuses shown above, I planted about a dozen saffron crocuses which I didn't get so see blooming because a deer ate all of the flowers before I got there.  That's a pretty exotic taste treat for a deer.  Hope he or she enjoyed them.  Maybe next year.

Some hyacinths popping up.  They should be blooming in about ten days.

A lamium groundcover plant was thriving as soon as the snow melted.  

The pasque flowers should bloom the same time as the hyacinths.

Photographed at Saint Margaret's Church and Cemetery near Eagle Butte, Alberta on April 26 and 27, 2025.

Technology Invades the Landscape

The old Congregational Church near Gros Ventre-Tothill has some new neighbours...and not the kind of neighbours anyone wants.

My usual jaunts southward on either Eagle Butte Road or Buffalo Trail used to have the most beautiful views.  Clear sailing southward with unobstructed views at they wound their way up higher and higher into the Cypress Hills.  

But now, these massive turbines have invaded the landscape as far as the eye can see.  They're just everywhere now.  

Progress? Looks like landscape pollution to me.   

Photographed near Gros Ventre-Tothill, Alberta on April 27, 2025.

A Beautiful Place Out in the Country

More to see here: Буковина

Saint Michael's Ukrainian Orthodox Church and Cemetery was photographed near Lepine, Saskatchewan on August 4, 2020.

Earth Day

A couple of landscape photos to celebrate Earth Day.  Our planet has so many beautiful landscapes.  

The ones shown here is where I feel both at home and on vacation all at the same time...in a word, comfortable.   

Photographed near New Kiew, Alberta on September 21, 2021.

Easter Monday

Hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend.

Malin Cemetery was photographed near Saddle Creek, Alberta on November 9, 2024.

Easter

Greetings from Hope Lutheran Church in Kayville, Saskatchewan.

Enjoy your Easter weekend.

Photographed on January 26, 2022.

Jerald

So young.

Photographed at Holy Trinity Romanian Orthodox Cemetery near Pierceland, Saskatchewan on July 17, 2023.

The Old Shishkovchi Church

When settlers from western Ukraine arrived in 1903 they soon formed the parish community of Shishkovchi, Alberta.  Later that same year they secured forty acres of land from the government for the construction of a temple and establishing a cemetery, and over the next three years they worked hard to build their place of worship.  In 1906 the temple was complete.  Even though no official plans for the church building were ever drawn up they created a truly "Byzantine" temple in their new home in central Alberta.  

Of interest, the shingles for the roof were paid for with eggs. 

Years later...

When the new Shishkovchi church was completed in 1963 the old church building was donated to the Shandro Historical Museum, where it still stands.  Above is the plaque identifying the handsome old building at the museum.

A look inside the old church.  Still beautiful.

The new church...

Construction on the new Shishkovchi Church commenced in 1953 and was completed in 1963.  A brief history and some photos on the new church can be seen here: Shishkovtzy 

Shiskovchi has many different spellings including Shishkovtsi, Shishkovtzi, Shishkovtzy and most likely a few others.

Information courtesy of the Canadian Orthodox History Project.

Photographed near Shandro, Alberta on November 9, 2024.