Oh!

Oh!  Caught me by surprise. 

They really like Romaine lettuce (if you happen to have any handy). 

Photographed in Alex's yard in Medicine Hat, Alberta on May 29, 2021.

Saints Peter and Paul near Arbakka

This small Ukrainian Orthodox church was built in 1904 and stands in the countryside about a mile north of the Manitoba/Minnesota border.

The prominent structure at the front of the building could easily be mistaken for a bell tower but is actually a prominent entryway to the temple (a characteristic design of people originating from the Carpathian Mountains).

Across the churchyard is the cemetery.

Handsome old headstones mark the graves of pioneers. 

When the church was the centre of activity for the area there most likely would have been a wooden belfry that stood separately from the church and housed the bell that now stands on blocks beside the church.  

Locally the church is known as "Bilawchuks" as the land for the church and cemetery were donated by the Bilawchuk family.

Three simple budded crosses grace the roofline of the church.

The grounds are bordered on three sides by trees creating a park-like feeling...really quite a lovely place to visit.  A picnic table would be a welcome addition.  

Information courtesy of the Canadian Orthodox History Project.

Saints Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Temple and Cemetery was photographed near Arbakka, Manitoba on August 21, 2022.

(The Former) Immanuel Lutheran Church

The Immanuel Lutheran Congregation was established in 1903.  The church was built in 1907, and after over a century of service, closed in the early 2010's.  

The story I heard was...

Some years later a man was looking for a "country church" where his daughter could be married.  When he couldn't find anything that fit the bill, and the opportunity of buying the church presented itself, he jumped on it.  Not only was his daughter married here but he's made the church available to anyone who wishes to be wed in "a little country church."  Good on him.

The exceptionally attractive steeple...

...and the steeple with the moon.

Photographed in Baldur, Manitoba on August 18, 2022.

Inner Glow

On the way home from gardening at Daisy's house today I saw that the prickly pear cacti are now coming into full bloom.  Their flowers bloom with an inner glow that is second to none.

They're a late spring delight on sunny hillsides here in southeastern Alberta.

Photographed on June 10, 2022.

Old Saint Michael's at Gardenton

A sunny Monday morning in southeastern Manitoba. 

    

The sign reads: 

"St. Michael's Ukrainian Orthodox Church

"St. Michael's Orthodox Church consecrated October 14, 1899, was the first permanent Ukrainian church erected in Canada.  Until the parish joined the Greek-Orthodox Church of Canada in 1922, it was served by a Russian Orthodox Mission.

"The church was built by immigrants from northern Bukowyna, now the western Ukraine, who settled the Gardenton area after 1896.  Measuring 48'x22'x33', the structure exemplified Bukowynian pioneer craftsmanship in architecture, interior decoration and religious furnishing.  St. Michael's served as a focal point of spiritual and cultural life in the first Ukrainian settlement in Manitoba and remains a symbol of the continuity of the Ukrainian identity in Canada.

"The Historic Sites Advisory Board of Manitoba"

The commemoration was the same month and year that I was born...same name too.  Happy coincidences.

Old Saint Michael's was in service until 1935 at which time a new church was built in the Village of Gardenton.  The church and cemetery are still very well cared for...and there are a few special services held at the church each year including an annual pilgrimage service.  

Photographed on August 22, 2022.

Shandro Community Hall

It's always somewhat of an event to come across an historical stone structure in the countryside.  This one is large and rather understated.

Imagine the multitude of events hosted here over the years...receptions, dances and pot-luck suppers are only a few that come to mind.

Photographed near Shandro, Alberta on February 7, 2022.

Cows in the Buffalo Beans

Just across the road from Saint Margaret's...

...a couple of cows grazing on the hillside.  They know not to eat the buffalo beans.

Photographed near Eagle Butte, Alberta on May 30, 2023.

The Road Goes Ever On

A road, a fence line and the open plains.

I love being out in the middle of nowhere.

Photographed near Cappon, Alberta on May 15, 2023.

McConnell School

This weathered one-room schoolhouse is only about a mile off the highway.  A "summer road only" is the only access...watch out for the low spots along the way.

More about the school here: An Audience at the School

Photographed near New Brigden, Alberta on May 15, 2023.

Hot-Air Balloon Festival

There was a hot-air balloon festival in town last weekend. 

I love seeing these Christmas tree ornaments floating in the sky above.

Have almost convinced myself it would be fun to take a ride on one.  

Photographed in Medicine Hat, Alberta on May 27, 2023.