Zortman Part 4 - Turkeys

On my way back into town I spotted some wildlife.

I don't get to see wild turkeys very often so this was a treat.

American Thanksgiving was still over a month away so they were safe...at least for the moment.

Then it was off to the cafe for a homemade burger and back on the road.

I hope you enjoyed the trip through Zortman.

Photographed on October 19, 2018.

Zortman Part 3 - Cemetery in the Woods

Like the church, Zortman Cemetery is up a very steep hill but on the opposite end of town.

Above is the road to the cemetery.

A wooden fence outlines the cemetery which is up this narrow ravine.

I was surprised to see a cemetery in such a heavily wooded area.

About half way up the hill (and a lot of huffin' an' puffin' on the way up) I saw the wrought iron fence enclosure.

The owners (and close relations) of a lucrative goldmine in the Little Rockies are buried here.

I love the cast iron embellishments.

The fence is contoured to the landscape.

Nice spot for a sit down.

A few of the graves inside the fenced perimeter.

On my way back down the hill.

This is one of the Cadastral Survey markers that are placed at each of the four corners of the cemetery.  These are monuments that register the cemetery as a legal entity.  Someone was thinking ahead.

Photographed on October 19, 2018.

Zortman Part 2 - Little Church on a Hill

At the western end of Zortman is a little church on a very steep hill.  It was built in 1940 and still in use.

Above is a view of the church from the trail at the base of the hill.

I didn't realize how steep the hill was until I started on my way up.

Almost to the top.

Welcome to the little church at the top of the hill.

Look at all those evergreen trees behind the sign!

At Christmas time the star on the belltower lights up.

The building is in reasonably good condition.  During the warmer months Mass is held on Saturday afternoons at 4:00 p.m.

The altar...the statues are elegant and well-crafted.

Facing back...the church seats about fifty to sixty people.  As far as I could tell it appears mostly original both inside and out (with the exception of electricity being added at a later date).

The cross on top of the belltower.  Yes, there is still a bell inside the tower and yes again, I had to ring the bell!

Photographed on October 19, 2018.

Zortman Part 1 - Bales and Jail

When my work season was over in the fall of 2018 I decided to take a long awaited trip to north-central Montana.  I had planned the trip the previous winter and was really looking forward to a few days on the road and seeing the the sights. 

Zortman, Montana is a small community in the heart of the Little Rocky Mountains.  In the 1860's it was a place for prospector's to lay a claim and is now a destination for hunters and back roads tourists.  The Little Rockies look much like the Cypress Hills of Alberta and Saskatchewan but are almost twice the size in area and the highest peak is over 5700 feet. 

The above photo was taken along the main road into town.

One of the buttes close-up...lots of rocky outcroppings and evergreen trees.  There have been a number of forest fires in the Little Rockies over the years.

There were hay bales all along the prairie between the hills and the road...

...lots of bales.

The Zortman Jail...I'll bet many a drunken prospector spent the night here.

There's still a hitchin' rail to tie up the horses too.

Beyond the jail is Saint Joseph's Catholic Church where I'm sure many a confession was made...but that'll have to wait until "Zortman-Part 2" in the next post.

Photographed on October 19, 2018.

Westbrook S.D. No. 1024

Late afternoon sunlight on a brick-faced one-room-school near Theodore, Saskatchewan.

Just west of the school some farmers were picking up the last of their straw bales.  That's a job they like to get done before any snowfall but sometimes the weather just doesn't cooperate.  Some of the crops in the area didn't even get harvested before winter set in.

It was clear and cold but the sun was shining...that's always a bonus on a winter's day.

Photographed on December 18, 2019.

Pink Violins

Saint Demetrius Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery is near Alvena, Saskatchewan.

There was a church here at one time but I couldn't find even a trace of it.  There were these splendid headstones that looked much like pink violins though.  I've only seen this style of headstone in a few cemeteries, all of which are in the surrounding area.

The "main cross" is a feature in most Catholic cemeteries.

I love the budded crosses that are so frequent in Ukrainian cemeteries.  The three discs (or circles) at the end of each arm of the cross is a representation of the Holy Trinity: God the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.

Late afternoon and time to get back to the highway (before I get lost in the dark on the back roads).

Photographed on October 27, 2019.