Happy Thanksgiving

Four small stained glass windows in a country church.  My way of celebrating Thanksgiving Monday this time around.  Enjoy!

Photographed at the Buffalo United Church in Buffalo, Alberta on October 6, 2021.

Evangelical Mission Church near Stockholm

The gate sign at the Swedish Evangelical Mission Church and Cemetery (established in 1888).

The church was constructed in 1895 and is the second Swedish church built in Canada.

The view from just inside the front doors.  The simple open backed pews give the feeling of openness inside the church.

Looking back from the altar.  Together the narrow double doors are only slightly larger than a regular door opening but add a little touch of elegance to the otherwise spartan interior.

The building seems to be mostly original inside and out with the exception of a new metal roof.  

I'll bet lots of kids would have liked to get up onto the porch roof for a view of the landscape (that includes adult kids too).

An identification monument in gray granite.

Leafless trees in the cemetery.

New and old headstones.  There is a new burial here on occasion.

I met a couple of locals who help take care of the churches, cemeteries and landmarks in the area.  They do a nice job here and on all of the others as well.  Best wishes to them.   

Photographed near Stockholm, Saskatchewan on October 11, 2020. 

Mullingar Cemetery

A very small cemetery by the roadside.

This is a customary sign used in many Mennonite cemeteries.  The church which served from 1929-1953 is now gone.

The stone cairn was built as a Millennium project and was decicated in July 2000.  The brass plaque lists the fifteen people known to be buried there.

The grass is mowed...

...and this child's headstone has been repaired.

"Thank you" to those who take care of the past.

Photographed near Mullingar, Saskatchewan on October 24, 2019.

Badlands

A Canadian Badlands sign in the fall landscape.

The view is the South Saskatchewan River valley near McNeill in the Alberta Special Areas.

Photographed on October 6, 2021.

Tansy

Yellow tansy blooming in an isolated section of All Saints Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Cemetery. 

It has a strong scent on camphor and rosemary.  

Photographed near Slawa, Alberta on September 22, 2021.

Pysanka

Sunrise at the Ukrainian Pysanka monument in Vegreville, Alberta.

When unveiled in 1975 it was the largest Ukrainian Easter egg in the world.  It held that claim for twenty-five years when in 2000 an even larger one was built for the  Kolomyia Pysanka Museum in Ukraine.

The egg turns on its base when the wind changes direction, just like a weather vane.

These were the first photos I took on the last day of a week-long road trip in and around  Vegreville.  It was a wonderful time...days on the road exploring the countryside, evenings spent visiting with my big sister...enjoying good food, catching up and enjoying each other's company.  The last night she had roast beef and mashed potatoes...just like our mom used to make...mmmm.  The best of times.

Photographed on September 29, 2021.

святий параскевія (у вересні)

Saint Paraskevia (in September).  A tiny church near Cossack, Alberta.

Formally known as Saint Paraskevia Ukrainian Catholic Church and Cemetery.

The wrought iron cross up top.

The openings on the bell tower are covered when not in use.

It was a beautiful fall afternoon at Saint Paraskevia.

The cemetery is large for such a small church.

The grounds are well kept and very inviting.

In winter it looks like this: святий параскевія

Photographed on September 20, 2021.

It's October...

...and no frost yet.

That's just fine with me.

Photographed in Medicine Hat, Alberta on October 1, 2021.

On the Road Day Seven - Chailey

Chailey Cemetery and...

...Saint Alban's Anglican Church.

Some fall colours are beginning to show.

The church was built in 1908.

The cemetery...

...with late afternoon shadows.

Little church in the countryside.

Photographed at Chailey, Alberta on September 22, 2021.