Long Shots (Star Mound)

Long shots of Star Mound School near Snowflake, Manitoba.  The name "Snowflake" is equal parts imaginative and evocative...kudos to the person or persons who came up with that.  

Established in 1886, the school is only about four miles north of the Canada/U.S.A. border.  And you know you can't ask for a better place to be on a summer road trip than in the middle of nowhere!  I'm sure you know what I mean.  Happy road-tripping!

Photographed on August 17, 2022. 

Pansy

Late last fall I was researching south-central Manitoba when I came across a place named "Pansy."  I don't think it was ever really a town per se...most likely just a place for people to pick up their mail.  But me being a gardener, well, I simply had to see a place with such a wonderfully floral name. 

This little church and cemetery are the main feature.    

The cemetery has an abundance of rose and red coloured headstones...

...and the grounds are well kept by two brothers who live nearby.

Just as I was getting back into the car one of said brothers comes tearing up on an all terrain vehicle and introduces himself.  Since I help take care of a little church in the Cypress Hills of Alberta we had some thoughts and insights (as well as a few rants) to share.  After our brief chat we bid each other adieu, he on his was home and me back to the motel just a half hour north in Steinbach.  

So far so good, all is well in Pansy.   

Saint Peter and Saint Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church and Cemetery was photographed at Pansy, Manitoba on August 20, 2022.

Ascension

Visiting this long abandoned church was something of a spiritual experience.  It's one of those rare places where the past seems to be ever present and memories linger.

Just a short walk west of the church... 

...is the graveyard...

...where someone still mows the grass and keeps the weeds at bay.

Walking back towards the church...

...to take a look inside...

...and up.

Above the front doors in the choir loft.

This is the only Ukrainian church I've seen where the outer trim was a golden yellow colour.

The view from the main road.

I had only taken a few shots of the church when I heard a vehicle approaching on the trail from the west.  Three ladies in a one-ton truck stopped to talk...they'd been visiting family members in the cemetery and were off to join their living family members for a Saturday afternoon bar-be-que and reunion.  We had a nice chat and not only did they know of a few locations I had missed in my research, but we knew some of the same people.  Definitely an "it's a small world" experience.

Holy Ascension Ukrainian Orthodox Church and Cemetery is near Trembowla, Manitoba.

Photographed on July 23, 2022.

An Angel To Watch Over

An apt marker for those who work the land.

A spade and a combine (mounted on a drill bit) with an angel to watch over.

Photographed at Albion Cemetery near Deer Creek, Saskatchewan on June 28, 2022.

Leaves are Falling

When I stopped here five or six days ago there was only a fine scattering of leaves on the ground.

But today was a much different story...

...yellow leaves from the big old ash trees were everywhere.  Fall is here!

Photographed in Medicine Hat, Alberta on October 5, 2022.

Daisy and Sage

A couple of photos of my two favourite dogs.

Sage the Norwegian Elkhound would help me keep Saint Margaret's looking good while Daisy the Australian Shepherd still keeps me company while I'm gardening at her house.

Photographed at Saint Margaret's Church and Cemetery near Eagle Butte, Alberta on October 2, 2022.

Spruce Coulee

Early evening at Spruce Coulee Reservoir in the Cypress Hills of Alberta.

Love the reflections, which reminds me...

Many years ago I would occasionally take a day off from what was then a very hectic gardening and landscaping schedule and camp out at Spruce Coulee.  What made it attractive to me was there were no RV's, camper trailers or motor boats allowed, a rule that still applies to this day.  So if you wanted to spend the night you needed whatever would make your outdoor stay a pleasant experience (just as long as it didn't make any noise).

One warm night I ventured out onto the reservoir in my inflatable dinghy around midnight.  Once I'd paddled to the centre of the lake I laid down with my head resting on the front edge of the dinghy and looked a little forward and a little upwards.  The star filled sky reflected on the surface of the water created a "floating in mid air" experience that was second to none. One of those things that I will remember forever.

Photographed on October 3, 2022.

Do You Like My New Place?

Pretty nice, don't you think?  The reflection of the sky in the windows even matches the colour of my car.

And it comes with a picturesque view of the lake too!

Only kidding.  This is Daisy's house at Elkwater in the Cypress Hills of Alberta.

We're here spending some quality time together for a few days just enjoying the beautiful fall weather.

Photographed on October 3, 2022.

Ghost Bird

I have no idea why the bird in this colour photograph appears as a grayish ghost image...almost looks like a photoshop creation (which is a software tool I do not use).

Maybe the name of the spot where the photo was taken is a clue.

Photographed on the grounds of Holy Ghost Romanian Orthodox Church and Cemetery in the Hairy Hill area of Alberta on June 27, 2022.

Je suis l'Immaculée Conception

A beautiful wrought iron gate at the entrance to the old monastery near Holland, Manitoba.

Photographed on August 17, 2022.