Castle Mountain Chalets

On the Bow Valley Parkway, otherwise known as Highway 1A, between Banff and Lake Louise, Alberta on January 23, 2016. 

This is on my list of places that I want to stay at. It was booked solid when I stopped in.

This is the main office, gas station, convenience store, and liquor store.

The phone still works. It is a direct line only to one of the other buildings.

Castle Mountain.

This place is very picturesque. Unfortunately due to the snow and the trees it is kind of hard to get a photos of the place. There are individual cabins.

Baker Creek Mountain Resort

This is as of January 23, 2016. This is also another one of those places I really want to stay at for a weekend. The heavy snow and trees obscure the place. It is between Banff and Lake Louise, Alberta on the Bow Valley Parkway.

Bow Valley Parkway

January 23, 2016 between Banff and Lake Louise, Alberta. The Bow River is covered in snow.

Main Street, Airdrie, Alberta Noon

January 29, 2016 and 5C outside. Very tempted to rescue the motorcycle from storage. A chinook has erased most of the snow. Next week temperatures will be in and around zero degrees celsius. I just may succumb and ride the bike even though I know winter is not done with us yet.

Seems I have picked up a follower

Thank you for joining my site.

I took a brief look at his site and I really like what I see. Please visit:

danocan.com

Banff National Park January 23, 2016

East on Highway 11 from the junction where it meets Highway 93. 

Open road this weekend? I had a Sunday road trip planned last weekend. That got derailed courtesy of a snowstorm that dumped a couple of inches of wet snow in my area. The best laid plans . . .

St. Mary's Russian Greek Orthodox Church

January 16, 2016 near Devon, Alberta.

Black on white

A friend and I took a day trip through Banff National Park on Saturday January 23, 2016. On one roadside stop I had a curious visitor. It decided that a limit of ten feet was being friendly enough.  

The Feral Irishman

Located at:

theferalirishman.blogspot.com

He sent traffic my way when I first started doing this and is nice enough to put me on his blogroll. When my eyes peel open in the morning he is one of my stops before I start the day. Go visit.

Nun-Ti-Jah Lodge in Banff National Park

January 23, 2016 in Banff National Park. The lodge is on Bow Lake just off Highway 93. Right in the Rocky Mountains.

The lodge is closed during the winter months. I walked through enough knee deep snow to get close enough to take this photo.

Bow Lake covered in ice and snow. There is a parking lot that had a few vehicles in it. Cross country skiing is a popular activity. I was surprised there were no tracks across the lake.

Looking in the opposite direction from Bow Lake.

Calgary, Alberta skyline

4:00pm January 24, 2016. Looking west. The downtown is only a small part, the city itself is really spread out.

We do not get a lot of snow here. The snow we do get does not stay. Usually a chinook comes through and quickly melts it.

Imperial Colony School November 11, 2015

Near Duchess, Alberta. I cannot seem to locate any history on it.

Funnel School October 4, 2015

Near Alsike, Alberta. It was a school from 1912 to 1954. Now a rural hall. There is really nothing at Alsike either, just two gas stations and a post office. The school operated from 1912 to 1954.

Finding more stuff online

I found this from a scanned local history book that was posted online. This looks kind of interesting, especially since this is only a few hours from me. 

Discovering stuff online

Anyone who has read this space sort of has an idea of what this blog is about. While looking up stuff one night I discovered a place in Alberta that I never heard about before. The place is called Cravath Corners and from what I can tell the place existed for about a decade or more. Maybe less. There is no reference to it on maps that I have seen. I found a link to a small cemetery by that name. 

Having my curiousity piqued I did a few searches and found nothing more however a site that I use on occasion had a link to a book that someone published. The book was published in 1963 and looks to be about ten pages. The great thing is that someone scanned it and put in online. The scan job is not the greatest, I was able to make out some of the pages and there were some photos. From the photos there was a one room schoolhouse in the area and some sod houses. Now I am wondering if the sod houses are still there. Now I am really interested in checking this out.

This is what I love and dislike about the internet. Obscure books are increasingly finding their way online. In the past you would have to wander through a local library and with luck you would stumble across some arcane local history. What I dislike is searching for stuff like this and finding it is often a matter of chance.

Near Usona, Alberta January 17, 2016

This barely north of Highway 611 on Highway 795. I have driven this road a few times. Highway 795 is a gravel highway on this section. There is an old church on this property and every time I see it I get a bit more curious. When I got home yesterday I tried to find some information online. You can see it clearly on Google Maps, the church shaped shadow gives it away.

The church is on someone's land and it is clearly abandoned. There is an occupied house on this land. I am contemplating knocking on their door sometime to ask them about it. From what I found out it is Immanuel Lutheran Church. An online search for "Immanuel Lutheran Church Usona" brings up some history on it. I dislike seeing old churches fade away. 

I took this photo from the road. One of those things I will have to follow up on.

Genesee bound

Saturday January 19, 2016 I got up and hit the road to be at my friend's place to help him pick up a vehicle he bought. He would have liked me there at 9:00am, I made it at 9:30am. It was -24C and there was a wind, so it was even colder with the wind chill. The trusty Impala started without being plugged in.

He lives by Genesee, Alberta. There really is no Genesee anymore, all that remains is a community hall and a cemetery. He lives on an acreage in the area. He owns enough land to qualify as a farm. He does not farm.

His neighbour has horses. I always feel for farm animals when they are out in cold weather. 

I drove him into Edmonton which is a little over an hour away. There is no give in cold weather. Vehicles ride stiffer due to the cold. Roads are rougher due to the buildup of ice and snow. Tires have less give. The highways were bare. Edmonton itself is known for not plowing their streets. 

We got to the car lot. They did not even bother to brush the snow off the Ford F150 he bought. They did not start it either. Plus it was parked behind another truck that had to be moved so he could get to the one he bought. For that alone I would have made them knock some money off the price.

He got it started, brushed it off, and screwed a plate on the back. Before we left his home I suggested he bring a tire guage. We checked the tires at the lot and they were low. Once we let the truck warm up we left and found a truck stop and filled the tires. With the wind chill all of this was done in -30C weather. A quick stop for lunch (he bought) and then I let him drive he new purchase home. I went in search of warmth.

Holy Trinity Church January 17, 2016

South and east of Devon, Alberta. Take Highway 19 east and Range Road 260 a few miles south. No longer used on a regular basis. I posted this once before when I visited it at an earlier date. I just happen to like these kinds of churches.

The Google Maps view.

You can see age starting to take its toll.

I suggesting visiting

thelonelylibertarian

When I first started doing this she was kind enough to give some advice and exposure even though she had no idea who I was and really did not have to help me out. Plus she is a redhead, so there is that to consider as well.  

Poker and other vices

I do not really have any vices. I have never been an addictive type where I get hooked on something. I am not overly attached to anything and there is nothing I own that I would get upset over the long term if it disappeared tomorrow. I would be miffed if someone stole my motorcycle but I can buy another one. Just about everything can be replaced.

I have never smoked a day in my life. I do not care if others do. I rarely drink. When I drink I drink for taste. That being said, there are a few things I like to do. I did play poker at times in my life on a regular basis then I would go for years without playing then pick it up again. I do not believe it is much of a skill game. To me it is a game of luck. As with anything, if you do it long enough you should get better and read the odds and situations better. If you get lousy hands all night long you are not going to win no matter how skilled you think you are.

I played only for fun and low stakes to keep the game on a friendly level. To me it is a social thing. If someone loses a bit too much you find friendships can quickly be destroyed. Be mindful of who you play with and with small amounts with the understanding that it is just entertainment. I like it to be more about an evening having fun more than the cards themselves. As for gambling I have no desire to go to Las Vegas and gamble, I would like to go just because I have never been there. Some get a rush from gambling, I do not. I have no issue losing small amounts of money. I am too frugal to gamble large amounts. Know when to walk away.