Highway 887 north of Orion, Alberta on July 17, 2016. Some Alberta roads I would hesitate to drive on in summer without a four wheel drive. Most of my excursions are by car or motorcycle.
This is the road beside the sign.
The View From Here - Various thoughts and travels
Sunday, 31 July 2016
Cleverville, Alberta June
Highway 529 just a little east of Champion, Alberta. The school marker and the stone monument are side by side. The marker notes that Harvard School, a one room schoolhouse, once stood one mile south of here and operated from 1907 to 1914. So in a sense I can say I have been to Harvard.
The stone marker says there was a town called Cleverville that only existed from 1906 to 1910. Since the town only lasted a short time it was not the best choice of name. I have consulted my usual sources and cannot find any information on Cleverville.
Saturday, 30 July 2016
Friday, 29 July 2016
Unexpected road trip interruptions
I have the motorcycle packed and ready to go for this weekend. I put the last of my stuff in the case on the back of the bike, turn the key to lock it, only to have the head of the key break off.
One place that cuts keys took a look at it and said they do not have one that will match. One locksmith is out of town. The other locksmith took a look and said he could not do it. After a few minutes he thought about it and handed me a blank. It fit. He cut a key and it worked. Asked him to cut me another one. They ain't pretty but they work. Off and running later today.
Near Enchant, Alberta
Having some fun trying a landscape photo. I like the effect of seeing lone trees on the open prairie. Taken June 11, 2016.
Thursday, 28 July 2016
If you are a train fan . . .
I am getting to be a train fan. Going to visit stuff and places can lead to you getting interested in other things. Trains are starting to get my interest. If you are one go visit this site:
He has some interesting posts.
Dankin, Saskatchewan July 16, 2016
Saskatchewan is the punchline to a lot of Canadian humour. I have never really been to Saskatchewan and I thought it would be boring. I was wrong. If you stick to the main highways you do not see a lot. Not everyone has the time but if you do the backroads are usually more interesting. I do not know if there ever was much to Dankin. All I saw was two abandoned elevators and a torn up rail line. Recent rainfall made the gravel road questionable so I did not get as close as I wanted.
Wednesday, 27 July 2016
Things I want to try just to try them
The one and only motorcycle shop where I live sells Ural motorcycles. They all come with sidecars and some have two wheel drive. They are Russian and one of these days I am going to break down and request a test drive.
Greenbrier School July 16, 2016
Almost right beside Highway 42 just a few miles north of the Riverhurst Ferry crossing on the east side of the highway. The fun part about taking an aimless drive through rural Saskatchewan is that a lot of older buildings and abandoned places are still standing. Here in Alberta there seems to be an attitude that stuff that is no longer used should be torn down and replaced with new or left. It is very noticeable in Calgary and Edmonton. It seems like both cities are constantly demolishing and rebuilding.
I know nothing about Greenbrier School. I happened across it by accident.
Tuesday, 26 July 2016
Sites I should read more often
I read a lot and a wide variety of topics. I seem to have trouble writing anything which is why I read as much as I can. I get to see how other people write and take inspiration from them. One of the sites I should read more often is poprockrecord.com I know the author and I really like his writing style not to mention the music. I like his post about Bryan Adams that he recently posted. If you have not paid his site a visit go take a peek.
Post Office marker
Below the sign is a plaque commemorating the one hundred year anniversary of the Owens family farm that was started in 1906. They likely operated the post office. I stumbled across this wandering through Saskatchewan on June 10, 2016.
Monday, 25 July 2016
Sometimes you need a third party to point out dumb stuff you are doing
Last Saturday I met up with a friend of mine in Calmar, Alberta and we spent the better part of a day on a run up to Beauvallon, Alberta on motorcycles then back to spend the night at his place. In case anyone is wondering there really is nothing at Beauvallan, sometimes you just need a destination.
Later on he pointed something out to me. I have a tendency to get too close to highway trucks in front of me when I am on a motorcycle when I should be giving them more space. I had not noticed it before and I gave it some thought and he is right. He reads this space so he will know I took his observation to heart and I am paying a little more attention to how I ride on the road. There are times you may not know you are doing something dumb until someone points it out to you.
Near Genesee, Alberta July 24, 2016
Parts of Alberta are littered with beaver dams. The beaver was out in the pond and just out of range of my lens.
Lancer Ferry June 10, 2016
The last of three ferry crossings on my June 10, 2016 quick road trip in Saskatchewan. I travelled south from Highway 44 to the ferry. Somehow I missed Highway 30 and took a gravel road just west of Highway 30 that marked a turnoff to the ferry. Not that I cared, the weather was perfect and I had no deadline to be anywhere.
It would help if they made the signs bigger.
The following are all from the south of the river looking north. There are two roads that converge at the ferry crossing on the north side. I was driving on the westernmost one getting close to the ferry when a car roared on the other road towards the ferry then stopped just before. The ferry had a stop sign in the middle and a cable blocking the access. I parked where you are supposed to park and waited for a signal to proceed.
The car ahead of me waited for a few seconds, then a guy got out and walked towards me. "You taking the ferry?" I replied that I hoped to. He left towards the ferry, moved the stop sign and cable and motioned me on. Then he got in his car and drove on behind me. That solved the mystery of the guy in the other car. He must have been at his house and seen me approaching.
Once I was on the ferry he asked me where I was from and going. When I answered I think he thought I was lost. He then asked me if I was headed to the Sandhills. I told him I was just on an aimless trek. He disappeared into the little room on the side of the ferry, the door snapped shut behind him. He reappeared and gave me a map. He said that Saskatchewan Tourism likes to give out these things and told me the best way to get to the Sandhills. Now I do want to go there but I am saving that for another time.
Anyway that is his car on the ferry as he crosses back with his car gets transported back pointed in the wrong direction. The Saskatchewan Tourism Department might want to send some people out to places like this to help promote the province.
The South Saskatchewan River.
The road looked a little questionable but about a hundred feet from the ferry it was fine.
This was on a farm just barely south of the ferry crossing. It was kind of unique so I had to grab a photo. I am guessing it is for some kind of seed operation.
Sunday, 24 July 2016
Saturday, 23 July 2016
Friday, 22 July 2016
A few images of Sandon, BC July 1, 2016
A little irritated as some of the photos I had did not turn out. Sandon is a ghost town. Sandon was a mining town and in it its prime this area was covered with buildings. There were numerous building such as hotels, a bowling alley, a hockey rink, banks, even a red light district. The buildings have largely disappeared over the years. There are a few residents and a lot of artifacts from days gone by.
Fire hydrant.
There is a museum in this building that I have to come back to visit. I have been told it is the best museum in the area.
City hall with a date of 1900 at the top.
Thursday, 21 July 2016
A quick personal view
Not all that long ago my life was different. I worked constantly, evenings, weekends, and even missed or rescheduled holidays. It seemed like I was stuck in some kind of repeating loop where I was doing the same thing every day. I was constantly busy but I could see no evidence that I was accomplishing anything on a personal or professional level. I never seemed to find the time to enjoy life.
During the last few years my life underwent an upheavel with a number of changes. I work at a different job where I do not have to work outside of office hours. I have the time and freedom to do things when I leave for the day. Freedom! Does it get any better? No it does not.
The last few years I may be overdoing it with little road trips here and there to catch up on all of the little things I missed. There will be a time when I will not be able to do any of this so I am doing it now. The thing is I feel more alive than I have in the past. I have time to see and experience things.
You cannot take any of this with you. We come this way but once. Take some time to enjoy the journey.
Wednesday evening July 20, 2016
Quick run to Drumheller, Alberta and back. I travelled about one hundred fifty miles. July gifted us with lots of rain and winter will be here soon enough. Get out and enjoy the sun when you can.
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