Sunflowers

Sunflowers always cheer up an otherwise gloomy day.

Spotted near Veteran, Alberta this past fall.

- Michael Truman

Emergency reserve hay bale post

For an emergency. When I need something to post. Like today.

July 6, 2018.

Big Old Barn

Big old barn near Simmie, Saskatchewan. Love the concrete walls and rounded, arched roof with two cupolas and five lightning rods!

The cattle raised here were blessed with good housing.

- Michael Truman

Battle River Lutheran Church

Abandoned church in rural Alberta.

Just in Time

A week before Christmas I was in North Dakota where there are dozens of old Lutheran churches . . . some of them abandoned, some in various states of preservation and others as good as new. These photos are of Appam Lutheran Church and Cemetery, simply known in the area as "Bethesda."

Much of northern North Dakota and southeastern Saskatchewan was pioneered by Norwegians. And now over a hundred years later, many of these areas are still inhabited by their kinfolk.

I was just beginning to take photos when an eighteen-wheeler pulls up in front of the church and stops. I walk over to the big-rig and find myself talking to Richard who grew up in the area. I always enjoy meeting one of the locals and as it turns out, both his maternal and paternal grandparents as well as his parents had been married in the church; most of his relatives are buried in the graveyard. I love personal history.

He also informed me the church was slated to be burned down during the next cold spell.  A shame really but it's in dangerously poor condition. I had made it just in time.

All that said, the cemetery is immaculately maintained as are most all of the cemeteries I've seen in North Dakota. It's nice to see past lives remembered in a respectful manner. Cheers to all who help maintain our history.

- Michael Truman

Log Cabin

I saw this abandoned log cabin in north-central Montana this past fall.

It was late afternoon in mid-October and of course there were bales everywhere.

- Michael Truman

Random elevator

Sitting on a farm near Camrose, Alberta.

Random music post

There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and pageviews

My views make no sense whatsoever.

For the past week I have seen a spike in views. I was getting numbers of 2,000 to 4,000 per day. Usually I get nowhere near that, numbers are usually three hundred to a thousand per day. Today my views are barely a blip. Personally I do not care all that much. I do this blog as a diversion because my weekday life is pretty boring. If I wanted to make money off this then I would try to get some accurate numbers.

Anyway, just an observation.

Willesden Green School 1913 - 1960

Discovered by chance while out exploring the countryside. I think someone has intentions of preserving it because the roof was fairly new. It sits on a hill under power lines and no marker to identify it. It is all boarded up and abandoned.

Tree post

Trying something a little different. I like finding lone trees with character.

Scenery

Some scenery in the Red Deer River Valley . . . late spring near Steveville, Alberta.

- Michael Truman

Abandoned Alberta

Small log home in Vermillion County, Alberta. People lived in some very small spaces years ago.

Abandoned Lutheran Church

Very snowy day in Thorhild County, Alberta. It was snowing heavily and not the best day for me for taking photos. It is definitely on the list for a return visit.

Tried to make this one less dark than the others.

Not a bale post

On a farm just a bit north of Ryley, Alberta. Not as good as a bale post but close.

Woodside School 1907 - 1952

This former school is quite small and is sitting in a farmyard. I would have liked to get a closer look. The rural address is on the school sign.

Harris Water Tower

On a trip to Rosetown this past fall I saw an unmistakable silhouette in the distance . . . an old Canadian National Railway water tower. This one is in Harris, Saskatchewan and is in immaculate condition.

I met a volunteer who was putting a fresh coat of paint on the neighbouring caboose and he explained that the C.N.R. was willing to give the water tower to the local museum as long as they move it . . . and that they did. Built in 1934, it was moved about one hundred and fifty feet east of the original location in the summer of 1991.

A few shots of the interior. The structure is built completely of cedar, inside and out. 

The grain elevator across the way is now privately owned and is in "like new" condition.

An antique semaphore train signal (not the original from Harris, but from a nearby town).

Just across the road is the original water tower foundation.

Not many of these still standing and especially not in such good condition as this. It's a beauty!

- Michael Truman