On the Road

When I'm out on a road trip I like to stop every now and then for a "road picture."  Looking back at them often carries a distinct memory and brings to mind everything from, "That was a beautiful day!" to "What on earth was I doing out there in the middle of nowhere in -30°C..." and everything in between. This post is a small collection of these pictures, one for each month of the year. 

Above is the road that leads to Comrey, Alberta . . . big prairie sky. The Sweet Grass Hills of Montana can be seen on the distant horizon. This place gives a whole new meaning to the word "isolated."

Below . . . the day before Valentine's day and south of Elkwater, Alberta. This road leads to the Wildhorse border crossing and ends in Havre, Montana. There are no services for a stretch of about one hundred miles and no dependable cell service.

Down the hill into Writing-On-Stone Park in south-central Alberta. The park has one of the most significant collections of historical rock art in North America. Well worth a visit if you enjoy a trip into the past.

Not far from Burstall, Saskatchewan but just across the border into Alberta. The small white cross marks the location of the tiny but not forgotten Wolfer Family Cemetery where three children of pioneers are buried. 

A winding country road through the Many Islands Grazing Pasture...about ten miles south of Schuler, Alberta.  Lots of pronghorns live in this area.  I remember our gracious host telling me how much he enjoyed his last trip through the area and how seeing yet another pronghorn at the crest of each and every hill just made his day!  (Keep your foot close to the brake pedal.)  Hi BW!

After a scenic drive on the back roads through the Cypress Hills I arrived at Fort Walsh, Saskatchewan. On my way home I saw these strikingly simple ranch gates.  It was the day before Canada Day and was glad to have air conditioning in the car because it was a real cooker by mid-day . . . about 38°C.

A road that seemingly goes on forever...just east of Fox Valley, Saskatchewan.  I grew up on the prairies so this one "feels like home." Oncoming traffic on these isolated back roads is quite an event. Stop and say "hello."

Along Eagle Butte Road in southeastern Alberta.  Gus the guardian donkey lives a mile or so northwards and Saint Margaret's Church is just a mile or so to the south.  The sky looks threatening but it was t-shirt weather. The crop to the right hand side of the photo is the same field as in my post "Early One Morning in the Cypress Hills" a few days ago, only this photo was taken about 5:30 in the afternoon. A few hours makes a huge difference.

Somewhat south of Cadillac, Saskatchewan.  Love the big white barn. The chalk-coloured area to the lower-right is a dry alkaline slough.  I was staying in Shaunavon for the night and was looking forward to a supper of wild boar ravioli accompanied by French beer . . . Kronenburg 1664 Blanc, no less. A much appreciated meal in southern Saskatchewan.

A lone tree along a trail that leads to Torquay, Saskatchewan. This is the same corner of the province where I grew up and was largely settled by Norwegians. Lots of beautiful old Lutheran churches in the area.

One of many rugged buttes along Mission Road in northern Montana. The landscape here is captivating as well as somewhat magical...like visiting a place where time is standing still.  It's easy to spend a day just driving around looking at the ever-changing landscape. Here, you'll have better luck with smoke signals than with a cell phone.

Straight north of Luseland, Saskatchewan is the historical Holy Rosary Catholic Church.  The church can be seen for several miles in the distance; a large shrine and cemetery are also on the grounds. This photo was taken late in the afternoon just before the sun went down.

A year goes by so quickly.

- Michael Truman