Mercury truck

Outside of Rosetown, Saskatchewan on every highway in ever direction from about ten miles outside Rosetown you will see various old trucks with Rosetown Towing on the side advertising their services. This is one of them.

All of the trucks are different old trucks. This one is a Mercury. I like seeing them.

Swift Creek School 1908

A little northwest of Carlyle, Saskatchewan. One of the places that I got to strike off my list. The gravel roads were a little damp and there were snow drifts in the fields. I got out of my vehicle and thought I would get a closer look. There was snow in the ditch but there was a clear patch in front. I took my first step on the snow and it was solid footing. My second step I sank up to my hip.

I looked inside the door and did not venture any further. It was not in great condition and I did not feel like testing how safe it was. I thought it was a brick building. The brick is on the outside of a wood building.

Errant thoughts

I am on Instagram under the name BWBandy. I only follow other photography sites. I got a message from someone on Instagram wanting me to sell them the name BWBandy. I checked out their page, it looks like someone promoting music. I have no interest in selling the name and I have been using it for years. I thought about replying, instead I just deleted the message.

Taxes, taxes, taxes. Dropped off mine at the accountant last week. I have done my own for years, then the last few years a few things got more complicated with filing, so I outsourced it. My accountant phoned me to tell me my return was ready. That never happens that quickly, usually they hold onto it for a month. I asked the important question, do I owe anything? Yes I do, and more than I thought I would. If I made more money over the last year I would like to know where it is hiding. For once I would like someone to cut taxes. Maybe I should make up some dependents.

The Hyundai after its recent repairs will need a brake job. I am tired of getting hit with more than the usual monthly expenses. I will see if I can put it off for a month or two.

Tried to get out for a short drive. That accomplished nothing, some of the backroads in my area are soft and getting muddy. There is a lot of water sitting in farm fields. I will be waiting for the roads to dry.

I type up posts, format them, preview them, then set them to post. A lot of time when I look at a post after it has published I notice the font sizes are out of whack or the text is not justified. Then I have to do a quick correct because that kind of thing bothers me. I do not know why Blogger wants to do this to me.

I get some interesting emails sometimes, aside from the comments I get on this blog. I have an email that I only use for professional correspondence. I got an email from Walmart for someone in Cheney, Washington state confirming their order. They have the same last name and same first initial, it is a legitimate email. Someone managed to key in my email address instead. Another email to delete. I am sure they will get it figured out on their end.

A few years ago I got an email chain from a university in Texas confirming my enrolment, confirming payment, setting up orientation, and a list of textbooks for the courses that someone had signed up for. I never responded to any of them. I guess I could have attended since I was signed up for everything but I already went to school long enough to get a degree, I did not feel like taking classes again. Eventually the emails stopped. I deleted the emails long ago and I cannot remember what school it was.

St. George’s Anglican Church 1892 - 1913

Got his location from a friend of mine. This is in the southwestern corner of Manitoba about a couple of miles from the Canada/US border. It is the remains of a stone church with a small cemetery. I would have loved to get closer however I did not feel like trudging through snowdrifts. It will be a return visit some summer.

There is a good write up on it here: 

glenbowe.home.blog/2021/05/01/manitobas-stonehenge/

Cedar Creek School 1928 - 1953

Cedar Creek School is located northwest of Dapp, Alberta.  It is a log structure and was constructed in the 1920s.  It operated from 1928 until 1954 when students were bussed to Jarvie. The school is near total collapse and the landowner has added what looks like an apiary on the grounds.

Eventually everything fades away.

Dale RedeKopp
Lynn Redekopp

Cameron, Manitoba elevator 1902

It said Cameron on Google Maps. There is nothing there except an elevator in the middle of a field. The elevator has Five Roses Flour on one side and Lake of the Woods Milling Co Limited on the other side.

Abandoned Saskatchewan

This one had been on my list for a couple of years. I had seen it posted on internet forums and no one posted the location. Not that I expected the location to be posted, people do not usually post locations for fear of places being vandalized. After some sleuthing and examining Google Maps a person that I have never met but correspond with online helped me find it. I will say that it is south of Disley, Saskatchewan.

Photos were shot from the road. I would have loved to get closer, the grounds were very wet. It is a long abandoned two storey stone house that must have been something back in the day.

Simply black and white

Near Napinka, Manitoba March 19, 2022.

Tree post

Took this on a bleak day with a bit of rain and trace amounts of snow. Not sure if I like the result.

 

Observations from the road

Whenever I drive through a town I make a quick mental note of economic activity. If there are any new buildings going up, empty store spaces, that sort of thing.

One of the things I have been making a mental note of lately is car dealerships. Most dealerships have a limited amount of inventory. This seems to be the case with every place that I have driven through lately. One Mazda dealer had only two new Mazdas on the lot. The exception seems Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep dealers. Practically all of them have a fair amount of inventory on their lots.

I am almost thinking they are the last choice.

Road tripping

Road trip to exotic parts of Saskatchewan and Manitoba had to be cut short for a few reasons. One reason is gas is gas is damn expensive. One spot in Manitoba was $1.789/litre. Driving long distances cuts into the budget really quick. If this keeps up I might have to rethink traveling anywhere.

When I got up in Regina Sunday morning the forecast mentioned rain. Rain was not in the original forecast before I set out on this trip. Such is spring in Canada. Later in the day when I was north of Regina it did sprinkle. The gravel roads that I was on were soft enough so I thought I would wander back in the general direction home. From a little west of Kenaston to a little west of Outlook, Saskatchewan it did rain. I checked the forecast for my home area and a snowfall warning was in place. That was not in the forecast of a few days ago either.

More rain and a bit of snow mixed with the rain the further I traveled. I was a few hours from home and decided to grab a hotel Sunday night rather than drive through the snowstorm at night, not to mention one of my headlights died. On the way home yesterday parts of the highway were a bit of a mess with snow and icy sections. It was melting quickly. The highways were fine closer to Edmonton.

I spent more than I intended on gas. My preferred hotel chain is a bit more expensive. Hopefully it is a decent summer for motorcycle trips to counter the cost.

Great hair

 

Road tripping

I took Monday off. Left after work on Friday to head out. I stopped at home to change and threw my stuff into the SUV. My plan was to explore in the Regina, Saskatchewan area. I drove from Leduc to The Battlefords, to Saskatoon then to Regina. I miscalculated. I thought I would arrive in Regina about 6:00am to 7:00am. I got to Regina a little after 2:00am. I was even driving the speed limit. Well, there was a number of sites I wanted to check out in the Moosomin, Saskatchewan area. I thought I would just keep driving.

Got to Moosomin too early, about 4:30am. And that was after being slowed down due to fog outside of Regina. Only thing open is a gas station in Moosomin. Catnapped in the vehicle and then waited until a fast food place that offered breakfast was open at 7:00am. Beautiful sunrise and once I was fortified with coffee and a greasy breakfast I decided to keep at it. Explored parts of the southwestern corner of Manitoba and the southeastern corner of Saskatchewan. Managed to cross some stuff off my list. A few places were not accessible due to muddy roads and drifted snow.

If I wanted a choice of decent hotels I had to hoof it to Regina. Pulled into a hotel lot, walked in and waited for the two people ahead of me to be served. I was ever so slightly concerned they might get booked up when I got my turn. First person at the desk ahead of me registered and went to pay and their card was declined. Same with the second person. No idea how things turned out for them. I did not have that problem and I got my room.

It was an interesting day.

July 28, 2021 Wetaskiwin County, Alberta

Photo is from last summer. I should have taken more Canola photos.

Today the sun is out, the snow and ice is melting, and I have the weekend free. Hopefully I can find something noteworthy to post.

Snowbound

Snowbound bales near Islay. 

It was a warm, bright and sunny day in central Alberta. What's not to like?

- Michael Truman

Past Presence Website

Really need to start posting one of these days . . .

Busy. One of the many times life gets in the way.

My aunt, who used to reside with my mother, has moved into an assisted living facility. She needs hands on care. I have been spending more time with mom lately. I look after her bills and pick up her groceries. Working five days a week and spending one day on the weekend with mom leaves little time for me. This is not a complaint, it is reality.

There are places I can get to in a day. The problem now is snow is melting and the backroads are getting soft. So that has put a damper on things. I have also not been out much as the budget took a hit from vehicle repairs and a few other items. The attempt at a retirement fund had some money thrown into it. I put some funds aside as I think I might have to pay when my taxes are filed. I have finally got all my information, I just have to drop it off at the accountant. I used to do my own taxes and in the last few years it got a little more complicated so I have someone else do them. If my lotto numbers ever hit . . .

Walking to my vehicle this morning I suddenly felt my legs go out from under me and I landed flat on my back. Everything feels somewhat okay, tomorrow morning when I wake up will be the true test. 

Abandoned Alberta

Near Delia, Alberta.

The Buick post

 

Bison

There's always a surprise or two on a road trip through the countryside...and that's definitely a good thing.  Found this sculpted bison monument one day near the entrance to a ranch yard somewhere between Wimmer and Scrip, Saskatchewan.

- Michael Truman

Past Presence Website

Random summer photo from last summer

Along Highway 39 east of Drayton Valley, Alberta.

When trucks had character

Reasonably sure this was in Stavely, Alberta.

Tuesday afternoon post

Unpleasant weather in my part of Alberta and beyond. Strong wind and blowing wet snow. Yesterday I went out to see a client after work and thought I could cut through the backroads home after dropping off some stuff. One gravel road was blocked by drifting snow. Tried another gravel road and ran up against the same thing. Those snow drifts are not as soft as they appear. I ended up backtracking the way I came back to the highway. The highway was covered with nasty sections of glare ice limiting speed to a crawl. I would have preferred to take the backroads home, snow and gravel makes for better traction.

People here have likely learned from the prior rounds of freezing rain and horrible road conditions earlier this winter. Instead of about ten cars in the ditch on the twenty kilometre drive home I only saw one last night.

The Tuesday post

South of Pincher Creek, Alberta.

 

Crowsnest Mountain, Alberta, March 6, 2022

Southern Alberta had more snow than I anticipated. It snowed the night before.

Lone tree post

Fairly famous tree in the Crowsnest Past. 

Howdy Pardner!

 Silhouettes against the snow . . .

. . . greetings from rural Alberta.

- Michael Truman

Past Presence Website

Twenty-five years ago today

My father has been gone twenty-five years not. He died in a hospital in Calgary, Alberta March 5, 1997.

A few years ago I was given a bag of photos by a relative, many of which I do not recall seeing before. This is of my father, likely before he met my mother. I do not know the date this was taken or how old he was. There were not a lot of photos of him in his early days, the family did not have a lot of money and I would guess getting your photo taken was a bit of an extravagance. My family never really took photos either and my father disliked having his photo taken so I have few photos of him. I am the only one that got into the photo habit later in life.

He was a stand up guy who worked hard and largely tried to do the right thing, even if it cost him a few times. Growing up I did not have a great relationship with my father. Our interests were totally different, we did not understand each other. We had a much better relationship as adults. Not fantastic, just a lot better.

After all these years I think of him often. He liked Scotch and I will have a glass of the good stuff to remember him by. If he were still around we would shoot pool and have a few beers.

Fifty-four years is too young.

Pumpkin Park

Welcome to Pumpkin Park in downtown Smoky Lake, Alberta.

On a trip through Smoky Lake it's most likely I'll pick up a bacon cheeseburger at Betsy's Burger Shack and then head down to Pumpkin Park to enjoy it.  They're both great little stops along the way.

And right next door is the old train station...bonus!

- Michael Truman

Past Presence Website

Minutia

Got my SUV out of the shop and repairs were less than expected. It was in the shop for close to a month only because it took so long to get parts. Oil leak fixed and lower control arms replaced. Now if I can only keep it out of the shop. 

On the other hand with current gas prices who can afford to go anywhere?

Groovin'

 Just groovin' to a good tune.

- Michael Truman

Past Presence Website

World's Largest Perogy

Fun stuff . . . the world's largest perogy!

Located in Pyrogy Park at the corner of Pyrogy Drive and 51st Avenue in Glendon, Alberta.

- Michael Truman

Past Presence Website

A touch of summer - Near Melfort Saskatchewan July 1, 2021