My Way

Photographed in Mendham, Saskatchewan.

Michael Truman

Past Presence Website

Not a great week

Over the last month I have been making some good progress. My gait is getting a bit better and I am feeling more stable. Still need a cane for now. Unfortunately my body decided to attack me with bad pain all over and I needed to give myself a rest. I had to get into the prescription painkillers - Tylenol 4 - to make life bearable. When they wear off you feel hungover which is not a great feeling.

Elevator Friday - former Bulwark, Alberta elevator

Elevator used to be at Bulwark, which is a ghost town.

Thank you to Dale Redekopp.

53.4327531, -112.8775863

St. Margaret’s Church not too far from Edmonton, Alberta.

It is kind of hidden away. Nice little spot. Church was locked and in the brief time I was there I was getting eaten alive by mosquitos so I did not stay long. The cemetery appeared to have a number of unmarked crosses.

Random post

Had a follow-up with my surgeon today. I have not seen him since last October.

I took a cab because I dislike hunting for a parking spot, I am not a fan of parkades, and I hate trying to pay for parking with parking machines in the city. Paying for parking used to be easier, now it is computerized machines or apps. I like to be early for appointments, my cab was late. I booked my cab for 8:15am and it was fifteen minutes late. The driver looked well past retirement age, not that I ever thought it would affect his ability to drive. We got half a mile and he pulled over in a parking lot, got out, looked ill, then got himself together and got in. He got on the highway and I asked him to slow down when I noticed he was well over twenty kilometres over the limit. A bit of speeding does not bother me however he was drifting and had trouble staying in his lane. Later he was speeding up, slowing down, and too damn close to the traffic in front. Twice in the city I had to tell him when lights turned green and I yelled when he got close to hitting someone. I got dropped off and when I got in the building I called and reported him. The guy was a danger  to others.

As for my appointment, updated x-rays, a five minute meeting with the doctor to tell me I am fine. I used a totally different cab company for the trip home.

If in doubt, post bales

Elevator Friday - Domremy, Saskatchewan

Thank you to Dale Redekopp.

GMC post

Goddard Cemetery

Inscribed on the marker:

"In my father’s house are many mansions

Otto Meer

Died May 18, 1915

Aged 75 years

May

His wife died

Mar 29, 1911

Aged 71 years”

Information from the Medicine Hat and District Genealogical Society. There are six burials here, three are known: Otto, May, and their daughter Helena who died November 17, 1926. The Meer family emigrated to Canada in 1909, applied for homesteads, and purchased a half section in 1910. After May passed Otto applied for funding to build a cemetery in the area. This small spot is supposed to be two miles west of where their farm was. The names of the other three burials are lost to history. May they rest in peace.

I had been trying to find this one for some time. It is not listed in the county website. There are mentions of it online but there is no location listed. I consulted a friend of mine who is great at tracking down locations but all he could give me was a general area. This July I was in the area and managed to find it in the general area that my friend indicated. It is in a prairie farm field close to a township road south of Foremost, Alberta with not much around for miles in any direction.

The photos could be better. I am still having issues with walking and carefully picked my way across uneven ground with a cane to get to the cemetery. It is a work in progress.

International post

Canola, Leduc County

I look forward to seeing the Canola fields. Here in my part of Alberta we are setting records for recorded rainfall in July. The fields are not great and waterlogged. Hoping for a better August. 

Elevator Friday - Wrentham, Alberta

Beehive burner

I used to see a lot of beehive burners many years ago in British Columbia. They were used by sawmills to burn off wood waste. They got phased out years ago due to environmental and health concerns. When they did operate they were in use twenty-four hours a day and you could see red sparks out the top at night. The top had kind of a metal mesh dome if I remember it right.

This is a former beehive burner at Malakwa, British Columbia that I guess became some kind of diner it the past. It is vacant and up for sale. 

The real old west

Cannot miss

How can one go wrong eating at a place called “The Village Idiot Bar & Grill”?

Not dead

Just taking a short break.

I had multiple interactions with my lawyer and some related appointments. Once that was done I decided to take off for a few days. 

Elevator Friday - Skiff, Alberta

Largest barn in Canada

Southwest of Foremost, Alberta is what at one time was the largest barn in Canada. It likely is the largest barn in Western Canada. It was built by John Heninger, has three floors, over 16,000 square feet, and once housed about 4,000 sheep. Today I am not sure if it gets much use. A sign in the property says Douglas Ranch.

Canola

In my part of the province the Canola crop is not good. This one by Barons, Alberta is much better.

Random old vehicle post