Abandoned property October 23, 2016

Near what was Armada, Alberta.

Update to a prior post

Someone sent me some information regarding a prior post of mine:

everybodyhastobesomewhere.blogspot.ca/2016/10/what-one-was-gros-ventre-tothill-alberta.html

Someone who is from the area informed me there are close to ninety people in this cemetery, many of them died from the Spanish Influenza epidemic. The church records were lost in a fire so a lot of the graves are unmarked. It is amazing how devastating that epidemic was. I think some markers in areas like this noting the tragedy and the effect on communities would be an excellent idea. History is sometimes lost if we do not record it.

Personally I do not have any connection to any particular place. I moved about thirty times before I graduated from high school. One of those towns I lived in does not exist anymore. Since I lived in quite a few places it may be one of the reasons why I like to get out and explore different spots. I appreciated it when someone sends me some background on a place as I find it adds to the experience.

Little Knoll Cemetery September 18, 2016

This is near Manyberries, Alberta which means it is in the middle of nowhere. What makes this unique is this cemetery is Finnish. It is an odd place for people to emigrate to from Finland. I do wonder why they chose this place or how they managed to end up here. The place is well looked after and still in use. If there was a settlement nearby it no longer exists. A lot of places in Alberta had places spring up and disappear over time.

Unique marker. I have not seen another one like this.

This is right across the road from the cemetery. I sort of wonder what happened to whoever lived here.

Stationery Stores

Does anyone else miss these?

Stationery stores are largely a part of the past. I went into a well known independent one in Calgary a week ago that has been in business over twenty-five years. I used to like to see what there was for hardbound and leather bound journals and other office paraphernalia. I used to have thoughts of writing in a nice journal with a fine pen or even having my own stationery on some nice paper. In the past I had entertained thoughts of being a writer or at least thoughts of writing. For various reasons I never got into the habit of writing for the sake of writing years ago. I also always wanted my handwriting to be a work of art. I am missing that particular gene.

Computers and the internet have changed so many things and not necessarily for the better. People lug tablets or laptops with them and write in coffee shops. In the past, and even now, I enjoyed taking my time in the aisles of stationery stores trying out numerous pens trying to decide on one. Usually I never did narrow it down and I would up buying a fistful of different pens. I went through stacks of writing pads for school and work. How many pens does one need in order to write something? All of them. 

I digress.

A couple of times through the years I even bought blank journals. Writing in something like that has a different feel, the experience is different. I never got very far writing in one. Maybe I never got very far as I felt I did not have anything to write about. Or maybe I was lacking the discipline to actually take the time to write something.  

Nowadays wandering through a stationery store is not the same. There used to be lots of pens from various manufacturers to mull over. Now the selection is much less. Less people buy writing paper or high end journals. Those have changed as well. Given time these places will disappear into the past. I recently unearthed a blank journal in my belongings and I make some notes for this blog in it from time to time. I went with the intention of buying some pens and trying some writing again. As for pens I only found three, a couple of fine point pens and a disposable fountain pen. Times change.

Kananaskis Country October 30, 2016

Quick run yesterday through the Kananaskis where Highway 40 loops from Longview, Alberta over the Highwood Pass to just outside Canmore, Alberta. This is a summer only highway closed from about December 15 to June 15. Every time I have been through here I have seen wildlife.

There was a group of five on the highway that did not mind posing.

This one is pretty cute.