Photography
Last week I was out and about and found the final resting place of the homeowners of one of the abandoned homes we photographed this summer.
I love that someone still goes there and pays their respects. Children? Grandchildren? Do they go to the old homestead?
This one had me stumped. Until today. So now I will edit it.
This land was owned by a bachelor who left home at 12 years old for bigger and better things. He was determined he was going to make it big. He left his large, poor family with .90 in his pocket. He worked his butt off to make ends meet and eventually bought this 1/4 section of land which he broke by hand. He raised animals and worked hard and eventually built himself a log home.
When he started to get older and the work became to much he asked his brother for help. Eventually a local minister and a small chapel was built on the land. Living quarters on the main level with a small post office in the corner and a chapel upstairs. A general store and blacksmith shop were in the works and when the railway was built the decision was made to move the chapel to Dunrae.
This small cemetery is located in the middle of a farmer’s 1/4 section, marked off by poles which holds approximately 30 graves, most of them unmarked and some of them with bare wood crosses.
I am told that this particular cemetery was marked by the local Knights of Columbus group.
A small town site was in the works for this property but the building of the railway changed all this. That is why there are two cemetery’s in the area.
This cemetery is also in a farmer’s field but its not smack dab in the middle of one and its closer to a church.
The headstones at first St. Felix Cemetery were not easy to get to. There were not as many markers there as there were names on the plaque and there were many deep holes in the uncut grass where the stones were. We were able to get closer to a couple of them.
The grass was really high which made it hard to see the stones that were lower to the ground unless you could get closer to them and move some of the tall grass away.
Some of them were the traditional stone and there were a couple made of iron.
Others were just wood crosses that may have been marked with a name but has weathered over time.
Some of these graves have been here before the 1900’s.
A Canadian company started in approximately 1865 making organs. When the popularity of pianos started to surge they changed their focus to pianos.
No story here, just rusty nails and old barn wood.
This old beretun, although I’m pretty sure was not used to store barley or any other grain for that matter is a magnificent sight.
The photo opportunities were endless as there was sky and crops as far as the eye could see.
This old barn had a widows peak or what they really called it, hay hood. I couldn’t get a decent shot of it.
I’m assuming this barn once held cattle, their names still in the barn.
The rustic old wood and the prairie views from every corner of this barn were worth the wait to see it.
Hot, humid, thundering. On this day, Prairie Lakes had lots to offer and when you have permission to explore, you take advantage. And the skies were perfect.
So I’m a glutton for punishment and self criticism!
I took the family out armed with glow sticks, tripod, camera and Uno.
The boys set the lights, I picked my spot, focused and started to wait.
Well wouldn’t your know it, a grain truck is coming right for my camera in the middle of the field. So much for focused to perfection!! Ah.
So I set back up and try my best to focus back in with the headlights of the truck and 3 inpatient family members. Little do they know, we’ve got a long wait cause it’s not dark enough yet.
So we wait, I kick some ass at UNO – no I didn’t, Cade actually won the first game.
So I get out and take a couple test shots, check the focus, which is virtually pointless in the dark and wait.
After all that, this…
I realize now, fast moving grain trucks in fields are not ideal and I need a little more moon on my night shooting expeditions.
By the way, my kid has crappy aim cause I didn’t want a glow stick in the eavestrough!
I actually have no words for this post. It’s just a photo I like, taken at one of my favourite houses.
Cruising along the backroads with Reg heading to an abandoned property we headed down the very scenic “Snake Road”. Wow.
As any church in a small community, Neelin United Church played a large role in both the religious and social life of the area.
In 1923 families from the district were holding church services in a nearby school and a Ladies Aid Group was formed to fund raise having Fall suppers, bazaars and lunches. By 1936 the ladies raised $1,000 to build a new church. The land was donated by Mr. W. Henwood.
The building was erected by volunteers and had a full basement. Local carpenter Mr. Atterbury supervised the building operation.
The church opened on July 26, 1936.
Due to declining congregation services ceased after 42 years in December, 1978.
Okay, how in middle of the prairies does this car sit here for all these years and not go over?
All four hubcaps intact and a decent set of rubber to boot.
And if you got it running, you wouldn’t have to go far for fuel.
What a great little find.
I walked over this the first time I visited one of my houses.
Some places you can’t stop going to. And each time you go, you see it with fresh eyes.
Reg hasn’t been here for many years so we went today. I hadn’t been inside.
I am so glad I went back and I’ve already put this on my night time list.
What a neat place.
So Saturday being International Vulture Awareness Day we went back to see if we could get some shots of them. Unwilling creatures. I must say that they are leary and smart creatures.
Anyways, we wandered around again to see if we missed anything and since the cows that pastured there all summer were gone and the grass was chewed right down, we thought we’d look again.
I found that well that scared the bejesus out of me and well, it’s not that deep at all. Maybe waist high.
Further out we did find another but it appears it was filled over and pretty solid.
I’ll always be skittish though.
CRUMBLING MEMORIES 