Month: July 2020

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A LITTLE TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

I can’t tell you anything about this house.  I would love to know more but I cannot find anything.  Seems to be the story of my life with my current outings.

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This home is over 100 years old and the current owner told me they moved out of it because it was very hard to heat in the winter and was always cold.

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The home was purchased by the Brander Family in 1958 and has had some upgrades to windows. The first time I stopped for a roadside shot in the winter time, the pigeons took off very quickly and hovered around.

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This big old barn is currently occupied by a family of turkey vultures who were very unhappy about my visit.  I swear one thought about swooping me.  I didn’t get to close to the barn because the closer I got, the more active the vultures became.  Typically my experience with them is that they fly away and watch.  These ones hoovered above the barn and driveway the entire time I was at the house.

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There are some white pillars around the front and side of the house where I’ll assume walkways led to the home.  In the yard we found an area that I will assume was once a large flower bed.  The only thing left in the tall grass were some white and pink peony’s.

 

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BLUEVALE

The Bluevale School District was established formally in July 1901.  It was replaced by a new structure and opened officially in November, 1960.

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The school closed in 1967 and the building stood empty until being sold and moved to the Lake Max area to be renovated into a private residence. A metal sign commemorates the school at its earlier site.

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The school seen many teachers over the years.  The building I photographed is likely the second school house built in the 60’s and it is not in the Lake Max area.

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GREGORY

I’ve known about this house for many years.  I’ve shot it from the highway a couple of times.  This winter I asked a hockey Dad if he had info on it and he got me in touch with the owner.  I headed out there early this summer on a super hot, no cloud day!  It was a trek in and Cade came with me, for added security.  He also went to make sure I didn’t zap myself while dealing with the electric fence.

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The current residents are of the beef variety but we didn’t see any actual cows, just patties.  You can get right up to the house but there isn’t really anything to see.

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The house is on a bit of a tilt althought most of the time I figure its just me.  The one thing I miss on the Canon T6i is the level built into my screen.  My Powershot SX60 IS has it but I rarely use that camera anymore.  Like I said, it was REALLY hot out and I didn’t stay here for very long.  This is really a house that should be photographed on a day with stormy skies or a stunning sunrise or sunset.  For me, its just a tad to far from home for that.

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There is no history on this home in any book I could get my hands on.  I am going to assume that the home was purchased many, many years ago for the purpose of farming and the house has not been lived in for a very long time.  The bay window on this old farm house is what always got my attention and I’m happy that I got to see it up close.

 

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NEOWISE

C/2020 F3 or Comet Neowise is classified as a long period comet and was discovered on March 27, 2020. At that time, it was located 160 million miles away from Earth.

By July 2020, it was bright enough to be visible to the naked eye and one of the brightest comets since 1997.  It will be visible for most of July and up until approximately July, 23rd.

Visible on the Northwestern horizon, the comet will slowly get higher and smaller as you can see from the photos I took, taken just a couple days apart.

My intention was to photograph it earlier in July but I didn’t get out until the 19th.  I wasn’t sure what my photos would look like and pulled over on the side of the highway, at 1:00 a.m., set up the tripod and took a few shots.  Unfortunately I pulled over on the side of the road and got the hydro lines!   I was more concerned about what sort of creature was going to come out of the ditch to see what I was doing.  And I never thought about the dog at the nearby farm!

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I like this photograph because off to the right you can see the TLA West elevator in the distance.

I wanted to head out the next night and well, it rained and was cloudy.  I figured yesterday it was to late and it would be to small and hard to find in the sky.  Well it was but you can spot it if you look hard enough.  And it was easier to find when you were in the dark and away from any yard lights.  When I finally did spot it I wasn’t sure if I would be able to capture it correctly or that it would be bright enough.

neowise July 22 2020

While I wasn’t happy with the first photo, it is surely better than my second attempt.  That being said, the stars the last two times I’ve been out are something else.  Time to get myself out for some abandoned night shooting.

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Comet Neowise will disappear in the next couple days and will not be visible again for another 6,800 years.

 

 

 

 

 

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DEVIL’S GATE

I have a friend I’ve never met.  She’s on online friend, a text friend, an abandoned friend.  We have the same interests and we connected through a mutual friend that was my friend when I was in kindergarten through grade 4.  Then I moved schools and we didn’t see each other much after that.

Anyways, LM lives in Winnipeg but often travels out this way to find and photograph abandoned stuff.  When we see something on each others Instagram we ask each other where or who.  We share our finds and contacts.  Last winter LM found this house that she was totally in love with.  She went and went back again.  Well I had forgotten about it but spotted it a couple weeks ago off the highway and of course she got me in touch with the owner.

Turns out there was a movie filmed at this house, its on Netflix and its called Devil’s Gate.  Within the first 4 to 5 minutes of the movie you will see the house and likely want to turn the movie off cause you’ll see about as much as you’d like.  Its gory and not my type of movie.

Baleja 1 for email

So last week I tried and tried and tried to reach the land owner and couldn’t.  So I drove down the road on my way home anyways because if you can get a good road shot, well, you don’t need permission.  So I drove down the road and came upon a truck stopped at the house.  I stop behind him, get out my camera and take a couple shots.  I have no idea if the person in the truck knows I’m there or not.  There is nothing around this house, some bush and field.  That’s all.  Well I look ahead to take a photo and there’s a barrel of a gun hanging out the driver’s side window.  So I tell Colton and I put the car in reverse and the truck drives away.

I take a couple shots and drive away.  The next morning the land owner returns my call and proceeds to tell me that he cannot allow people to photograph the house cause he can’t be there to charge them a fee and that the house is not safe and either is the property because the movie people didn’t remove the props and the traps are still set all over the yard.  I call BULLSHIT.  So does LM cause she was on the property, with his permission and everything is gone.  No traps.  No chance of being impaled.

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At this point I’m rather annoyed because one, you cannot charge people money to take photos of an old house from the road, because if I’m on a numbered road, I’m not trespassing and secondly, you’d think he had Buckingham Palace on his farm land.  Goodness Mr., its a rotten old house that got a little attention from a low-budget film.  I’m sure you are not going to be able to retire from the money you received for the crew to film there.

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So I told Mr. that I had driven down the road the night before and I had taken a couple photos of the house from the inside of my car.  I also advised him that he couldn’t stop people from doing that nor could you charge them a fee.  I also told Mr. that it was highly illegal to shoot a firearm from a vehicle.  He advised me it was his neighbor shooting coyotes that were getting into his chickens.  There isn’t a farm within a mile, in any direction, of this abandoned property.  Maybe more.

Earlier this week I went back.  I did not get out of my car and unfortunately could not get a good shot of the front of the house where the young man in the movie, with the car trouble, goes and knocks on the door.

Baleja 5 email

Regardless, its a pretty neat old house and that barn is very unique.  The house does have a creepy vibe, even from the road.  I likely shouldn’t have watched the beginning of the movie and its a good thing I didn’t finish watching it.

 

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ST MARY ST ALBAN ANGLICAN CHURCH

This impressive 28-foot by 44-foot stone church south of Manitou, just passed the town of Kaleida was designed by Winnipeg architect, Charles Wheeler.  Built in 1892 for a cost of $6,500 by W. H. Bowler and the construction firm of Kerr and Magee.

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The church was originally named Winram Memorial Church in commemoration of W.J. Winram.  Born in the Isle-of-Man on 8 January 1838, and the son of shipbuilder, he worked as a mechanical engineer in his father’s shipyard. Upon coming to Canada around 1866 he settled in Simcoe County, Ontario and resided there until May 1878, when he came to Manitoba.

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In 1860 he married Catherine Ingersoll and together they had 3 children.  He won his first seat in the Manitoba Legislature by acclamation in 1879 and was re-elected or acclaimed at the general elections of  1883, 1886 and 1888.  He was also a Speaker of the Legislative Assembly from 1888 until his death.

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Upon my arrival at the church which is down a horrid PTH (that’s not surprising in this Province right now) to this well kept church and cemetery, it wasn’t what I was expecting.  When I came around the back I found the headstone of a friend’s Dad.  She told me today that her parents were also engaged at this church and her Mom grew up not far from here.  Her maternal grandparents are buried beside her Dad.

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I’m happy I made my way down here.  Of course I tried to avoid going back down the PTH and ended up in a maze of gravel roads and pouring rain but with Colton’s keen Snapchat mapping skills, we made it home.

 

 

 

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KEEP GOING BACK

This is one of the first houses I photographed and one of the first houses I actually went inside of.

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I love this house.  So at least once a year I go back to visit it and see what’s changed.  I can’t believe how much its grown over since my last visit.

When I started taking photos of the old houses, I didn’t really focus much on the barns and other out buildings so because the skies were amazing that day, I did.

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This yard is still used for storage and there is a path leading out to a field.  The current landowner frequents this location often.

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According to my research, this yard that was known for its stunning flower gardens.  On our way out, we spotted a lone pink peony growing in the tall grass.  I had put all of my stuff away as we were traveling by side by side down the dirt roads so I didn’t want anything getting dusty.

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My daughter was very interested in this van and what happened to it.  I’ll have to do some asking around and find out for her.  I wonder if she would believe me if I told her that the accident was a result of texting and driving.

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And you may recall this little blue truck, from previous posts, although Mother Nature is really taking it over.

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I would LOVE to see a photograph of this house when it was in its prime.

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ACCIPITRIDAE

On the way home and not long after stopping for the foxes, I spotted something else up on the highway just before we got to Ninette.  It was a bald eagle.  I started to slow down and asked Colton to reach in the back and grab the Sigma lens (the really, really long one that I don’t really love yet).  As we approached and slowed, it picked its roadkill up off the road and flew into the trees on the other side of the highway.  In another photograph, a black bird is flying around trying to convince this bird to share its meal.  Don’t think that happened.

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I had been fortunate enough to find the foxes and the eagle during the golden hour.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get a lot of good shots of it and actually came home and listed the Sigma lens for sale.  I have since changed my mind and have decided to keep it but need to make a decision soon as its a very expensive lens to dislike!  And saying that I don’t have the time to play with it is a crock because I’ve been unemployed since May 1st and will be unemployed until September.  Time to stop procrastinating and do something with it.

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MORE PELICANS

I’m just going to leave these here.

These two started off at the other side of the bay, minding their own business, clearly trying to catch their own supper.

When they realized Colton was fishing, one screwed off and carried on minding its own business, while this one came towards us and was focused on Colton’s bobber.

I would imagine the pelicans will start to leave Killarney now and head off to Ninette or Pelican Lake.

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SEEK AND YOU SHALL FIND

During the early stages of COVID, we were all eager for a day out of the house so we went house hunting.  I have to admit that I had plans to go a lot further than we did but it was so worth it and I have all summer to get to the edge of Manitoba to see what I need to see.

Along the way we made numerous stops that were not on my to do list.  My eagle-eyed husband just kept spotting things in the distance and so, we stopped I shot, we carried on.

This is one of them.  I cannot find any history on it so this is all I’ve got.  Honestly, I took two photos from the side of the road and carried on.  I don’t think I even got out of the Jeep to take this photo.

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MR. BEAR

James and his family originally immigrated to Canada to Cornwall, Ontario.  The 2nd of 12 children, James came to Manitoba followed by his two brothers and two sisters.  His sister married and from my understanding lived on this land with her husband.  I do not know if it was them that built this house, or her great-nephew, Donald when he acquired the land upon his marriage.  I can tell you that this family had five generations live and farm this land.  It has been in their name since 1893 and in the family, by relative, since 1883.

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The land, a well-wooded section of land was broken by steam engine and bush plow.  Throughout the property, trails were made for travel, via wagon.  In one of the wooded areas, on the way to the house, I did see what was left of an old wagon.

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There is a barn on this particular section.  I do know that the family built a barn that had a windmill built in the center, which supplied power to pump water.  Outside the barn, at any given time, had hundreds of bags of grain from neighbors, waiting to be ground.  Unfortunately, it was the same windmill that cause a fire in 1917.  A second barn was rebuilt in the same location.  From what I see, it makes perfect sense that the barn still standing there today, could be from the early 1900’s.

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James wife died in 1895.  With his young family in tow, he returned to Ontario.  He was homesick for Manitoba and returned with his mother who helped him care for her grandchildren.  In 1924 he drove his Model T to Victoria, BC and married his deceased brother’s wife.  His son took over the farm.

James son, Angus (also known as Angie) married Alice on November 30, 1914 and purchased this piece of land, which was at one time was owned by Alice’s uncle.

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Together Angie & Alice had 3 children.

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They lived on the farm for 30 years and upon their move their only son, Donald, born in 1916, on this farm, took over the farm from Angie and Alice.

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Donald’s son who was born in 1949, built a new house in 1974.  At the time Grandpa Angie was 86 years old and helped work on it with his Grandson.  The newer house and the original house shown above, remains standing on the property.

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The trails and shaded areas where the family once had family picnics remain.  Somewhere on this section of land there were even tennis courts.

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The current owners of this property live in a third house on the property and run their own farming operation here.  They have goats, sheep and cattle.  It was hard for me to take photos as I did not want to invade their space. I am thankful for them allowing me to photograph parts of their farm that is their home.

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CANADA GEESE

Every year, for as long as we have lived here, geese settle in the back field to nest in the Spring.  When we first got Bauer he was absolutely terrified of the geese when they returned during his first Fall and would lay on the ground when they flew over.  This Spring, he decided he was going to chase them out of the back field.  Regardless, they are here to stay as the Long River that runs along the side of the development to the lake is a hot spot for migratory birds, regardless of what Bauer thinks about their presence.

One day Colton texted from the park near the public access to the lake to let me know that the geese had their gooslings out.

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Once I started to creep in on them, they got into the lake and swam off.

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GRAD 2020

When we moved here, she was in grade one and I remember her coming here to play with the cats and in particular, our kitten, Penny.  As she got older, she would sit in our yard and use our wifi on her iPod and as a teenager, she would come and get her nails done.  She is also our pet sitter when we are away.  Needless to say, I have a soft spot for her.

I called her on a whim.  I am hesitant to take photos of people but I realize that I need to get over it.  I need the experience and I need to build my confidence in that area.  So for the first two weeks after offering and her accepting, I panicked.  The day of, I was fine.  We went out the first time and took photos of her, only.  She was the perfect subject, smiling when I wanted her to, moving in all different positions and knowing what she wanted.

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It was very cold on but she handled it like a champ.  When we moved from location to location we had a blanket and I cranked the heat to warm her up before we headed out again.

IMG_3983-2 for emailWe had a lot of fun and after we were done we took about 650 photos at 3 different locations.

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I could post more and more and more because I have so many favorites but they aren’t my photos to share.  I hope that I captured her graduation memories for her.  I tried to make sure that I captured the little things too.  Her hair, shoes, pretty painted toes and her absolutely stunning dress, in places that were sentimental to her.

On grad day, we did some family photographs and photos with her car and then we had to check out the wall of flowers one of our local florists had in mind.  It was stunning.  Sweet Pea & Petal in town decided to take donations to purchase flowers and designed a wall of flowers for the grads to pose with.  It was on display at the mall, then the school before the ceremony and after.  It was amazing.  I took a couple photos of the flowers in the display.

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The sky is the limit Carmen and I have no doubt in my mind that you will succeed at whatever you set out to do.

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VULPES VULPES

On the way home from an on ice session a month or so ago, I noticed something on the highway a ways up.  I asked Colton, are those cats?  As we got closer they looked towards us and then ran into the ditch.  While, the cats turned out to be a family of little fox.  There were about 5 of them, one of which immediately ran into the den.

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Colton and I spent some time on the side of the road watching them play and groom each other.  Unfortunately we also noticed a dead one in the ditch not far from the den opening.  We didn’t get close enough to see if it could have been Mom, but I think it was to small to be her.  And the way they were playing on the highway, I’m not surprised that one of the them may have been hit.

little fox_1 email After a while they got bored of us and went back into the den and I was distracted by the lady slippers in the ditch.

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BEAUTIFUL STORMY SKIES

The other night while baking and cleaning I glanced out the kitchen window to our typical sunset but on the East side, the sky was orange and pink, a storm was moving in. I grabbed the camera and got into the car. Along highway 3 towards town I stopped to take this!

We carried on into town to catch the sunset over the lake.

People were stopping to take photos and slowing down to check it out. The sky was starting to rumble. Across the road, the sky was completely different.

At this point the battery in my camera is dying and of course I didn’t bring my camera bag. So I headed back home but make another quick detour to catch some photos from the fairgrounds.

After getting this I was content for the night but I did race home for a charged battery and did head back to the beach. I took some more photos but these four were my favourites, by far.

I am fortunate enough to live in a place where beautiful sunsets are the norm.