Photography
This weekend out and about for hockey, I came across so many places. I hope to get back to this area again.
Anyways, I came across this car, drove by it numerous times and finally decided that if I didn’t stop, I’d regret it.
Whomever owns this fine vehicle takes care of the area around it and has done some regular upkeep.
On Monday while out exploring we came across two beavers and their damn.
They were very willing subjects.
I have to admit that I don’t know a whole lot about beavers. I know now that they make a strange little chirp when communicating. I’m not sure if that chirp was for me or if they were communicating to each other.
This pair was more than willing to give me plenty of photo opportunities, getting in and out of the water, grooming and eating.
They jumped in and out of the water, dived around, criss crossed from shore to shore. They get around very well and had all sorts of paths and trails they used under the water and on the ground.
When I got home and looked at the pictures I discovered that they have the creepiest feet ever. I do not particularly enjoy any sort of feet and so these were a little disturbing to me.
Today I found out that Sunday, April 7th was National Beaver Day.
I suppose one day late is better than never.
As the snow starts to melt and the small creeks thaw and flow into the nearby rivers and lakes, the opportunity for reflection photos present themselves.
This narrow section of the Pembina River likely doesn’t look very picturesque when the leaves from the trees swallow up this narrow passage.
Standing at the side of the road in my PJ pants and penguin slippers, my husband thought it would look funny if someone passed me on the side of the road and there was no vehicle around, like I was some crazy lady wandering around taking pictures in my nightwear!
Somewhere close by I could hear a waterfall. And walking back to the car I spotted an old barn perched high on that ridge. I’ll be back.
Yesterday evening I asked my hubby and daughter to go out on a venture with me to find an old school that I wasn’t even sure was still standing. It was pouring, thundering and lightning. I didn’t think it was worth going but the skies were amazing and guess what, the school is not longer there, just a cairn marking its location.
On the way back home we stopped at the south basin of Pelican Lake. It was worth it, the sky everywhere we looked was different. Different clouds, colour. Wow.
Although I didn’t get to photograph an abandoned building I did get some good landscape and wildlife photos.
This school has been on my to see list for some time. I was told that it was no longer there so a couple nights ago I wasn’t doing anything and thought I would go for a ride to check it out not expecting to find anything except a metal monument in its place. Well low and behold, there it stood.
The Alma School District was established formally in July 1891, but wasn’t name until a year later by a student in the first class.
A wood frame schoolhouse served as the first school house on the property and was used until 1905 when it was replaced by this one room brick structure, complete with full a basement and an oil-fueled furnace.
The school closed in January 1961 and its remaining students then attended the Belmont Consolidated School.
At the back of the property is what I will assume was the outhouse and a small storage building. The yard is well maintained.
There is extensive structural damage to the side wall of the school and the front entrance is blocked by a large pile of plaster, likely renovations carried out by the schools newest tenants.
A wooden stud wall inside the school was built in an attempt to stabilize the structure. A monument stands next to the former school.
There is a rickety staircase that leads up into the back of the school. As I wasn’t feeling much like a risk-taker and didn’t venture inside. This is likely due to the large “enter at your own risk” sign stapled to the door frame and the fact that I didn’t feel like running from any rabid racoons.
Among the teachers of Alma School were Alexander Tumoth (1890), Percy Brether (c1900), Jean Williamson (1948), Miss Munroe, Miss Tisdale, John Sutherland, Miss Donna McLean, Miss Anne Hawn, Miss Alice Embury, Mrs. Shirley Dubyts, Miss Irene Fitzpatrick, Miss McIntyre, Miss Marjorie Cleave, Miss Eva Croll, Ed Arndt, Miss Myrna Wray, Mr. P. Lougheed, K. M. Prowse, Miss Jean Cowell, Miss Pat Williams, Mr. McRae, Miss Evett, Miss Muriel Robinson, Miss Pinn, Miss Marion Lewis, Miss Jean Campbell, Miss M. Stintson, Mr. Johnson, Miss Anna McLean, Norman Smith, Miss Margaret Downey, Miss Ruth Watson, Miss Kinley, Miss Wall, Miss Mae Berry, Miss Harrower, Miss Katie Playfair, Henry Woods, Miss Murgatroid, Miss Shorthose, Miss Hazel Cunningham, Miss Valance, Miss Carvell, Miss Bailey, and Miss McGowan.
I’m glad I didn’t take someone elses word and drove out to see what was there. It was worth the drive and my fingers did eventually thaw out.
I am told that there are a lot of elk in this area. Like moose, elk put on a lot of miles in a day so just because they hang out in a location for a day or two doesn’t mean you’ll see them there again for a very long time or ever, for that matter.
A couple of years ago on our way to work, a friend and I saw a large herd on highway 23 heading west. We didn’t see them again until the Spring. We were lucky enough to see them in the Spring because of a bail they found and decided they were going to take care of it before they moved along. Well it didn’t take them long and of course once they moved along we didn’t see an elk for a long time.
On the morning we spotted the big herd, all we had were our cell phones. What a sight to see. I can’t begin to imagine how many elk were in that herd. And many cars stopped to get a look at them.
The other day I thought I spotted 5 way out in a field but I wasn’t entirely sure that they weren’t big horses either.
Well a couple nights later, Colton and I were out and about looking for a school and we spotted 5 elk in a field. Of course they weren’t willing to let us get closer so I could get a better shot and of course there was no time for tripods and switching cameras.
They are still magnificent beasts. Birds and wildlife photography, in my opinion, require a ton of patience which I don’t have or luck which I am lacking too.
This an older photo I took looking South East. There is nothing significant about the actual photo but that sky!
It’s like an unfinished painting. This was taken a few years ago, in November. The sky was like fire but not the whole sky.
In April, 2017 the spring melt began. For those of you that don’t recall, we had crazy amounts of snow that year and a record 7 or 8 snow/storm days. On my daily commute to work I pass by this old bridge that is no longer used but at one point in time must have been a very busy passing for farmers to the small nearby town of Margaret. Given the amount of water flowing through what is usually the dry valley that runs under the bridge, I had to walk down there and see it for myself and take some photos.
When I got down there I discovered the monument which identified the bridge and it’s age. 100 years old in just a couple of weeks. To hear and see the water moving under that bridge for yourself was surreal and to think that this bridge could withhold that!
The bridge is still used as a foot bridge by the residents of a nearby colony but you can clearly see that time is slowly taking over. Large sections of the rail are gone and it is hard to navigate the top of the bridge as the majority of the bridge is overgrown with grass which makes it hard to see the drain holes.
Regardless, 2 years later, this bridge is still visited by many.
When I took this photo I likely thought, wow. Today when I look at it, I can think of a couple of things I would have done things differently. 
This one is well. While I love the middle of the sky, I don’t like the top.
Maybe I’m not as much of an amateur as I think, lol 😂
And then again in May.
I live in what I am convinced is the most spectacular place to take pictures of the sunset and sky. Our lake isn’t to shabby either.
A tad bit bored, so I thought I’d have a look through my old saved iPhone photos, since there about 3,000 of them and there was a time when my camera never left the closet.
I found this one of the now 100 plus year old bridge in Margaret, MB. Two winters ago this bridge withstood a spring thaw that was so powerful I’m not sure how it wasn’t damaged. I’m hoping I’ll come across them on my journey through my photo past.
On this particular day out adventuring, there were a lot of animals, animal smells and animal sounds.
It started with two very curious horses watching our every move around the property across the road from them. They were nosey horses! And vocal too! On our venture closer, I could hear coyotes as well. I’m sure they ar active right now being calving season is surely upon us. My question is, are they this vocal during the day? And of course, the pungent smell of a spring skunk who was also exploring on this glorious warm, sunny day.
The highlight though were the oodles of deer, perched up on a ridge watching us while more gathered. They were coming from all sides. It’s nice to see them out and about after the terribly cold we had. Forty seven days is what I heard. I don’t dislike the deer that some feel over run our town.
Hopefully this Spring I’ll find a fawn and get some good shots.
With all the traveling we do with hockey and fishing, we come along a lot of abandoned homesteads. Most of the time if it’s not far from home I take note of the location, contact the land owner and if permission is granted I go back and take photos.
Other times when I know I won’t be back in the area again, I take what I can get from the side of the road. I hate these sorts of shots because 1, the more zoom, the less clarity and 2, it limits the different views/images/angles you can get.
Well today I took some anyways. First off, withdrawal and secondly, the sky.
I’m not happy with the clarity of this photo but, I’ll be back to this one, I hope.
Out and about searching for houses, shutter finger itchy.
I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t like the cold.
I’ll also admit that I have very little me time during the hockey season.
This year Colton’s team has been very busy. Most weekends, practice twice a week and of course, travel tournaments. Sometimes I’d get that urge to play with the camera and try to take action shots. For good photos, this will require some more practice AND the purchase of a new lens.
Regardless, a great season was had as you can see from the hardware.
Well done boys. Well done my boy.
Big thank you to our coaches who devoted all of their time to these kids.
My daughter and I found this one by accident as the weather turned cold. I head back there a week or so ago and I can tell you, I can not wait to go back and find out more.
No words necessary ♥️🥰😍😘
I have driven by this beautiful old home many times over the years but have never had my camera with me. Today I thought I’d better do this as there have been many rumors around the abandoned talk groups that this home is coming down.
I won’t try to mask this location as just about everyone knows what home this is. While there were no signs posted around the property stating “No Tresspassing”, I did not enter past any gate, service road, etc. My understanding is that the structure of the home is very unsafe.
What fascinates most of us is the details of this structure. The brick walls, magestic staircase and huge structure for it’s time. I have only ever seen photos of the inside and if you haven’t, google it. I can only imagine its grandeur in it’s day.
The original owner, Robert Fern Lyons was born in Leeds County, Ontario in July, 1856. He moved to Manitoba in 1879 where he established a general store on the plains. When Mr. Lyon’s came to Manitoba, the town of Carberry had been platted. At that time, Mr. Lyon’s and a partner purchased the first two lots sold in the business district and built a department store.
On the 20th of April 1888, Robert married Janet Josephine Hume of Winnipeg. They had four children. In 1888 Mr. Lyons sold his interest in the department store.
Mr. Lyon’s built this home around 1896 on a part of his 2700 acres of land he owned around the Carberry area. On 1600 acres he grew grain and raised high grade stock. This two-storey, red-brick veneer residence was occupied by the Lyon’s family until 1919.
He was also said to be a stockholder in the Lone Pine Gold Mining and Milling Company Limited and was Vice-President of the corporation. He also owned a grain elevator at Carberry. A Conservative, he was elected to the Manitoba Legislature as member for Norfolk in 1892, 1899, 1903, 1907 and 1910.
Farmer Thomas Switzer purchased the home in 1919 and lived there until 1927. Mr. Switzer’s son and daughter-in-law stayed there until 1952. The home was then owned by Stanley Paluch and Madeline Sokryka Krawec who lived there until 1964 when they moved to McCreary. At that time the home was sold to Harold Shirtliff.
CRUMBLING MEMORIES 