Update on the Waterton wildfire, from CBC News - includes a poor quality helicopter video showing the townsite and the Prince of Wales hotel. Just amazing work done by all the firefighters! Thank you so much for everything you've done! Apparently, a few Elk and Bears have been seen in the town, which is great news. Plants will recover - some plants grow after there has been a fire, and some actually require a fire in order to grow and bloom. The status of the fire is now "held", which means that it is no longer growing but it is still burning in spots. Crandell Campground was significantly affected, which presumably means the same for the nearby Canyon Church Camp. Also, the Bison Paddock was damaged.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-waterton-lakes-nat...
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Three days ago, on 17 September 2017, after noticing snowflake icons in the weather forecast for Calgary this week, I decided I would do a drive east and north-east of Calgary. In 2016, I had done a similar drive with my daughter, but this time I did not go as far as Drumheller. Actually, I still drove quite a bit further than I had intended - 346 km, 215 miles. If I had had enough self-discipline, I would have left home much earlier, as it was 11:20 am when I finally got into my car.
My intention was to drive a few back roads, searching for old barns. Most of my drive was on highways, simply for the purpose of saving time, so it wasn't till I was more or less at the furthest point that I actually saw a barn.
I couldn't see a sign pointing to this old grain elevator, so it took me a while to find the hilly, gravel road leading to it. By this time, unfortunately, there was a haze over the landscape and the light was far from good. Having driven so far, I was determined to take photos. Though this photo was OK in the original shot, I added a touch of filter in post-processing, to bring out more detail. As with any beautiful old elevator or barn, it will be a sad day when this one finally collapses. It certainly does not look in good condition, with its outer layer (fire retardant?) peeling badly.
"The Elevator is marked P&H. This company, Parrish & Heimbecker, was one of the smaller players in the Canadian grain industry with a fewer number of elevators seen when compared to the big boys like UGG (United Grain Growers), Pioneer and the Alberta Wheat Pool (“The Pool”). Interestingly, each elevator company used specific colours on their structures making identifying them a fairly easy task. P&H mostly used either silver like what’s seen here, or a light yellow-ish colour – most other companies stuck to one colour.
The elevator here was built just after the rail line was opened (early 1920s) and the large annex attached was added some twenty years later. An annex like this was a quick and easy way to increase capacity and a large elevator allowed for more efficient loading of rail cars. While solid looking, the building is succumbing to the elements. The siding in particular is starting to peeling away.
There used to be a second elevator here, an AWP, Alberta Wheat Pool built late 1920s, that was torn down in the 1980s." From the link below that leads to an excellent site by Chris and Connie "bigdoer".
www.bigdoer.com/461/exploring-history/sharples-alberta-gh...
While I was standing there, taking photos of the grain elevator and the old barn that isn't seen in this photo, a farmer came down to the gravel road on his tractor (?) and stopped to have a pleasant chat. I guess I could have asked for permission to walk closer to the barn, but it is not on his property. Anyway, I never go close to barns or go inside, as I never ask for permission. That doesn't stop a lot of photographers, but I can't do it. This barn is next to the road, fortunately.
I told this pleasant man that I felt like I was in the middle of nowhere, and he said that we WERE in the middle of nowhere, ha. I was planning to go back the same way I had come, but he told me that there was an old house the other way, that people photograph. That changed my mind, though I knew I would continue to feel in the middle of nowhere. Definitely worth it, as I also came across a site of old, abandoned miners' cabins before reaching the old house. When coal was no longer mined, the area was left and the railway lines were torn up at a later date.
One other abandoned house I passed was one that my daughter and I had found last year. It was built among the rolling hills, far, far away from any road, and is a very impressive sight. This year, they were doing road work repair by a bridge just a matter of feet away from the only possible place to pull over and stop. Thankfully, I was still able to stop and take photos.
Altogether, a good few hours out. Though I didn't see a lot, the things I did see were most welcome and appreciated. I was glad to get in one more long drive before 'the white stuff' arrives and keeps me close to home.
Tags: Alberta Canada NE of Calgary Sharples ghost town building old wooden elevator grain elevator P&H Parrish & Heimbecker weathered abandoned siding peeling red-painted annexe shed field grass tree bushes rural rural scene outdoor summer 17 September 2017 FZ200 FZ200#4 annkelliott Anne Elliott © Anne Elliott 2017 © All Rights Reserved Explore interestingness#166 explore2017September22
© All Rights Reserved
I added a touch of filter to this image in post-processing.
Tuesday, 9 January 2024, definitely winter! Our temperature at 5:00 pm is -12°C (feels like -22°C). Sunrise was at 8:37 am and sunset was at 4:48 pm. After a few weeks of amazing, mild weather and only three or four snowfalls, we had a drastic change of weather a few nights ago. Everywhere is covered in snow, with maybe 3" or 4" along the top of my fence. So thankful I have the luxury of being able to stay home. More snow tonight and the next two days. Forecast for 12 January is -31°C (feels like -39°C and -39°C overnight), and for Thursday 13 January is -29°C (feels like -30°C and -38°C overnight).
"A lobe of the polar vortex is on the move! Bitter, dangerously cold temperatures are set to infiltrate Alberta this week." The Weather Network. Two more days and we plunge into very cold weather. Forecast for 12 January is -29°C (feels like -37°C).
Tonight, I am adding another five photos from my archives. If I wrote a description under a previously posted photo taken on the same day, I will add it under today's uploads.
"Update on the Waterton wildfire, from CBC News - includes a poor quality helicopter video showing the townsite and the Prince of Wales hotel. Just amazing work done by all the firefighters! Thank you so much for everything you've done! Apparently, a few Elk and Bears have been seen in the town, which is great news. Plants will recover - some plants grow after there has been a fire, and some actually require a fire in order to grow and bloom. The status of the fire is now "held", which means that it is no longer growing but it is still burning in spots. Crandell Campground was significantly affected, which presumably means the same for the nearby Canyon Church Camp. Also, the Bison Paddock was damaged.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-waterton-lakes-nat...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three days ago, on 17 September 2017, after noticing snowflake icons in the weather forecast for Calgary this week, I decided I would do a drive east and north-east of Calgary. In 2016, I had done a similar drive with my daughter, but this time I did not go as far as Drumheller. Actually, I still drove quite a bit further than I had intended - 346 km, 215 miles. If I had had enough self-discipline, I would have left home much earlier, as it was 11:20 am when I finally got into my car.
My intention was to drive a few back roads, searching for old barns. Most of my drive was on highways, simply for the purpose of saving time, so it wasn't till I was more or less at the furthest point that I actually saw a barn.
I couldn't see a sign pointing to this old grain elevator, so it took me a while to find the hilly, gravel road leading to it. By this time, unfortunately, there was a haze over the landscape and the light was far from good. Having driven so far, I was determined to take photos. Though this photo was OK in the original shot, I added a touch of filter in post-processing, to bring out more detail. As with any beautiful old elevator or barn, it will be a sad day when this one finally collapses. It certainly does not look in good condition, with its outer layer (fire retardant?) peeling badly.
"The Elevator is marked P&H. This company, Parrish & Heimbecker, was one of the smaller players in the Canadian grain industry with a fewer number of elevators seen when compared to the big boys like UGG (United Grain Growers), Pioneer and the Alberta Wheat Pool (“The Pool”). Interestingly, each elevator company used specific colours on their structures making identifying them a fairly easy task. P&H mostly used either silver like what’s seen here, or a light yellow-ish colour – most other companies stuck to one colour.
The elevator here was built just after the rail line was opened (early 1920s) and the large annex attached was added some twenty years later. An annex like this was a quick and easy way to increase capacity and a large elevator allowed for more efficient loading of rail cars. While solid looking, the building is succumbing to the elements. The siding in particular is starting to peeling away.
There used to be a second elevator here, an AWP, Alberta Wheat Pool built late 1920s, that was torn down in the 1980s." From the link below that leads to an excellent site by Chris and Connie "bigdoer".
www.bigdoer.com/461/exploring-history/sharples-alberta-gh...
While I was standing there, taking photos of the grain elevator and the old barn that isn't seen in this photo, a farmer came down to the gravel road on his tractor (?) and stopped to have a pleasant chat. I guess I could have asked for permission to walk closer to the barn, but it is not on his property. Anyway, I never go close to barns or go inside, as I never ask for permission. That doesn't stop a lot of photographers, but I can't do it. This barn is next to the road, fortunately.
I told this pleasant man that I felt like I was in the middle of nowhere, and he said that we WERE in the middle of nowhere, ha. I was planning to go back the same way I had come, but he told me that there was an old house the other way, that people photograph. That changed my mind, though I knew I would continue to feel in the middle of nowhere. Definitely worth it, as I also came across a site of old, abandoned miners' cabins before reaching the old house. When coal was no longer mined, the area was left and the railway lines were torn up at a later date.
One other abandoned house I passed was one that my daughter and I had found last year. It was built among the rolling hills, far, far away from any road, and is a very impressive sight. This year, they were doing road work repair by a bridge just a matter of feet away from the only possible place to pull over and stop. Thankfully, I was still able to stop and take photos.
Altogether, a good few hours out. Though I didn't see a lot, the things I did see were most welcome and appreciated. I was glad to get in one more long drive before 'the white stuff' arrives and keeps me close to home."
Tags: Alberta Canada NE of Calgary the Laing house building house old wooden weathered abandoned crumbling rural decay rural rural scene field hill grass filter added in post-processing outdoor summer 17 September 2017 Canon SX60 Powershot annkelliott Anne Elliott © Anne Elliott 2017 © All Rights Reserved
© All Rights Reserved
The first time I saw this old barn was last year, on 18 July 2016, when my daughter and I did a bit of exploring north-east of Calgary. Yesterday, 17 September 2017, after noticing snowflake icons in the weather forecast for Calgary this week (which have now disappeared), I decided I would do a similar drive, but not as far as Drumheller this time. Actually, I still drove quite a bit further than I had intended - 346 km, 215 miles. If I had had enough self-discipline, I would have left home much earlier, as it was 11:20 am when I finally got into my car.
My intention was to drive a few back roads, searching for old barns. Most of my drive was on highways, simply for the purpose of saving time, so it wasn't till I was more or less at the furthest point that I actually saw a barn. I couldn't see a sign pointing to this place, so it took me a while to find the hilly, gravel road leading to it. By this time, unfortunately, there was a haze over the landscape and the light was very poor - as you can tell by the white sky. Having driven so far, I was determined to take photos. Though this photo was OK in the original shot, I added a touch of filter in post-processing, to really bring out more detail in the wood. I love this barn, but was saddened to see that the roof at the back of the sloping part on the right had collapsed a lot more than when I had seen it in 2016. As with any beautiful old barn, it will be a sad day when this one finally collapses.
While I was standing there, taking photos of the grain elevator that stands nearby, a farmer came down to the gravel road on his tractor (?) and stopped to have a pleasant chat. I guess I could have asked for permission to walk closer to the barn, but it is not on his property. Anyway, I never go close to barns or go inside, as I never ask for permission. That doesn't stop a lot of photographers, but I can't do it. This barn is next to the road.
I told this pleasant man that I felt like I was in the middle of nowhere, and he said that we WERE in the middle of nowhere, ha. I was planning to go back the same way I had come, but he told me that there was an old house the other way, that people photograph. That changed my mind, though I knew I would continue to feel in the middle of nowhere. Definitely worth it, as I also came across a site of old, abandoned miners' cabins before reaching the old house. When coal was no longer mined, the area was left and the railway lines were torn up at a later date.
One other abandoned house I passed yesterday was one that my daughter and I had found last year. It was built among the rolling hills, far, far away from any road, and is a very impressive sight. This year, they were doing road work repair by a bridge just a matter of feet away from the only possible place to pull over and stop. Thankfully, I was still able to stop and take photos. Heat haze/distortion didn't help when I zoomed in fully, but I should be able to rescue one or two of my photos later.
Altogether, a good few hours out. Though I didn't see a lot, the things I did see were most welcome and appreciated. I was glad to get in one more long drive before 'the white stuff' arrives and keeps me close to home. Still tired out a full day later - these drives knock me out!
Tags: Alberta Canada NE of Calgary Sharples building barn old wooden weathered abandoned rural decay rural rural scene field grass back road hazy sky outdoor summer 17 September 2017 FZ1000 Panasonic filter added in post-processing annkelliott Anne Elliott © Anne Elliott 2017 © All Rights Reserved
© All Rights Reserved
On 17 September 2017, after noticing snowflake icons in the weather forecast for Calgary for the next week, I decided I would do a drive east and north-east of Calgary. In 2016, I had done a similar drive with my daughter, but this time I did not go as far as Drumheller. Actually, I still drove quite a bit further than I had intended - 346 km, 215 miles. If I had had enough self-discipline, I would have left home much earlier, as it was 11:20 am when I finally got into my car.
My intention was to drive a few back roads, searching for old barns. Most of my drive was on highways, simply for the purpose of saving time, so it wasn't till I was more or less at the furthest point that I actually saw a barn.
I couldn't see a sign pointing to the old grain elevator that I wanted to revisit, so it took me a while to find the hilly, gravel road leading to it. By this time, unfortunately, there was a haze over the landscape and the light was far from good. Having driven so far, I was determined to take photos. As with any beautiful old elevator, barn or homestead, it will be a sad day when the old house in my photo finally collapses. It certainly does not look in good condition.
While I was standing taking photos of the old grain elevator, a farmer came down to the gravel road on his tractor and stopped to have a pleasant chat. I told this pleasant man that I felt like I was in the middle of nowhere, and he said that we WERE in the middle of nowhere, ha. I was planning to go back the same way I had come, but he told me that there was an old house (seen in this photo) the other way, that people photograph. That changed my mind, though I knew I would continue to feel in the middle of nowhere. Definitely worth it, as I also came across a site of old, abandoned miners' cabins before reaching the old house. When coal was no longer mined, the area was left and the railway lines were torn up at a later date.
One other abandoned house I passed was one that my daughter and I had found last year. It was built among the rolling hills, far, far away from any road, and is a very impressive sight. This year, they were doing road work repair by a bridge just a matter of feet away from the only possible place to pull over and stop. Thankfully, I was still able to stop and take photos.
Altogether, a good few hours out. Though I didn't see a lot, the things I did see were most welcome and appreciated. I was glad to get in one more long drive before 'the white stuff' arrives and keeps me close to home.
Tags: Alberta Canada NE of Calgary building old wooden house homestead abandoned decay weathered crumbling rural rural scene field grass hill tree sky outdoor summer 17 September 2017 FZ200 FZ200#4 Panasonic Lumix annkelliott Anne Elliott © Anne Elliott 2017 © All Rights Reserved
© All Rights Reserved
I added a touch of filter in post-processing.
"On 17 September 2017, after noticing snowflake icons in the weather forecast for Calgary this week, I decided I would do a drive east and north-east of the city. In 2016, I had done a similar drive with my daughter, but this time I did not go as far as Drumheller. Actually, I still drove quite a bit further than I had intended - 346 km, 215 miles. If I had had enough self-discipline, I would have left home much earlier, as it was 11:20 am when I finally got into my car.
My intention was to drive a few back roads, searching for old barns. Most of my drive was on highways, simply for the purpose of saving time, so it wasn't till I was more or less at the furthest point that I actually saw a barn.
I think my first stop was at Sharples - I couldn't see a sign pointing to this old grain elevator, so it took me a while to find the hilly, gravel road leading to it. By this time, unfortunately, there was a haze over the landscape and the light was far from good. Having driven so far, I was determined to take photos. As with any beautiful old elevator or barn, it will be a sad day when this one finally collapses. It certainly does not look in good condition, with its outer layer (fire retardant?) peeling badly.
"The Elevator is marked P&H. This company, Parrish & Heimbecker, was one of the smaller players in the Canadian grain industry with a fewer number of elevators seen when compared to the big boys like UGG (United Grain Growers), Pioneer and the Alberta Wheat Pool (“The Pool”). Interestingly, each elevator company used specific colours on their structures making identifying them a fairly easy task. P&H mostly used either silver like what’s seen here, or a light yellow-ish colour – most other companies stuck to one colour.
The elevator here was built just after the rail line was opened (early 1920s) and the large annex attached was added some twenty years later. An annex like this was a quick and easy way to increase capacity and a large elevator allowed for more efficient loading of rail cars. While solid looking, the building is succumbing to the elements. The siding in particular is starting to peeling away.
There used to be a second elevator here, an AWP, Alberta Wheat Pool built late 1920s, that was torn down in the 1980s." From the link below that leads to an excellent site by Chris and Connie "bigdoer".
www.bigdoer.com/461/exploring-history/sharples-alberta-gh...
While I was standing there, taking photos of the grain elevator and the old barn that isn't seen in this photo, a farmer came down to the gravel road on his tractor and stopped to have a pleasant chat. I guess I could have asked for permission to walk closer to the barn, but it is not on his property. Anyway, I never go close to barns or go inside, as I never ask for permission. That doesn't stop a lot of photographers, but I can't do it.
I told this pleasant man that I felt like I was in the middle of nowhere, and he said that we WERE in the middle of nowhere, ha. I was planning to go back the same way I had come, but he told me that there was an old house the other way, that people photograph. That changed my mind, though I knew I would continue to feel in the middle of nowhere. Definitely worth it, as I also came across a site of old, abandoned miners' cabins before reaching the old house. When coal was no longer mined, the area was left and the railway lines were torn up at a later date.
One other abandoned house I passed was one that my daughter and I had found last year. It was built among the rolling hills, far, far away from any road, and is a very impressive sight. This year, they were doing road work repair by a bridge just a matter of feet away from the only possible place to pull over and stop. Thankfully, I was still able to stop and take photos.
The last place I stopped on the way home was to take a few shots of this row of five old granaries. They are quite popular with photographers. Thought I'd add a black and white version, for a change.
Altogether, a good few hours out. Though I didn't see a lot, the things I did see were most welcome and appreciated. I was glad to get in one more long drive before 'the white stuff' arrives and keeps me close to home. It has already fallen to the west of us."
Tags: Alberta Canada NE of Calgary building shed granary granaries five in a row old wooden weathered rural decay rural rural scene pulled down no longer exist field grass back road gravel filter added in post-processing outdoor summer 17 September 2017 FZ200 Panasonic Lumix annkelliott Anne Elliott © Anne Elliott 2017 © All Rights Reserved
© All Rights Reserved