Back to Blogging!

It’s been awhile since I last posted, I’ve been pretty busy. Now seems like a good time to ge back into the groove.

 October has been an amazing month, the weather has been summer like for the most part, we just cleaned up the flower beds and even some of them hadn't frozen yet.

We travelled to Red Deer to meet my sisters, Sandi and Deb for lunch at the Ranch House. We try and hook up every couple months, saving us all a bunch of extra driving and let someone else do the cooking.  

Today it is a beautiful day, weather wise. 1am signing off now, with good intentions of posting much more often. 

 We took an amazing drive yesterday, travelling west on Highway 16, the Yellowhead, to Jasper, AB, with stops in between for business. Travelling south on the Maligne Lake road, we spotted a black bear grazing along the road. We went into Jasper Park Lodge in search of elk, they were lounging along the Athabasca River.  Back to Jasper for a snack and a beverage, we then proceeded south on Highway 93, the Icefields Parkway. Travelling the Parkway is always an adventure, various waterfalls and elevation changes, once at the Columbia Icefields, we took a break for a few photos. It was very smoky from all the forest fires in the south. We then travelled east along Abraham Lake, with a quick stop for a couple photos at Crescent Falls. We then proceeded homeward via Nordegg, North on the Sunchild Road to Drayton Valley, then home to Calmar. A 14 hour tour but it was all worth it. COVID has curbed a lot of activities for many people, however, if you pack a lunch and some drinks, you can create your own entertainment. The nature of our company and the work we do, allows us to combine work and our photography on the same trips. By travelling the Backroads, you can social distance and still enjoy this beautiful province of Alberta. 

 

Saturday was a great day for a drive, we travelled to Sundre, then west to the Trunk Road, back to Nordegg and home. Spotted this old steamer SW of Sundre. 

It’s a great day in Alberta, the first rain of the season to freshen things up, get the grass and trees growing. We are still self isolating, only because we want to stay safe. It looks like the Province is going to open up a few services and golf courses, social distancing being the order of the day. It has been awhile since we have been out on a photo run so I have been recycling some oldies but goodies. Well folks, that’s about it for today, a fresh start blogging again will provoke more thoughts and writings.

Olive Parks, my Mom, she was about 3 or 4 in this photo. It would have been taken at my Grandparents farm south of Esther in the Hudson Heights district. Mom started school at Rush Centre and continued on to Hudson Heights for High School. As the story goes, she met my Dad at a dance at St. Julien School, they hit it off and got married in 1946 and moved to the Old Short Farm southeast of Esther 5 miles. As the years went by they acquired more land and the family farm began, I and my three siblings were raised and grew up on that farm. Mom was born in Loverna Sk, April 27, 1924, even tho Esther was our home town, Loverna roots ran deep in the family and we always considered Loverna as our other hometown. Mom was very active in the community and instrumental in the writing of the Sagebrush and Sifting Sands History Book that was published for the 1991 Esther homecoming. it was a grand book with 1200 pages and she was always proud of the communities accomplishment. Mom passed in November 1996, it was a sad day for us all but with all of the wonderful memories we have of her, she lives on in our daily lives today. Merry Christmas to all of my family and friends, have a happy and safe Christmas.

I have posted this a few years ago, however thank you to Patti Evaskevich, we now have a photo with names of people on the platform. Thank you Patti for this photo.

In 1911, the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway surveyed the route of their branch line from Bigger, Sk to Hemaruka, Ab. In 1912 the grade for the railroad was constructed to Loverna and the following summer the steel arrived. Along with the railroad arriving in the area, the town of Loverna sprang up, with restaurants, a Chinese laundry, a poolroom, and a lumber yard.
It was a grand celebration the day the steel was completed to Loverna, people were invited to drive some of the Last Spikes, as Loverna was the last station in Saskatchewan. That night, homesteaders from near and far gathered in the pool hall, they danced and celebrated. The line was completed to Hemaruka, Alberta in 1924.

The Pratt family was always a big part of my life growing up in the Esther community. Jim was one of the early settlers in the community, after he and Beatrice married, they had three sons. Bruce and his wife Ann on the left, George and his wife Phyllis in the middle back, George worked for my Dad in his younger years and taught me how to drive at a very young age. You could always count on George to come and help with anything you needed help with. He was a magician with a pair of pliers and a table knife, able to repair anything. Roy and Roxie on the right, always family friends, Roy and I worked together, played ball together, hunted together and curled together for many years. I do remember some of the all night sessions with our friends making sausage at Roy and Roxies house. Jim and Beatrice seated in the center were the matriarchs of this family, Beatrice often babysat my siblings and I when Mom and Dad were off curling. Beatrice made a sauve called Pratt's Sauve, and I am sure it would cure anything that ailed you. Phyllis and Roy and Roxie still live in the Esther community and are active in the happenings about the community.