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.
Posted by annkelliott on 2017-10-08 17:06:41
Tagged: , 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
