Rumley

This little beast was made in 1920. It is the light and compact successor to its 1912 predecessor (no longer on the farm). Manufcatured in the USA it still runs and is a star at the local tractor pull events. It weighs about 3 tonnes and its engine generates about 30hp. My grandfather had to go and be trained in its use in Calgary before having it shipped home (cost of about $1300 - seen the bill of sale). His use of it so impressed the manufacturers that they subsequently sold him a stripper machine interest free. Awsome to hear it run!

Sawmill

This sawmill was a major piece of equipment in the settlement of the locality as it was used to convert much of the timber that was felled into planks that were used to build all the buildings on the farms around. You can see a small pile of logs awaiting processing (black and grey poplars, as well as spruce). It is, believe it or not, portable.

The blade and carriage are driven by a belt, attached generally to a tractor (such as the Rumley, above).

Treadly

This little number dates from 1945. Manufactured in the UK. It's running gear is still in good shape. It was a gift from one uncle to the mate of another way back when. A smooth rider, by all accounts.

Morning Music

I've been staying at my Uncle and Aunt's for the last few nights. This piano is in their lounge room. Every morning he plays a couple of numbers before getting on with the business of the day. It's been a privilege to share.

Sunset

At the end of an interesting day I went for a walk in the fields. Bloody beautiful, even if it kept getting colder!

The standing pools of water were frozen across the top earlier in the day. I assume they were frozen solid not many weeks ago. Although there is still a bite in the wind, there is green showing through in the budding trees and the tulips are creeping out.

So, all in all, a magnificent end to an early spring day!

Family Trait

Those who know me well know that I enjoy sitting around on verandahs and balconies and watching the world go by as I pretend to read a book. Although I didn't have a book at the time (!) and despite the cold (about 1'C, not counting the wind chill), I decided to have a bit of a sit down in one of the old wooden seats on the front verandah. Very comfortable.

You can, I think, make out the pleasure I have had on this exploration of this place and the important postion it holds in my heritage.

The Home Farm

Another view of the front of the house.

You don't see this view that easily these days, as the main farm yard into which the driveway enters is beyond a thin screen of trees to the left. However, I am sure that from this side the place appears much as it once did. It has been in the hands of my relatives for over one hundred years.

From this angle, the size of it is not evident.

Verandah

Coming in off the highway into the farmyard, you are eventually able to make out the house in which my mother and most of her many siblings were born. Although reclad with modern materials, I understand the original facing still lies true beneath.

As you can see, it is well kept by its present day custodians.

Tree screen

The old Prochnau farm is happily screened from the worst visual excesses of the modern age with its highways and refinery stacks by spruce trees. Here's a view from the highway side of the home, with the house barely visible in the background.

Modernity

Lest the reader thinks that we are all living in the past in this part of Canada, this is a vision of the other side of the highway, just a few kilmetres down the road. This mineral refinery plant (nickel?) has been spewing out its product (ahem, it's 'waste') for decades also. And the highway itself is a major arterial route to Alberta's oilshale deposits to the north, with a constant stream of heavy transport.

Local farmers have all been given advice of what to do in case of major environmental disaster. Lucky they know how to pray.

Corner

This detail is from the same building as the previous post of the wall (the planks heading off to the left of the photo are the planks in the previous post). Here you can see the tightly fitted construction method used to secure the building structurally. The working of the timber was by hand for this work, which is almost 'naval' in appearance. I'm not a carpenter, but I don't have to be to admire the workmanship of the unknown farmer who put this together.

Wall

This detail is of the exterior of one of the granary walls on the Prochnau farm. You can see the tight fitting that has been achieved by a combination of lumber saw and hand trimming (you can see the score marks of the hand tools). Although aged, the wood holds true and protects a useable interior. Again, local lumber, labour and machinery of almost a century ago.

Barn Interior

This shows the stalls and hewn wood construction of the interior of one of the sheds in the Fibke farmyard. It was made from local lumber, by people I have met many years ago, with machinery that still exists and is in operating condition (I hope to record some of that over the next few days).

Although not used for its original purpose these days, it still could be almost one hundred years after its construction.

Woodpecker

This guy arrived to feed at the feeder box outside the old Fibke Farm (where my grandmother was raised) towards the end of my lunchtime visit there. Although not a good photo, this shy fellow ended up putting himself on display for us so I thought would include it to honour the occasion.

The Fibke Farm is visible from where my grandmother eventually settled down with my grandfather, where most of these photos were taken.

Bird Home

This little house stands ready for spring time use by our smaller feathered friends. Nesting boxes are common on farms and homes in Alberta and B.C., and there are quite a variety of them to suit the large variety of birds that are returning at the moment from the winter hideaways.

Note the colouration and general modelling, a cross between a granary and a church - two of the key buildings in the lives of the settlers and their descendants of this area.

Granary

This red painted building is an older version of the 'granary', once used for storing grains and dry goods through the winter. The red colours are 'traditional', I have recently also seen pictures of similar architecture from Norway.

Behind the Canadian flag you can see the 'summer kitchen' of the old Prochnau farm. It was built for the stated purpose and my grandmother used to spend long hours in its confines. It was also used for a separate accomodation on at least one occasion.

Snow Scroll

This 'roll' of snow is the result of a morning snowfall of 'wet' snow collecting on the curved and corrugated roof of a large shed, and then loosing it's structural strength once the temperature rises so as to slide down the corrugations and compact itself at ground level, rolling itself up in the process.

Couldn't resist recording the moment.

Silos

These silos are used to store the grain after harvest. The means are available to 'dry' the grain with blowers in those years where time and weather combine to prevent the grain properly drying on the stalk before harvest. These silos have replaced the old granaries one still sees in the farmyards around the landscape (see above).

Spring Fields

The land around the home farm is all used for grain production these days. It is a very rich black earth, and they use no-till agrigulture methods to preserve this most valuable of resources. The stubble from last summer and the stands of trees scattered over the hills are there to further prevent the wind blowing the top soil away and to trap the snow so that the moisture can feed into the soil. No fences as no animals.

The clouds are spectacular.

Snow Morn

The winter-like landscape is, as I previously said, conducive to one thinking that one is living inside a christmas card. Particularly with the spruce trees and their classical 'christmas tree' shape. If not due the cold, would be the beauty that takes the breath away.

The snow that was falling was universally agreed by the locals to be 'wet' snow, with some large flakes. Stunning.

Lookin' out the backdoor

Upon opening the backdoor for a breath of fresh air, this is the sight that greeted me, a 'gateway' in the snow shrouded hedge to the fields beyond. Hanging in the middle of the gap is a bird nesting box. Not yet being used, but with the rate that spring is coming on, no doubt soon to be.

Bird Breakfast

I spent the night on the family farm where my mother was born (albeit in a different house). Upon waking this morning and walking into the kitchen this is the sight that greeted me, a whitened landscape. Like living in a postcard, to this Aussie!

Immediately outside the kitchen window my aunt has this bird feeder, that was well populated even in the snow. Beautiful.

Old Strathcona

Before there was Edmonton there was Strathcona, south of the river. After about 1911 Edmonton gained its name and its dominance over its older urban partner. The area around 82nd Ave (Whyte Ave) that I hung out in today (and Saturday) is the old town and significant efforts have been made over the decades to keep its character and heritage values. The Strathcona Hotel in previous post is one example. The building in foreground of this picture is replica of original Edmonton - Calgary Railway terminal, runs tourist trains between May and October. Nice place.

Strathcona Hotel

Just up the road from Cook County Tavern is this imposing building. Although reclad in its timber boards it is apparently much as it was about a hundred years ago. I had a beer here this morning before adventuring through the heritage district of Old Strathcona and its second hand bookshops and cafes.

Apparently the Uni Students like it at least one night a week when it has 'dollar beers'. I thought they were a thing of the past. Just goes to show that heritage still lives on in Old Strathcona.

Cook County Tavern

I went to this place on Saturday Night with Sister, Hubby, and some cousins. We had a ball, crawled back to the motel after 2am. Reasonable cover fee after 10pm, albeit with photo ID check with a photo being taken upon entry for 'security' purposes. Drink prices were less than similar venue back home. Big crowd of line dancing flannel shirted cowboy booted edmontonians having a ball. Surprisingly, I thoroughly enjoyed my time there.
I saw it today on my trip through Old Strathcona, took the photo for the memories.

Aussies

My sister and her husband were part of the curling crew that had such fun playing the game. Being on the ice for a couple of hours and curling the heavy stones sure works up an appetite, so we all went out for a late lunch / early tea to West Edmonton Mall. We were in a zone of this gigantic shopping centre that is in permanent dusk and had a great meal.

I'll probably only see my lil sis and her man back in Oz, but it sure was great to spend some time with them over here when our paths crossed.

Curl!

To my mind curling is a cross between the more familiar sports of lawn bowls and skateboarding (surprisingly, considering curling is played on ice). One foot has a slippery sole, the other a gripping sole. One pushes off with the grip sole, slides on the slider. You can wear 'overshoes' to convert your own footwear into curling footwear.

The aim is to get your 'stones' closer to the 'house' than the other side. Here you can see the motion to get the stone on the way.

Conference

I went curling with a few family members yesterday. If Icehockey is the 'yang' of canadian winter sports, curling is the 'yin'. The first is ability plus violence, the second is ability plus brains.

As it's a team sport there is often a bit of a discussion about what to do next, as it's an interesting sport there's nearly always options (if you're good enough).

Mobile Snow

A downside of snow is that it covers everything when it falls, including roads and cars. Everyone has a brush to wipe it off the windows, or you can do what this driver has done and just use your hand to scrape it off of the bits you need to see through.

On the roads, there's sand/grit and ice spread around, which turns into an acidic muck over the winter - necessitating frequent car washes if you don't want your car to rust away in a handful of years.

Cheer

My first cousin once removed is a keen member of the Rush 'cheer team'. We don't really have anything like it in Australia, they take it very seriously with championships of their own. A pretty good excuse to go and watch a lacrosse game if you ask me!

Cousins

Here's me, my cousin and his missus at the Rexall stadium. This facility probably seats about 20000 when full for an Edmonton Oilers icehockey game. Maybe a quarter of that for a Rush lacrosse game. You can see that we're having fun, and that even though there's no ice in Lacrosse that it was still a bit chilly.

Rush

I went to the Lacrosse with my cousin and his wife last night. They started going regularly to the games because one of their daughter's is in the cheer squad (see above), but the game isn't bad either. It is certainly not for weaklings, as this picture perhaps shows. It is very quick, and reasonably high scoring.

The local team, 'The Rush' got home by a golden goal in overtime after they had been locked at 8 all with the Minnesotta Swarm at full time. Great fun.