Anybody wanna move to Saskatchewan??? - Page 2

Autumn Daze · 08-06-2010, 08:07 AM

Dean hit the nail on the head for me too.Whenever I encounter one of these old house's or barn's my mind shifts to thought's of these homesteaders grit and determination.Trying to scratch out an existence for themselves and their family's and their ultimate failure.Most probably moved back to the cities in hope of work.

Another thought along the same lines is when I see all our old brick factory building from the 1800's here in New England now for the most part abandoned and empty. A reminder of our industrial might in years now long gone...On a positive note three of the factory building's that was part of the Parker family industrial empire are still in use today...Thanks for letting me reminice.....

TARNATION !!! · 08-06-2010, 08:58 AM

The barn here is a bit beyond a fixer-upper but the pheasants you can shoot from the porch of the house (after Francis and I built that

) make good use of the shelter around the barn. Honest, there is water in the creek that you can't quite see below.

I love these old places for the roosters that hang out around them. They also make great photos and evoke imagination of the time they were active farms. Some folks did not survive the depression era but others did. They were hardy stock and lived life their way. Some of the descendants are still in the area but they are not farming 1/4 section; rather, those who continued and made good business decisions are now farming 10 or more sections of land. Small family farms are a thing of the past and the distance between neighbors is pretty far on the open prairie.
Cheers,
Jack

David Hamilton · 08-06-2010, 09:17 PM

Jack, Mighty lomesome, hardly a tree in sight. The old building looks is if it was resigned to fate. Beautiful and austere, lovely colors and sky, dreamy and remote. I don't know how I would feel waking every day to such a plain scene. However, the poet in me would find a way to love such a place. David

Bruce Day · 08-07-2010, 08:25 AM

My forebears were in the Dakotas, maybe thats why I have a fondness for the plains and the wind, and I just drove through David Hamilton's town in Va, not a decent prairie view there and no constant wind. He probably doesn't even have a snow fence for the tumbleweeds to pile up against....he doesn't know what he's missing. Va was beautiful, charming, but as I said to Jim Hall, there aren't decent east-west, north south straight roads in the whole state, unlike out here where a crooked road is an employment opportunity for the highway engineers.

Jack, I used to hunt in southern western Can.... Bossevein, all that area north of the line above NoDak. Several of us are hunting prairie grouse around Mott ND in mid Sept, much the same country as in your pictures.

TARNATION !!! · 08-07-2010, 12:24 PM

Bruce: From the looks of the creek around Mott, you should have some good hunting. That's about 8 hours from my little corner of the planet. I sometimes find myself N of the 49th near Ambrose and Crosby ND. The second house picture is probably 20 miles N of the Ambrose elevator.

My roots S of the 49th are in Minnesota and Idaho. Some of them decided on taking up the offer of homesteads in northern Saskatchewan. That branch of the family stayed, except my Grandmother who maintained dual citizenship and has a daughter, well into her 90's and still living in her own home in Raytown MO.

While a little fuzzy, you can see the Ambrose elevator in this pic, taken from a spot where I find a few roosters every year. I'm guessing the elevator is close to 10 miles away taken with a 400 mm telephoto lens but handheld, so not the best focus.

Old and Reliable · 08-07-2010, 08:52 PM

Yankton SD- a great GSJ story by Jack Curtis- Skofer's run-down shack of a house-- if the stove is cast iron, tough to weld- guess I'll have to bring my portable generator to run my Skil saw etc for the rebuild- but shooting pheasants from the porch- that sounds intriguing!

Rod N. Gunn · 08-07-2010, 08:58 PM

Jack's pictures look a lot like my family's Western Kansas farmstead. But not because of "broken dreams and desperation" but because every one went to college and never came back. Its actually quite the opposite. If my dead grandfather could see where I live now he would gladly light his old machine shed on fire. But I sure am glad he left it to us so we can hunt there!

David Borrowman · 08-08-2010, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce Day

Several of us are hunting prairie grouse around Mott ND in mid Sept, much the same country as in your pictures.

Bruce, I hunted up there two years ago and stayed in Lefor. Pheasants, huns, and sharp-tail. Very beautiful country. A college buddy's uncle lives up there (his Aunt is from Mott) and we were supposed to go back this year, but his wife is due with twins a week after we were supposed to go. The Enchanted Highway is worth a drive is you like quirky, two story tall, metal sculptures.

David

David Hamilton · 08-10-2010, 08:32 PM

Jack, Bruce, Calvin, I could move to the plains with hardly a look back as I love open space and low people density. I am however married and my dearly beloved thinks that 50 miles from Washington, DC is remote. I do admit that I have one child who lives in DC and another in NYC and including three grandchildren (That is two and one due any minute). My hands are tied but my spirit would be free. I find that I can be happy almost anywhere but give me some space! David