It was a beautiful Thanksgiving Monday. One of my favourite drives is south from Tompkins to the bench that follows through to the Cypress Hills. As you climb from the Trans Canada Highway you wind through farmland that gradually changes to ranchland as the land becomes more rolling and arid. Then it returns to farmland. There is a popular creek for trout fishing on the bench.
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| Most of the crops have been harvested. A few farmers are finishing. |
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| This little mule deer was nice enough to stop and pose before jumping the fence and into the bluff. |
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| Agricultural land developed for gas wells. |
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| I can remember as a child helping my father plant trees supplied by the PFRA. They were planted to reduce wind erosion and increase moisture retention by trapping the winter's snow. |
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| Sadly many farmers are removing the trees leaving wide open landscapes. |
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| Idyllic country scene. |
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| This slough was filled with ducks bobbing for food until I walked over to take a picture! Hunting season makes them a little skittish. |
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| Pond without the ducks. |
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| Lutheran church in Admiral, SK. Three churches like this in this tiny village in addition to other heritage buildings. |
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| The modern day farm has a large farmstead. With the heavy grain and lentil yields many new bins have been purchased. |
Lovely photographs. Thank you for sharing your drive
ReplyDeleteIt is a very different drive than the ones I had over the holidays, but beautiful nonetheless. It concerns me about the removal of the trees and brings to mind the dustbowl of the 30's. But what does a city girl know of agriculture or framing practices. Times have changed since then, not that I was alive in the 30's mind you:D
ReplyDeleteLovely photos on your Thanksgiving drive!
ReplyDeleteSimple beauty..Stark..and says so much:)
ReplyDeleteLove the landscapes you have shared. So uncluttered.
Thanks so much for sharing your journey with us. Oh Canada my Canada! Love it!
ReplyDeleteI love the rolling farmland too. So pretty. The sky behind the church in your second to last photo looks fantastic. What a great drive you had. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeletePictures cannot really show the beauty of the land on the bench. I was shocked to see those clouds behind the church. I didn't realize they were so dark. I like the light on the church itself. It's all luck.
DeleteI do not think I have ever seen such large treeless areas. Here in France we have massive forest areas which spread between the agricultural lands. Luckily the forest areas are not diminishing,as although they are cutting on a regular basis they plant back as they remove, Have a good week Diane
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