Cardinal Rules of Ghost-Towning

After spending almost all summer investigating abandoned towns and houses in the Saskatchewan countryside, I consider myself a bit of an expert on the "ghost-towning" experience.  Here are a few things to keep in mind if you want to experience ghost towns for yourself.  

General Store in the ghost town of Bents, Saskatchewan

Bring a good map

A grid map is perfect for the prairies.  However, be prepared for roads that are not clearly identified. Many rural municipalities (RMs) in Saskatchewan don't bother to identify any roads whatsoever, or they name them rather than using the RR number. 

Bring water and snacks

Obviously ghosts rarely own stores.  Ghost towns are devoid of bathrooms, coke on tap and anything that resembles a snack.  Don't make the mistake I always make and practically succumb to hunger and thirst while exploring a town.  

Never bring implements of destruction 

Anything that can be interpreted as an implement of destruction (i.e., axes, hammers, crowbars, etc.) won't make it easy if you happen to wander onto private property and try to claim that you're just an intrepid explorer.  If you think you need to bring something to protect yourself, you probably shouldn't be in the town in the first place. 

If it's not abandoned, don't trespass

It's sometimes a little difficult to determine whether or not a property is truly, by the legal definition, abandoned.  However, it's not impossible.  "No Trespassing" signs, clearly readable mean "don't trespass, silly".  If a property still has power, someone is paying the bill and thus, the property is not abandoned.  Also, look for a mowed lawn.  An abandoned house will have no power, most likely no windows (or no curtains), and an overgrown lawn.  My rule of thumb is, if it's not obviously abandoned, knock first, and when entering, yell "hello?" just in case squatters of the human or non-human variety are lurking inside. 

And of course, never break in.  An open door on an abandoned house is an open invitation.   Picking a lock, or otherwise breaking in could be considered breaking and entering if the property is not, as you assumed, abandoned.  

Don't be a looter and leave everything the way you found it.  

Sometimes I take a memento from an old house so that I can identify who may have lived there or because the house is in such ill-repair I know it has never been entered nor will be before it becomes one with the earth again.  But I find it very unfortunate when I come to an abandoned home that has clearly been gutted for financial gain.  

Know what wildlife you may encounter 

In Saskatchewan, we have tick season, hornet season, and all summer is mosquito season.  What we don't have is a lot of dangerous mammals or poisonous snakes.  Know what you're likely to encounter before you leave the house so that you're prepared.  Also, when you enter any building, make noise so you don't happen upon a family of raccoon peacefully napping in an attic.  When I'm alone, I like to sing to myself, to make sure I'm always making my presence known.

It's ok to keep it to yourself

There's no reason to tell the world where a town is located, or where you made the discovery of a lifetime.  I have my own private ghost town, and it's not on the map.  Maybe you'll find yours too.  

Map Love on Kinja

This compilation of unique and fascinating maps will make you drool.

Summer Horses of Rural Saskatchewan

A very friendly girl I named Shelby

Shelby and Savannah

Savannah and Shelby gave me lots to work with.  Good job,girls!

A sweet and solitary mare near Biggar, Saskatchewan

A gorgeous group of horses on a Reserve near Tway, Saskatchewan.  They were wary of strangers but had to accept our help since one was tangled in downed barbed wire.  

Saskatchewan Prairie Photography: Can't Get Enough of Those Abandoned Buildings!

I haven't made it more than 5 km out of Saskatoon to take photos because by the time I am 5 km out, I've used up all of my allotted time and I have to rush home to relieve my babysitter.  But that doesn't mean that Saskatchewan lets me down.  I spent over an hour at a site within sight of a Walmart, exploring an old homestead on the west side of town.   I can't help imagining the life of the homes before they were abandoned, and then, finally, why they were abandoned at all.  Some obviously have signs of fire or other disaster but others seem to have simply been left, leaving everything from stacks of piano music to entire photo albums behind.  Oh, the mystery stirs my soul!

I found many old animal bones in this barn.  There had been a fire, and several of the bones
 belonged to juvenile animals. 

This bus contained copious amounts of Soviet propaganda, as well as a box of maps from all across the US and Mexico, birthday cards, local and out-of-province newspapers, and so much more.  I'll add pics of these items soon.  

A bible in an old Mennonite Church.  Circa 1909.

Self Portraits are NOT Selfies

Sure, I take selfies from time to time, but I also take self portraits.  Oh, how I wish the difference had to be understood by people before they were allowed access to Instagram and Twitter.  

At first, I thought self portraits would get rather self-indulgent.  I only wanted to show the pretty side of myself at first.  But then I realized that a self portrait is unique in that it can capture, if done well, every nuance of what makes you "you".  

I consider myself to be a feminine woman.  With a tomboy side.  And a little bit of badass.  Depending on my mood, my portraits reflect these parts of me.  I've been haunting thrift shops for wigs (yeah, I know, germs) and interesting costumes and props.  I don't intend to be the next Cindy Sherman but she must have had a ton of fun making the photos she made.

Here are a few of mine.  Comments and critique certainly welcome.  I'm just an amateur, pretending to know a thing or two.

Photography, Prairie-Style

I spent most of my formative years in country that even Daniel Boone found daunting, at the foot of the Appalachian mountains.  There, you could hardly see the sky because the trees and kudzu took over.  Sunsets were breath-taking, but the sky was diminutive.  The South was always full of "things". 

Now I live in Saskatoon, where hills are hardly hills at all.  Some must be pointed out to me as hills at all.  But taking my camera out recently, I've started finding "things".  So many things to photograph that I can hardly contain myself at home.  It's amazing how country that seems so empty is really so rich and full.

What the heck? My Toys Encounter a 35mm Camera on the Beach