The Hole of Horcum

The Hole of Horcum
The Hole of Horcum and Levisham Moor, taken from the Whitby to Pickering road

Wednesday, 25 June 2014

A drive through the Qu'Appelle Valley to Motherwell Homestead.

                                                                     
The weather has continued on its crazy course, yesterday was like a monsoon, this morning was overcast with heavy looking clouds, another day of rain we thought, but what the heck lets go out anyway. 
Up the Qu'Appelle Valley to the Motherwell Homestead and what do you know, the clouds cleared away and we had a wonderful day, great scenery and sunshine.
The Qu'Appelle Valley is one of Canada's gems, you can be belting along the Trans-Canada Highway and just a few kilometres north you have scenery like this.  The prairies according to a lot of people we have met on this trip are boring and the sooner you are out of them the better.  That has not been our experience at all, there are some flat parts, but there is a lot like the photo above.
                                                                                   
Wild rose with a visiter.

Yellow lady slipper orchid, very rare in Europe, growing by the side of the road here.


Lanark Place, built in 1897 Mr. Motherwell was well established by this time, he arrived with his wife in 1882 age 22, lived in a tent for 2 years and then a wooden cabin before having this built in 1897, all the stone used in its construction came from his fields. The farm was 6, 1/4 sections  960 acres.  He started out with one 1/4 section, 160 acres and added to it over the years.

The green house is where the working men on the farm lived, 2 all year round and another 20 during the harvest.

 Horses in the stables, The farm is now down to  about 40 acres of which I think the guide said- 23 are farmed in the traditional way as it would have been done around 1910
A couple of farm wagons, still in use the one in front is a hay rick minus a wheel got to get that fixed for the threshing demonstrations in August.

Another wagon fitted with sleds for the winter.

Cockshutt seed drill built in Ontario in 1897 and still in use, pulled by 4 horses, last used a few weeks ago to to seed some Red Fife Wheat, an old strain they still use here, they make bread and sell it in the cafe/shop.

Part of the vegetable garden.  All the veggies grown here are used in the cafe.

This was a surprise anther slip.

I thought this was a good idea, waste bin (garbage in Canadian) built like a mini grain elevator.                                                                        
On our way back to Indian Head, Lake Katepwa at the south eastern end of the Qu'Appelle Valley.

Looking across the prairie towards Indian Head
The crop is canola - rape seed in Europe.
                                                                                 
The statue of the Indian Head as you enter the town.
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