Grasslands National Park & Wood Mountain Post.

Tuesday afternoon and just arrived in Moose Jaw from Wood Mountain and we have WiFi again, I suppose it would be asking to much to have WiFi in the parks, they have only electric/water hook ups at Wood Mountain, big step to install WiFi before sewers.

We drove through heavy rain on the way to Wood Mountain, but sunshine greeted us as we drove into the park.

This is The Sitting Bull Memorial, placed on a hill which dominates the park below.

Looking back to the park and the campground below.

This little creek runs between the campground and the Mounted Police Post.

Monday morning and off we go to Grasslands National Park, a few kilometres down the road. Sky looking very sinister, by the time we got into the park it was raining very hard and I'm afraid we didn't see much at all, scenery that is, we did see a lot of birds they weren't put off by the rain at all.

Couple of views of the type of country side in this part of the Grasslands Park, pity about the weather.

Bird of prey - Swainson's Hawk.

 Back at the campground, late afternoon and like yesterday the sun comes out and we have a wonderful evening. cross the the creek by the little bridge and a nice walk to The Mounted Police Post.

Wood Mountain was not a fort just an outpost. The Mounted Police made use of an old Boundary Commission Post. The main reason for its existence the thousands of Lakota Sioux and to a lesser extent the Nez Pierce fleeing the American Army.

Recruitment poster for the Mounted Police, to begin with they were paid a dollar a day, good wages. 

What your truck looks like after a day driving the Grasslands gravel roads.

Rural scenes from Saskatchewan

We are now parked up in Swift Current, the weather has turned against us a drop from the mid 20's to 14c. at the moment and the rain is coming down in stair-rods.   

The first two pics. are of a river that dosn't seem to have a name, it runs through the campground just outside Maple Creek.

This is going through the gate as we left the Cypress Hills Provincial Park. The one below taken from the trailer drop of point before you go into the park, same view but from a different angle.

Now I think that is a great Canadian rural scene.

 Little "old" house on the prairie.

                                                                                   

Spotted this John Deere seed drill away over on the prairie, probably left where it broke down.

Pronghorn, in Canada found only in South Western Saskatchewan and South Eastern Alberta.

I have planed this rural Saskatchewan post for a day or two and whilst taking the photos have been careful not to include modern Saskatchewan ie.-oil riggs, nodding donkey pumps, oil tanks and all the rest, which I think was a mistake, maybe thats the reason for this house to be abandoned, it was surrounded by oil pumps, and the house is not your usual farm house very fancy woodwork on the exterior and the inside from what I could see was evan posher.An old water pump.

This I think is a log carrier. The campground has its own museum of sorts - lots of old farm machinery scattered about the park.

Old truck pulling a sort of scoop.

This is very interesting piece of tackle, its for stretching out barbed wire, I wonder if this was locally made by a Blacksmith never seen one before.

Roller of sorts for leveling the seed bed or the farmers tracks or maybe both.

Not sure how long we will be here in Swift Current depends on the weather, the rain looks set in at the moment.

Drumheller to Fort Walsh.

We broke our journey to Saskatchewan at Medicine Hat, stopped at a campground by the side of a golf course, very pretty only problem the rail tracks where on the other side of the park, sounded like the trains where coming right through the trailer.

With my eyes kept open by electricians tape we moved the few kilometres to Maple Creek just across the provincial border in Saskatchewan, had lunch and then fell asleep in our chairs, I did have just enough time to take this photo before entering the land of nod.

A few birdy pics. No wifi here but lots of birds. First pic. Western Kingbird, what a handsome fella!

Female Common Grackle.

Baby Robin looking for his Mum.

Our mystery bird?

Fort Walsh, one of the most important of all the N.W.M.Police Forts Built in response to The Cypress Hills Massacre and then the arrival of Sitting Bull and his 8,000 + people. The departure of The Lakota Sioux and the arrival of the CP. Railway at Maple Creek meant the fort was no longer needed and it was closed down in 1883 re-opend in 1942 to 1966 by the RCMP for the breeding of the black horses used the Musical Ride now a National Historical Monument and part of Parks Canada.

Beautifully restored wagon in the grounds of the Fort.

The armoury.

Yet again-A Red River Cart.

Fort Walsh was also the sight of a large Metis Community, they used the carts to bring in supplies for the general store. 

The two most famous people of the Cypress Hills-Superintendant Walsh and Sitting Bull.

We hope to go to Wood Mountain Park where Sitting Bull and his people lived before going back to the US. and his death and the Wounded Knee Massacre.