Quiet Nook

I stumbled across this older image today.  Although it was processed relatively recently, in early 2026, the photograph was taken a number of years ago.

A long time ago a bought a bunch of outdated film on Ebay.  This was Agfapan 25 in 4"x5" sheet format.  My friend Jon and I bought the stuff, and split the spoils between us.  The film was outdated and no longer manufactured, and here I am years later, still using up the last of my stock.  The expiry date on the box was July of 1990.  I have the last of that film currently loaded in film holders, and when I expose the remaining stock, I will set up and develop it for the final time.  I believe I have an additional 20 sheets or so that are already exposed and awaiting development.

I rated the film just slightly over the box speed, at 32iso and gave normal development.  This was in Rodinal Developer, 1:50, for 13:00 minutes at 22C.  This particular sheet was developed back in early February of 2026.

The photograph is of the abandoned Quiet Nook School, northeast of Edmonton.  I took the photograph on August 16th of 2022, at about 1:00 in the afternoon.  I used my Ebony SV45TE view camera and a Nikkor 200mm lens.  A #25 Red Filter created some separation in the sky, and increased contrast.  The exposure was for 1 second at F20.0. 

 

 

 

Dishes

Back in the spring of 2025, Chris and I spent a few days in west central Saskatchewan.  We were visiting several old hotels for the Beer Parlour Project.  On one of those days we ventured over the border into extreme eastern Alberta.  We found this abandoned school, which appears to later have served as a community hall.  I found these old dishes in the back room and attempted this rather quiet still life. 

This is a scan of a 4"x5" sheet of Ilford FP4+125.  I rated the film at 160iso and gave extended development to boost contrast by one stop.  This is known as N+1 Development.  I used Kodak HC-110 Developer, dilution B, and ran the film for 14:20 minutes at 20C.

This photograph was taken on May 10th of 2025 at about 2:15 in the afternoon.  I used my Ebony SV45TE view camera and a Fujinon 125mm lens.  The exposure was for 16 seconds at F20.0.

 

 

Cleaned Up

I recently purchased a little jig for sharpening chain saws.  It clamps onto the bar of the saw, and it holds a hone at the proper angle for sharpening.  I tried it out and it worked pretty well.  Sadly the hone is pretty much worn out after one sharpening, so I'm not sure of the economics verses just buying new chains.  We shall see.... 

After sharpening I used the saw to cut up that big pile of deadwood out at Nordegg.  But the end of the job it was still reasonably sharp.  So I brought the saw home to city, and used it to finish cutting up the large spruce limb that came down at my Mom's acreage.  By the end of that cutting job it was starting to get pretty dull again.  But that limb was around 16 inches in diameter, green, with a lot of knots.  When I get back out to the cottage I will try to sharpen it once more, and see how long it lasts. 

 

 

BP40.0 - Rockyview Hotel - Trevor and Karen

This is one of the first photographs that I took in 2026.  This was from our Beer Parlour Project outing number BP40.0 to the Rockyview Hotel in Cochrane, Alberta.  We visited on February 27th of 2026.  This is a sheet of Kodak T-Max 400 that I rated at 1250iso.  It was developed in late June.  I processed in Kodak T-Max developer, 1:4, for 8:35 minutes at 24C.  I used my Ebony SV45TE view camera and a Nikkor 210mm lens for this portrait of Trevor and his Mom, Karen.  The exposure was for 1/4 second at F10.0.

 

 

Revised Poster

The Red Deer Arts Council sent me a revised poster for the Coal in Alberta Show.  The first one neglected to mention the date of the reception.  This one has been corrected.

I'm back in the city now and catching up on some chores.  Margarit stayed out in Nordegg with Hailey.  Last night my old truck was towed to the dealership in Rocky Mountain House.  I'm hoping the repair is a simple and inexpensive one, and that I can retain the truck for future use.  Stay tuned...

Out at Nordegg

Margarit and I have been out at the cottage for several days, ever since dropping off the prints in Red Deer for the Coal in Alberta show.  That was back on the 17th.

Its been quiet and relaxing since we arrived.  I played golf a couple of times, and we caught up on some chores around the property.  Sadly my old truck died, and as I write this it is sitting in the parking lot at the golf course.  It is an old 2004 Dodge Ram 2500, with probably around 300,000km on it.  It starting to rust out fairly badly, and a lot of things don't work properly.  The anti-lock brakes, the windshield wipers, the power door locks and the odometer all no longer work.  But it is good enough for a junk truck, and I have used it out at Nordegg for the past several years.  Mostly just for beer runs, dump runs, and to go golfing and fishing.  This time around it died and will not start.  It seems to be an issue with fuel.  Hopefully it's related to the fuel in the tank, which is probably about three years old, and not the fuel pump.  I have booked to have it towed to the Dodge dealership in Rocky Mountain House for repairs, so it remains to be seen.

In the meantime I have done a little work around the place.  I cleaned up most of the deadfall from our main property and cut it all up for outside firewood.  I also split the last of the poplar from the tree that recently came down.  We visited a bit with Hailey, and also connected for breakfast with our friends and neighbors, Shelly and Eric.

I have all the deadfall cut up and piled near the firepit.  Even my kids could not possibly burn this much wood in a weekend....?   But I'm not sure, and don't know if I should tempt fate.  We shall soon find out as they are coming out on Saturday evening, with Braeden's brother and cousin from Ontario.

Kiwanis Gallery

This is the poster for the upcoming "Coal in Alberta" show, by the Monochrome Guild.  There will be an opening reception on September 4th with some of the artists in attendance.

Some People's Kids...

The last time we were out at the cottage, in early August, the kids came out.  As per usual they sat up all night with a fire.  I reminded them that they needed to burn all the deadfall, and not use up all the firewood that I had cut and split and stacked.  We use the good firewood for heat in the cottages over the colder months of the year, and try to reserve the poorer quality wood for outside fires.

Of course they didn't listen to me, and after running out of a big stack of outside wood that I had piled up for them, they tied into my winter wood supply...!!!!

This time around I have been cutting up all the deadfall and making a big pile of wood for outside fires.  Even my kids couldn't burn this much in one weekend...???  I hope...!!!

The pile is even bigger since I took this snapshot as I have been cutting up even more.  Call me a curmudgeon, but I'm set in my ways and expect people to respect my wishes if they come into my space.

Monochrome Guild - Coal in Alberta

Nearly ten years ago the Monochrome Guild got involved in some projects for small groups.  We agreed that the interests of the group were diverse, and that we should invest some time pursuing projects that were geared towards individual challenges.  I spearheaded a group that elected to pursue an historical theme.  There were two other groups, street photography and portraits as I recall, that never really saw anything through to fruition.

The Historical project decided to explore the theme of Coal Mining in Alberta.  At the time there was a lot of attention being paid to the coal exploration leases being sold by the provincial government in the eastern slopes of the Rockies.  That attention subsided with a cancellation of those leases, but has recently come back to life as the government has changed direction and is again promoting mountain mining.  Five group members became involved in the project, including Court, Arturo, Nigel, Fred and myself.  We put together a selection of prints and applied to various galleries around the province.  We exhibited at the Crowsnest Pass Art Gallery shortly after the pandemic, and then a year or so later at the Leighton Art Center near Calgary.  Two or three years ago we were accepted to exhibit at the Kiwanis Gallery of the Red Deer Arts Council.  Our exhibition dates have just now become available.

On the morning of August 17th, Margarit and I drove down to Red Deer with some of the prints.  Court's wife Sandra met us there with the rest of the prints.  I off loaded them all, and stayed at the gallery for a couple of hours to help with the installation.  The Kiwanis Gallery is located on the lower level of the downtown branch of the Red Deer Public Library.  The gallery space is now open to the public, and there will be an event with some of us artists in attendance in early September.  Details to follow....

Before and After

My parents moved to their acreage 45 years ago.  At that time it was an established property, nearly 20 years old, out in the country beyond the city limits.  The trees were much smaller then, though still of a reasonable size.  They have since grown up to become large, mature trees and I would estimate that some of the spruce are 70 to 80 feet tall.

The property has now been absorbed by the city, and what was once farmer's fields, are now new houses.  The country lifestyle that I once knew is long gone.

At some point my father topped a bunch of the spruce trees in the hope that they would branch out and fill in more.  They did, but now that the trees are mature, they are too large and heavy for these weakened areas.  Several times we have had the tops of the trees break off, and recently this happened once again.  Fortunately this time, the top fell away from the power lines.  

I estimate that this tree, one of the largest ones, is about 75 feet tall.  The piece that broke off was at least 20 to 30 feet.  It was about 16 inches in diameter at the point where it broke, and the base of the tree is probably 30 inches.

On August 16th I set about cutting it up.  Margarit came out and gave me a hand, and Hank was along for a little exploring.  I got all the branches limbed and made a brush pile at the edge of the property.  I got most of the trunk cut up too.  It was hot, and I was getting tired, and the mosquitos were relentless.  I had to leave the last of the trunk as my chain saw was just getting too dull to finish the job.  I need to get it sharpened, or get a new chain, and then I can return and finish up.  For now, at least most of it is out of the way, and the lawn can be properly cut.

I noticed a little mushroom at the edge of the woods and just had to take a snapshot of it as well...

Beer Parlour Project BP47.0 - Warburg Hotel

On August 15th Margarit and I headed out to Warburg for another episode of the Beer Parlour Project.  This would be number 47 towards our ultimate goal of 100.  This time around we brought along our friend Brenda, as she grew up on a farm near Warburg, and went to school there.  

There was a high school reunion from the class of 1996 taking place at the hotel.  Of the 30 or so students that were in the graduating class, thirteen were able to attend.  The Beer Parlour in this hotel is very small and intimate, so it was pretty full all night long.

Brenda graduated a little before the class of 1996, but she knew many of the family names.  Her old school vice principal was there, and he remembered her and her siblings, despite being quite advanced in age.

Of course Chris and Connie were also there, and Arturo and Sharon were able to join us a little later.  So, everything turned out really well and this event was definitely better attended than the one the night prior in Evansburg.  I managed to expose fourteen sheets of 4x5 film and I think that I came away with at least a couple of good images for the project.  I also shot a bit with my 35mm film cameras.

This was the last of three outings in a row, so we will take a bit of a break before we head back out on the road again.  We are hoping to visit some hotels in the southern part of the province later this summer

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Beer Parlour Project BP46.0 - Evansburg Inn

On Friday August 14th the Beer Parlour Project team visited the Evansburg Inn, in Evansburg, Alberta.  We had prearranged with the owners for our visit.  The establishment is owned by a family group and they have operated the hotel and tavern for over 20 years.  Chris and I were out for this one.  Margarit and my youngest daughter Helena came along.  Helena turned 18 just a few weeks ago so this was her first time coming along on a Beer Parlour Project outing in a real bar.  Later in the evening Arturo and Sharon drove out and joined us.

It was moderately busy when we first arrived and Chris and I were able to talk to the owners as well as a number of locals.  I took some photographs with my big view camera.  There was a reporter out from the weekly newspaper in Drayton Valley and she interviewed Chris and I about the project, and also spoke to others.

Sadly it got quiet later in the evening and by the time that Arturo and Connie arrived, there were not a lot of people left.  They didn't really get much of an opportunity to join in.

Every year the town elects a town grouch.  Sadly this year's grouch was unable to join us at the Beer Parlour.

Beer Parlour Project BP45.0 - Colinton Hotel

On Thursday August 13th, Margarit, Arturo and I travelled up north of Edmonton to the town of Colinton.  There we met up with Chris.  We were in town for Steak Night at the Colinton Hotel, as well as another episode of the Beer Parlour Project.  This would be Hotel number BP45.0 on our growing list towards one hundred.

The weather was rather unsettled and it rained off and on during our drive there, and over the course of the evening.  It got rather cold by the end of the evening and there was some heavy fog as we made our way back home to the city around midnight.

After our arrival, and before setting up in the hotel, we wandered around town a little.  The hotel had a cool bus that they used for steak night, though it didn't see any action this time around.  There was also a large general store across the street that we understand had been closed for some time.  There were notices taped on the door regarding a search warrant for illicit drugs, as well as a closure notice by the board of health.  These documents were very old and it appeared nothing had gone on there for quite some time.

Steak night was heavily attended and owner Crystal, along with her staff, were kept hopping serving everyone.  There must have been 50 or 60 people that showed up.  We were busy chatting with everyone after dinner and taking a few photographs.  A couple people showed off their wheels and parked in front of the hotel for us.  This included a Bentley and a 1927 Ford Hot Rod.  Most of the attendees were locals, and this included a large number of younger farm kids from the nearby area.

It was a fun evening and although I was a little clumsy and bashful to start, it was great to get back in the saddle and work on the Beer Parlour Project once again.  With the flooding in our basement this summer I have been stuck at home and missed the last outing to Warner in southern Alberta.  Prior to this I had not been on any outings since May.

On the Road Again....

After being stuck in the city for two months, and forced to miss out on our 25th Anniversary trip to Waterton, and then BP44.0 in Warner, I'm finally able to hit the road again.

Chris and I have organized the next three outings for the Beer Parlour Project.  On Thursday August 13th we will be at the Colinton Hotel in Colinton, Alberta.  It's Steak Night that night, so we are looking forward to a good turnout.  Then the next night, Friday August 14th, we are visiting the hotel in Evansburg, Alberta.  And finally, on Saturday August 15th we will be at the Warburg Hotel in Warburg, Alberta.  I understand that there will be a high school reunion going on that night as well.

If any of our followers are out in any of these areas over the next few days, please feel welcome and stop by and say hello.

Gumweed

This is the last of the images from the recent batch of 4"x5" Ilford FP4+ 125 that I gave N+1 development.  A slight underexposure (160iso) combined with extended development (14:20 minutes in Kodak HC-110 Dilution B at 20C) yeilded an expansion in contrast of one stop.

This is a recent shot, taken just a few weeks ago when Margarit and I were down in East Coulee.  It was a hot day, and we went for a short walk in the badlands.  I was intrigued by this little gumweed plant struggling to survive in the hot, dry soil.

I shot this on June 13th of 2026, just a few days before all the rain started back home in Edmonton.  This was taken at about 4:30 in the afternoon.  I used my Ebony SV45TU view camera and a long 240mm Fujinon lens.  A #47B Blue filter opened up the shadows a little.  The bellows had to be drawn out a lot to focus this closely and this required a one third stop exposure compensation.  The exposure was for 4 seconds at F41.0.  Fortunately this was in a sheltered wash and the light breeze did not cause any movement with the longish exposure.