Wednesday, 25 March 2009

Willow Bunch

[click to enlarge]

Willow Bunch is prime cattle country in southern Saskatchewan. The town was established in 1870 and is forty minutes from the Canada-U.S. boundary. Its first settlers were three groups of Metis hunters from Manitoba who wintered here in 1870. They were soon joined by Jean-Louis Legare, a fur trader, and an Oblate Missionary, Rev, Jean-Joseph Lestanc O.M.I.



[slick to enlarge]


Source: willowbunch.ca

12 comments:

Charles Gramlich said...

Love those rolling hills. Wonderful to look at but a bit of a chore to walk

Gary's third pottery blog said...

I suspect, however, that it looks a little snowy and cold most of the year!

Tess Kincaid said...

It's beautiful! Wonder if those original hunters named it for a bunch of willows? :^)

Barbara Martin said...

Charles, you'd need a horse and gear, like a rain slicker when the thunderheads move in...while making sure you're not in a gulley or coulee because of possible flash floods from downpours.

Barbara Martin said...

Gary, the snow will be gone by May and not returning until October. The summer weather can be blistering hot and dry.

Barbara Martin said...

Willow, they probably did at that. Where there's water pooling or near a creek willows will grow. One of the first signs of spring in the west is when the pussy-willows bud.

The one thing I really miss from western Canada are the saskatoon berries (like blueberries). They don't grow in the east.

Reader Wil said...

Thanks for sharing these photos of the beautifully rolling country!

debra said...

That is mighty beautiful country, Barbara.

Raph G. Neckmann said...

I love those shapes of the hills, Barbara! They look like they are covered in velvet. I imagine they'd be great to paint.

Barbara Martin said...

Wil, another wonderful part of western Canada.

Debra, every location in Canada has something different to offer.

Raph, perhaps you would like to incorporate them into your post...a dream timescape?

Rune Eide said...

I fell for that first picture. It shows in a very nice way a nature that we don't have in my area.

Barbara Martin said...

RuneE, that particular photo spoke to me when I chose it. It reveals almost the 'wild' state I was looking for.