The day before yesterday, 29 April 2022, I left home with a plan to visit a park that a friend had posted about on Facebook. After quite a few drives and walks taking barely any photos, I was beginning to feel a real lack of enthusiasm for getting out anywhere, seeing so little to photograph. What I needed was something and somewhere new! Yesterday’s half-day outing filled that need, at least for now.
My destination was south of the city, to the Sheppard Family Park. Basically, it is a mini heritage park with several old barns, homestead and other structures.
"Sheppard Family Park is Ruth Maccoy’s 13.6 acre homestead. On her death in 1995, Ruth gave the land and its buildings to the people of High River Alberta. Ruth’s Cabin was originally built in 1883 by Alex Bell. This was Ruth’s home for 70 years. The cabin was designated as a Historical site in 2016. Ruth’s Garden – this lovely flower show was covered by a thick layer of silt in the 2013 Flood but is being lovingly restored by volunteers. (Too early yesterday for any flowers to be growing).
Ruth wanted a group, referred to in her will as The Friendship Group, to own and operate the Park for High River Residents. The friendship group declined so High River Rotary took the challenge under the direction of Gordon Barker who formed the Sheppard Family Park Society in 1996 and set about preserving and developing the Park. The Park celebrates High River history especially the 1800’s to 1920’s." From the sheppardfamilypark website.
After my enjoyable walk around the Sheppard Family Park, I drove to Frank Lake. I had been unable to join friends on 26 April 2022 for a birding morning at the Lake – there was no room left for any more people. The next day, I made a quick drive there, but it was very windy, and I think the large group of birders must have scared off almost every bird the day before, ha. I didn’t even bother to get out of my car, but just drove the loop road. I noticed another birder, who arrived at the lake just a minute before me, was already leaving before me.
However, I was somewhat more successful two days ago, though I only stopped at the water outflow, mainly to watch the gulls and a few ducks and American Avocets. The birding blind area will have to wait till another day, as I had noticed that if I was quick, I could just make it as far as the Saskatoon Farm in time before the restaurant closed.
