Saying Goodbye at Grandma's Funeral

After the funeral for my grandma (Margaret 'Iris' Fandrich) concluded on Saturday I finally felt relaxed. I felt a weight had been lifted knowing that everything came together, that the family was united, and that the service (due largely to family members speaking) managed to encapsulate so many of the stories and eccentricities of who my grandma was. I couldn't help but feel happy and joyful about the send off.  

It was the perfect remedy for what so many of us were feeling, and I suppose that's always the goal.  I loved that the service was focused on celebrating her life and her family through personal recollections without being weighed down by disingenuous preaching.  The funeral felt true to her, true to us, and felt so much more meaningful and honest as a result.  It was a beautiful occasion filled with love.       

When I received the call in the middle of the night on Monday last week, I was the one to call my parents to deliver the unfortunate news.  They were out of reach as they had just left a few days before on a trip to the Maritimes.  My grandma's passing meant they'd have to fly back early and discuss the details of the funeral from afar.  The whole experience made me feel a bit out of the loop without having them in town.

On Friday we gathered at my aunt and uncle's house, my parents included, as I helped with some last minute technical details to prepare a video and slideshow for the funeral. If there's one bright spot to heavy situations like these it's that they give everyone a sense of purpose and dedication.  We all felt compelled to step up, to support one another, and to find ways to express ourselves.  Helping with the videos and acting as a pallbearer were small contributions on my part, but they made me feel more connected to everything that was going on.  Sometimes that's invaluable.   

Rupali (Iris' great-granddaughter) created this beautiful video for the funeral.

As various members of my family got up to speak during the service I began recounting the numerous memories that I shared with my grandma.  It hit me how unique all of our experiences really were, and how so many of us were fortunate to build personal relationships with her despite our varying locations, ages, and interests.  With no shortage of stories to tell, I feel like we laughed as much as we cried that day.

One of the most emotional points for me however, was when my dad and my sister each shared their memories of Grandma.  There's something that makes you totally vulnerable seeing members of your immediate family cry, not to mention when it's your father.  I felt so protective of their emotions at the time.  Of course, many of their experiences were also my own, and a funeral like this is such a rare and powerful occasion that it forces you to recognize the significance of those still pivotal in your life. It was heartbreaking and energizing at the same time.

With grandma's five kids and the extended family reunited there were more reasons to celebrate that day.  I can't remember the last time so many of us were in one place, but if I had to guess I'd say it was my grandpa's funeral over a decade ago.  Not to be outdone, and to serve the running joke that I like to photograph my feet, I made sure to get a picture with my siblings too. We looked so good, haha.

Back at my aunt and uncle's place the discussions carried on that evening.  We continued sharing stories, thoughts about the future, and our reflections on the day. Even as everyone else started to wind down, my sister and I carried on our conversations back at my place and ended up talking late into the night.

After everything that's happened now, I'm at peace knowing it couldn't have gone any better than it did.  I've got an amazing family filled with love and support, and while I already knew that, this entire week simply reaffirmed it.  I'll always miss my grandma and will continue to honor and cherish the role she played in my life, but above all, I'll remain thankful that I was fortunate to even know her for as long as I did.  There's no doubt in my mind that I had it pretty good, and for that I can't help but smile.     

Red Rock Coulee at Sunset

It was a beautiful evening a few weeks ago when Andrea and I took the short drive down to Red Rock Coulee here in Southern Alberta.  The area is so wonderfully bizarre and photogenic.  Giant boulders scattered across a small patch of rolling prairie hills create an other worldly atmosphere, almost like the surface of Mars.  It's not a big place, which only ads to the peculiar nature of this small collection of boulders in the middle of miles of grassland.

The technical explanation is that the red rocks were made by layers of sand, calcite, and iron oxide that collected in prehistoric seas around fossilized matter.  Supposedly because the bedrock is close to the surface in this area, the erosion revealed these boulders along with some other badlands topography.  All of this is well and good, but mostly I was just focused on climbing around on them. 


As is usually the case, I snapped a bunch of pictures of our brief adventure.  The red rocks were still warm from the heat of the day, and as the sun set the landscape really made a strong impression.  The clouds were streaked across the sky, the golden sunset brought out the natural colours in the rock, and there we were, both pretty content that we'd timed our arrival so well.      

Medicine Hat Brick & Tile Plant Site

One of the pleasures in shooting a photo series about unique local sites in Medicine Hat, Alberta is that it allows people to look at places they've seen many times in new ways, or discover a place they may have overlooked or never even knew existed. Perhaps what I've enjoyed most is that Around the Hat has allowed me to make connections with individuals linked to a lot of these amazing places and get more acquainted with the stories surrounding them.  

Recently, I was given the opportunity to go behind closed doors and explore the abandoned Medicine Hat Brick and Tile Factory that was acquired by the Friends of Medalta in late 2011. This was an amazing opportunity, not just to satisfy my own curiosity, but to showcase a landmark that hasn't been widely photographed.

The Brick and Tile site dates back to 1886, and is believed to be the oldest industrial site in Alberta.  I-XL Industries owned and operated the site from 1929 until June 2010, when the plant was significantly damaged by flooding and ceased operations.  After careful consideration and a clean up of the site, it was decided that the plant would not reopen due to the substantial cost of replacing all of the machinery.  

Recognizing the significance and local history tied up in the facility, the Friends of Medalta took over the property with a sizable donation from I-XL.  There are a number of plans on the table for utilizing the Brick and Tile complex, but at the moment this landmark within the historic clay district remains closed to the public.

During my afternoon visit several weekends ago I shot hundreds of images around the abandoned site.  So many in fact, I'm dividing this set into several posts.  While (not surprisingly) the best shots came from inside, I wanted to open with the images I shot of the exterior of the Brick and Tile plant.   As you'll see, these include the old kilns at the back of the facility, the rusting corrugated siding of an older section of the plant, and even a couple shots I was able to snap from the roof.

I want to give a shout out to Quentin Randall from Medalta Potteries who initially contacted me after my very first Around the Hat post of that location.  I wouldn't have had this opportunity were it not for him, so thanks very much!  There's lots more to come of this incredible location - view the interior shots here.