We do them out of fun and for that alone these “then and now” posts are sadly the first ones to be put on hold should other projects come up. It frustrates us, but we have little choice. The last was published in 2018 (yikes!) but here we (cautiously) announce...
To some it’s known, variously, as the Castle, Tower or Turret House, account its distinctive style of architecture. To others it’s the Robertson or Koopman House, after some folks who once called it home. But most famously it’s known far and wide as the Superman House due to its appearance...
Not like we need another obsession here at BIGDoer.com, but it’s happened. Great…just great. And it’s well known history buff Johnnie Bachusky we blame. If not for him bringing up the subject of water towers recently while chatting, the seed would have never been planted. Sure, we noticed these structures...
One weekend every July for the last few years, a group of close friends gets together and explores the countryside in search of historic and abandoned places. It’s always an epic adventure, taking in abandoned farms, charming villages, near ghost towns and vintage vehicles long put out to pasture. But...
It’s of the era and has a style and vibe that would make a Brady (famously from that quirky ’70s TV show) proud. There’s thick shag carpeting, mirrors and pillars, pastel shades and rich wood panelling. There’s avocado coloured appliances, rock and brick work, marble, brass and all things satin,...
As we often do when we’re on the road we’ll stop and explore small towns along the way. One never knows what they’ll find, some disused building to photograph perhaps, a cool old car sitting out on some empty lot, or maybe something else worthy of attention. Heck, we’re easily...
It’s the Doublemint Twins, a 1979 Boler (13 foot model) and the rig towing it, and all painted up the same minty green, a 1962 Chevrolet Pickup. These two roam the land appearing at campgrounds and car shows. Here we found them at an event in their homebase town of...
Almost a year ago the Team got to be part of a most amazing event, the Edmonton Pinball & Arcade Show, aka YEGPIN. An entire day was spent roaming the venue and recording all the action for an article published recently. In that piece (link below), it was about the...
The colder months usually means it’s urban hikes for us, especially with Connie on the mend. We don’t want to push it and so doing our thing “in town” makes it’s easy to bail and catch a ride back to the car should there be a problem. Even so we...
And we’re back! Here’s the much anticipated second instalment where we take in a most amazing collection of old machinery. There’s cars, trucks, tractors…you name it…stretching off as far as the eye can see, all of them old and with tons of character, a showcase of that moody decrepit vibe...
by Chris Doering · Published April 3, 2019 · Last modified February 11, 2020
It’s strange how time on the El Camino de Santiago can both stand still and rush by. One moment, everything’s in slow motion, a step or movement taking an eternity and with others it’s as though living in a hyper-lapse and the world a blur. Such is our experience, walking...
Sometimes things move at a glacial pace here (damn, it’s complicated) but finally here’s the second instalment in the “Frostbite Hotrods” series. It’s been a long time coming and for this we offer our apologies all around. Better late than never, they say! Right? In this series, we spend a...
We cover a lot of subjects on this here website. It might be an outdoor adventure one day, something with a history connection the next and on yet another we might show you one of our strange obsessions (Boler!), but every once in while we dabble in the lifestyle/human interest...
Before we begin…this article was scheduled to be published some two or three months ago, but Connie’s health issues forced a delay. Life has this way of throwing one a curve ball it seems. She’s mending now and doing darn good and so we’re back in full force but hopelessly...
Time has run out for these homes. Forgotten and empty the land on which they sit is slated for redevelopment and soon they’ll be reduced to a pile of splinters. The “gentrification monster” (thanks Micheal), insatiable in appetite, rears its head here in the Calgary community of Bowness. Nothing stands...
We’re always wandering about, be it here in our own city or anywhere we happen to be. It’s just what we do. And one little perk of doing this is that inevitably, and I mean it’s almost guaranteed, we’ll stumble across a Boler. Or maybe two. They’re out there, and...
Just south of Downtown Calgary, across the tracks, are a grouping of neighbourhoods collectively titled the “Beltline District”. It’s mixed use residential and commercial, things old and things new, many stately homes, modern condo towers, heritage buildings, schools, churches and countless places to shop and eat. And it’s here we’ve...
To begin…this here article was shot waaaay back in late 2017 and was supposed to be published that following spring. So a year ago. As it happens the poop sometimes flies and a battle with a publisher, never full resolved but behind us now, and some life getting in the...
The southwest region of Calgary Team BIGDoer calls home dates from the late 1950s/early 1960s, but interspersed among all the ranch style dwellings, along with a few slightly newer Brady-esque multi-level-splits, are some dwellings that predate these neighbourhoods by many decades. When new these houses were out in the country,...
Old Jack is a friend. In 2017 he made an appearance in the documentary “Forgotten Prairie” (Rueben Tschetter/Cache Productions – links below), where he took Team BIGDoer and some pals on a tour of his local area. Included, was a (now) ghost town just up the road from where he...
Kids and empty lots, it’s a natural pairing. These unused parcels become an place to hang out and have fun, unsupervised, that’s all theirs and with no adults around to spoil things or get in the way of the good times. Grown ups can be such a buzz-kill. The possibilities...
In an otherwise empty lot down some quiet back street in some town in the Alberta Badlands, remains of an old sign speaking of a business that was once stood here. We’ve driven passed it more times than we can count, oblivious it was there and only on taking a...
We’re at “The Forks” in Winnipeg, a former rail yard now a large multi-purpose outdoor and recreation themed venue. There’s farmer’s markets, museums, historic sites, biking paths and on, with many unique and interesting events held throughout the year. Looks like a fun place. And it’s ours to explore while...
by Chris Doering · Published February 26, 2019 · Last modified February 11, 2020
A most glorious day begins. It’s still and silent here in the early hours at Casa Róan, located in a small village out in rural Galicia Spain. The shutters are open letting in a cool morning breeze. What’s that aroma? It’s so…so…clean and crisp. It’s…it’s…it’s fresh air!A deep breath…ahhhh, that’s...
It’s seen by thousands and thousands of folks each and every day, but we suspect few know much about it. There, looming tall in an empty field next to a bus loop/LRT station and looking as though a rocket ready to launch into the great beyond, it’s the old Firestone...
In 2018 we barely hiked. For any number of reasons we were just not able to get out into the woods, some gig getting in the way, poor weather perhaps, winter not wanting to let go, or maybe it was health issues – far too many of those that year....
On the road to somewhere, we make a brief stop in the little community of Granum Alberta (founded early 1900s), with just enough time to fire off a couple snapshots. The always beckoning highway calls. So for but a few moments we wander about “downtown”, with not another soul in...
It was only matter of time. Everyone knew it. When is something bad going to happen at the old Enoch Sales House? Will they find a corpse inside? Will it get torched? Given the level of neglect shown it by its owners, Calgary Municipal Land Corp a city department, something...
Moodonna & Child, a print (serigraph) by artist Manwoman discovered in the window of a thrift store in Calgary Alberta. It’s was a completely random and most magical find by Chris & Connie. Saw it, knew what it was, bought it, got it and now we’re twelve bucks poorer. Here...
On the road back from somewhere special, the most amazing Hanna Roundhouse (link below), a small detour to take in some old buildings we’ve not looked at for many years. Over there on the west end of Three Hills Alberta, down by the train tracks, two vintage wood grain elevators....
Kenopsia: "the eerie atmosphere of a place that's usually bustling with people but now vacant or abandoned."
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