165. Chemo Points of Interest (Part 2)

I camped in the Meota Regional Campground. The sites are spacious, mostly treed and well laid out and maintained.  Walking around town a bit towards the edge of the lake, I was impressed that the houses were so well kept.  I couldn't believe it.  What a difference from south of Lake Diefenbaker, where I camped with the boys last time, and where the surroundings looked so forlorn and depressed.  It turns out that the soil around Meota produces good crops and in addition contains an abundance of oil and gas.  No wonder that people in this part of the province are able to make a good living.  And although I am not a big fan of the oil industry (I know, I know, I do drive a car 😳), it was nice to see that the area and the local population is prospering!

Next, onward to a place I had been wanting to visit for a long time!  Near St. Walburg you will find the studio of Count Berthold von Imhoff, an artist known for his religious murals and paintings.  The church Dave and I were married in had paintings by this painter.  Born in Germany, he first emigrated to the United States and then moved to Saskatchewan.  By all acCounts (sorry, couldn't pass this one up 😄), he had an interesting life.  The studio is located on private property belonging to his descendants.  Make an appointment and the lady of the house will give you a tour of the studio and part of the house (a separate building) where the count and his family lived.  The studio is chockful of artwork and the other part of the house is still lived in by the grandson and family and therefor off limits to the public.  The photos are the outside, and a glimpse of the inside, of the studio, not the house.  A modest fee for the tour helps the family toward maintenance costs as the province provides no funding.