On each of our usual weekend trips my wife and I visited a different part of the province. And as we travelled we kept our eyes peeled for steeples rising above treetops, or buildings glimpsed between trees. My wife did most of the looking since I was the driver. Often a distant treetop would appear to be a church spire. Then we would try to reach it by way of whatever roads needed to be taken. Most often, though, we were disappointed. So, on with the searching.

On the few occasions, though, when a treetop did turn out to be a steeple after all, we were both thrilled. Then it was a matter of identification, made all the more difficult if the building was in disrepair or was abandoned and had no signs or inscribed stones.

Our on-site and en route record keeping consisted of handwritten notes on 5”x 3” index cards, one for each church. My wife kept the notes, making sure she got as much information as possible.This would mean about approach roads, location and structure. Each card was dated and numbered in sequence for each day’s visits

So why, you may be asking, didn’t she use an electronic device for all this. Well, why not indeed? For the simple reason that we did not have one. And why was that? Well, because they were not in existence.

However, thanks to my wife’s diligence I have an index card for each of the churches we visited together for over 35 years. And if I ever need to verify something when my memory fails, the index cards are there for confirmation.