Self-isolation has been bittersweet for an elderly Black Diamond couple whose hobbies are keeping them busy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ninety-year-old Al Dickie and his wife, 82-year-old Della, have plenty to do on their property with a garden, flower beds and Al’s leather-making shop, but the couple misses visiting with friends and family, attending church services and getting creative in their writing classes.
“We sure miss our people,” said Della. “We’re looking forward to having church again one day.”
The Dickies attend Millarville Community Church, and have been enjoying Pastor John Wiuff’s Sunday service online, as well as his morning coffee talks and evening prayers.
Della said she also misses her Millarville Writers Group sessions hosted at the church and the poetry group she joined at the Sheep River Library in Turner Valley. Della has had her poetry printed in three publications and Al’s short stories about growing up on the farm have appeared in The Senior Paper, which is printed out of Saskatchewan.
While the couple is limited in their travels during the pandemic, they enjoy regular drives in the country with a camera in tow.
“Our favourite thing to do together to keep busy during this COVID thing is I take photographs,” said Della. “We go out maybe three times a week and drive along the back roads and I take pictures of the birds and ducks and deer and elk - whatever we happen to see. Al is my driver so I’ll say, ‘Stop Al, back up Al.’ He’s just so patient.”
Della said her son puts music to her photographs before she emails them out to about 150 people and posts them on her website https://www.mountainphotos.ca/
“I get comments sometimes from all over the world,” she said. “It’s been a fun hobby.”
While at home, the Dickies spend a lot of time in their large yard, with Della tending to the flowers and Al to the vegetables.
“They told me when we moved out here, ‘You can’t grow corn and cucumbers in Black Diamond’ and I’ve been growing them for 20 years,” said Al. “It’s because of my farming roots. I like to get my hands dirty and dig in the dirt and watch things grow. I think it’s the old farmer in me.”
Al grew up on a farm near Creelman, Sask.
“I have a Grade 7 education,” he said. “I was kept out of school in the spring and fall for farming. Then I got pretty discouraged and quit.”
Al worked mostly in construction and property maintenance, and when it came time to retire he delved into blacksmithing. Many of his creations decorate the couple's yard.
Suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Al had to stop blacksmithing due to the smoke it created and found a new hobby four years ago.
After making himself a pair of crude cowboy chinks, a friend had told Al he should go into leather-making and later dropped off a box full of starter projects and tools.
“The next thing I knew blacksmithing was out the window and leather was in,” he said.
Al makes custom belts, guitar straps, cowboy cuffs and knife and axe sheaths. He’s also made a saddle, pair of chaps and a three-foot-long scabbard for a sword.
“I just love making stuff in leather,” he said. “I have a wood-burning stove in there and the combination of wood smoke and leather is a wonderful greeting when I walk into the shop in the morning.”
The Dickies have become known for their volunteer initiatives since moving to Black Diamond from Calgary 20 years ago.
Al is a member of the Friends of the Bar U Ranch National Historic Site and has helped restore an old threshing machine and binder that are used for farming demonstrations, while Della has volunteered for the Oilfields Food Bank and was a member of the Oilfield General Hospital women’s auxiliary.
The couple met 31 years ago while living in Calgary. It was music that brought them together.
“I was part of a bluegrass music organization where I sang,” said Della. “We were practising for a Stampede breakfast and Al and some others had come to practice. We were all sitting around singing and playing and I had my eye on him right then. He was such a nice guy.”
Although Della didn’t capture Al’s attention that first day, they got to know each other during their second meeting.
“On his way home Al’s son said to him, ‘That lady could sure harmonize’ and Al said, ‘what lady,’” Della said with a chuckle.
After moving to Black Diamond, the couple performed in the band Diamond in the Rough, playing local gigs like the Turner Valley branch of the Royal Canadian Legion. Al sings and plays guitar and Della sings and plays the auto harp.
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