Skate the Lake

Last year, we had our first snow at the end of October, and the amount of snow didn't really diminish after that, but just seemed to keep building. This year, we had an early snow in October, and then it melted away. When the cold returned, there was frost and ice, but little snow, and it gave people an opportunity to get out to skate on Prestvannet, the lake near our flat. These photos were taken Nov. 29. Some snow did need to be cleared away to make a suitable skating area, so people brought shovels and snow movers to clear areas. Though we didn't see it, there was evidence that some sort of motorized vehicle was used to make a circular route for skaters. On another evening when we were walking home, we saw lights flashing out in the middle of the lake; it was a man with his two children, skating and sledding in the dark. They were having a blast!

Happy Trails

Off of the main trails, there are often little side trails beaten down.

In mid-November, we had an amazing prolonged frost. What you see in the photo is not snow, it's just a frost that sort of grows on everything, never melting away, but just getting thicker and taller. Should've taken some closeup photos, but if you've ever had the type of freezer that isn't frost-free (guess you have to be of a certain age to remember those), and you remember what it looked like after you hadn't defrosted for a long time--well, that is what it was like.

View of mountains on Kvaloya from the ski path.

These are just some photos taken at various times in the last couple of months along the many trails we traverse. During the summer, we did a lot of exploring to find varieties of ways to get to different places, which was a lot of fun, and also helpful--if one path is not so good, whether because of mud, or snow, or ice, there are other options. Since we walk most places (the cost of taking the bus everywhere would add up very quickly!), it's nice to find the shortest paths too. Just a couple of weeks ago, we extended our walk along the ski path to a part we hadn't taken before, so there are still a lot of new-to-us trails for us to follow. In Norway, people have right of passage through any place that is not fenced off, so it is not unusual to see many well-worn paths that branch off from the main trails, where people take the shortest routes to their destinations.

Thanksgiving/Anniversary Feast

Since Thanksgiving isn't a big holiday here (hmm, wonder why ...), Mike went in to the university as usual on that Thursday. When he came home that evening, we took a walk over to Coop Prix, a grocery store near our flat (about a 30-minute walk), and along the way saw the most spectacular display of Northern Lights we have seen since we have been here. The following day was our anniversary, so Michael took that day off and we spent the day together. That evening, we prepared a feast: Mike's fabulous Norwegian meatballs (lots of nutmeg!) served with some of the tyttebaer we put up earlier in the season and his sour cream gravy, potaotes (of course!), carrots, and profiteroles (found a great recipe on the Internet) for dessert.

Setting Sun

The setting sun left a strip of pink light along the mountains.

These photos were taken Nov. 8, shortly before 2 in the afternoon, when we could still see the sun over the horizon for a short time. Those days are gone now, and there is a little twilight at midday, but mostly it is just dark. Still, it is cozy; there are lots of ways that the Norwegians make this time of year very nice--with special activities and lots of different ways of lighting up the darkness. Businesses and public buildings light entry-way candles that are placed outside next to the doors to welcome people in. Many people hang lights over their windows, especially star-shaped ones, and it is very nice to see looking in from the outside. Mike and I agree that this is actually the time of year that we will miss the most when we are no longer here.

Low Clouds

Sunday, Nov. 1, was a beautiful sunny day. Funny thing was, there was a very low, fast-moving band of clouds along the east and north sides of the island. It looked really neat, so we took a few pictures on our way home from church (Note: Usually I load these to view from top to bottom, but I forgot this time, and so pictures taken in order actually start from bottom. Not that it makes a lot of difference in this case ... anyway ...)