The house that was left behind

Some years ago we drove past a sorry house. It had obviously been abandoned and was in a very bad shape. It looked to us as if the inhabitants had just upped and left. It is always sad to see a house in this state. Who were the people who had lived here? Why had they suddenly left?

Last summer we drove past the house again. Now it was boarded up and looked even sadder. I presume that it will be torn down in the not so distant future. I am sure it has lots of stories to tell if it could speak …..

Early morning light

There are times I look out the window and just know that I will be able to get a good picture if I just hurry up and get out there. Last Sunday morning was one of those mornings. It was cold and windy, but the early morning light was gorgeous. We were spending the weekend at Blixland Riding Centre where the Norwegian Alpaca Society was holding an alpaca show. Two of our alpacas were in the show and we were pleased with their results.

We were put up in a summer cabin, which wasn’t insulated at all, and with a duvet which was only meant for summer, the first night was spent shivering in bed with all our clothes on. Fortunately we were given better duvets and more heating the night after. We woke up to this lovely morning:

The clear blue sky and the sun rising slowly over the horizon created a lovely atmosphere. There was not a single soul up and about, except for these two horses:

I love how the light illuminated the hay wagon and

how it made the red paint on the barn glow.

Can you sense the atmosphere?

What an incredible year this has been!

Round about this time last year I moved to the farm, whilst Christian held the fort in Oslo. Officially the move wasn’t done before July 15, but I needed to be there to keep an eye on the work that had to be done; carpenters, electricians, plumbers, etc. There was a lot that needed doing and things were happening fast. It was impossible to follow up by phone. We were lucky, spring came early and we could start work much faster than we had expected.

For some time now I have felt the need to recap the events of this past year, to get them down in writing so that we can remember how eventful it has been.

Skimming through the photographs from this past year there are so many I want to share with you. I’ve chosen to present them in a gallery – a faster way for you to look through them. I could have posted many more, but for fear of being boring I have tried to be selective.

Apart from moving to Bjørnerud, the main events have been:
April – selling my parents place in the mountains,  breaking my wrist and deciding to buy alpacas.
May – starting work on the conservatory and finally moving into the new sunny kitchen. The local Lions Club fencing in the fields for the alpacas.
June – the death of my mother, the birth of our first cria (baby alpaca) and the total renewal of 300 meters of road. A messy business due to the clay ground.
July – the final move to the farm which my fantastic husband did practically on his own. I was handicapped by my arm.
August – The handover of our house in Oslo to the new owners and the arrival of our alpacas. More pictures «of the garden we left behind» can be seen here.
September/October – We had a gorgeous autumn with the red and gold leaves hanging on to the trees for ages and ages. There were also quite a bit of wild mushrooms. I spent some time canning different jams and marmalades in our lovely new kitchen and learning how to bake sour dough bread. I’ve also learnt to make Norwegian flat bread!
At work we celebrated 50 years of UWC’s existence with a grand event at the Oslo City Hall and a photo exhibition in front of the City Hall. The exhibition was the result of a world wide photo competition amongst UWC alumni and staff. The event had been planned for two years and involved many who worked hard for a fantastic result.
November – The cold came early and we have had a long, cold winter with temperatures down to -25ºC for several weeks. But the sun was generally out and there hasn’t really been that much snow, at least not in our area.
December – Christmas was spent at the cottage with our grown up kids. We had a week of peaceful days, but it snowed and snowed and it was difficult to get outside. Even the boys struggled to get through 50cm of loose powdery snow on cross country skis. New Year’s Eve was celebrated quietly at the farm with friends.
January through to March – We have gradually adjusted to our new lives and not for a single day have we regretted making the move and changing our life style. The winter has been much colder than we had expected, but it is a dry cold which doesn’t penetrate like a damp one does.

This past year has also brought a lot of knowledge;
– about alpacas
– about running a farm
– about forestry
– about photography
and much, much more.

Although it has been a demanding year I wouldn’t for the world have been without this time. I am truly grateful for all the support we have been given by old and new friends. We can never thank you enough!

There is so much more  I could have written about – but it would have made this post too long. Hopefully you will have found something that interests you and perhaps you will take the time to flip through the gallery to see some of what we have experienced this past year. We are now looking forward to a another year, with new challenges, new friends and new knowledge! Hopefully the challenges will not come at such a fast rate as the previous year…

The nicest things about the farm is the peace that surrounds it, the beautiful views from every window and spot on the property and the energy that it gives us.

This place truly feels like home.

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Other posts about what we found here on the farm:

Snooping around on the hayloft
Helter skelter in the “stabbur”
The untouched cellar

The garden we left behind …

Slowly but surely we are beginning to see the early signs of spring in spite of -7ºC most of today – apparently it is going to stay quite cold for most of this week. There are bare patches around the trees on the slopes facing south and here and there the road down to the mail box shows gravel. Our thoughts are turning towards planning the garden on the farm and to the amount of work which we are facing in order to get it anything like the one we left behind. The area around the farm is huge compared to the little one we had before and the soil here needs a lot of attention. It is mostly very dense clay, with very little drainage, so it’s seems we must buy some compost soil and make raised beds.

The garden we left behind was lovely after years of good care, and we are really hoping that we will be able to create a similar atmosphere here. Can you see how intimate it was?

And how the plants seemed to thrive and be so happy?

We really enjoyed this little garden with its many nooks and crannies.

In early spring the forget-me-nots blossomed wherever its seeds had landed the previous year.

Later in the year we could pick chives and black currants.

I can’t remember what these are called, but I did take some with me when we moved.

Apart from these we didn’t take any plants with us as we were scared to contaminate this area with the dreadful brown slugs which are everywhere in Oslo. We managed to keep them at bay in our garden, but one or two did manage to get in now and then and their eggs are impossible to find.

Here on the farm we are hoping to have a kitchen garden and some fruit trees, but it will definitely be some time before we can harvest! I really enjoy making jams and jellies, especially when I know there hasn’t been any pesticides around.

And … there is nothing better than to go out into the garden and pick lots of fresh vegetables for a delicious lunch or dinner and to know the we have grown them ourselves!

Not any old brook …

This is a snow covered brook – but it is not any old brook. It is the brook that runs along the border of the farm on one side. It is lying there now quietly, preparing itself for the spring rush of water which is still some time off.

In spring it is all mossy and green – the ferns glistening in the damp spray of rain and humid air.

Down in the grooves of stone and moss is a fascinating world of colors and smells, the strong smell of disintegrating wood and earth will swirl around your nose. I like this smell, it is the smell of the earth and helps me to keep in touch with it.

In autumn the the brook runs cheekily down its course, singing its merry song to all who take the time to listen and wonder. Sitting on a stone by its course it is easy to let the world stand still and to be present in the here and now. All worries are washed away and I am just where I am supposed to be.

Although the brook is beautiful in winter, I am longing for the time when it will wake up from its winter sleep, to let me once again listen to its merry song.