The Mountains

The weather around here changes faster than the channels do on TVs in America.  If it’s sunny one moment, five minutes later, there’s a downpour.  We can see straight to the west so we know what’s coming.  When I wake up in the morning and don’t see a wall of black heading our way, I have hope for at least an hour, we won’t get wet.  Such was the case today.

Cousin Bjørn told us about a hike across from the farm where he grew up at Solevaag.  He said it was only 15 minutes to the top of the mountain and there was a great view from up there.  I knew if it took him 15 minutes, it would take me at least an hour.  It’s not that I’m THAT slow, but I do like to stop and take photos, so that slows me down more than my age.

Kory was in the middle of figuring out how to get an electrical plug-in in our bathroom when I said we really needed to go climb a mountain before the rain starts today.  He agreed.  Of course, he wanted to pack a lunch, get his camera, make coffee and do all the things Norwegians do to get ready for a hike, but I told him there was no time for that.  If we did all the preparations, we’d miss our little window of opportunity to hike and not get wet, so we just went, and I’m so glad we did.

By the time we got to the trailhead, it was sprinkling a little, but we kept going anyway.  The higher up we got, the more intense the autumn colors were, so it was great motivation to keep going.  And around every corner was a new view of scenes we know so well from the ground.  Once we got to the top, it was just breaktaking.  Kory said he felt like we were in the midst of a fairytale land, and it certainly did feel that way.  It has to be my new favorite spot, as it was a 360 degree view and every direction was jaw dropping.  And it only took me an hour! (Our condo is almost right in the center of this photo - a brick building on the left of three that look the same. Photo below is of the Solevaag farm where Kory's mom was born - the nice patch of green on the left.)

Start to finish, from the time we left the car until we got back was under two hours so that was a good way to spend some time today – out of the house and into the fresh air of the mountains.  The rain let up and we got sun spots all around up on top.  By the time we got back to the house it was pouring down rain, so God certainly blessed us with yet another grand experience.  As I’m discovering, a trip into the mountains is the best thing this part of the world has to offer, and I’m starting to get into the groove of it, even in my advanced age.

My friend Tina, the ultimate mountain woman, invited us over for dinner tonight.  It’s the last time we’ll get to see her before we leave because she’s working the night shift and sleeping during the days.  This past weekend she and her husband hiked up a huge and very dangerous mountain she can see from her house.  Seven people in the last five years have died on that hike, so I’m thankful she made it out alive.  She showed me the photos from her trip tonight and it was so cool to see the mountain up close and personal – from the safety of her living room.  We stare at that mountain top from our place too and I’ve always wondered what it was like up there since it’s so unusual looking from down here.  Now I know and I also know never to be crazy enough to climb it.  (The photo below is of Tina on top - taken by Are.  Her house is to the right of her extended hand.  And yes, where she' standing is even more dangerous than it looks.)

Kaleb got off from school two hours early today so he was waiting for us at home when we got back from our hike.  He’d already done some of his homework, while waiting.  Such a good boy he is (sometimes.)  He played non-stop on his computer with Daniel tonight, while we were at Tina’s house.  I’m glad the boys got some time together before we leave.  We had a great visit with Tina and Are and a friend of Are’s who stopped by.  He lost his 26 year old son last year during the massacre on that island in Southern Norway.  There were four families in our region that lost children to the gunman.  Are said he has had a tough year, to say the least.  He looked about Kory’s age, but turns out he’s my age, so this past year hasn’t been kind.  He knew a lot of the people we know and are related to, so that’s always fun to connect the dots.  It’s a good way for us to be accepted more as locals than as foreigners, as Norwegians don’t take to foreigners so well.

I’m now making another to-do list of things to be done before we leave and hopefully we’ll get them all done.  Unless of course, the sun comes out and the mountains start calling my name.