wanderingquilter

One thing I have become very familiar with the past 6 months is mallard ducks.  Those of you who have been watching my blog will have noticed a lot of photos of them along the banks of the river.  We have mallards in Canada where I grew up and lived most of my life….. I thought I knew a lot about them.  I guess there is always more to learn.  I’ve never been so up-close-and-personal before.

The first time we walked through the park, we laughed as we watched children throwing bread out for the ducks.  There were a few very fast gulls in the mix, and they seemed to nab every morsel.  On enterprising drake grabbed his piece of bread and flew into the air – only to have it wrenched from his beak by an equally air-borne gull.  Drat – score one for the gulls that day.

As Snoopy and I walked along the Storana day after day, we witnessed them pairing up for the spring…. occasionally with a hen swimming furiously, chased by an amorous drake.  We saw the females disappear from the pond and stream as they settled in on their nests, laying eggs and keeping them warm to hatch.

We saw the newly hatch ducklings paddling energetically to keep up with Momma as she headed up stream.  We watched them growing bigger and bigger.  We noticed that there seemed to be no drakes left – ?

I remember hearing someone once say that they thought the drakes all left for a while in the summer as you only saw the hens and ducklings.  But, as I began to really look at the ducks in the stream beside me, I noticed that the drakes were there – but they were molting.  Their green heads were covered in drab brown, and their once clean gray sides were as well. It was only by the rust on their breasts that I could tell which were the males.

Gradually, as the weather has turn cooler and the days shorter, the drakes heads are becoming that wonderful iridescent green – their sides again clean and clear gray – the blue flash on their wings again bright and edged in brilliant white. What a transformation!  And I only saw it because I could watch them day by day, and was willing to notice.

On Sunday we walked along the river all the way to Stokkelandsvatnet (Stokkelands Lake).  At the edge of the pond near our hose, there is a rock that is just off-shore, and ducks like to stand on it.  They even did when it was a couple of inches under water.

There was a pair of ducks – male and female – standing on the rock, and another couple in the water.  All four were quacking furiously at one another.  Suddenly, the drake on the rock jumped into the water and the other two scattered. He swam proudly back to perch beside his mate.

Finders keepers? King of the castle?  I wonder.

My thermometer said zero this morning when David left for work on his bicycle.  the official temperature was +4.

The frost seems to have only hit the car windows –and roof tops –Maybe the fact that all the plants were still wet from last night’s rain saved them from harm.  I had just pruned excess leaves off my tomato plants to let the sun in yesterday – I hope the frost didn’t do any damage.  We have a forecast of THREE sunny, dry days ahead. I won’t hold my breath – but it would sure be a welcome change from the clouds and rain of the past 3 weeks.

There was a lovely mist in the air – poor Snoopy had to keep stopping to accommodate my frequent photographic endeavors.  here are a few of the scenes that met us in the park this morning.Now, I need to go and finish the table runner project from my weekend quilting class – then I can tell you all about it.

Norway is an inconvenient country.  Very, very beautiful, but they have rules…… rules that seem to be cast in stone… those very old stones that you see in fields and mountains.  And here, rules are made to be followed to the letter, or so it seems.

Now, the rules do change, but are none-the-less very rigid and confusing.

When we arrived in January, you had to trade in the driving license from the country you came here from – no matter where you were from originally.  And many countries license were not deemed worthy of exchange, meaning that you had to go through the whole course of driving lessons, just as if you were 16 again.  And it costs around $6000.

We appealed for the right to exchange our expired Canadian licenses (in Canada, you cannot have a license if you are not a current resident of the country, no matter how long you lived there or how long you have driven).

Our 3 month visitor driving privilege expired April 23 – and we had a choice of walking or cycling everywhere we went (except, of course, using bus, train or taxi).  David began to cycle the 25 mile round trip to work.  We would do pleasure trips into Sola or Stavanger  on our bicycles on the weekends.  We got very fit.  We were no closer to driving again.

On the chance that we would indeed be required to take all the lessons, we signed up with a local driving school, Olav’s in Sandnes.  We did a couple of lessons – I felt like I had never driven before.  I had not been behind the wheel since we left Oman in January, and had not driven a manual transmission for quite a while either.  Great instructor – but my confidence was shot.  While we were back in Canada for July, we drove on our Omani licenses – it was so good to feel again that I really DID know how to drive after all.

We bought a car in June so that our relatives, who were staying in our house in July while we were on holidays, could drive and explore the country.  And, while we were gone, the rules changed.

When we arrived back from holidays the end of July, my sister came with us to visit.  with her, and a big red letter “L” on the back of the car, we could drive until we got our temporary licenses.  That took forever, as the one person who really knew how it worked was on holidays. (It took me three times talking to other people to get THAT through my head) You can believe that once she was back, and I had that paper, the “L” came down pretty quickly.

It was so good to be able to drive again – I love driving. many times, in different parts of the world (Kuwait City, Muscat, Oman, Canada) I have been driving along and just felt the rush of sheer joy at being behind the wheel.

Our practical tests were set for the end of October, but Louvise at Olav’s was able to get us in early on cancellations.  David passed his test on September 10, and I did mine this Tuesday.

When I first arrived at the office, I went in to pay for the test.  The lady at the desk had to make a phone call about the appointment.  Oh NO! I thought – surely no more road blocks at this point.  but no, everything was OK.  then, the fellow bringing the school vehicle for the test (you do it in a car with pedals for the passenger, so even at the test level, someone can use the break or gas to get you out of trouble) was late, only arriving at 9:30 – the time the test was scheduled.  He thought we were doing a pre-test lesson first.  Panic…

The examiner was relaxed, and we had a very interesting conversation as we drove through town, on winding country roads and back to the traffic station. I felt like a confident and experienced driver, and it showed. It was even fun!

Unlike Canada, where every 2-5 years, you have to prove you are living there to renew your license, the Norwegian one is good for life, no matter where you live.  The only provision is a medical exam at age 70, and then every year after 75.  you do not have to relinquish it if you get a license in another country.  If they make you give it up, all you need to do is ask Norway for another copy.  I believe all of Europe is like this – wish Canada would get with the times – so much or this hassle would have been eliminated.

Here is my temporary license.

David got his license in two days – will mine come today?

if we should be building an ark.

This morning, I emptied 38 mm of water  out of my rain gauge – it was still raining when I did it.  It’s still raining now, although there have been patches of sun and brief times of clouds with no rain.

When David left this morning, he called to tell me that the stream in the park was higher than he had ever seen it.  He was right.  Our sleepy little Storana is now a raging river.

There is a 8″ drain pipe in this bank which I always use to gauge just how high the water is…. last night when we walked Snoopy, the water was maybe two inches into the pipe – where is it now????

There used to be rapids here –

and this used to be a dry path –

This is a before shot of the same area –Here, the small foot bridges (on private property) are being washed out at the ends –

And this trees are usually well about the water level – now, they are in the middle of the stream.

Anyway, I was sure glad I wore my rain gear this morning, even though it was sunny when we set out for our walk.

The summer has been so cool that the rhododendrons and this little primula think it must be spring again.

Did I ever tell you that I’d never lived in a country where it rains so much? I know Norwegians that are telling the same story.  Maybe there is a climate change going on.

August 31 – 5:30 pm…. I thought it would never come.  Actually, the traffic was so terrible as we drove home from Tananger to catch the train, I was afraid that it would come to soon, and we wouldn’t make it to Stavanger Havn for our cruise on the three masted sailing ship, the Statsraad Lehmkuhl.

I picked this brochure up on the ship – I guess you can tell we made it after all.

As we raced along the dock (OK, I did, and David tried to catch up with me, as I have a morbid fear of being late), the ship came into sight…… isn’t it wonderful, even without canvas billowing.  I felt like all it needed was a pirate flag flying to complete the fairy tale.

We filed on board, and soon found my friends, Sue and Angie and their husbands. The men went for refreshments while we tried to find a table, or at least somewhere to sit. the deck was covered with a large canvas, and there were a lot of people underneath – and even more below decks.  I think the tourists stay on deck, and the Norwegians stay below, as that is where the food is. That’s OK – we were there more for the thrill of being aboard a tall ship than food or drink (although that was much appreciated as well).

We made sure that someone stayed at the table while we went exploring.  The men had lots to talk about (work, or course – rival oil services companies).  We ladies discovered that we could go up at the back of the boat where the steering wheel was.  Even docked, the breeze was strong and cool.

Pretty soon we were on our way.  The cruise took us out of Stavanger harbour to the north, through various islands, and then back home by 10 pm.  There were small whitecaps, but with the weight of the ship, you couldn’t feel any movement… good for those with a tendency to being seasick. The cruise was strictly under engine power, as it takes a lot of people to handle all those sails, and they would need the main deck clear to do it.  All of these ropes and more are used to manage the sails.

Sue and Paul – relaxed.  The beginning of a great weekend.We went down into the galley to pick up our dinner – traditional Norwegian fare of herring, shrimp, bread and mayonnaise. Angie and James come from Louisiana, so they knew all about peeling shrimp, and under their tutelage, we were soon peeling shrimp pretty competently.

There was a live band on board as well – Eric “Slim” Zahl and the South West Swingers.  They were very close to our table – and they were good.  The played quite a variety of music, but lots of Blues and swing.  It was great.  We all bought their CD…. and I’ve played it several times.

As it was getting towards sunset, we went up on the foredeck. Here is the ship’s bell. It was the night of the blue moon – the second full moon of the month.  The skies were clear and we had a good view of it rising over one of the islands.

Now for your history lesson.  This ship was built in 1914 as a training ship for the German Merchant Marine, christened the Gross Herzog Friedrich August.  She was taken as war booty by the English in World War I, and in 1921 was brought to Bergen by former minister Kristofer Lehmkul.  There, she was also used as a training ship, until being seized by the Germans and used during the World War II. Again, she served to train sailors in Norway until 1966. She is now run by a foundation, and is still used as a training ship.  She has over 40,000 square meters of canvas, and is 98 meters long. the highest mast is 48 meters above the waterline.

The six of us – Paul, James, and David – in his new capand the three that planned it and dragged them there. Me, Angie and Sue.Finally, the lights of Stavanger burned brightly through the darkness, and our historic cruise was over.  Goodbye to friends and off to catch the train back home. Thanks, Angie, for letting us know about it.What a wonderful way to spend a Friday night in Norway!

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On Saturday, we went in search of salmon.  No, not to the local grocery store, or to the fish market.  To a river – they are flocking up stream now for the spawn. Figgjoelva, to be exact.  The river that Dwight D. Eisenhower came to fish in. The Eldorado of salmon fishing!After trying unsuccessfully to ask the right questions of David’s GPS, we looked at the map (I really DO like a paper map) and found our way to Selestranden (Sele Beach).  Driving around, we found no place to park, so we carried on the Borestranden.

On the way, we chanced upon a potato harvest.  I’d never seen a potato combine, so we stopped for a look. 

We arrived at Borestranden parking lot -it was great to get out and walk – over the dunes, we saw the waters of the North Sea.  The breakers were studded with surfers.

There must have been a surfing school going on – look at the number of boards in the back of this truck!

Snoopy thought this was a great idea – lots of open sand for him to run on, bits of seaweed to sniff at.

With the pounding of the waves, there aren’t many shells on the beach, except for these tiny bits.

What we did find was pockets of smooth, rounded rocks.

There are little paths through the dunes at the edge of the beach, and one with some hard, eroded sand at one edge.

At last we arrived at the mouth of the Figgjo River – you didn’t really even know it was there until you were right on top of it.  There was a distinct difference in the colour of the water where it flowed rapidly into the sea.

We walked along the bank, past some fishermen (and women) having a lunch break.  Crossing the bridge, we paused a moment and saw several fish jump out of the water.

This man had had a good day – he said that the largest fish weighed 8.5 kilograms – you could tell by the way he held his arm carrying it that it was heavy.

The river is quite fast and deep, but I’m thinking that on a clear sunny day you might be able to see the flash of silver as the salmon go under the bridge.

I hope we get the chance to go and see.

This morning at Hanne’s, I finished sewing the binding and hanging sleeve on my Three Ladies. It is so nice to finally have something done.This is a copy of a painting by the Indian painter, B. Prabha.  My friend, Paramjeet Bawa, came up with an interesting and quite simple technique for using reverse applique to produce this painting-like effect with fabrics.  She taught me and several friends in Muscat before we left.  Everyone else had their project completed soon afterwards, and showed them off at the meeting of the Muscat Quilting Group.  Mine is done now – and looking for a special wall to hang on.  Better late than never, eh?

I have also caught up on the monthly block from the Rogaland Quiltelag – the local Norwegian quilt guild that I am attending.  The first one was all paper pieced – the second had some as well.  It is not my favourite technique, but I am sold on the ease one can get fine lines and sharp points that are impossible to do by piecing.

I’m having my usual bit of trouble with value – bright colours always read as light to me, even when they are not.  The star was finished when I really noticed….. and I think I did a bit better in the other two blocks.  I used my camera in black & white mode to get a better idea of the values, and came up with this compromise.Block three was all pieced – and fun to do.

And there they are, ready to show at the next meeting. they are pinned onto the quilt that isn’t whispering back to me yet.

I’m beginning a winter mystery quilt – actually two table runners.  The first set of instructions was just to select the fabrics, and cut a few 8 1/2″ squares….. now I have to wait for the beginning of October for the next set of instructions. I got this delightful Christmas cat fabric in a small country shop near Vancouver a year ago – and hope it will work as my light fabric. With all the old things I’m trying to clean up, I needed something new to tackle as well – and this shouldn’t take that much time.

I’m starting to do the quilting on the Santa’s sleigh wall hanging now, and hope to have it finished soon as well.

It’s nice to be sewing again.

I’ve always been fascinated with water – I think most of us are.  After all, that’s where we begin our lives.  And we are made up of mainly water.  Without it, we will perish, physically.  I think some of us would perish mentally without it as well.

I grew up in a  valley in the Canadian Prairies.  There was a small creek there – designated on the old maps as an “intermittent stream”.  Once they put a dam on the Saskatchewan River, when I was about 18, there was a lot more water in the creek – and it was muddy instead of clear.  There was a lot of erosion. I didn’t think about that when I was growing up though.  I remember playing in the water on the stone crossing, and watching the fish go upstream in the spring to spawn. And, when ever I had a knotty problem that needed considering – that was where I went.  The sound of the water splashing over the rocks seems to untangle any problem, and present me with a solution – even if it was just to grin and bear it.

It seems that all the rest of my life, I’ve been doing the same thing – reveling in the running stream, or the mirror surface of a quiet pond, or the pitter-patter of raindrops on the roof, or on my upturned face.  The lake near our farm at Govan was a haven of peace – a brief rest from the hectic pace of farming in the summer.

I didn’t get down to the sea very often when we were in Kuwait – and the joy that I found in Muscat when I was within easy walking distance of the ocean was almost tangible. I could sit and watch the breakers roll in for a long, long time. Somehow, the 98% humidity in the air didn’t have the same effect! You can’t hear that.

Walking with a new friend at sunset in Muscat –

Now we are in Norway.  I’m not very close to the sea – to a beach where I could go to sit and daydream.  But we do have rain……. and dew. I always carry a camera with me, and I’ve amassed quite a collection of photos of raindrops – on roses and fences and flowers of all kinds. It’s amazing how the rain drops stay on these geranium leaves – even when all the rest of the plants are dry.

I think of these tiny droplets as the fairy’s looking glasses, for there seems something mystical about them.

Did you see the fairy?  We may have just missed him.