1 December - Happy Advent! In Ørsdalen, we've put up the Advent/Christmas lights (now on the house, because we chopped down our usual lights tree earlier this year) - but where is the usual snow? (Photo, left - click for enlargement).

Tracy is back at work, here (photo, right - click for enlargement) seen reading for her children's group at church.

Last night there were storms across mid Norway (even here there were strong winds), so most mountain passes are presently closed due to drifting. Along the coast, too, there was full storm - here is both a film and a photo from Ålesund (where Beth lives), .

We have several times mentioned the infamous Møllers-cod-liver-oil (the stuff that you mustn't take too much of). Andrew has pointed out a story in the news about a man who found a few dozen bottles of the stuff that had been discarded through being out of date, and who emptied them into the diesel tank of his Mercedes. The car runs very well on it, he claims. We see, however, in the news photo that he's driving with the car window open; the smell of fish liver inside can only be imagined! Perhaps if he's stopped for speeding, he can claim "my car took too much Møllers-cod-liver-oil".

If you're following attentively, you may be wondering how the new washing machine is getting on. The answer is that Thursday (the day it was being delivered) came and went, with a text message hoping that we were satisfied with our new machine, but no machine to be satisfied with. I rang them on Friday to see whether they were intending to come that day, and the lady at the shop was very puzzled to see on the computer that the washing machine had been loaded into the van and brought back again. "I wonder why they didn't deliver it?", she said. So they're going to have another try on Tuesday 3rd, and we'll see whether that driver fancies a trip out to the back of beyond or whether he too will turn round at Vikeså and "forget" about his final delivery.

In the meantime, if we're not to become too smelly we need to put some washing on. So the old washing machine - the one with the repertoire of grinding noises and leaky door, that I had disconnected and put ready to be taken away - had to be moved back into place and plumbed back in. This done, I cautiously turned the machine on. It worked perfectly. Not a squeak, let along grinding noises. Not a dribble of water out of the leaky door. Thankfully, the people who are to collect the faulty machine are only the supply/disposal contractors, rather than the people who have authorised the new machine, so they're hardly likely to try it out. But all the same, it's a bit embarrassing - rather like when you take the car to the garage: "it was making a funny noise before I came ...".

3 December - We have many wonderful memories of some of you visiting us in Norway in the "olden days", when we lived either in the north of Norway or during the ten years we lived near Åndalsnes. Most people who visited us at that time came for a ride up the Trollstigen road. So here, for old time's sake, is a short video featuring the ride down the road, towards Åndalsnes. It features one of Tim's weirder acquaintances, Eskil Rønningsbakken (Tim translated his biography from Norwegian into English) - join us for a slightly different ride down Trollstigen.

Although we've mentioned that this year's snow has been very slow in coming (we're not complaining!), according to the forecast it's now on its way. "Several feet" of snow is forecast here for the next 24 hours, together with a storm (30-foot waves on the sea). If you're planning to row across to here in the next day or two, I'd put it off until next week.

"I don't know where I am, but it's a very dark, winding mountain road. I keep driving over cattle grids, and the road's just getting narrower. I can't imagine I'm on the right road!" He was, of course, and the washing machine was duly delivered to us this evening. It arrived in a little hire van, driven by what was evidently the most junior driver on the staff. After leaving us, he was returning the van to base at Sandnes - an hour and a quarter or so if he doesn't get lost on the way back. The new washing machine is now humming and hissing quietly. According to the instructions, before using it properly we had to operate it without clothes, so we're hoping it will be quick as we're getting a bit chilly.

4 December - Our nearest town, Egersund, is looking festive this evening, prior to opening its annual Christmas market tomorrow.

Comments Jon - December 4th, 2013 I sincerely hope you didn't pop into Egersund to take pictures whilst testing your washing machine - or was that why you were a bit chilly! I can begin to imagine the headlines next week . . . Tim - December 5th, 2013 Well, it would make a change from people throwing kebabs at tractors or kicking lamp posts (the normal sorts of unrest in Egersund). Sort of reminds me of that television advert from a few years ago.

5 December - It's just blowing up to the storm. Snow is howling horizontally past the windows, the opening of the Egersund Christmas Market has been called off due to danger of flying Christmas decorations in hurricane-strength winds, and Katie has just blown in from school (photo, left - click for enlargement). Andrew has also just arrived home (he'll presumably be going out shortly to clear snow and keep the village road open for Tracy, who is on her way home from Sandnes). We have reported earlier this year that Andrew successfully took his Norwegian tractor license and car license; today he made it a hat trick with a heavy-trailer license. He seems to be collecting the set.

Early evening - It's not just the Egersund Christmas Market. The centre of Stavanger has been closed to vehicles and pedestrians, the railway is closed, the airport is closed and all ferries have taken cover in emergency harbours. The wind speed on the coast is up to 1.4 times hurricane speed, which is fairly blowing. But we're still here, still have power (though 30 000 others don't in southern Norway) - and still have internet! This new system is fantastic!

Comments joanna - December 5th, 2013 I pray you will be okay and manage to keep warm and safe, its threatening rough over here as well with very high tides, mind you if the sea reaches me heaven help everywhere else!! God bless Jo, PS Love Katies coat. Tim - December 5th, 2013 Thanks Joanna! We're still here - and still with power, although there are many in this district and thousands around southern Norway who are without. The wind is supposed to drop tonight, and seems to be relaxing a little, so it should be fine! Hope you too avoid the worst of it! joanna - December 6th, 2013 Hi hope winds did drop, there has been some flooding over the shingle areas locally and at our Deacons meeting (in my house) we had a call to say parts of Hunstanton were being evacuated, as water was not rippling round our feet we stayed put!!! Tim - December 6th, 2013 We've been reading about floods in Northern Norfolk, and are glad that you're well above sea level and OK! We've come very well out of it; no damage and now lots of snow falling!

6 December - "Oh, *!%§", said the bus driver, as Katie's school bus descended gracefully into that newly-dug ditch on the road by the bottom of our drive. Katie's ride to school and back - heavily delayed in both directions due to the bad weather and to being run off the road by the milk tanker, in addition to the foray into our ditch - began with an emergency stop to avoid fallen power cables and continued past fallen trees (photo, left - click for enlargement), blown-down outbuildings and other signs of last night's storm. The wind has dropped somewhat, but the storm has brought snow in its trail - lots of it. Tracy abandoned her car at the bottom of the drive when she came home and walked up to the house. Thomas Andrew has been driving the snow plough continuously since late afternoon to keep the village road open, and when he called in at home for some dinner at 9ish this evening he rang to ask if I'd come down and move the car so that he could clear the drive. I set off, but only just made it - the snow was up to chest height and I'd no idea what was drive and what was stream. The snow was deeper than the snow plough, so that Andrew wasn't sure that he'd get the tractor up - though he did (photo here).

The bad news of the day, though, was that Tim's car disgraced itself this morning and failed to get up the hill out of Ørsdalen. The 4x4 system - rebuilt this summer at a cost of £4000 - still doesn't work! So it's back to hospital for the car - as soon as we can actually get it out of the valley!

Comments Jon - December 7th, 2013 Sorry to hear about your snow. Pack your winter woollies and move north! Norah - December 10th, 2013 Bobol bach, I wonder how you cope & am sorry about the car failing the hill. what did you do then? I loved the trip down Trollstigen but thankful you never suggested this method on any of our trips.Delighted to see you are better Tracy. Egersund looks very pretty. Tim - December 11th, 2013 Somehow we just never thought of taking you down Trollstigen that way. But we have quite a winding road down to Ørsdalen, so there's still a possibility! My car was stranded diagonally across one of the sharp corners on the hill - and of course, to guarantee maximum embarrasment value the school bus had to pass just at that point! But somehow I managed to spin it round so that was pointing downhill and just came home with it. The garage has now done a temporary fix so that it will run until the spring, when they want to do yet more surgery on it, I'm afraid! We've read about bad weather in N Wales (Rhyl was mentioned in particular) - hope you've been OK in Caernarfon?

7 December - Tracy walking the dogs this morning (photo, right - click for enlargement).

11 December (11.12.13 - the last such date for 990 years, so enjoy it!) - Sitting at the desk in my office at home a few minutes ago, I glanced out of the window to find this fine specimen looking in at me. Luckily I had the camera handy! Note how many feet of snow have vanished in the last 24 hours!

Comments joanna - December 12th, 2013 Golly what a beautiful fox, he/she looks in great condition and the 'brush' will really help to keep it warm when sleeping this winter. Tim - December 12th, 2013 Absolutely! Of course we're not supposed to like foxes, and they're supposed to end up on the Mayor's desk, but you're right - s/he is a real beauty!

14 December - It doesn't happen at all often, but yesterday evening T & T went out for a wonderful steak dinner in a restaurant.

"Just get rid of the baby Jesus from this nativity scene, will you?", asked Tracy. "We don't want him there". So my last task before bed yesterday evening was to Photoshop-airbrush out the baby Jesus, for Tracy to use in her service powerpoint on Sunday. As you can see, Tracy is being a normal vicar as usual. I could write at greater length about her many eccentricities, but unfortunately I'm just on my way out of the door, to give a lecture on Händel's Messiah at the petrol station in Vikeså. Life sometimes feels like a plot from 'Allo, 'Allo.

I've just added a couple of pictures of the damage to trees in the grounds of the old school in Ørsdalen from the storm on 6 December (left - click for enlargement).

18 December - the class show - Katie's school year has the responsibility for putting on the annual show, which they did this evening to great effect, including Christmas songs, some well-known songs with re-written texts, a satirical "here is this week's news", dancing and sketches (right - click for enlargement) Katie's contribution was as one of the "newsreaders", soloist in two of the songs, juggling in a send-up of a "talent contest" and as sound-and-lighting operator. It all went off brilliantly, to warm applause from a hall full of proud parents.

19 December - Christmas dinner - This summer, Tracy took the initiative to start a programme to provide a free hot dinner every Tuesday evening to homeless Eastern-Europeans (especially Rumanians). Many of these have found their way to Norway because of the widespread perception that while southern and eastern Europe are having great economic problems, Norway is afloat with money. They arrive and find that it's even harder to be homeless and pennyless in a rich country than in a poor one. So a team of volunteers, led by Tracy, has been cooking and serving food every week at a centre in Sandnes, and handing out warm clothing that has been donated. This work has been greatly appreciated. Tonight it was time to reward the workers, with a Christmas dinner at the centre.

21 December - shortest day: it only gets better from here! - One of the places I fly to quite often is Honningsvåg (North Cape), which I've previously referred to as a particularly interesting place to land, because of the big mountain right at the end of the runway, and as a destination that you're never quite sure that you'll get there. I've just found a photo that illustrates the point (I'm sorry - the film that I also added here earleir today has vanished).

I've just added a film clip of the storm earlier this month in Ålesund (where Beth lives) - it's worth seeing!

22 December - Christmas concert - Tim organises an annual Christmas concert in Bjerkreim church, using (usually) local performers and groups. As usual the church was absolutely packed (see photos here).

23 December - Carol service - Today was our annual trip to Stavanger cathedral for the carol service (at which Tim plays, Matt sings in the choir and the rest of the family is involved in other ways). It's a lovely tradition (including the trip to a local restaurant), and for the third year in succession we were joined by Solfrid (Matt's girlfriend).

24 December - Happy birthday, Tracy! Matt has made Tracy a birthday cake (Oreos chocolate cake) - click left to help yourself.

As Christmas approaches (especially here in Norway, where Christmas is celebrated later today - except in our house - because Santa likes to get rid of his Scandinavian deliveries before dealing with the rest of the world overnight) the Norwegian news reports that the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority has for the first time granted an official flight permit for one sleigh to operate in Norwegian airspace, including landing as appropriate for the purpose of delivering goods - and dispensation from the statutory rest periods. (Copy of permit here). An official statement says (with just a hint of reproach for past sins) that "Santa is concerned with doing everything correctly in accordance with Norwegian law. He has previously flown without permission, but this year has done everything correctly".

25 December - Happy Christmas! - Here there was morning service in Bjerkreim followed by dinner and relaxation (click photo, right, for picture sequence). Hope you also have had a joyful and enjoyable Christmas.

Comments joanna - December 21st, 2013 Wishing you all all the very best this Christmas God Bless with my love Tim - December 21st, 2013 Thank you, Joanna - and every blessing to you, too! jane w - December 22nd, 2013 Happy Christmas guys! i think I remembered to put a stamp on your card this year :) Tracy - December 23rd, 2013 Thanks Jane, yes it's arrived, complete with stamp :) I hope you have a wonderful Christmas.

26 December - Boxing-Day visitors (click left for pictures).

30 December - still playing board games.