Header picture - sunflowers at Wesenberg

1 August - All re-united in Germany, we had a warm evening stroll through a quiet forest. There we found a very small sandy-bottomed forest lake with a number of bays and sandy beaches. Perfect for an impromtu swim - shared with vast shoals of fish (click fishy photo, right, for pictures).

Photo: fields of sunflowers in Wesenberg.

2 August - An evening stroll around the town-centre pond/small lake in the centre of Neustrelitz (pictures here).

4 August - Another warm, sunny day tempted us back onto (and occasionally into) the water (pictures here) as well as back to Rostock.

7 August - Here in warm and sunny Germany we're reading with increasing incredulity the newspaper reports from home. Following torrential rain, the main roads out of Oslo are under feet of water (photos of submerged cars on the motorway), while headline stories in the Stavanger newspaper and the NRK news warn of "serious bad weather on the way in", mentioning strong winds (up to 60mph), heavy rain and snow. The Water Board and County Governor have both issued formal warnings of floods and avalanches in Western Norway, suggesting that 4-5 inches of rain may fall in the next 24 hours. Katie is due to fly to Stavanger tomorrow as leader on a camp (as in, tents) for a week.

Comments Jon - August 7th, 2016 I think you must be mistaken. It's sunny and vindstille in Norway. By the way, if Katie is interested, we have a camp here, with modern indoor facilities (vacancy courtesy her big brother . ..). Tim - August 8th, 2016 Thanks for the offer, but people attending Katie's camp are now to be accommodated in mini-submarines instead of tents, so it should be OK provided her seaplane can touch down in all the wind and snow. joanna - August 11th, 2016 Have you had any water mails from Katie? Scotland is taking a pasting as well as Norway! Tim - August 11th, 2016 The occasional bottle arrives with a message; she's doing fine. We're on our way back to face the Norwegian "winter" too - but our friends Jon and Sarah are coming for a visit next week and the weather is always good when they're in Ørsdalen, so things should be looking up. Hope Norfolk is avoiding the worst of the weather! joanna - August 11th, 2016 Had the heating on the last two days but the next few look better!

13 August - All re-gathered at home in Ørsdalen. Tracy and Tim drove from Neustrelitz and up through Denmark yesterday, catching the late-night fast boat to arrive in Kristiansand after midnight; getting home around 4 in the morning. Then after all too few hours in bed, off to do things, including picking up Katie from her camp. She describes her camp as a wet, muddy but successful experience. The next few days will go in organising things for the start of term, which will include setting up Katie's week-day flat (it's much too far and complicated to travel to college in Stavanger every day).

Katie is not the only one to be moving. Thomas Andrew has now got his own place, renting a house on the moors just beyond Vikeså and Bjerkreim (map and Google Street View). His new address is Ognedalsvegen 83, 4387 Bjerkreim. So congratulations all round!

Comments Norah - August 13th, 2016 Tim - Pen Blwydd Hapus iawn yfory, a llawer ohonynt! Tim - August 14th, 2016 Diolch o galon, Norah! joanna - August 15th, 2016 Missed your birthday again, (or nearly) may be you aren't as keen on celebrating as the years go by!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TIM Tim - August 16th, 2016 Thank you very much Joanna!

16 August - and she's off! - First day of term. Katie was installed in her flat in Sandnes this morning, complete with a selection of belongings and the guinea pig ("all pupils are allowed one owl, one toad or one guinea pig") and duly caught the Hogwarts Express from Sandnes station to Stavanger central to start her new life at college.
...evening -
It was a good first day: the place is apparently every bit as eccentric as it promised!

17 August - an early-morning mist — a sure sign of late summer (click photo, left) — soon lifted to reveal a glorious and extremely hot day. Tracy and Sarah went exploring by car, while Tim and Jon went for a long walk from Ørsdalen and into the mountains (click photo, far right, for far too many photos, or see even more pictures on Jon's blog).

18 August - Another hot and sunny day included a trip to Egersund, stopping off on the way at the salmon ladder that bypasses the big waterfall on the Berkreim River, followed by a lovely walk out to the lighthouse at Eigerøy, just outside Egersund (click photo, near right, for photos, or see Jon's excellent pictures and description here).

22 August - Hogwarts is in the NRK news because 84% of this year's intake are girls. The report points out that it's a very small college — 125 places — and is the college in this county that requires the very highest grades to get in. It's just the way of things that most of the highest-performing pupils are girls; never more so, apparently, than this year. NRK's photo of the main building here.

23 August - Those early-morning mists in Ørsdalen are gradually becoming more autumnal around the edges (though it still cleared into a beautiful day).

Comments Jon - August 23rd, 2016 Beautiful early morning mists picture!! Tim - August 24th, 2016 Thanks Jon! joanna - August 31st, 2016 How is Hogwarts going down? Katie did so well to get there ? Tim - August 31st, 2016 Didn't she just? Yes, she's thriving there - very positive indeed. Tracy and I went for our first parents' meeting the other night and were again impressed; but the main thing is that Katie is really pleased.