EIGHT DAYS OF MAY IN REVERSE

The birches and pines along the east facade of our home.

We've had eight warm, shiny days filled with songs of birds, garden work, planning for outwards remodeling, long pleasant walks and terrace meals. Due to reverse thinking the photos begin with yesterday and ends at May 6th.
The old garden chairs have been spray painted red and on the upper marquise the wonderful clematis are showing the first pink flowers; God's own summer curtains.
The blood beech have sprung, offering shade and rest for a hammocker.
May tenth was last day on school for the media students. Here's Serina's class of journalist and photo students.Where is our daughter. Well, there's always one of these teachers who has to steel the spotlight from her students. Serina's hidden behind the broad, blue back.
By the dinner table for students and their parents. "I shall not cry,"was Serina's motto.She did not manage to keep that.
Tina was a very special girl from the author class. She'd contributed to a book with a heartbreaking story called "Eva".
9th we revisited old, familiar sites not far away from Drammen where Serina went to school.
This is the arsen tower of the cobalt mines, called the Blue Colour Plant.
The cobalt blue color is use in fine porcelain decorating. The Royal Copenhagen have used it on their famous Mussel pattern for almost two centuries.
Trying to get inside a mine opening.
The old(yes I like oldies)eletric power plant looks more like a castle.

Fresh from school I worked as a teacher for children with various psychic problems. The headmaster and his wife lived upstairs in the school building.
There also was a wonderful big dorm
which before ww2 had served as a sanatorium for people with tuberculosis. It sadly burned down in 1983. The farm also belonging to the premises now had a new white farmhouse, and a very friendly owner, who let us go around as we wanted.
The old doc's house where I lived for a year.Using the waiting-room as a kitchen and his office for living/sleeping quarters.
The Blue colour Plant and my new Nokia N95, cellphone that is.
The snow melting has flooded the area and drowned several trees.
Gunnar below an authentic lamppost from the beginning of twentieth century.
We just had to visit the girls at the arrival after eight hours of driving. Serina and her roomie Vanja overlooking Drammen city.
Posing with her new American bought photo lens. "I saved 400 Us Dollars on that bargain, Mom," she said. Who can argue against economy?
We had to cross the Long Mountain Ridge on 1000 meters over sea level on our way from west to east.
Full winter and Pentecost vactionairers skiing outside the chalet.
The main entrance is flourishing.
Work still to be done in the herb & berry garden. The bench former served in a chapel; remember the ones from the 40ies?
The tree called Christ Thorn blossoms every spring, but never carries any of the decorative red berries.
Stairs and a fir leading to the upper garden.
The Cherry tree at full bloom, the birds are singing there all day, but no berries in the autumn. I insist on keeping it, because of the beauty of the flowers.

Herb salad made for next day's soup.
6 different herbs, I just cannot look them all up.
I am raised by an old fashioned Mom.The summer wardrobe to be washed and stored for the winter. Next spring put away the winter clothes and so on. I wish I had a walk in closet with lots and lots of space.
Before our journey over the mountains looking for bags and suitcases. I'm never traveling light.Remark the one with United States Lines label on it.
That's genuine, but just for show off.
Part of our kitchen at midnight. I'm preparing herb juice and ointments for Gunnar.
Dandelion juice.
We're living in a fertile area with old and rare flowers. Bright yellow Mary Chainband, White Anemones in abundance, Mary robe, Brook Blooms are to be found just a few minutes outside our house.
Here they call this a river, but it is a slow brook actually, with trouts waking in the evening.
Gunnar photo shooting at half past nine in the evening.
Old Scandinavian stone monuments called bauta stones.
A lot still to be found in our county.
Makes one wonder what and who were here some thousand years ago. Eldest man found in a moor nearby, showed to be a woman 7000 years old. She did not bother to lie about her age.
White Anemones and Mary's chain band.
Summer Lady has stayed out the whole winter to guard our terrace.
Old saying foresay a fine summer:
Oak before Ash,
means splash.
Ash before Oak,
no soak.

The Ash has sprung, but the oak still has no leaves.