I met Peter, with the two young boys, Pilar with Christian Andres, and Gaute the blond guy.
C picking blueberries
2006 September 7 · 11:55AM · Thursday · Oslo, Norway
Blueberry-picking trips are some of my personal favorite memories from childhood. I’m happy that C and Ruby may have these special memories, also. Norway is so similar to Alaska. It makes me feel so at home.
C picking blueberries
2006 September 7 · 11:55AM · Thursday · Oslo, Norway
That’s C’s happy blueberry picking face.
2006 September 7 · 11:55AM · Thursday · Oslo, Norway
In goes another blueberry
2006 September 7 · 12:14PM · Thursday · Oslo, Norway
C is slowly turning purple
2006 September 7 · 12:14PM · Thursday · Oslo, Norway
Ruby discovers the blueberries, too
2006 September 7 · 12:18PM · Thursday · Oslo, Norway
Wow — this is a really great picture. One of the best we have, I think. :)
Ruby loved the berries
2006 September 7 · 12:18PM · Thursday · Oslo, Norway
C and Ruby hunting berries
2006 September 7 · 12:19PM · Thursday · Oslo, Norway
C and the Norwegian wilderness
2006 September 7 · 12:19PM · Thursday · Oslo, Norway
The trees and plants are so similar to those we have in Alaska: lots of pines and spruces, mosses, blueberries and a berry that is related to the cranberry.
C picking berries
2006 September 7 · 12:20PM · Thursday · Oslo, Norway
C is sitting on a tree stump, picking the berries from the bushes around him. Pretty nice setup!
C examines a berry
2006 September 7 · 12:20PM · Thursday · Oslo, Norway
C’s got a blueberry
2006 September 7 · 12:20PM · Thursday · Oslo, Norway
Ruby reaches for a berry
2006 September 7 · 12:20PM · Thursday · Oslo, Norway
Even though the bushes were wet with icy cold water from the rain the night before, and Ruby’s hands were freezing, she would not stop picking berries.
Ruby’ sad because she is cold
2006 September 7 · 12:20PM · Thursday · Oslo, Norway
Ruby is happy because she is eating blueberries
2006 September 7 · 12:20PM · Thursday · Oslo, Norway
Ruby’s little hands at work
2006 September 7 · 12:20PM · Thursday · Oslo, Norway
Ruby just keeps picking
2006 September 7 · 12:21PM · Thursday · Oslo, Norway
C with classmates in the background
2006 September 7 · 12:21PM · Thursday · Oslo, Norway
Ruby on the stump
2006 September 7 · 12:24PM · Thursday · Oslo, Norway
Ruby and C searching out the berries
2006 September 7 · 12:31PM · Thursday · Oslo, Norway
Ruby and C searching out berries
2006 September 7 · 12:32PM · Thursday · Oslo, Norway
Blueberry Hand Ruby
2006 September 7 · 12:54PM · Thursday · Oslo, Norway
Poor cold pickled purple hand!
C’s blueberry hand
2006 September 7 · 12:55PM · Thursday · Oslo, Norway
Ruby’s showing me her cold hands
2006 September 7 · 12:55PM · Thursday · Oslo, Norway
C in the tent
2006 September 7 · 1:36PM · Thursday · Oslo, Norway
Ruby in the tent
2006 September 7 · 1:36PM · Thursday · Oslo, Norway
C picking berry with Treklang parent, Gaute
2006 September 7 · 2:01PM · Thursday · Oslo, Norway
Ruby found a big stick
2006 September 7 · 2:03PM · Thursday · Oslo, Norway
C in the wilderness
2006 September 7 · 2:10PM · Thursday · Oslo, Norway
the lone picture of Katy
2006 September 7 · 2:11PM · Thursday · Oslo, Norway
I was taking arms-length pictures of me and Ruby to distract her while we walked back. She wanted to walk on her own, but she was being too slow and the bushes were making her all wet anyway. I deleted most of them, but I thought it was nice to keep some record of me being there!
We went on a field trip with C’s school out to the forest. We took one of the metro lines all the way to the end (or very nearly the end) and there were hiking trails straight from the train platform. The hike was only about 10 or 15 minutes, and then we set ourselves up in a clearing that was filled with blueberry bushes. Everyone had little things for sitting on and we sat down and had our lunches. The teachers brought rope and tarps and made little tents for the children to play in. Everyone spent the next two hours picking blueberries and eating them. It was a rainy day, and a little cold, but it was a very nice outing.
It was nice for me to meet some of the other parents, also, and to practice speaking Norwegian. It’s really important to set the language early in a new relationship — my mom calls it a “language bond” — because it’s difficult to switch once you get used to using a certain language with someone. My Norwegian is pretty bad, but everyone was very kind and patient with me :).