Then the year 2003 has come to an end. During this year there has been 37.816 visitors to this website. It is more than twice as much as in 2002 when the number of visitors were 17.765. Thanks to all of you who have been interested in elgsnes.no!

(12.31.2003)

Merry Christmas!

Today is winter solstice. The polar night is not that bad when the daylight is growing, day by day. It is more than a month till the sun is back here at Elgsnes, but already today the sky was yellow in southwest, a colour not seen for a long time now.

(12.22.2003)

Stormy weather even today, from west this time. It is impressing to see the strength of the wind and the waves. But there is not much hope to survive if you come near by boat. Click at the picture to see a larger version.

(12.07.2003)

At alst we got an autumn storm. This is how people living at this coast are: Though showing respect for the elemental force, we want to go out to feel the wind's strength and the salt water in our faces. Click at the picture to the right to see a larger version.

(12.05.2003)

Today the sky was red. It is a saying that a red evening gives a good morning, and a red morning gives a stormy day. This can't be correct now, because there are just nice-weather-clouds on the sky today. Click at the picture to see a larger version.

(11.30.2003)

The sun is still gilding the top of the mountains when we have a cloudless sky like today. Even though it is two weeks since we had sunshine here at Elgsnes, it is cheering to see the reflection from the mountains around us. The polar night seems to be a little shorter then.

(11.25.2003)

We have had rather high temperature lately, and even in the mountains the snow has melted away. One could be misled to think this is the spring if it had not been for the blue twilight.

(11.15.2003)

Between two o'clock and half passed two AM we had a total lunar eclipse. No wind, a cloudless sky and + 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Farenheit), made the conditions for observing and photographing excellent.

(11.09.2003)

The twilight is falling earlier and earlier, and the blue colour wich is so characteristic for the polar night, is starting to mark the landscape.

(11.05.2003)

It has been raining heavily yesterday and today, and the snow has melted away. For many years now, we haven't had winter this early, so it would have been a great surprise if it had happened this year.

(10.28.2003)

The landscape is even more winterly. The question is: Is this the winter, or is it just a reminder of what will come?

(10.23.2003)

The snow is covering the mountains at Grytøya. The wind has turned to northeast, and that means frost. The cold weather will continue for some time, and we might even get more snow.

(10.19.2003)

This morning it was raining heavily, and at the top of the mountains, where the temperature is low, it has been snowing.

(10.13.2003)

Beautiful weather and nice temperature, a dead calm and sun from a cloudless sky. In such weather the cows really appreciate being out on the pasture. But they must be feeded in the barn too because of the lack of fresh grass.

(10.07.2003)

The grass isn't growing much any longer, so we have to feed the calfs and heifers with round bale silage.

(10.03.2003)

It has been a lot of rain lately, and because the temperature is rather low, we have got snow in the mountains. We hope that this is not the beginning of the winter, but just a reminder of what will come later this year.

(09.26.2003)

The last month the cows have been eating green fodder from this area. It has rained a lot lately, and the soil is wet. The result you can see to the right. Luckily the field has to be sown next year anyway.

(09.06.2003)

Long ago people did not understand the rainbow. Therefore they gave it a religious meaning. In the old nordic faith, the rainbow was a bridge between the human world and the world of the gods and the godesses. They belived that the red colour in the rainbow was a ever lasting fire, put there to prevent the evil jotner to invade Åsgard where the gods lived.

(08.30.2003)

The farm road is following the landscape, makes a curve to the left to avoid interfering with two Iron Age graves, and then again to the right towards the old barn. This makes the cultivated areas look nice, or so-called "non-trade conserns" in the WTO vocabulary.

(08.26.2003)

During the cold war the frigates were hunting russian submarines here in Andfjorden. Today we only have the coastguard to watch the northern sea areas of Norway. The picture shows a ship from the coastguard on its way to the harbour in Harstad.

(08.20.2003)

There is a lot of raspberry in the garden now, and much more than it normally is. The nice weather this summer has made the best conditions for the berries to grow and ripen.

(08.16.2003)

Today the cows started to graze on a mixture of barley, pea and rape. Here they will be grazing while the pasture grass is growing.

(08.08.2003)

Now the sunset is as early as at 11 PM, or nearly two hours before the sun is at its lowest. But we still hope to have a lot of sunny evenings to come.

(08.02.2003)

The rosebay willowherb is in flower. It seems that it hasn't had problems with the lack of rain, because this year there is more of it than ever before.

(07.30.2003)

This summer we have had many days like this: Sunshine and fine temperatures, even in the water. Looking at the picture, you could hardly guess that it is from 68.8 degrees north!

(07.27.2003)

This evening we had a thunderstorm. The harvesting of grass came to a sudden stop because of all the rain. Let's hope that the weather tomorrow will be better for mowing.

(07.23.2003)

By now the sun is right above the horizon at midnight. And soon the midnight sun periode is over for this year.

(07.18.2003)

We haven't had rain for weeks, and with sunny and warm weather the grass is drying away. Therefore we are in a hurry with the harvesting.

(07.17.2003)

Today there is no wind and almost 24 degrees Celsius (75 degrees F). For the bumblebee this is the most important season for winter supplies. At the picture to the right it is looking for nectar on a red clover.

(07.11.2003)

Today we started the harvesting of grass. At the picture we are making round bales. On this particular area the germans had a consentration camp for russian war prisoners during world war II. Now the area is cultivated, and there are no signs from the evil past.

(07.04.2003)

Beautiful weather with a cloudless sky and 25 degrees Celsius (77 F). This kind of weather makes the beach here at Elgsnes attractive for those who practise sunbathing. And the temperature is not bad in the water when the sun is heating up the sand before the tide is coming in.

(06.30.2003)

At last the boggy soil is dry enought for the sowing of grass seed. It is important to have good conditions when you are making a new lawn. And we have enought fodder at the farm, so we don't need any harvest here this year.

(06.24.2003)

Another beautiful midnight sun evening! Click at the picture to see a larger version.

(06.18.2003)

Today the weather is fine for seeding. Then we have to work even at night. Lucky then that there is light all the time. The picture to the right is taken at 11 o'clock in the evening.

(06.12.2003)

The wild pansy is once again in flower. Even in the slope of the north pole there can grow nice plants!

(06.01.2003)

The grass has survived the winter better than usual, and even if the temperature is rather low, the grass is growing when there is light day and night. Views like the one to the right fills a farmer's hart with joy.

(05.29.2003)

Midnight sun for the first time this year!

(05.23.2003)

Today is our constitutional day. 17th May 1814 our constitution was carried, and Norway was declared to be a free and independent country. Later the same year Norway was forced into a union with Sweden. This union we got rid of in 1905. 98 years later, there still are unionists in Norway who now want to join the European Union.

(05.17.2003)

Another beautiful sunset! Click at the picture to see a larger version.

(05.05.2003)

May is starting with sunshine and no wind. But still we have temperatures just above the freezing point. Our comfort has to be the old saying: "A cold May gives a lot of hay".

(05.01.2003)

A beautiful day! But the temperature is still low, only 3 degrees above the freezing point in the middle of the day, and frost at night. The grass is not growing when it is this cold, but that is a good thing, because high temperatures now will give thin meadows and little fodder.

(04.25.2003)

Today it started snowing again. No surprise with snow at this time of the year, even when we have an early spring. We who live at the shore of the Artic Ocean are familiar to rapid changes in weather and temperature.

(04.22.2003)

A beautiful weather with sunshine from a cloudless sky, a dead calm and 52 degrees Farenheit. In the sunshine it is even warmer. The bumblebee has started its work. Until now it is only crocus, blue anemone and coltsfoot that is in flower. So these are beein visited a lot.

(04.17.2003)

The weather is changing rapidly far up north. One week full winter, and the next one with temperatures around 50 degrees Farenheit in the middle of the day and a dead calm in the evening. To the right you can see how the evenings can be at this time of the year! Click at the picture to see a larger version.

(04.13.2003)

The blue anemone is in flower! It has been brought here because it is not growing wildly in this area. The main reason for that is not the climate, but the fact that this anemone needs limy soil. In the garden where this one is growing, lime has been added.

(04.11.2003)

Sunshine at last! Today we have the kind of weather we are hoping to have for the Easter holidays. That is the time of the year when nearly everyone are skiing, eiter cross-country or downhill. But the weather is changing rapidly, and the new moon indicates that this will go on for at least the next two weeks.

(04.07.2003)

In the middle of the day there was a little break where it was possible to take pictures. The one to the right is from the beach here at Elgsnes. But as you can see, it is too early for bathing.

(04.05.2003)

Strong wind and snow makes the landscape look like the picture to the right. When the weather is like this, the snow is not falling - it is snowing horisontally.

(04.04.2003)

The winter is back again. One crocus makes no summer!

(03.31.2003)

Since the last crocus picture was taken we have had strong wind with rain, sleet and snow. Today it has calmed down, the sun is shining and the crocus is in flower.

(03.23.2003)

Today we have stormy weather. Normally we don't have strong wind in March. We used to get the storms in November, but not any longer. So parhaps this indicates permanent weather changes?

(03.18.2003)

No, it is still to early for the spring! During the night we got four inches of wet snow. So this morning the landscape was all white. But now it is raining again, so parhaps the snow has gone already tomorrow.

(03.09.2003)

The crocus is in flower! Normally this will tell us that spring is here. But spring in the beginning of March in our latitudes - is that possible?

(03.07.2003)

Today we have got snow, but only enought to make the farm road look white. The fields are still green. It has been said that the global heating will lead to more weather changes. We have had an icecold January and an exceptional mild February. Parhaps the long-term forecast already has become true?

(02.28.2003)

This evening we built a fire here at Elgsnes like what farmers did all over the country. Before we got telecomunication, this was the way to warn against dangers ahead. Today the threat is the proposal from World Trade Organisation about liberalisation of the trade with agricultural products. This threatens the existence of norwegian agriculture as a whole. If the proposal turns into reality, there will be no remaining agriculture outside the very best areas in southern Norway.

(02.24.2003)

The snow has melted away, and the temperature is up to + 7 degrees Celsius or 45 degrees Farenheit. It is hard to belive that this is 20th of february and not 20th of may! Along the edge of the wood is the only place to find snow right now.

(02.20.2003)

In the last 24 hours the temperature has been as high as 45 degrees Farenheit. The garden pansy wich has survived under the snow, is now ready to flower. This is because the plant is a mixture between norwegian wild pansy and imported flowers. Therefore it isn't as strong as local species.

(02.16.2003)

At last there is an opening in the cloud cover, and the sun is shining on the houses here at Elgsnes. It is only 12 days until the sun is above the mountain. From then on we have sunshine all day - if there is no clouds.

(02.10.2003)

Last night we had wonderful northern lights or aurora borealis wich is the latin name. From long ago there has been myths associated with this phenomenon. Only the bravest persons dared to live in a land where the sky is on fire. One explanation of northern Norway's old name, Haalogaland, is conected to northern lights: High-fires-land.

(02.05.2003)

Lately we have got a lot of snow. Together with strong wind, this means blocked roads. So it is a lot of job to get rid of the snow, even with a tractor and a snow blower.

(02.01.2003)

The sun is back! For nearly two months it has been under the horizon. But still there is two days to wait before we can get the first gleam of the sun here at Elgsnes - if the clouds stay away at that time.

(01.26.2003)

No matter how the weather is - as long as the road is not blocked by avalanches - the milk truck is here every third day to collect the milk for the dairy. In the meantime the milk is kept in a big refrigerated tank.

(01.23.2003)

Lately we have had rather low temperatures, but today it is only two degrees below freezing point. That is a more normal temperature here at this time of the year because we are lucky to have the Gulf stream near the coastline in this area.

(01.15.2003)