Yesterday's declaration from WTO's Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong was not a catastrophe for norwegian agriculture. But the negotiations in the next few months will be a challenge. The picture can symbolize the situation: A lot is still in the dark, but the glimmer over the barn's roof gives hope for future agriculture even here.

(12.19.2005)

Today we have had stormy weather. Strong wind is not unusual at this time of the year, but this was more of a problem until 1973 when we got a road connection. Before that our communication was on the sea, and that could be rather difficult in days like this.

(12.12.2005)

A day with nice weather; a clear sky, no wind, and temperature around freezing point. May it last!

(12.04.2005)

Today is the oldest inhabitant here at Elgsnes, Helga Ruud, 88 years old. It is also 11 years since the norwegian people for the second time voted NO to EU membership. This means that there are two good reasons to fly the flag today.

(11.28.2005)

The snow has melted away, and today the fields are green once again. It is normal to have green fields here at Elgsnes even when there is snow to the seashore on the other side of the sound. This is partly caused by difference in temperature, but mostly because it is snowing more on that side.

(11.22.2005)

During the night the whole landscape turned into white. And it seems that the clouds will bring more snow. But is this really the beginning of the winter?

(11.16.2005)

The temperature is higher today, and the snow is melting in the mountains. Is this how the weather will be in the future: Milde winters with little snow and rainy summers?

(11.08.2005)

The sun is now near the horizon even in the middle of the day. And most of the time the clouds have covered the sun when it should have been shining. Today there was a little opening between the clouds, so we could see that the sun is still here. But soon the polar night will start.

(11.02.2005)

The whole landscape is covered with snow. It is cold, and the sun is shining from a cloudless sky. But the weather forecast is telling about higher temperature. Maybe we will get rid of the snow?

(10.27.2005)

Today we got snow down to sea level for the first time this autumn. If we like it or not: The winter is coming!

(10.22.2005)

The rain is back, and today we also have strong wind. Luckily we don't have to use the sea for communication any longer.

(10.14.2005)

Unbelivable, but true: A nice day with sunshine from a cloudless sky. We haven't been spoiled with this kind of weather the latest months!

(10.08.2005)

Rain, rain and yet more rain. The mountain Toppen at the picture to the right is seen only as a shaddow trough the showers. Will it never stop?

(10.03.2005)

It has been raining a lot lately, and the boggy soil is too wet to be harvested. Since it was impossible to cut the grass, we had to find an alternative. The solution was to let a neighbour's sheeps graze the area.

(09.28.2005)

Below the house at Ebergplassen there is still a large Iron Age grave. It is a fine example of this kind of graves. The cairn is about 4,5 meters in diameter and consists of stone and earth. It has a shallow trench along the edge, wich makes it similar to an upside-down soup-dish.

(09.22.2005)

Vytautas has used this boat for fishing. But at this time of the year we can expect strong wind, so the boat shouldn't be out on sea any longer. Therefore we pulled it up and into the boathouse.

(09.18.2005)

Today we got a disgusting weather; gale from north, low temperature and a lot of rain. And for the first time this autumn, the top of the mountains were covered by snow.

(09.12.2005)

After a stormy night with a lot of rain, the wind dropped and the sun was shining. When you see the rainbow after such weather, you can feel a bit like Noah in the Old Testament.

(09.05.2005)

Nothing is better than a lush grass for heifers with voracious appetite.

(08.29.2005)

The blue twilight is back, after red sky and midnight sun in the summer. Day by day we get less light, and in about one month's time, the day will be as short as it is near the equator.

(08.22.2005)

Finally a nice day with sunshine. The cows prefere this kind of weather. They don't like rain, and want to return to the cowhouse as soon as it starts raining.

(08.16.2005)

Tonight Elin and Tore went out fishing. They got 138 fishes during a two hours trip. Mostly coalfish, but also cod and mackerel.

(08.08.2005)

This morning it stopped raining, so we continued with the harvesting of grass for silage. We hardly had problems, so we got 36 loads into the silo today.

(02.08.2005)

These two elks visited us tonight. The picture was taken when they were standing on the lawn right outside the house.

(07.24.2005)

The sun is now under the horizon at midnight, but it can still paint the sky and the clouds in beautiful colours.

(07.24.2005)

Gintare has learned how to milk the cows, and during the harvesting periode she will do this because Vytautas is working in the grass silo.

(07.16.2005)

Then it started raining. It was expected, and therefore the sowing went on continiously till everything was finished at 06:30 this morning, just in time before the rain.

(07.10.2005)

This is the midnightsun dream. A cloudless sky, nice temperature, a dead calm - and the sun mirrored in the sea.

(07.04.2005)

"Elk in sunset" is a well known motive. What makes this picture different is that we don't have sunsets here at this time of the year.

(07.01.2005)

Water avens is a beautiful flower. But it is always hanging down, so from a normal posission it seems to be less coloured than what it is.

(06.26.2005)

This field has been out of production for some years. Now the owner has allowed us to use it. Earlier they grew potatoes here, and i old days even barley. But from now on it will be produced grass for the cows.

(06.20.2005)

Today we went out fishing for the first time this year. We got 33 coalfishes, wich means a few dinners. And the seagulls got a nice meal too from the guts.

(06.10.2005)

Now we have got nice weather. The dandelion is in flower along the roads and the ditch edges, and today we heared the cuckoo for the first time this year.

(06.04.2005)

In spite of the cold weather we have had lately, the wild pansy is in flower.

(05.26.2005)

The snow disappeared before our Constitutional Day, the 17th of May. There is normally a lot of celebration on this day in Norway, and in 2005 we have even more, because it is 100 years since we got rid of the Union with Sweden.

(05.17.2005)

Today is Whit Saturday, and the weather has changed dramatically. But a cold periode around Whitsun is so normal that we have a specific name for it. We call it "pinseria".

(05.14.2005)

The sunsets in the beginning of May can be as spectacular as the midnight sun.

(05.07.2005)

Last month seven cows had a calf on the farm, and today we got the last calf in this periode. The next will be in June.

(05.03.2005)

Not only crocus and blue anemone are flowering now. Also the coltsfoot is yellow where it is protected from the cold wind from north.

(04.26.2005)

The sun gets higher and higher on the firmament. From now on there will be many beautiful evenings like this one. And one month ahead, the midnightsun periode starts.

(04.17.2005)

The blue anemone is flowering. Even though it is growing in a garden where it is protected from the cold wind from the north, it is always special to see it in flower. It tells us that the spring is here.

(04.11.2005)

Today we have 12 degrees Celsius (54 F). The snow i melting rapidly, but we don't think this is the real spring. So we are mentally prepared to still have snowfalls.

(04.04.2005)

The spring is on its way. Today we could see the crocus for the first time this year. The flowers hasn't opened yet, but a little sunshine will get the petals to open.

(03.25.2005)

We have had nice weather lately. But the snow is crusted and icy, so the skiing conditions are rather bad. If we could get some new snow om top of the crust, it would have been perfect for the Easter week's skiing.

(03.17.2005)

A popular motive to be found in many photo albums from the vacation. Not only because it is a nice motive, but also because this is the end of the road where tourists use to stop to take some pictures.

(03.10.2005)

Today we have had northerly gale. The wind decreased during the day. But when the picture was taken around 5 o'clock PM, there was still stormy clouds to be seen.

(03.02.2005)

The latest weeks there has been a lot of public discussion about our regulations in the milk sector. According to this, the title of the picture could be "Sunset for the milk production". Fortunately the liberalists didn't succeed to squeeze our districtal agriculture even this time.

(02.26.2005)

The weather is changing rapidly this far north, from yesterday's snowing to this: Sunshine from a cloudless sky.

(02.20.2005)

The Elgsnes bay is calm today. The reflection from the sky makes the rippled sea look like a hammered copper plate.

(02.13.2005)

The sun is back! It is 11 days since we could have seen it directely for the first time this year, if it had not been for the cloudy weather. The sun is shining for a short periode, but day by day it will get higher on the firmament. And in the end of May it is above the horizon day and night.

(02.08.2005)

The weather has been extremly unstable this winter. Even old people can't remember a winter like this before. Yesterday evening the snow had almost melted away, but today we woke up to full winter once again. And also today it has been snowing quite a lot.

(02.05.2005)

The sun has been away for two months now, and today is the first day with possible sunshine at Elgsnes this year. But since we have a cloudy day, there was no sunshine. Anyway, the sun is back, and that is the most important thing!

(01.28.2005)

Fair-weather clouds in southeast direction can indicate more stable weather than we have had lately. But suddenly the wind can turn to southwest, and then the rainy and stormy weather is back once again.

(01.21.2005)

Today we can view the sunshine on the top of the mountains for the first time this year. It is still 15 days until the sun is shining here at Elgsnes, but it is always nice to see how the sun day by day is illuminating ever more of the landscape around us.

(01.13.2005)

Tonight our new year calf was born. The mother was a heifer and the calf was rather big, so assistance was needed. But now "everything is fine with both mother and child".

(01.07.2005)