Christmas Message 2008

As expected, our lives have changed significantly in 2008. Going from being a married couple to a family has brought it's challenges and with them incredible joy.



Our son, Une, was born on April the 9th without complications. A quick labour and a healthy baby weighing 4.27Kgs. Since then, as I'm sure with all babies, he's developed quickly. Now it's full speed over the floor, opening drawers and emptying their contents, finding his way into the dogs water bowl, eating us out of house and home and so on.

Norway has an excellent Maternity/Paternity support system, which has allowed us to share 10 Months of leave with more or less full pay, this finishes in February 2009. Mari took the first 4 months (apart from 2 weeks when she was on a course and I was full time daddy) and after that we've been sharing 50/50. I can't say it's always been easy, but I feel very priviledged to have been able to spend so much time with my son in the early days. It's also been good for Mari to be able to follow up on her PhD and Masters without loosing out too much.

Other than the baby, my new job is going well. There's been a bit of travelling but nothing too much. This year I've been to Morocco and Saudi amongst other places. Mari's Phd keeps her very busy, but she is enjoying the change and the challenges of it.

We had a big family holiday in a nearby chalet (on an island) before the Christning, it was great to have everybody in one place again. Also, this year hasn't been completely without some progress on various projects in the garden and the house. We stripped out and put new panelling and ceiling up before decorating the baby room, I've now got 2 functioning tractors (never knew how I managed with just one) and a "field" to use them in. All this and more can be found written earlier in the blog and on More-power for the mechanically interested.

Wishing all a merry christmas and all the best for 2009.

Down in the Basement - Part 1

Some weeks ago, we had a couple of mates visiting who, in exchange for good food and company were put to hard work in the basement.

When this house was built in 1952, dried Clay was used as an insulation means between the basement and the house above. This was filled in on top of the ceiling before the floor boards were laid.

Whilst this does insulate to some extent, it is not as good as modern insulation and it invariably sinks leaving an air gap and hence, cold floors. This job has always been on the cards, and having a little one crawling about seemed like an important reason to do something about it.

So, once our guests had removed all the internal walls, shelves and so on,

leaving a clear (ish) working area.

We did our best to seal up the other half of the basement, got our PPE on (it's incredibly dusty work) and set to work.

The pile of timber at the end of the basement grew,

As did the clay in the trailer.

and after 7 hours, with one break for a drink and a new set of overalls and masks the job was done.

After an estimated 4 tons of clay was carried out of the basement and that's only half of it, I am truly grateful and in debt to my assistants, they worked heroically and once we had decided that we would get the job done, they wern't going to leave without doing it. All thanks and credit to them.

Saying that, I think I'm going to have to find someone else to help with the other half, I'm not sure they be so keen to visit again if that's on the menu!!

Kris Kindle 2008

I've had requests to get the 2008 Kris Kindle advertising started, so here it is, get advertising......

We havn't recieved our letter yet, I will write some more blurb when we do. I am, however, led to believe that we are working in pairs as per last year.....

Update 29th November:

Well, our letter was waiting for me when I got back from a week in the middle east, and it seems the rules are unchanged from last year. It's couples again, and one assumes that everybody knows who they're buying for now. 100 Euros is the limit and those buying for Kid Sister and London Son, obviously, are to buy 2 seperate presents.

So, that's that, we all need adverts, nobody's got a clue what to get their chosen couple, and we havn't got a clue what we want, all suggestions greatfully recieved..........

My First - Part One.

Ok, way behind with baby reports, so here's a set of FBS's first in picture form! As you can see he's worked out to look at the camera!

My First High Chair

(Taken: 25/09/08)

My First Fruit Puree

(Taken: 25/09/08)

My First Underwater Photo

(Taken: 3/10/08)

My First Reading Session with Farfar

(Taken: 5/10/08)

My First PPE

(Taken: 1/11/08)

Coming up in part 2, my first banana (if I can find the photo), trip under the fridge, pub lunch and much more......

Pumpkins.

It's already down to 2.9 Degrees out there and threatning to freeze tonight, so I made the snap decision not to take the chance and to harvest the 2 pumpkins that have been allowed to mature down in the veg patch.

The largest of them has weighed in at 30Kg or 4 Stone 10lbs in old money, and needed a wheel barrow for transportation, although even that was a struggle.

The assistant gardener's been so impressed that he's decided to have a go himself next year, and we'll be competing for the largest specimen. I've already got some dutch seeds that are the worlds largest variety, from which the 690Kg world record pumpkin was grown. We'll both be using these seeds and now, we've got a good benchmark.

6 weeks in

Well, a slight drop in salary indicates that I have now completed my mandatory 6 weeks of "Daddy Leave". I did 2 weeks in early July, and we've been working 50% each since the beginning of August.

That means that I have been at home, alone with First Born Son for a total of 30 Days already. Despite this, every day feels like the first! Not because it's a fight, or because of dread or fear(although it is a challenge), just because time flies and every day is different.

So, 6 weeks in, but a way to go, we continue on 50% each until the end of February 2009. I really do feel privileged to have this opportunity that not many men have and I really am enjoying getting to know my son as he grows and develops (at a rate of knots!).

A random baby photo for those of you who expect and demand them.

The Field, Part 3 - Looking Good.

There was no way that we were going to be able to use all the field this year, especially with having already planted pototoes else where, so the tactic that we decided upon was limited planting under plastic and to harrow the unused ground often enough to keep the worst of the weeds away.

As you can see, the plan has worked pretty well. I've driven over the the harrow about every 2 weeks. Not only has this kept the weeds done, it's also broken up the cow muck, improving the look of the soil.


Growing under plastic looks to be an excellent idea, and will most likely become a regular feature in the field. Here you can see, a pumpkin, a courgette (which we are now enjoying) and Sweetcorn, which looks promising.

I'm very pleased with the results, it's a big change for the pile of rubble that was there 3 years ago, and it's given me the possibility to really use my tractors! Mechanised farming is the future.

Mint Garden, Part 2 - The Mint Steps

So, the mint garden has been taking shape, in a hap-hazard bit here, bit there sort of way. As it's expanded a plan has started to form and being on a bank, it will needs some steps.


The plan is to build some steps down the gap between the Mint and the Red Currant and then a path longways along the bank with mint on both sides, above and below. I've been watching the neighbour preparing the area for his new cow shed and eyeing up some of the more step like stones.

A couple of weeks back, the real farmer was up there with his digger and I had the oppurtunity to fecth a couple of fine specimens. FBS got his first ride in a tractor, I was looking after him and life must go on, projects must continue!


So, two fine steps, I'll need a good few more, and the David brown to help put them in place (so they'll stay where they are until the Potatoes are havested). The real farmers going to start blasting rock soon, hopefully a few more like these will turn up.

Taking to the Bottle.

I've had complaints, that there's too much Garden and not enough Baby on here. Apologies, I've got the whole summer to catch up on.

We started our first week of 50% leave each this week, Mrs VL went back to work on Monday, leaving me and FBS up to our own devices. Today, after three days at home this week, I'm writing this from the KLM lounge in Amsterdam, on my way towards 2 weeks in the middle eastern heat. So much for 50%, we'll make up for it when I get back.

An important part of keeping the little guy in good form is, oddly enough, getting the right amount of food in at the right times. Not having food on tap, this provides a certain challenge! Almost since birth, we have applied a policy of not letting more than a day go by without giving him a feed from the bottle. Mrs Vl has pumped dedicatedly and we have a stash in the freezer.

Not long before D-Day, our first day alone, FBS became increasing and worryingly difficult with the bottle. Fortunately, we've found the problem. It seems he's as determined and decided as his Mum and Dad put together. The answer was simple, he was going to "feed himself" from now on. He needs a fair bit of guidance, but he holds the bottle, often manages to position the teat in his mouth, and if he's hungry manages to hold it in one position once he gets milk out.

We've had no problems since, as long as he feels he's in control, everything is well.

The Field, Part 2 - Ploughing and Harrowing

With the tree chopped down, that left us with a tree stump to move and the area to level out.

After fruitless hours of hard digging and root cutting and broken chains whilst trying to pull the stump out, the real farmer came up with a suggestion. Why not wait until he was passing in his digger and he'd whip the stump out in a jiffy.

It pays to have friends with equipment, within a few weeks the tree root was up, over 40 tons of soil and 20 cubic meters of cow muck had been added and the area was more or less levelled.

So, suddenly we had a big flat area ready for the next phase. Preparing the soil.



As you can see from the videos, the first efforts of Ploughing and Harrowing were not straight forward, the ground was far from flat and also quite soft in places. The tractor ended up at worrying angles all too often and the large quantities of fresh cow muck we're more inclined to build up on the plough and harrow than be broken up into bits.



By the end of these first attempts, things looked somewhat better, the area was close to acceptbly level and looked something like a prepared field.

The "Field", Part 1 - April/May 2008

Big (little) Sis came to visit a couple of weeks after the birth of FBS. As well as support us, giving us lots of valuable experienced mother tips and help with FBS, she was also put to good use outside.

The field concept started when I began to see the advantages and neccesity of mechanised farming. It has become clear that a minimasation of pyhsical effort is a must if we are to succeed with the production of "bulk" vegetables needed, such as spuds.

Naturally enough, if one is to drive a tractor one needs an open, flat(ish) area to do so on. The area I had chosen, happened not to be flat and had a tree in the middle of it! What better job for b(l)s than aiding with the removal of said tree


With a quick zip from the chainsaw and a helping shove from the tractor, the tree was down in no time.


The tree was quickly dealt with, chopped up into 40cm long logs and split as required,


giving b(l)s the oppurtunity to see the advantages of hydraulic, reather than axe, powered wood splitting.


B(L)S also had a chance to try out the DB, a step up from their Fergie 20, dare I say, whilst we worked on splitting and stacking some more wood. An excellent weekend, many thanks to b(l)s for the help. A big step forward.

Projects go slow.

As you can see, yesterday evening it was still over 30 Degrees in the shade and not much cooler in the house. Today it's peaked at 31.2 Deg C. It's not so easy to get anything done in this heat, so the weekends not been as productive as hoped.

Mint Garden, Part 1 - the story so far.

The mint garden idea began last summer, with Garden Mint and Peppermint from our favourite garden centre. The basis of the plan was to replace the nettles, couch grass, docks and other nasty perenniel weeds, on the bank down to the neighbours field, with an altogether more pleasent (and useful) set off weeds which were more than up to the competition.

Any of you who have grown mint in their gardens will be aware of mints tendancy to take over. This is the reason that many people keep it in pots, but for us this is a great advantage. The eventual plan is to set the mints bounderies with gravel clad weed mat paths and let it all fight amongst itself (with a little bit of helpful regulation now and again).

During a late spring visit to the garden centre this year, I was delighted to see that they had 2 more mint types, Apple mint and Pineapple mint. Another bit of bank was duly dug over and space was made for these plants.

Since then a visit to a herb garden at Domkirkeodden in Hamar during our two weeks in Biri provided another handful of mint types. Here how the mint garden looks now.

So far, we've got

• Peppermint
• Green (Garden) Mint
• French (Spear) Mint
• Apple Mint
• Pineapple Mint
• Eau-de-Cologne Mint
• Yellow (Ginger) Mint
• Cat Mint (which isn't really a member of the mint family, but so what, the cats like it)
• Curly Mint

The two most established plants are the pepper mint and green mint that were planted last year. They give an idea of how the whole area will hopefully end up. There's over 200 mint types out there, I'm on the hunt!

Sitting in the sofa....

on Dads tummy.

Before I start with a catch up of everything that's happened and been done, so far, during the some what hectic summer period, here's a bang up to date photo of first born son, taken today.


As you can see, he's growing at a rate of knots, well over 7Kg and 63cms long already. He's developing everyday and "talking" more than his mum and dad put together, if that's possible!

Mechanically Aided Lazy Beds - Part 3, Job done

This was the View from our bedroom window on the 1st of June this year.


Around 18Kg of seed potatoes in rows that should accomodate the David Brown for harvesting. Naurally enough, I worked out the quickest and easiest method of setting the potatoes on the last 2 rows. That was,

1: Plough in both directions
2: Cut up and collect turf using the bucket on the DB
3: Spread cow muck as required
4: Place spuds on top of cow muck
5: Remove Turfs from DB bucket and place inverted on top of Cow muck/spuds to complete the rows.

Now all we have to do is to chop down those 2 trees to let more light in.

Mechanically Aided Lazy Beds - Part 2, Ploughing up the Lawn.

After consultation with the real farmers youngest son, now officially employed so will in future be refered to as "Assistant Gardner", we decided to try ploughing in the rows of cow muck.

Oddly enough, if one is to plough something one needs a plough. No problem as I had been given to borrow the old plough lying outside the hoilday house up above us.

After a little battle to extract it from where it had been lying for years we were ready to give it a go.

It worked to a fashion, helping by cutting up the turf but not coming deep enough to mix in the cow muck, which it either shoved to the side or dragged along.

It was quickly discovered that it was a much better plan to "plough" before spreading out the rows of muck. It was already clear that this was going to be one of those jobs that man worked out the most effective technique when the job was nearly done!

Blog Maintenance

Apologies if the blog doesn't appear it's usual self, I'm in the process of upgrading to bloggers new template editor, which means I have lost all the changes I made in the old template. Ah, don't you just love "progress".

Learning Fast...

MMMMM tasty.

Mechanically Aided Lazy Beds - Part One, Muck Spreading

Planting spuds time has come and gone. Don't panic they're in the ground, just, but I'm behind with blogging as ever. Anyway, after discussion with the father in law, and contemplating the state of the lawn the decision was taken to use part of it to grow spuds. Originally, my plan was to take advantage of the soil conditioning and fertilising for one year and plant a newer better lawn the year after. However, Mrs VL in conjuction with her mother have come up with a better idea, more later.

So, in keeping with the last couple of years, we've gone for lazy beds. Those of you in the know will be aware that the first ingredient for lazy beds is a big heap of cow muck, which the real farmers next door have good supply of and are always willing to deliver!


This time, the pile was left a fair distance from it's final location. What better tool to move the muck and spread it into smaller piles than the David Brown.


It took quite a few trips across the lawn to move all the muck (more than a few tons of the stuff) but the ground was good and hard from the recent prolonged dry spell so no harm done!


With that job done, it was just a case of spreading it out into rows, putting the spuds on the muck and folding turfs over on top. Already at this stage I was trying to work out how as much of this work as possible could be done using one or the other tractor.....

Gotta Laugh, or else you'd cry.

Time for a caption cometition.

We've had a bit of a nightmare time with the Volvo recently, it got 2 new head gaskets before I found the crack in the head. So, last weekend, instead of enjoying my son, spending time with our visitors (although they did help lots, thanks), driving tractors, planting spuds, blogging and other fun things I fetched another engine from Sweden and spent the time in the middle barn swapping the engine out.

The full story and pictures are on More-Power (blogs posts on Good, old and mostly British)

It's seems pretty much OK now, but I guess after nearly 2 months of stress and mucking about we need to find the funny side of it.

The other cold one has done just this, by suggesting a caption competition for this photo this photo, there's a few classics already, feel free to leave your suggestions, the more the merrier!

My First Wheelbarrow

Retreiving Cat

Vegas has found out that cable ties are great fun and been playing with one for weeks now.

In the process we have discovered that, unlike Peggy (who's version of fetch involves running off and chewing whatever she should be fetching), Vegas is an excellent retreiver. It took a little training to get him to drop it inside arms reach. Now, as you can see, he's really got the hang of playing "fetch". Like any good retreiver, the owner gets bored long before the Dog, errrr, Cat.

More Baby Photo's

Don't panic, it's not just going to be baby this, baby that on here from now on. You've got all sorts to look forward too, a cat fetching a cable tie, gardening exploits, a broken car, a working car and so on. You will, however, have to bare with us. First time Auntie, amongst others, has asked us to publish a few more pictures of the little charmer. So here they are!

Drying after bath time number 2.

Wide Awake.

Playing piano with Daddy, for the musically concerned, he seems to like Debussy better than Beethoven and Fur elise is a definate no-no.

Nappy change number 273.

Labours' Reward

On Wednesday the 9th of April 2008 at 08:44 a.m. our first born son came into the world after a short but intense labour which started at around 02:30 a.m. On arrival at the hospital at 05:56 a.m. we went straight to the home style birth ward as planned. The non-availability of pain killers didn't cross our minds, it all happened so quickly there was hardly time to ask. Although I would have liked to try some laughing gas myself!

FBS weighed in at 4.27Kg, that's 9Lbs 7Oz in old money and was 53cm long, scoring 10,10 on the Apgar scale in the process. As you can see, Mrs Vls neat little tummy that produced so many comments was hiding a big whopper!

Both parents, understandably, are proud and think they've got the best baby in the world just as all other new parents do!

For 300,- Kr a night we were able to have a family room so I stayed in the hospital for both nights, that was a big plus for me and hopefully a big help for Mrs VL (she confirms as I'm writing that it was indeed a big help).

The hospital staff were fantastic, we managed through the nights without their help but their advice, help with food source attachment tecniques and demonstration of important tasks (such as bathing, below) were invaluable.

The journey home on Friday afternoon was uneventful, albiet a little bit of a challenge to work out baby to seat and seat to car attachment procedures!

The first two nights at home have been disturbed but by no means excessively. We are very satisfied with our "Baby Bay" sleeping arrangement. We are very grateful for the recommendation and viewing that we recieved during our visit to the wedding helpers on day 12 of Sert.