ok, summer has past and by the lack of any new chapters to my blog you can imagine we've been very busy...
Today I am not allowed to work, says jasper, so after secretely doing the laundry, doing groceries and brushing our completely gone-wild dogs I realize this might be the moment to catch up with some story telling..

We've had guests continuously over the summer (still have)which has been wonderfull. Family, friends and more friends and more family. it has been great having them around, showing them myrdal gard and the beauty of the island.
They all helped out on the farm. Some in the cheesery, others helped painting and the kids were good company for Emma and Sam who could finally play in 'dutch' again.

 

 
 

During the summer, jasper and I went to some festivalmarkets to sell cheese.
The saleswagon was repaired right on time and we drove off into the norwegian country. How beautifull around every corner! The markets were a bit dissappointing  as far as sales, but i guess you have to try before you know. Luckily our regular customers came with large orders even during the summermonths so we did earn money.
In the mean time we have found a rhythm as far as cheeseproduction is concerned in which Jasper makes cheese two days and then gets two days to do different work. My work is coating, cutting selling the cheeses which varies but gives a continuous flow of work with some peaks. We now process about 4800.  liters of milk per week which results in about 450 kilos of cheese.
We are slowly filling our stockroom but could actually do with some more production because we have some more potential big clients coming through..
So the cheesery is working and running :-)

The farm has shown us what greens grow and we 've seen beautifull flowers, berries of all kinds and off course grass. First time cutting the grass, tossing it around to dry etc...the balls of hay now lay on the field. Jasper has managed to fix the big tractor so we can do a lot of the grasswork ourselfs. Not that we have goats yet, but we can use it next spring when the young goats will arrive.

Learning norwegian has off course come to a complete stop with so many dutch visitors, but the kids have started school again so they should be moving forward quickly. We will start classes again in a couple of weeks. The norwegian I have been confronted with is the enormous amount of regulations, obligatory documentations, necessary communications with clients, advisors, collegues etc..Thank god almost of them speak a little english as well. Reading  is actually getting better by the day.. I've started reading a norwegian thriller and I believe somebody got killed with an axe?! 'll let you know who did it if i find out:-)

We've made some beautifull  hikes around the area and it always results in an amazing view. turns out there is a beautifull laguna beach on the island where you can swim in the fjord...sorry for those guests who were here before we found out. Emma has already had her first campingtrip with school again, because the weather was nice and they had four new pupils in the class, school decided they could do with a camping trip. So easygoing and easily organized!

Emma has found a friend in an icelandic girl who moved to tysnes and needs to learn the language too. They study together which makes life a bit easier for both..
Sam is having a bit of a struggle getting back to school and learning norwegian, but I still have to figure out whether its the schoolthing (off course he's had quite a nice summer on tractors and quads and kajaks etc) or the languagething. he has no lack of friends..

For the kids we have planned a little trip to holland in oktober. We will go in pairs, because we cant leave the farm behind with the animals and the sales going steady. Jasper and Emma will go first and  me and Sam will follow.."Frikandel speciaal" he we come!     (sam's  biggest craving)
Off course visits to Sterre, Fleurine, Jorrit and Sil and many other friends who have not been able to come yet are completely filling our agenda.

So here you og... a little update of our adventure. Still going strong, feeling happy, no regrets....living life to the fullest; learning, laughing, playing, working and off course, thinking of all of you!