Veiatun

Yesterday, the residents at Bråta Bo og Aktivitetssenter, Mjøndalen's nursing home and activity centre, celebrated its five year anniversary. That means it's five years since the old nursing home, Veiatun, was closed down. The building still stands, and even though they say that the white wooden building on today's photo is worthy of preservation, it has been sold and the plans are to demolish it and build new apartments. If there is one thing I am not completely satisfied with, here in Eiker, especially Nedre Eiker and Mjøndalen, it is the number of preservation worthy buildings that has been left to rot or demolished, only to be substituted by new red brick "history-less" boring buildings.

Rutabaga

About a week ago I saw these farmers prepare their field for harvesting, and I thought I would try to get a photo of it to share with you. For a few days now, nothing have happened, until today. I have to say I expected to see a few workers picking up the rutabaga, or yellow turnip, by hand, but that thought was apparently a little old fashion of me.

Bulbs

Earlier I have posted a photo from Portåsen, birthplace of the famous local poet, Herman Wildenvey. Today's photo shows the statue of him, in the parc Wildenvey's plass in Mjøndalen. I walked through it yesterday and saw this gardener planting bulbs around the statue, making it look nice for next spring!

Mjøndalen by night!

When I say Mjøndalen by night, it's not really correct. It's (almost) by night, but this is definitely not all of Mjøndalen. It's small, but not that small. Today's photo is taken on the outskirts of the village centre, and what you can see on the photo is a petrol station. It's not very interesting, but I really like the light and reflection in the river!

Commuters

I took today's photo this morning, and I would be lying if I said it portrays an ordinary Friday morning. The train did actually arrive on time! Mjøndalen stasjon, the station building, was opened in 1866, it's located approximatly 65 kilometres from Oslo and lies 5 metres above sea level.

Skigard

The old wooden fence in today's photo is called "skigard" in norwegian. I think it can be translated into "lathe fence" in english?! Today's photo is taken from inside an old house on a croft in the forest. The croft is called Nikkerud and belongs to the farm Skramnes in Mjøndalen, the same farm that produces and sells the honey I wrote about in this post. The lathe fence has been outdated by the new and more modern fences of steel wire and wire mesh, yet, as with many things that was modern decades ago, only to come back and be popular once more, some have started to build the fences again. Stanley Jacobsen, a former norwegian artist and writer of folksongs, might argue that the lathe fence never went out of fashion. He is famous for his song "Skigardsvise" where he compares the lathe fence to prejudice, segregation or barriers everyone carries within themselves. "Kva er ein skigard? Ein skigard er så mange rare ting: Ei rad med stokkar, sett som eit gjerde, eller eit stengsel i ditt eige sinn. Ein gamal fordom, eit raseskille, hat og misunning, eller aversjon." Listen to his song here

Kamille Café

One thing I love is to discover new things, especially when I discover something somewhere I thought I knew everything, like in my home town. Not long ago, on impulse, I popped into one flower shop in Mjøndalen, Nedre Eiker. To my surprise, they have a café around the back of the shop. The café is really cosy, and I am very happy to have found something that is more my cup of tea (or coffee) when it comes to cafés.
This is their blog

Bird life

Although there were no birds at this spot the day I took this photo, this place along the river "Drammenselva" not far from the old bridge,"Gamlebrua", is a popular nesting place for swans. I remember a science project we had in elementary school. My group and I had to come here during the nesting period and count the swans. If I'm not mistaken, we counted almost 30 birds at one time.

Box

Yesterday I had a very successful shopping session at the two flea markets I went to. I came home with the few second hand things I have been wanting to find for a while. I think my next project will be to get a collection of old metal boxes, like these on today's photo. I'm not quite sure where I would put them, above the door like on this photo is one solution, or I could keep them on top of my kitchen cupboard.

I've got fleas

This weekend is apparentley the big flea market weekend in Nedre Eiker. With two friends, I went to the flea market in the recreation hall in Mjøndalen today, where this picture is taken. Finally, I found a light green egg cup I have been looking for for ages! On our way back home, we saw posters along the way, about other flea markets today and tomorrow. One is in the recreation hall in Solbergelva, another one at the elementary school in Åsen. Although I found a few things today, the egg cup, an old lamp and a whisky decanter in glass, I wouldn't mind going on another treasure hunt tomorrow!

Misty morning

I took this photo yesterday whilst biking along the river side. It was only 9 am, but the fog had already lifted. A few hours before, the fog laid thick above the river surface. Today's photo shows the northern side of Drammenselva, with the small communities of Krokstadelva and Stenseth.

Ghost

Don't ask my how this photo came out this way, as I have absolutely no clue! (At least I'm not making you believe I've got more photographic skills than I do, and that this effect was intended.) Today's photo is portraying the interior of a typical(?) norwegian garage. I like how all the stuff is stacked away, especially the wooden skis which you can see just below the ceiling. A few more months, and my grandpa can blow the dust off them again!

Benches

Today's photo is from the new square in Mjøndalen, Nedre Eiker, which went through major changes in connection with Nedre Eiker's 125 year anniversary in June. I quite like these colourful features on an otherwise gray area.

Sweet beeznes!

The season for honey is here. Or, it might just have ended. I'm not sure, as I'm no beekeeper and know very little about it. All I know is that my friend, who happens to be a beekeeper, have just finished extracting honey from the beehives. I now have a new stock of fresh honey in my kitchen cupboard. I've found a blog about beekeeping, check out his post from when he was extracting honey from the beehives, in his kitchen! It made me chuckle as I believe one should have a little more room for the extracting business. And for those who are in the Eiker area, check out Skramnes Honning for some local produce!

Avena Sativa

With avena sativa, havre or oats as the theme, an autumn market at the farm Düvelgården in Skotselv, Øvre Eiker took place yesterday. The group behind this market had chosen to focus on oat this year, giving the visitors the chance to get to know all details of oats; with samples of oat waffles, oatmeal flatbread and oat biscuits. A local woman had made paper from the grain's fiber and kids were able learn how to grind the oat in an old fashioned grain mill, a big mortar. Today's photo is not my most creative, but shows different oat products.

It's the season to be berry!

Autumn is my favourite season, not just because of the fresh air and bright red and orange colours, but also because my grandmother takes advantage of all the summer's berries and autumn's fruits and makes loads of little treats. Apple cakes, cherry porridge (I know that doesn't sound that good, but it is!), plum and blackcurrant jams. Today's photo shows the red currant, ribes rubrum, rips, which we eat with vanilla sauce and squinty eyes because it's so sour!

Sjokoladebutikk

Not far from the little centre in Vestfossen in Øvre Eiker, I spotted this God-forsaken old shop. To my delight the sign in the window says "A chocolate shop and café opening here!" At Vestfossen Marken (that I wrote about here), there were two girls in one of the stands selling cakes and chocolate truffles. My mum and I bought a two-pack of cakes and shared the chocolate brownie and the carrot cake between us, yummie! When we asked where their shop was, they told us they're the ones opening up in this shop, hopefully in December. I know about at least one person who will be attending their grand opening, for blogging purposes of course!!

Eiker Janitsjar

Previously known as the Veteran Band, I present to you Eiker Janitsjar! It took a few earlier school band members only 17 days to organise and found this band in 1994. Since then the band has grown steadily and has today 40 playing members, being Nedre Eiker largest amateur band. This year is no special centenary year for the band, but on today's photo they were performing on Mjøndalen sports club's (MIF, in Nedre Eiker) hundred year anniversary in August!

Wrapped and stacked up!

I am pretty pleased with my bright white snapshot today, although wrapped and stakced up hay balls are not the rarest sight here on the country side. I quite like the photo's angle and light from the white plastic and grey clouds on the green background. Today's photo might not sum up everything about living on the country side, but it can give you an idea. Luckily I never have to wrap and stack up these!

Amanita Muscaria

Amanita Muscaria, Fly Amanita and Rød Fluesopp. I found this beauty hidden in the bushes not far from the forest path my friends and I were walking on on Saturday. It's so red and looks very inviting, but everyone knows this one is toxic. Yet, there are those who are too curious (for their own good, if you ask me). By searhing for some information on this mushroom I came across a web page which, and I quote "are an attempt to catalog the wide variety of experiences people have with psychoactive plants and chemicals as well as experiences with endogenous (non-drug) mystical experiences... etc." Personally, I am not too curious to find out how I would react if I ate a Fly Amanita, but I find it quite interesting to discover this web page. For those who are interested, check out the possible effects of Fly Amanita here

Sweet Tooth

Do you guys have a sweet tooth just as sweet as mine? I love this photo, it almost makes me drool. The photo only shows a little part of a big van stuffed full of candy, and kids and bees were flocking around it.

Open Air Market

For today's theme day photo I chose one photo I took last Sunday in Vestfossen. When I first saw that September's theme would be "Open Air Market", I was afraid I wouldn't be able to participate because it's not that often there are any open air markets here. Luckily, last weekend "Vestfossen Marken" was arranged in Vestfossen, Øvre Eiker. It is a yearly market, this year hosted by the local Red Cross, sport clubs and school bands, featuring stands presenting local organisations, clubs, shops and produce, lost property auction (read my post here), concerts and tivoli for the kids, just to mention a few. This web page has information about this years market.
Click here to view thumbnails for all participants