Appreciating the sun
We’re having a beautiful September
Fall is almost officially upon us, and the weather in our area could not be more beautiful. We are still having rain off-and-on, but we are also having plenty of sunshine and trying to soak up as many rays as we can while they last. The spring and early summer felt particularly rainy and wet, then mid-summer was particularly hot, like up to 90℉ hot, but now we are into the mild temperatures and sunny skies season. It is glorious and may only last a week or two but I’ll take it. We still are suffering from a hotter house than we’d like to be in because we don’t have air conditioning. Opening the windows helps some, and we can just go outside for the breeze to cool off.
After experiencing the long, gloomy months of late fall, winter, and early spring, we now know we need to appreciate the sun while it’s here. So my goal for September is to get outside as much as possible. We are doing this by taking evening walks after dinner as a family and hitting the hiking trails when we can. We’re also heading into Trondheim for day trips to be out and about around the city.
One regret we have is not bringing our bikes with us, or purchasing new bikes as soon as we got here last year. We could be cycling all over town and on the trails. Maybe we’ll cave soon and pick a couple up at our sporting goods store, but for now our feet will have to get us around.
It’s easy to forget how beautiful our surroundings are when we don’t get out in nature enough, or when we just get caught up in the hustle and bustle of daily life. I find the walks and extra time spent outside helpful in appreciating the beauty of Norway as well. Our municipality has done a really great job of developing accessible trails in our area. There are plenty of options from paved paths to gravel paths to well marked or more rugged trails through the forests and mountains that surround our town. The paved and gravel paths are perfect for bringing a stroller along, while the trails through the forests and up the mountains require a baby carrier or sturdy shoulders for when our toddler tires out, which is happening less and less these days.
We went on a hike Monday evening up a mountain in a neighboring town, and he barely needed carrying. I was so impressed. You can tell his daycare gets outside and hikes through the forest often. He had no trouble scaling rocks and avoiding tree roots. He took a few tumbles but bounced back up and kept going. We’ve got an adventurous little boy on our hands and I love it. The daycares here in Norway do a great job of encouraging a love of nature and the outdoors.
The trees are starting to show signs of changing leaves. They’re not fully colorful just yet, but we are seeing the occasional yellow or red leaf popping out. I remember last year’s fall colors lasting longer than any autumn season I’ve experienced, so I’m excited to take in the colors on the forest trails again this year. We’ve discovered so many beautiful trails over the past year and hopefully that pattern will continue this year too
One aspect of Norwegian culture that I’ve noticed and find a little funny is that they refer to any hike or trip outside down some type of path as a walk. It could be a quick walk after dinner or an intense hike up a mountain, and they’ll still say “Jeg gå på tur,” meaning “I go for a walk,” when discussing what they do in their spare time. Be warned, if you’re invited on a walk with a Norwegian, you may be in for more than a leisurely jaunt around the block.
In the spirit of appreciating nature, I’ll leave you with a few more pictures from our recent walks.
