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Got some comments through e-mail that it was hard to make comments on this blog. No wonder..apparently it was, by default, set to only accept comments from registred users... but not any more, so feel free:)

Topping-up ceremony/Kranselag

In Norway it is (was) an old tradition to throw a party for familiy and all involved in the building process when the roof was completed. I know they have the same thing in England too at least (topping up/topping out cermony). If the builders where happy with the party they would fasten a bush or a wreath on top of the roof (derav Kranselag), if they were not happy they would mount a "filledukke" up there (a nasty scarecrow'ish thing) to show the world you are a cheap bas.... really. Also meant bad luck not to throw the party. Today it is not so common, but to at least contribute some in keeping an old tradtion (and not get a cabin with bad vibes...) we left the builders a bottle of cognac today. Don't have high hopes of seeing a wreath there next weekend, but at least I feel somewhat insured it won't be a filledukke there either... (and I hope they wait with opening the bottle untill their work is done...)

Cabin!

Now it is there, no doubt, the cabin is indeed standing there!! We drove up full of anticipation, and was not let down. As the pictures show it still has a sort of airy feel, and we didn't put all the furniture in just yet... But its enough to get a feeling of size and room arrangements. And even more importantly our view from the living room area. A glass of wine, contemplating life, and looking out on the snowcapped mountain ridge. Yup, got some pretty solid mental images of that in my head!




But it is a long way yet... The guys setting up the exterior part of the cabin will probably be done within the next 10 days or so, meaning that weekend 4-5 september will probably first big working weekend for me. And after that I guess it will be any available moment - from here to eternity.




Will ask the carpenters if they can do the dormers (underligger, picking up on english construction terminology:), next project will be a hunting cabin in the Scottish highlands...) of the outside panel so I can paint those the next weekend before they do the linters/girders (??? dictionary not giving me much help on this one..."overliggere").
Also need to talk to them to make sure they remember to move entrance door as far as possible to the left to make room for a slightly less steep stairs with a 90 degree bend at the bottom. The one provided by Familiehytta is not very kid friendly...

5 hour cabin trip

Julia hadn't been at the cabin plot for quite some time so the friday night ended in yet another 5 hour cabin trip; 2 hours of driving up there, linger around for an hour, and then 2 hours back. But with a brand new car it doesn't really feel that much of an hassle.




Anyway, even though we still feel it is surreal we better wake up very soon and realize that yes, we are just about to get a cabin!! The concrete work was finished the same day as Familihytta delivered first load (actually 4 days ahead of schedule...) and the carpenter will start assembling on monday, next thursday the roof will arrive and soon after the cabin will stand proudly up there waiting for some love and attention from its owners. Exciting indeed. So much has happened in our lives the last 3-4 months that I think neither of us really understand that the dream is actually coming through... The expected downpour of invoices the next couple of weeks will, however, probably take us back to earth and reality will sink in:)

Familiehytta had forgotten to send assembly instructions, but when made aware of this they quickly delivered it to my office the same day. I am really pleased with the service they deliver, and hope for others that they will realize how little it takes to be good.... Before we made our final choice we had sort of decided on another cabin from another vendor, but even though they got 2 e-mails and one phone call more or less saying: hey, we are ready to buy a cabin from you....they never came back to us... Beats me that they can afford running business like that. Credit to Familiehytta!

We are also struggling to find the color we want on the walls, think we will end up with something like the picture of another cabin (but with white window frames) We drove around looking at other cabin and colors, and also knocked on some doors to ask name of color they had chosen. Think they all just thought it was fun to help and get compliments about their own choice of colors:)Unfortunatly no one was present at the pictured cabin so any ideas on what color it might be are welcomed!!




Anyway, we had a nice evening trip up there, catched the sunset at Vegglifjell and made it home just in time for the bed:) Soon I can finally start doing something!! YAY!

Being in love

Building a cabin is like being in love - it makes you do things you in under other circumstances even wouldn't think of. Like driving 2 hours to take 10 pictures before driving 2 hours again to get home... But when the plumber calls you on a friday and tell you he has started work you get curious, barely manage to resist temptation on saturday but lose the battle of interests on sunday - sensible thinking telling you to stay home and get the house organized after Julia and kids moving in, curiosity and feelings directing you into car with a camera in your hand.... So today I had my shortest cabin trip ever, 5 hours all togehther of which 4 was driving. This cabin will leave a huge environmemtal imprint at this rate... sorry, generations to come...

BUT, It was super fun to see that things actually are moving!! The cabin has up to now been just "something that we will do later" and we have been so busy moving in togehter and travelling to apartement in Spain that it was an almost unreal feeling standing there and seeing that "hey, they are building a cabin for us here!!"

In the car on my way up there today I was thinking it was a shame that I couldn't fill the car with stuff to bring up there as long as I was taking the trip anyway. When I got up there I was thinking it was a shame that there were nothing for me to do up there and my fingers started to itch. Ask me 6 months from now if I feel the same... First delivery of cabin due August 17th so guessing that from mid september it will be ready for me and some solid amounts of elbow grease and DIY. FUN!!!

PS: Hope they get the Bob Cat out of there again btw, not sure it will fit in the finished living room...

A date!

And not the romantic kind, thats just for Julia, but a delivery date! First load of cabin will be delivered 17th of august if all goes according to plan! Yay! But now I can't write anymore, have to get back to the moving business, Julia moving in tomorrow! Doing everything at once? Yes that is our trademark....

A man and his chainsaw

This time we actually have some real progress to report, and photos to document it thanks to Julia. I suspect her eagerness to take photos was somewhat motivated by getting off "clearing branches duty", but I was holding a warm chainsaw in my hands, with the combined scent of sawdust and oil so no complaints:)

We went up to the land yesterday to meet our man Lurås and agree on placement of cabin on the plot. Unfortunatly I didn't have any red paint at home to color the stakes, but why settle for red when we can use gold paint spray! Impossible to see on the pictures, but 4 gold painted stakes are now marking the corners of the cabin, let's hope the guy digging have an eye for gold.... Speaking of, according to Lurås the guy doing the digging just had an heart attack, but is appearantly back in the saddle, so hopefully they will start the digging soon...

We also got the area where cabin will be placed cleared for trees, and wood for a couple of months at least secured. The good thing about wood, is that it really gets you warm....many times....phew. Even though her master feels nothing but joy with a chainsaw in his hands, Hera didn't really share the same excitement, and spent most of the time hiding behind Julia or posing for photographs.

The land owner has actually sold 6 plots since Easter so no sign of the financial crisis there. One other Familiehytta cabin is also on order for the same area so that will be nice.

Well, now making ready for Julia and kids moving in awaits...all these properties :-)