Robinson Crusoe

"Do not fear the storm", they say. "This too shall pass." Or that is what I believe whoever "they" is would have been saying if all my senses weren't flooded by the deep roaring of the wind and the shattering of raindrops and sea waves.

All I heard was "welcome to winter on the coast" as the wood and windows moved in time with the weather; so I sat, staring into the dark abyss of the morning and sipped my coffee.

Maybe I'll need a life buoy if this wind keeps up

The eerieness of this morning was not only a result of the storm but the fact that I am now alone on Manshausen, save The Dream Team and Napoleon. Sebastian left yesterday morning and once he left, the island had an immense, yet contained, vastness weighing in the air; I was (and still am) alone out on a chunk of land surrounded by water.

Ladies and GentleRam (this is probably my most popular picture on facebook to date)

Once again, many days (and even a full moon) have passed since I dedicated time to this blog but fear not! there will be no epic of events to report in this post, just everyday life that has been continuing.

Now that my stomach has finally exhausted itself (save a couple flare-ups of pain), food has once again become the light of my life. The Norwegians have something called brown cheese (brunost or G35) which is the whey leftover from making goat cheese. There is probably brown cheese flowing through my veins as I am unashamedly addicted to it...on that thought, somebody get me an IV!...I have an idea ;)

For those that know me well, I don't do anything in the kitchen unless it is eating so you will be proud to know I've been putting many hours into making somewhat eatable dishes! One of which were Norwegian waffles. Thinner and sweeter than our traditional waffles and have the opportunity for a plethora of toppings (yes brown cheese being one of them) and a shockingly scrumptious combination of sour cream and jelly.

Norwegian Waffles

I also had a go at cooking whale (for you granola crunching do-gooders please put down your phone and stop dialing PETA, people eat whale here, it's a thing so calm down). The whale was lacking in flavor contrary to what the brain assumed it would taste like due to the royal violet color of the meet. It was almost like beef heart (or at least it smelled like what we feed our dogs 😋).

On clear nights, the aurora continues to grant us with dazzling performances. Just the other night was the most sensational show I have seen yet. There were storm clouds hugging the horizon to the south-west and there was a tease of a potentially huge display aurora activity. Being patient and optimistic, we waited under the backdrop of the night.

The Seven Sisters in the light of the full moon

The patience was rewarded with multiple rivers of green, violet and a little yellow threading themselves through the storm clouds. It is almost like watching music; the green notes striking each chord in different routines before dissolving back into the night, all as the atmosphere commands.
For this event the camera was inside and will be forever have a place in my mind's album, but unfortunately can only be portrayed through the image of words.

Sometimes it is important to step out from behind the lens of a camera or the screen of a phone and be in life because that memory will stay with you forever (disregarding the possibility of alzheimer's...sorry bad joke).

That being said, pictures are always a nice touch :) 

Look for the Big Bear!

I wouldn't say I can speak any Norwegian at all...but I have been learning a few words here and there. Maybe someday I will be able to carry on a conversation :)

I suppose I could go on forever talking about the stars (stjerne) and brown cheese and the odds and ends of the Norwegian culture that is slowly seeping into my brain, but we can talk about all those wonderful things over a beer in person someday.

I must go back to myself as company and reflect on being the only human being on an island off the coast of Norway north of the arctic circle...in December...with sheep and a ram... (getting to the point of Daenerys length titles now) because how many people can say that?

"Wool ewe share some baarown cheese with us?" -The Dream Team