Nature knows no language

The day of my arrival proved to be about what I expected...although with much more daylight. Apparently, we are well into Spring here, what with 3 days so far of no rain, AND it being a balmy 39 degrees (F)...shucks, why didn't I pack my shorts? I remember when I lived in Steamboat in Colorado, 40 degrees was the magic number for finally dragging the shorts out, as long as the sun was shining.

After sleeping, and sleeping, and sleeping, it was time to venture out and enjoy the daylight hours and I have discovered that I am in quite close proximity to a local suburban shopping center/bus depot/post office/grocery stores, so now I have my excuse for walking. As I walk, I think to myself how clean it all is! how well everyone dresses! what great cars everyone drives! how HIGH the gas prices are! ($9.00/gal), how quiet it is! how fit everyone is! how Norwegian! how grand! how cold this wind is! how far IS this store, because I'm starting to get cold!

After walking around in the malls long enough to get some cash and warm up, it's time to head back home. Wandering near a crosswalk, the passing cars screech to a halt, waiting for me to enter it....Me? Little ol' me? I feel obligated to go into the crosswalk, even though I had not intended to cross there, because, well, after all, when have I ever been known to pass up an audience? Must put that in data-base: crosswalks are serious business here, with passengers in cars most likely suffering from the whiplash of their drivers stopping foreven the hint of a pedestrian near a crosswalk. How different from Las Vegas, where if one is not killed in a crosswalk (how many so far this year? 3?), they are yelled at for using them by inconvenienced motorists.

Time to hurry on home to the warmth and Norwegian studies. Accommodations are top-notch, as I am staying with my cousin Elzbieta and her significant other, Jarle. What great hosts!

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(Living room, Ela in the diningroom, first night's dinner....thanks, Jarle!)

For me, the greatest thing about Norway is its great outdoors. You wouldn't know that by my whimpy ,whiny "I'm so cold", but as the saying goes, "There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing." Armed with more than enough this time, I was picked up by my friend, Gro, for the evening walk with her dogs in the hills behind their home. Ah, a chance to do two of my absolute FAVORITE things! BE with dogs, and HIKE in the hills. The hike proved comforting, exhilarating, magical, and the inspiration for the title of this post. It dawned on me that while in the hills or the woods, there is no longer any angst about language handicaps, or cultural differences, or about anything really that doesn't pertain to that present moment. Hiking is my meditation, and even though Chaka and Huldra were just 2 balls of crazy energy, literally FLYING through the woods, the calmness that enveloped me was devoid of language, really. Neither Norwegian nor English, the snow had fallen from the passing clouds on this particular continent, in this particular country, and it was just snow....blanketing a languageless, mossy path, that awaited 2 adventurous women with 2 insane dogs...

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(the woods....Huldra and Chaka during a rare moment of stoppage....Gro)

Today, the sun peeked through and has given me renewed hope that perhaps I may even be able to see some Aurora. They may even be as exciting as the heroic downtown fireworks display that we witnessed late last night as we walked near Floyen...the occasion? Get this: the end of property taxes.

Vi sees senere!