Cats and other creatures on Tuesday

First of all, I've had to admit: It's Butterflies in my Stomack, just before crossing the Pond.
To visit my Son and DIL and her Family in SW MI. Then visiting my dear 3rd cousin and his Wife in Minnesota and a very special blog friend of mine in the Twin City Area.

Cats? Are they pregnant? It looks like they are in despair. All males are Castrates (Sounds like pre-teenagers when "singing"). Here around. It seems. Both Rosa and Felicia are now hard working to find a real male. Which means: We do not see them very often.

But Stompa is allways close to us.

But they (Rosa and Felicia) do visit for Breakfast and Dinner.

Here is Felicia - on the Roof in the heath of the Night. She is looking for a real Male.

I looked down from the Platform. See any Cats? I can't. But I do know they have theire Pradise down here.

And we got a new friend: A Toad with Family. They help us to get rid of the Iberian killer Snails.

PS. I'll post from our wonderful time in Sweden with Diane, Renny and Kyle asap. I did have my hair cut and even shaved to day. Reserved a Car (Dodge Charger) and a Hotel in Chicago for the first evening. (Been there before - easy to find and easy to leave from). And did do some payments. Need to work on Wednesday. Grrrrr.

Our Cats loves the Nordic Nights. So do we. Having a great Quizz Time on the Platform.

PS 2: Suddenly: Thunder. What a surprise. Blizzards all around.

You can visit here. Why not?

Papa drives with treasures and arrived safely to his Summerhome

We left our beloved friends early this afternoon.
Leaving ain't easy. Hugs and hugs and great memories.

In our Car, was a special treasure: Diane's youngest Son Kyle. Anna preferred to be in the Back Seat. Why? Reading. She finnished her book 2 minutes before arriving our Summer home. Perfect planning - hehe.

We stopped here for a late lunch. After 2 1/2 hours driving. Outside temperature 30-32 C. (86-90 F). No problem - when having a Car with AC. And Cruise Control.

Then we dropped him off at a Railway Station. In order to - for all of us - to find the most practical way to our homes.

When back in the Summer House - who was there?

Ingelin, of course.

We did have have a very pleasant evening in the mild Climate. When we went to bed - still around 25C or 75 F.

More to come from Mariestad....

Saturday Night Teaser - Channel Swimming with bikinis, dancing, dinner

Who but Anna and Diane are Dancing?
Friday Afternoon we went to a very special FESTIVAL here in Mariestad. Wordless. OK?

Saturday, we went to the Yearly Goeta Canal Swimming Contest. What a Blast. Here is teaser Photos of what later will appear here at this very Blog. Boats, people and competitors all ages.:


A glimpse of our Saturday Dinner:

It's more to come, when we are back in our Summer Home...
.. so stay tuned;-))

You might find more from these excellent days here: RenneyBA and DianeCA

PhotoHunt: Hanging - July 26 -2008

The most extreme "hanging" I've ever seen is this "Toilettes/WC/Latrine" hanging outside Lacko Castle. A Castle for the Kings, Dukes, Generals, the rich and famous in Sweden.
Can you believe it? Well, it was of course several hundreds of years ago, no plumbing etc.
May be they were used to smells most of us dislike these days. LOL.

More serious facts to come from the Castle. pls be patient. OK?
Photohunters

Friday - Teaser - The Rich and Famous

We are very busy here at RennyBA and DianeCA's leisure home
There is more to come - where, what, why - have great moments in the meantime.

TORsday July 24 - 2008

STOP THE PRESS
Dear Readers we are away. A short Vacation Abroad.

You can see on this Photo from last Week
- we are dreaming of a Vacation with DianeCA and RennyBA.

More to come...

PS. A Quick intro to TORsdays events here.

Wordless Wednesday - July 23

More Wordless People here.

(PS - Visiting blogger Friends abroad - Here they are: Man and here Woman)

More to come.... from the Nordics

Next Nobel Peace Price Winner?
Peace starts or end at home - Right?

Childhood Friends

What is better than visit a childhood Friend?

I did from Monday afternoon to Tuesday afternoon. Of course, Anna was invited too. We had a blast.

An unforgetable gathering and meal in the afternoon and early evening Sunshine.

You see my friend? A man can do more than one thing at the same time. The old Myth is hereby declared dead. Understood?

Selfpicked Blue Mussels and Rasberries (both wild and cultivated) among others. Here we are with Rasberries. In the evening. Some Coffee and beverages from a certain District in France starting with the letter "C".

We stayed outside and talked and talked. And Talked and Talked. Never ending.

Suddenly I looked down to the Oslofjord, and on the Evening Ferry sailing from Oslo to Denmark (I don't like the design of this ship)

As said, we had a blast:

Even the Moon went Crazy. "Moonshine"? Haha. Not at all, it is just how the moon looked this Moonday Night. Have you seen the Moon like this where you live? If not, you have to visit Norway.

Here, looking up North - ooopss - it's Night. If you click and enlarge you can see the Holmenkollen Ski Jump. This Photo is taken around Midnight.

We sat on the platform talking until 7 am, I think. Then we felt asleep. Photo taken by the Security Cam. Who else? We had water with lemon the last hours. Refreshing.

The next Day: All our women were out in the Sunshine. The 4 of them. Did we miss something?

That's how it is when old pals meet. Even men can Talk.

Have a great time. My next post will be from Mariestad. So stay tuned.

The Cats did have a break during a rainy Sunday

Our Cats were fed up with the Sunday Weather. They stayed indoor and refused to listen to the Raindrops on the Roof. Heavy.

But in the afternoon, when the Rain stopped for a while, they went out on the Platform. Rosa shows her back while Stompa looks at me and Felicia looks at Stompa.

Then back again. Gosh, the weather is changing rapidly this "Summer". Stompa and Felicia.
They are back indoor. We expect more Rain Monday until early afternoon. Then the Summer will return. Hurray. (And we will visit a friend from my childhood). Secret. hsssss.

PhotoHunt: What is This?

You can only Guess .
Clue - It's organic and very Natural. Made in Norway.
More PH fun here
Else, to have a clue:
https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=35844351&postID=511908368097833
A Saturday - guess what

Have wonderful evening

Art and Nature in our Summer District

As you may know, our Summer Home is situated on a Peninsula, with the Oslofjord to the East and the somewhat shorter Drammensfjord to the West. Our Summer House is at the Oslofjord side.

This Friday we (Anna, Solvi and me) did visit some of the many Galleries and other Major sites on the southern part of Hurum - as the peninsula is called. Here it is several Farms that sells Organic Food, from their own Farms, You can Play Golf, hike the Coastal Trial (Beautiful), Ride Horses, go Fishing in Lakes, Rivers and in the Sea, swimming, go canoeing on deserted Lakes, visit Islands, just relaxing - whatever - even have a Gourmet Dinner and discover settlements from the Stone Age.

First we went to Holmsbu. A tiny and charming village at the west coast. Here we are. Photo taken by Solvi.

Here there is many Galleries, Restaurants, Gift Shops and a Hotel in which we will celebrate Anna's 60 years anniversary later this year. The Hotel: Holmsbu Bad and Sjöhotel to the Right.

A very special exhibition took place at the hotel when we arrived. Henki Kolstad's paintings, a very famous and beloved actor (More than 50 movies, TV-shows, Theatre Plays all Genres (Dramas, Comedies, Musicals). It was Paintings he had done in Holmsbu during decades which where on display here. All owned by the Family. They were collected by his children as a surprise to him and his wife to their 70th year of Marriage Celeb earlier this Summer. (He died a week ago 92 years old).

The Harbour and the houses is very charming. View from the Hotel.

Only 1 km ( 5/7 of a Mile) further South is a tiny place named Stöa. Art Gallery and Arts and Crafts shop during the Summer. Here we do buy our yearly Teddy Bear (That's another story).

On the other side of the road, deep in the Woods, there is a Art Gallery (Holmsbu Billedgalleri) dedicated a famous Norwegian Painter (Henrik Sörensen). The building is constructed with natural red granite, which the area is known for. And two of the artists paintings are just from where the Gallery is buildt. It took 10 years - with bad economy and never giving up enthusiasts. You can hardly see the building until you are suddenly outside.

From the Inside. Anna and Solvi.

It has a huge Window. You can see the Sunlight.

Here you can see directly into the Nature. At least 2 of his works have been painted right here.

Then we went to the South East of the Peninsula - Filtvet, where there is a Light House and a Gourmet Restaurant. We had Ice Cream: Vanilla, Mango and Almond brittle. Served in old fashiones, crispy cornets.

And even Palms.

Have a great Weekend.

Wordless Wednesday with some TdF comments etc

I've been a fan of Tour de France since 1967. When I did work in Paris.
This year it's two Norwegians among the 189 that did start. They work for two different Teams.
To win a stage (it's 21) is considered to be a world class sport prestanda.

The two Norwegians have now won a stage each during this years Tour. That's a sensation. Be aware: Le Tour de France is the most challenging Sport Event in the World .

To day it was Kurt Asle Arvesen that got the Victory. With less than an inch after about 190 km ( 110 miles about) and nearly 5 hours at the Bike. The finnish was - well I got "goose skin".

The other Norwegian is Thor Hushovd. He came in as #13 today and are #3 in the Maillot Verte (most points total) classification.

I do think they are great.

By the way, did you know that the Tour de France is the sport event that do have most spectators?
Around the route: It's millions out there cheering up their heros from countries all around the Globe. It's a fiesta everywhere around the piste and route. From the flat land to the highest roads in Europe.

Even Stompa did have a great dinner to celebrate the Victory. Outside of course.

And here:

Solvi and Anna at the Platform this evening. My first and second Wife. What do you think?

And the Sky and Clouds. This evening. Taken from our Summerhouse Platform this Wednesday Evening. At 60 degrees North. Looks promising for TORsday. Have a great time.

Wordless? OK - Press here

COT - All about Stompa

Stompa has been here now for a week or so.
He is still very shy. But he is also very comfortable with us.

He prefere to have his dinners outside. Here he is waiting. No complaint. Just waiting. And his eyes and body-languages - irrestible.
The challenge is the Wasps. When eating outside ( I did got mine last Thursday - on my upper right Ham. Did it hurt? Yeah. It did. I need, and do take medicines every Day to avoid the "result" of wasp stings. I say no more)

So, you see, we have our solutions - Tagetes

Stompa also likes to have control - from the end of the platform - from where he can control everything. Even Relaxe.

Have a good week all Cat Lovers and my readers in General.
Love you all.
More predatator stories from here.
Humans so far not --- say no more
;)))

PhotoHunt: SUPPORT - July 12 -2008

Seb needed support when he was Grinding Almonds.
To make Marzipan and Ginger House

More PhotoHunters here