Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 5 June 2022

Good Morning. Dry here after a breezy night. I dreamt I was in a creaking, ancient church which was about to collapse!

AQ - I'm sorry you've got boring dentistry to undergo. Hopefully you'll come out with better teeth at the end of it Always important.

Harelady, your family's position illustrates what many people are going through. The childcare arrangements in the UK are dire - I myself only sent our sons to nursery for 3 mornings a week, so that they could socialise. We couldn't afford to send them all day every day so that I could return to work. Nowadays nursery care often costs more than a woman earns, and as you say, there are also travel costs etc. Goodness knows how some folks will face the winter when it gets cold once more.

Annette & AQ -- In winter, Norway has high snowfall and becomes a different place. The snow melts in spring, of course, and becomes the many dramatic waterfalls and rivers everywhere. It must help to replenish the sea!

Before we left home, I read that the Fjords themselves are so huge, deep and plentiful that they have a unique kind of mixture of seawater and freshwater in them. Some of their rivers don't have salmon leaping, as you might expect, as they are so forceful that a fish could not negotiate their way upstream, as they usually do.

HARELADY - A difficult decision for you regarding retirement. The choice between helping your family or yourself ? I'm wondering if your family could move away from.London ? The rents are extortionate there, and the childcare costs ditto. I thought that the government subsidised childcare - but because I live in Scotland things may be different here.

LYNETTE - I do hope that you get a definitive diagnosis, soon. Thinking of you.

LINDY - I'm enjoying your holiday story so much - thank you.
Norway is much like Denmark in terms of taxation. The Danes pay high taxes but enjoy brilliant healthcare, childcare and old age care at very little cost at the point of delivery.

Hi, all!

HEATHER – plumber sounds a useful one to know. I am searching for a tiler as we have some water coming from the larger shower room into the corridor. OH has convinced himself it “just” needs more sealant (he’s tried it twice) but I am sure the grouting is holding water which then seeps down behind the sealant, so I want a professional job done.

ANNETTE – had two really good nights since getting the mattress pump sorted, but still waking with bad backache in the mornings.

AQ – liked the driving “thought” two days ago. Good to see you have a trip booked. Sorry about dental problem.

RUSTY – have a great time. I never went to Leighton Moss even when we lived in Lancashire, although I think OH took my Dad there once while I took my Mum to Lancaster Maritime Museum.

DIBNLIB – good to see a post from you – I hope you are okay. Our Ex Son-in Law and our elder Grandson bought Kilts in their Uni tartan when they graduated – other grandson wanted plain black kilt! Grandson#1 borrowed his Dad’s for his Masters at Aberdeen as is first was Edinburgh.

LINDA – thanks for resuming the trip pics. The knitting was a bit odd – although I suppose similar to post boxes here last week – was it some kind of festival? Loved the buildings. Water in and below the mountains looks cold.

LYNETTE – J doesn’t have a new job – still (infrequent) occasional days on the same casual contract. Later this week he was unavailable due to a very bad cough (negative covid test). Hope you can get that procedure done soon.

Lindy-thanks for all the wonderful photos and travelogue! Absolutely the best! Looking forward to more.

Thank you, bjane. More soon.

OG - Sorry you've got a mysterious leak. I think your theory about it is probably correct. Good to hear that you've had 2 good nights sleep, but odd that you've got backache afterwards. The knitting was interesting, but there were no notices or explanations. I decided to just enjoy them, as we do the sudden postbox decorations here! Somehow it just added to the cosiness of the atmosphere - the Norwegians are such calm people, and seemed kind. It was like a theme park in a way, nothing was real. Everyone English we met said how clean everywhere was, not like at home now, sadly. One couple we spoke to, from York, said that they were ashamed of their once beautiful city now and almost felt tears in their eyes when seeing the mess in their streets which were once so tidy.

Hope Rusty is having a good time on her birdwatching trip.

Don't think I posted this, a foxglove in the garden which had seeded itself.