Saturday 2nd November 2013

Well today I had to go out because tomorrow is going to be wet all day. As lazy as I am I can't do two whole days doing nothing but slobbing watching the telly.

I also thought I'd up the amount of kit to take to see what that would be like.

I took my hand saw, large BG knife, trangia (inc mug and matches) + 1 liter meths, sleeping bag, first aid kit, poncho tarp, 3 liters water, waterproof trousers, windproof jacket, thermal trousers, waterproof cover for the cycling helmet, insulated seat, extra warm hat & gloves. Because I wasn't sure how long I'd be out or how dark it'd be in the wooded sections I also had three flashing units on the back and the main headlamp on the front.

Was quite a weight that lot.

Not long after setting off I realised the bags are still a bit far forward, especially on the left, when they're loaded up. I had to stop at the bus stop and do slight adjustment to force it further back. Helped a little but I'm going to have to try and get something made to handle it better.

The temperature on the front door thermometer was reading less than 5degC while I was getting ready. Despite this I only had a thermal top and the usual cycling jacket on top, while I had the cycling shorts with long socks on the lower half. This was because I knew I'd be sweating within about 1-2kms.

The sun was bright and quite low in the sky even at noon(ish). The flashing lights were lit so that I didn't disappear in the glare or shadows. Quite a few people overtook me on the way up to Solli Gnord, but only in cars. Didn't see many people on bikes that's for sure.

As I went through some of the shaded sections of road, on the way up, there was frost still on the grass and it actually looked like there was ice on the tarmac.

As usual I got to Solli Gard about 45mins after setting off. The extra weight not helping, particularly on the steeper sections. The section just as you get into Solli Gard was particularly hurtful to the knees.



I had left before lunch and was hoping to get some sort of snack at Solli Gard. Unfortunately I had forgotten, again, that they don't have anybody serving there. It's self service.

Inside the building, which has been set up to look like the old style farmhouses I guess, there are a number of items just on plates etc. Help yourself and leave the cash in the box. The coffee and tea water were in small flasks so didn't think they'd be too hot. Didn't have either as I was planning on hot tea when I stopped at the lake anyway. I just had a cookie and a glass of squash.

Just in front there is a Norwegian fire pit.

It's made from three metal legs in a tripod, with the bed hanging from a hook on each. There is also a length of chain hanging from the top to hang things over the fire. This length of chain is not fixed in place so that it is easy to adjust the height.

As I entered the wooded sections behind Solli Gard I could see that the temperature was colder still, despite the sun being out all morning. There was frost on the ground and the pools had sheet ice on them. Won't be too long before the temperature gets too low for a jolly without some serious planning

On the first steep downhill section I was finding it hard to look too far head if I went at full chat. Even with the shocks engaged on the front, it was quite hard on the arms. I think the extra weight at the back was making it faster. The left pannier is not currently held into the bike, so any swaying sent the bag away from the frame making it a bit unstable.

I did have the GoPro running, but because it was mounted on the handle bars it was just too shaky to be kept. All the movies from today have been deleted in fact. I might have to look into a chest harness to see how that'd work. The helmet mount is a little too high, and obvious. Got very little in the way of photographs actually.

Still haven't memorised the route completely, despite this being the fourth time I've run it. I had a little side trip and back after the first step descent. Initially I thought I'd see where it went but after checking the ViewRanger app decided to head round a track I knew.

Eventually got to the usual stopping place at the lake and saw a fraction of the people I thought I would. Despite it being a bit cooler, at les than 5degC it was bright and clear, out of the wooded sections. I did see a guy in a wheel chair being pushed by his missus, which was quite an achievement given the state of the tracks.

As I was going round I didn't see any obvious dry wood so didn't have anything to start a fire with. I set up the Trangia and had a couple of cups of tea instead.

I did strip off the tops and hung them on the bike in the slight breeze to dry bit while I waited. I put on the wind-proof from my bag.

While walking after drinking my tea I accidentally dropped my MP3 player in the lake. Unfortunately I din't get down quick enough to stop the bubbles escaping and I think it's completely knackered. I was quite fond of that little thing, as it had an external speaker which meant you didn't have to use headphones with it.

It was getting quite chilly at this point so I thought it prudent to start heading back.

In the low light conditions through the wooded sections I was worried I might hit a bgt dent in the track at high speed. There was one section where it was a close call, and I nearly went over the front end. Slowed down and put the weight even further over the back wheel.

In all I spent just under 4 hours out of the house and completed 20km/12miles. Not very fast admittedly but exercise none the less.

If I can get out a little earlier next time, I might try and go a bit more East after leaving the lake, towards Slependen, just as a bit of a change. Depends on the conditions.

Friday 18th Oct 2013 - 1st crash of the season

Well today was a bit exciting.

Set off this morning in sub-zero temperatures but clear skies so not too dark. I noticed a bit of frost on the landlord's car. Clue #1

The road looked wet. Clue #2. At position #1 I thought I'd have to take it easy because there might be ice on the road.

I was going slower than normal down the hill and a car was quite close behind me. I decided to pull into the bus stop at #2 to let them pass. They did, but only eventually as they were going soooo slowly. Clue #3

After they over took me I came back onto the road and followed them round the two 90° bends as we proceeded down the hill. I was frustrated at how slow they were going. Still clue #3.

As the van in front accelerated a little bit, on the flat by the vet's I also put my foot down. This is where I slipped onto the left side of the bike. Position #3.

As I slid along, I almost managed to get back onto my feet. Thankfully it was smooth black ice as it meant I didn't scrape too much off the clothes. Later I found out that the left pedal had been flattened.

As I was picking myself up I heard some skidding going on behind me. Initially I thought it was a car heading my way, but when I looked round it turned out to be another bike slipping over as well. Looked like they'd seen the car stopped behind me with its hazards on and tried to goa round it.

What struck me most was how black he was. Black bike, black hat, black top, black leggings and black shoes. There didn't appear to be any reflective material and certainly no lights in evidence. If he hadn't have fallen over I doubt I'd've seen him at all.

In comparison I have a bright yellow rain jacket, white helmet with two flashing lights (one red, one white), two pannier bags with reflective piping and a flashing light on each. At least people would be able to see me if I crashed and was unable to get up on my own. Doesn't stop the inital crash of course but reduces the risk of it getting worse.

In the shower at work I noticed some scrapes and bruises to my lower legs. Left neck muscles not too good either. Still alive though.

So that means it's the end of the current tyres, which have been hard used during the season and don't have much track left on them anyway. Spikes will be put on tomorrow morning before I go or do anything else.

Can't do it tonight as I'm going out socialising in Sandvika.

6th October 2013 - Lakeside walk

Yesterday I bought a bigger rucksack so that I could experiment with carrying stuff I might need if I decided to go into the woods during the winter time.

This morning I had decided to go for a walk around the local lake. The plan was to stop part way round and cook the sausages and bacon over the trangia or an open fire, whichever worked best.

The only fuel I could find at a petrol station a couple of weeks ago was white spirit. Not used that before in a trangia, but it is advertised as being multi fuel so thought it could be that bad.

Loaded the bag up with a poncho, knife, saw, water, stove, fuel bottle, gaiters and extra layers of clothes. My issue has alway been that I can walk, but when I do I sweat. If I cut down on the amount of clothes I just get cold on the surface, but still get wet. To try and obviate this problem I decided to just wear a single thermal layer with a buff neck collar. Didn't really work as I still got wet with sweat and in the cold temperatures it got chilly quite quickly.

I had decided to go around the lake anti-clockwise because near the end would be a nice little area to do the cooking.

As I got to the entrance for the lake walk it was obvious there were a lot of people out for their Sunday walk. Joggers, speed walkers and the odd cyclist joined the mass of families. Even the smallest kids were carrying rucksacks.



Setting off at 1145, I stopped off at the cafe after about 20mins to get a warm drink. There were waffles on offer but I decided my fry up would be enough.

A short way on from the cafe I went down to the beach so that I could have a look at the little toe on the left foot. The nail needed a bit of trimming. Hadn't been a problem up til now, but the walking boots were obviously pushing the toes together more than normal.

The weather was clear and sunny if a little chilly and the path seemed to be crowded. There didn't seem to be that many places to sit and enjoy the view, unless you're prepared to sit on the ground, so I got round most of the walk in about 1.5 hours.



The sun was in my eyes for part of the walk and I think clockwise would be the more sensible route next time so that I can see the path more clearly. It was quite slippery on the exposed roots in places.



When I reached my proposed cooking location there was already an extended family cooking polser (hotdogs) over a wood fire. It is a popular thing to do on a walk over here and I'd already seen a larger fire earlier in the walk.

 I tried to get the trangia stove going with the flint and steel but it just didn't want to light. I even tried soaking a bit of cotton wool in petroleum jelly, but even though this lit  it didn't get the white spirit going.

I didn't think I was going to get anything cooked so had an orange instead.

Not long after that abortion the family left. I moved into their location which still had some smouldering pieces of wood, to see if I could get a wood fire going instead.

It was a no go. The wood I collected, after a brief search, was too wet and just wouldn't catch, even with a burning glob of petroleum jelly acting as a source. Even with some local assistance suggesting moss and dried bark off the trees it just wouldn't catch again.



I was feeling fairly peckish at this point so just gave it up and headed back home to cook on the stove instead.



After lunch, approx 1500hrs, I got out the trangia again and decided to see if it would light with a match instead. It did, eventually, but it had a tremendously smoky flame that I don't think it is a good choice of fuel. It took approx 15mins of the centre fuel reservoir burning before the outer burner ring caught, at which point the smoke became intolerable. Have to find some meths from somewhere.

29th September 2013 - Walk aka Climb

Decided to go up to the top of Skaugumsåsen today to do some walking - Wikipedia here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skaugums%C3%A5sen

Feeling I haven't been doing enough walking while I've been in Norway. While the bike has been working I tend to cycle everywhere I've been so far. To work and back, shopping in town and even longer days out.

Skaugumsåsen is the mountain which stands above Asker in Norway. It is next to Semsvannet, the lake near to my house. It is visible from the front door to the left in the distance.

I have been asked a number of times whether I had been to the top yet. To be honest in the past it just looked too steep to even think about it.

Today I was going to give it a go. I had heard it would be about 1.5 hours. I wasn't too sure of the route to the top so had to rely on the ViewRanger app. again. 

As I got closer to the base off the climb it wasn't exactly obvious where the track was supposed to go, until I saw what looked like a path heading into the trees.I got out one of the walking sticks just in case I needed. As I was setting it up, I saw a small boy come out in front of his dad. Once he saw me, he stopped dead until he caught up.

Oh great. Here I am getting ready to hobble up using a stick and a toddler comes out from where I'm going. Sometimes I feel so out of place not having been brought up here.

I did however need the stick as the ground became steeper and steeper with more and more rubble. For most of the climb it was a scramble where I had to use my hands as well as feet.

Part way up I came across a structure which looked like a notice board. Couldn't see any aerials or power cables and it was painted green. This meant it was either military or they just wanted to hide it in the trees. I did ask a woman coming down what it was but she didn't know either. She was part of a group which included quite small children. Still amazes me how much they do with their youngsters, even small enough to be carried. Not sure I'd want to risk carrying a small person myself, especially as I was having to watch my own footing.

The climb took me about an hour to get to the top. Or what I thought was the top.



I tried to take a panoramic picture but as usual I have trouble seeing which bits I miss. Don't want to retake it too many times as the batteries on the phone were needed to keep the nav app going.

It turned out there were another two bits which were higher, and after taking pictures took me another 30mins.

While I was at the top I seemed to have a memory of being here before. Might have been 10-12 years ago when I was working in the old office for a few days. It was an evening walk with Clare Rew, Andy Thompson and a few others from the office at the time.





At the top, top there was a metal box, attached to a tree, with a visitors book. It had a QR code which I scanned just to see what it was.

Turns out to be an SMS instruction. As the Nexus isn't attached to a Norwegian network I couldn't do anything with it.

On the top there were these 4ft posts about 10 inches across I expect for triangulation surveys, and parents were getting their kids to stand on top while they took pictures. Again amazed.

I didn't hang around too long as I was feeling the sweat getting very cold and because I wasn't sure of the exact route back. There was apparently a gentler route down but it went away from Asker, so rather than risk getting lost in the woods I decided to back track.

It was even harder to go back down. The route back wasn't marked and I had to use the disturbed ground as a guide. Thankfully I still had plenty of light, despite leaving the house at about 1330hrs. I eventually got down. It was almost steep enough to warrant rope descents. The knees were feeling it to be honest.

It wasn't the longest walk I've ever been on, but not bad never the less.



 It is possible to see it at my ViewRanger page. http://my.viewranger.com/track/details/NTQxOTAy

7th September 2013

Well last night I finished off quite a bit of wine and probably didn't do me any favours on the bike ride I did today.

Saturday 7th September 2013

Actually woke up quite late in the morning. 1100 was quite reasonable and I felt bit refreshed than the previous week.

The weather report for the day was good but wasn't taking any chances so packed the new over trousers and waterproof poncho purchased yesterday at XXL.

Probably over did it on the weight side. Approx 15kgs worth of stuff including some small food and 2.5litres of water. I included warm and dry clothes as you never know in the hills.

The plan was to set off on a loop down from Drammen to Svalvik, crossing the fjord to Verksøya and then back up to Drammen, which I'd estimated at approx 50km.

I eventually made it to Drammen at 1300hrs and set off down the left hand side of the Drammen fjørd.

The first few km are still within the outskirts of Drammen and it's not until about 12km that the fjord and trees become visible or prominent.

It was quite sunny and the sweat was stinging my eyes quite badly. I took the helmet off and despite owning it for many years realised that the forehead band came off and I could rinse it. I only had the water from the small bottle on the bike frame so only rinsed it a little bit. There was a sense of relief after rinsing it out and re-applying it.

Just after that I got a puncture. Bugger 13km in and got the first puncture. Doesn't bode well. It didn't take too long to find the hole and get it patched up. As I had the awesome pump it wasn't a hardship to get the pressure back up to normal operating pressure.

It was relatively flat until Svalvik. The temperature was quite warm. The going wasn't what I'd call exceptionally easy, probably due to the excessive weight I was carrying. Trying to get up to touring weight though so wasn't too upset about it.

What I did get upset about was the appalling way that pedestrian and cycle paths just vanished into thin air. Luckily the road wasn't very busy and I could cross to the road again without too much issue.

Picture taken near Svalvik.

At Svelvik I tried to find a place to get some food at a cafe or some such. I couldn't even find a polser shop. In the end I went into a Spar supermarket and bought some apples and a drink, just to keep me going in case I really got stuck.

I got to what is probably the shortest ferry ride I've ever seen. In fact according to Wikipedia it is the shortest in Norway. Actually seems odd they haven't dug a tunnel to replace it yet. It takes about 5 mins to get across but it was only running every 30mins.

I arrived about 15mins before it was due to run so didn't have too long to wait. It cost me 24 NOK for both me and the bike. Not sure of the breakdown as separate.

Once on the other side I thought I'd be able to find some sort of shop/kiosk to buy some food.

The only thing I found was a hill. What a hill it was too. I hadn't looked at the elevation before setting out and didn't know how far up it was going to go.

It was a slog. Lowest gears and just keeping the legs going. 

At what turned out to be about half way up I heard the distinctive notes of an ice-cream van coming from a side road. I crossed the road and joined the queue. I thought it a bit odd that there weren't more kids about. The adults who were there, seemed to be buying multiple packs. After standing for a few minutes I thought I'd better ask if it was actually possible to buy one!

The van was from a company called Hjem-Is.

The man who was dealing with the money told the woman helping that I couldn't. Bugger I thought, leave me standing there in my biking gear on a hot day with my wallet out and not mention that I wouldn't be able to buy one. Just as I was about to set off for the rest of the hill, the woman came out from around the front of the van with an ice-cream in her hand. I was about to offer to pay when she put her finger to her lips and waved me off. I said 'takk' quietly so no one would hear.

I headed up the hill and hid under a bush at the next junction, so that if the van came my way the woman wouldn't get into trouble. Despite the fact it was free it wasn't what I would've bought if I'd had the chance. It was a dry ice-cream sandwich.

As I continued up I was struggling with sweat getting into my eyes. Very bad stinging. I had to stop to wipe my brow clear more regularly than I'd've liked. When I got near the top and onto an actual path I took my helmet off. I assumed the chances of me falling off or being knocked over, going up hill on a path was very small and worth the risk.

By the time I'd got to the top I'd come up about 175m/580ft from sea level.



I took another break at the top and tried to rinse the head band again as I'd have to wear the helmet going down the hill.

At the bottom of the hill I found a petrol station. Luckily they had a toilet where I refreshed my water supplies and gave the head band a thorough rinse. Unfortunately it then fell apart.

I bought a hot-dog as it was now about 1600hrs and I was not a little peckish.

On the road heading back North there were plenty of slowly rising hills and then long drops. On these downhill sections I managed to get up to a max speed of about 46kph. Got passed by lots of older cars which Norwegians only take out in the good weather. Plenty of examples from the US.

I was starting to think I may have taken on more than was wise! Wasn't planning on giving up, just thinking about the pain in the morning.

At one point where the road does a 180 bend round the fjord I decided to take an extended break. On another day if I'd started out earlier I'd've taken a quick dip to cool down.

At this point I thought I only had 15km togo. Oops! Only 5km out.

On the last few kms I was getting more and more tired. The closer I got the worse the path finding got. There was a particularly bad one which went steeply downhill quite a way before I realised it wasn't the correct path but somebody's driveway.

Another one close to Drammen centre indicated that the walking/cycling path would be 5km into the centre. I sent Eileen a message saying I'd easily be in the pub by 1830hrs. As I got closer I didn't see another sign until I ended up in a railway sidings with no obvious route out to continue. Bugger. Not good. I had to back track to the 5km sign and find another route using the main roads instead.

Even once I'd found a set of bike signs they weren't consistent. I eventually had to ask somebody and use The Force.

I only just made it to the pub by 1830hrs. 5.5hrs in total for 38miles.

.
http://my.viewranger.com/track/details/NTA4OTE4 . 

1st September 2013

Quite a weekend.

Friday 30th August 2013.
The plan was to have a BBQ.

I got home after doing some final bit of shopping for the BBQ. I had asked plenty on people but wasn't sure how many would turn up. There were some SE's around who I've taken to calling squints, who were invited. I gave them enough pictures to find the place but you never know with some of them.

After getting home I managed to get a little bit done before the arranged 1800 start. Needn't have worried though as it was at least 1815 before anybody showed up.

The first person to arrive was Kris. Then Ted. After that the squints arrived sans supplies. Bit put out by the fact I needed to supply them with food and some beers. Made them feel guilty the rest of the evening.

Henry turned up with a huge dog. Good 30 inches tall. Put the wind up a couple of the squints until they saw she was a big softie.

We had a good evening chatting.

I am still surprised at the number of people who don't know about toasting marshmallows. The new converts enjoyed it and I'm sure they'll take the knowledge back home.

We didn't stay up too late and I didn't drink too much.

Sat 31st August 2013

The plan today was to go into Sandvika to look at new snow tyres for the bike. After last night I also needed to drop off a load of bottles and cans at the supermarket.

The small wheeled box wasn't going to cut it and I loaded the bike trailer instead. Even then I left a few bottles.

Not used to walking anywhere really as I tend to cycle everywhere.

After dropping off the contents of the trailer I saw I'd need to wash it out to stop it getting sticky.

As I got into the town centre I noticed that there were political parties canvassing for votes. Needless to say I just politely said no when offered leaflets.

When I got to Sandvika there was some sort of festival going on. There were quite a few food stalls as well as ones from local shops. All the people caused issues as I tried to weave the trailer through them.

After being disillusioned yet again by XXL I headed out and had lunch at Pepe's Pizza.

On the way back to the station I spoke to one of the food stalls from the UK who were selling cheeses and pickles. They were quite expensive. The reason apparently was due to the Norwegian government imposing a tax of 270% of the purchase price. Gods that explains a lot.

Sunday 1st September 2013.

Today's plan was to get out on the bike.

Normally I have lunch then go out. Today I decided to practice making a fire and took the sausages and bacon with me to cook at the lake.

Rather than the usual route I planned to investigate a new one. Oops.

After leaving through the far side of the carpark at Sulli I found myself heading down a boiler track. I managed to keep my head but was worried it might not be doing my wrists and ankles any good. I found myself at a lake I hadn't seen before. After checking the map I saw I'd gone too far. Yet again I managed to find that I don't know the correct routes on the map as I ended up walking on a treacherous track for about an hour. Up and down boulder strewn slopes, through small streams, it was quite difficult to drag the bike along. The main problem was I kept catching my right leg on the left pannier bag.

While walking along I picked up a few dry sticks, as I had no idea how much wood would be available at the lake. I took some time to get some birch bark, as I'd seen on various TV shows it was good for starting fires.

When I eventually got to the lake it didn't take too long to get a fire started. I did need to use some cotton wool to keep the spark viable for long enough to get the birch bark to catch though. After that it went even better than I'd expected. I ate two sausages and two rashers of bacon in three rolls. After that I lay on the shore reading or napping for about 40mins while I waited for lunch to go down a bit.

After leaving the lake it only took me 40 mins. to get back home. The track on the way down was rutted and I was worried about the front wheel being thrown off course and crashing.

Luckily I managed to get back in one piece. 

Sat 3rd August 2013 - Twisted ankle

Well what a bugger.

During the week I agreed to go on a lengthy bike ride today around Lillehammer. I had a couple of links in an email with proposals from Kris. I looked at the first http://www.lommekjent.no/ruter/1029629, and thought that 60km downhill wouldn't be impossible.

I spent a couple of hours one evening planning what I'd be taking to ensure I didn't get cold etc. as the route was starting at about 850m altitude and the weather wasn't planned to be the best. Mountainous areas can have unpredictable and quickly changing weather and I didn't fancy getting caught out. I'd also need to get another set of puncture patches to replace the set that got a little damp.

On Thursday we had discussions about the trip and then Kris said that actually the route was going to be more like 85-90km on the route at the second link http://www.lommekjent.no/ruter/1769605.

A little put out by that, as I thought it a little outside my comfort zone, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, so I agreed to it and Kris bought the outbound tickets to Lillehammer.

I was joking with people that I should probably take the laptop home as I wouldn't be able to walk on Monday and should work from home.

As I was taking the ride home I decided to go via Ultra to see if they had a better selection of stuff for the bike ride. As I took a turn and slowed down, the front tyre collapsed underneath me and I ended up on the ground with a scraped right knee and arm. Could've been a lot worse. As it turned out I'd also twisted my right ankle. I didn't think it was that bad initially.

The reason for the collapse was that the pressure in the tube was extremely low. This is fine for going in a straight line but doesn't provide enough support for the tyre wall in a turn. I think there might be a very small leak as it doesn't happen over night.

I proceeded to check out Ultra and bought a few things. On the way home I also stopped off at G-Sport to see if I could get a new tube for my Camelbak, which seems to have a nice black growth in it. They didn't carry the range of spares I thought they might. Couldn't believe the price they wanted for a new bag either. Well in excess of £60 for basic model and way over £100 for the others. No joy there then. As usual no clothes in the bat fastard range either. Bought some more patches and a spare tube.

I managed to get home on the bike, although at a much lower rate and gearing. 

During the evening the ankle swelled up and became very difficult to walk on. I tried to use a bandage and also a bag of frozen peas with frozen veg in a tea towel to hold them in place. 

Although I prepared my kit for the bike ride I wasn't very hopeful at all. In fact I got so low I ate the lunch I'd prepared for supper instead.

Had trouble sleeping and was awake at 0430. I sent Kris a message saying I'd not be able to make it.

The weather in the morning was appalling. It was so dark I had to use the floor lamps and the rain came down in bucket or even bath tub loads. There was also the occasional bang of lightning. One strike was almost instantaneous so must've been very close.

The ankle got a little bit better as I kept the weight of it. I was a little concerned about Kris and the others. Wouldn't want to be at that altitude in the weather I was seeing in Asker. Of course the weather may've been completely different

Spent all of Sat on the sofa watching movies etc. 

Sunday 28th July 2013 - Catchup

Well this particular post is a catchup of a few small things that happened since the last one.

A quick precis for those who can't be bothered to trawl through the drivel.

Because!

Or

Working at the office, quick visit home, builders, back to Norway, swimming in sea and lake.

Friday 12th July 2013.
Just over a week a go I went home to Plymouth. This was to attend a 30th birthday party for Victoria. I got home on the Friday evening and just flopped in the spare bed. I had been warned by Maison not to bother coming round if it was late. After doing a few hours in the Gatwick office and the long train trip down I was too knackered anyway.

I got on my train at Reading and went to look for my seat. I keep thinking it's not really worth it booking a seat but this trip showed me how stoopid that was. The train was chocka with commuters. As the people sitting down in my row rearranged themselves I put my bags in the luggage rack above. As I brought my arm down I nearly knocked a guy out with my elbow. It was a complete shock to me as I'm not usually that clumsy, or at least I haven't recognised in myself before.

Saturday 13th July 2013
On the Sat morning Jane gave me breakfast. In fact she fed me most of the week I was down there actually. Quite good system of having the toaster in the garden for breakfast. Much nicer than being buried in a house on such a nice morning.

For lunch we went to Bellever woods. Not sure I'd been there before. Very nice place and when we pitched up it was quite quiet. This changed during the few hours we were there. Spent most of y time either in the cooling river or out of the sunshine. We'd picked a nice spot in the lee of some trees away from the river, so that we had some shade. As it turned out this was probably for the best as the weather got hotter and as more people arrived, the river bank got crowded.

Ken and Anne turned up for a couple of hours.

We left in what we thought was plenty of time. As we got through Yelverton however, we were directed off the main route due to a couple of accidents. We went on a bit of a tour of the back roads on the Southern edge of Dartmoor. We never did find out what was the course. Plenty of cars were affected but was cleared by the time Ken & Anne came through.

Although we got back home in plenty of time we still arrived late at Vic's party. Luckily Vic or Chris wasn't there so it wasn't noticed.

Despite the music being far too loud for most people at the start and only moderately so for the rest of the evening I quite enjoyed it. Didn't drink too much, but probably had more to eat than was entirely necessary. I blame Chris as there was too much food and he kept trying to get people to eat more chicken.

Before leaving I got some doggie bags together and thought it'd at least provide some food for the rest of the weekend if not into the first part of the week.

Sunday 14th Jul 2013.
On Sunday morning we again had toast for breakfast.

Alastair came and borrowed the 3 stage ladder for some DIY. We had lunch at middle Oreston, which included the doggie bags I got the previous evening.

I needed to chop the hay meadow down in the garden. Took plenty of effort even with the hedge trimming attachment I borrowed from Maison. Got very hot during the afternoon and I had to take plenty of breaks. I didn't gather the grass up though as I wanted to spend the tie getting it cut first.

During the afternoon Ken & Anne suggested a BBQ at FFA. Just the crew from Oreston as a quiet evening. It was very relaxed and we worked out you can cook pizza style garlic breads on a BBQ if you use the trays. Saved getting the pizza oven started just for a couple.

Monday 15th - Friday 19th Jul 2013
The days blurred for most of it as I was working from home during the day and trying to get other stuff done in the evening.

Monday lunch/afternoon was getting the grass from the meadow over the cliff at the back of the garden.

I managed to get a fence post installed so that the panel could be reinstated. Webster loaned me a welder to secure the fence post to a bit of the I-beam taken out of the old kitchen. I used some old post cement from Maison which took longer than expected to go off, but it might be because the bags were about ten years old.

Got a door reinstated for the toilet in the garage, primarily for people coming over for BBQ's etc. but also means it wasn't hanging around causing clutter.

I did get round to The Swamp to have a look at how the builders were getting on.

Was a bit surprised with a few of the things that had happened. The fire surround and hearth which I had made myself (and was pretty good even if I do say so) had been ripped off the wall and dumped. This wasn't part of the plan.

As Stafford says though I need to think of it as a business and not get emotional about it. Bit hard when you actually make something yourself though. I will make others for the fire places at FFA. Big flowery things if I can do it.

As I write this blog up, the day outside is quite different from the previous week, as it's quite dark! Can't be heading to winter that quickly surely!

There was also the curtains which had been perfectly serviceable in my eye but they's been taken down and thrown in the skip. Hope Sam doesn't mind as she made them for me.

The work seems to be progressing okay and the house has a nice fresh feel. Taking longer than I thought and probably going to cost more than absolutely necessary but it's getting done.

I finally managed to get the BT & F2S accounts cancelled for the Swamp and took a reading for the solar panels. Hopefully there won't be any issue with me missing two sets of readings. I will have to include a clause in the tenancy agreement which means they give me a reading once per month.

Sat 20th July 2013.
Today was going to be a casual BBQ for the usual crowd. It was also Caroline's birthday although we never found out how old she was going to be.

In honour of the occasion I bought a whole load of Monster University related party stuff such as plates, napkins and decorations. I think she was quite taken with that, especially the 'I am 16 today' badge!

In the afternoon we went down to The Quay for a bit of a swim. It was very good, although I probably shouldn't have taken my t-shirt off due to the sun.

I managed to get a sun shade up between shed 2 and the gazebo which was appreciated by everybody as the sun was still pretty hot even at the later time of 1800.

The BBQ started very poorly. I didn't have anything set up before people started to arrive. I felt completely put out. Staffs got the bbq going using wood while I made the Pimms and got the rest of the nibbles sorted. Despite the slow start it seemed people enjoyed themselves anyway. The kids were entertained by a couple of garden games I'd bought earlier and a set of ground chalks on the patio which had been cleared in preparation.

I had too much Pimms and was grateful I hadn't made two buckets worth. It goes down like water. Good job it's diluted in a ratio of 3:1 lemonade:Pimms.

Sunday 21st July 2013.
As usual there was plenty to clear up the following morning. Didn't take too long as I had used disposable crockery etc. I hope to be using less disposable stuff once I get a dishwasher installed, although at my current rate this could be quite a way in the future.

During the afternoon we went for another swim at The Quay. Very nice. Caitlin nearly broke my leg as she used me as a ladder to get on Ken & Anne's boat. When I'm home I should do more swimming from The Quay. It should be good for the upper and core muscle groups which seem to have been suffering as I cycle everywhere in Norway.

Middle Oreston put on a small BBQ to use stuff left over from the previous day. There were plenty of sausages left over which I was going to have for lunch on Monday. Due to the heat we ate inside.

I spent the last couple of hours on the floor, watching TV and getting some of the stuff I would be taking back to Norway in a pile.

Monday 22nd July 2013
No real big rush to get back to Gatwick for the flight. I had originally decided to go in and do a few hours work but was felling fairly wasted so decided to take it easy.

I caught the 1044 from Plymouth to Reading.

The train from Reading to Gatwick didn't have any A/C working. I personally suspect it was either missing or never maintained so it was unlikely to ever work. Got very hot during the 1.5 hours. After arriving at Gatwick airport I sat down on the platform and waited a while to cool down outside before heading into the terminal to check in.

Even after taking it easy to check I found I had plenty of time to wait and I could've walked over to the office and done an hour or two but for some reason I was not in the mood so left it.

For supper I bought two wraps but only ate one on the flight as it'd be cheaper than buying on the flight. I was planning on having the second one on the train home but instead kept it for lunch the following day.

The flight to Oslo was fairly packed. Lots of people over for the weekend maybe.

As usual it took a little while to get from the plane to immigration. What was different this time though was that we didn't have to walk most of the way. Instead we'd landed in domestic and they took us for a grand tour of the airport by bus before dropping us off at the door to international arrivals.

Didn't bother with duty free as it was packed! Had enough wine to see me through a few more weeks anyway.

Tuesday 23rd July 2013
Was feeling completely wasted this morning, the weather was HOT, so I decided to extend my work from home by doing another work day at the desk in the apartment.

Seemed to go quite well except a near panic attack from the NPN who said the data I'd uploaded wasn't correct??!!

Wednesday 24th July 2013.
Actually made it into the office this morning. A little later than normal but still around 0815hrs at me desk.

In the evening I decided to go for another swim in the local lake 'Semsvannet'. Now I had some neoprene beach shoes it was not going to hurt my feet as much on the gravel beach. I had a most enjoyable float for approx half an hour and had to get out due to tiredness rather than the temperature.

Thursday 25th July 2013
Work is starting to get very very boring as I don't seem to be getting anywhere. It's very quiet in the office as most of the local contractors are on annual leave.

Despite planning on getting to the lake again this evening I never made it.

I'd gone to Clas Ohlson for batteries and walked out with a small remote control aeroplane which was supposed to be very easy to fly. By the time I got to the apartment it was so muggy I didn't have the energy to go on to the lake. Instead I tried to fly the model. Didn't work  out too well. Even when I got it to go in a straight line it would be too far away for me to see it properly and the turns were rubbish and it crashed into this and that. Not good. Still it only cost me 30 quid and I can give it another go.

Friday 26th July 2013.
Making small in-roads into the work load today. Taken a decision to just go with what I've got from the vessel so far and proceed to the next step.

Went for another swim in the lake. Mark Lanham had made a remark about swimming across the lake earlier in the day so I thought I'd give it a go. I wasn't stupid enough to try at the widest bit.

Not sure how long a swim it was in metres but it took me approx 30mins, including a couple of minutes haul out at the far side.

Maybe I can get some idea off Google Earth.

Didn't find it there and Google Maps wasn't working good enough on the tablet.

Had a bbq for supper. Most pleasant eating outside.

Saturday 27th July 2013
Stayed in all day sleeping late.

Tried to do some projects on the Arduino. The project I wanted to attempt was a bust however due to forgetting the transistors for switching higher voltages on and off.

There was a project for using a light sensor to control a buzzer.

And another for controlling a servo motor.

Had a bottle of wine and plenty of gin with my pizza for supper, while watching 'Defiance'

Sunday 23rd June 2013 - Arduino projects

Over the last couple weeks I have become interested in Arduino projects. An Arduino at it's very basic is a simple input/output device which uses a very simply programming language. More information about the Arduino project can be found at http://www.arduino.cc/

The main advantage I have is that it appears that I can start small and get more complicated as I progress.

The Raspberry Pi I bought, even though it is a very versatile piece of kit, is just collecting dust. I haven't used it at all,even though Maison graciously programmed it for me for the XBMC. It still seems far too complicated for me to sit down and learn the programming. Just getting the software onto the SD card seemed quite convoluted.

I must admit at this point that I don't like computers as they always seem to go too slow and don't do what I want when I want. Yes, I can use them to communicate etc but other than that I don't know bupkiss.

Anyway back to the Arduino.

I initially bought a starter pack from SainSmart via Amazon. The link is here. There are other starter kits available which cost more/less or have less/more equipment in it.

Although it is possible to find programs (or sketches as they're known in Arduino circles) on the web I decided I'd try and be a bit more structured by using a '....for Dummies' book, as I've found them easy to use in the past.

I am working my way towards an automated garden water system including water towers, solar charged batteries and irrigation systems.

So far I have tried a few projects from the built in examples but generally try and augment them a little bit to test my understanding of the sketch.

Project #1 - LED output dependant on variable resister input.
Uses a variable resister (pot) to set a value which is read by the Arduino. Depending on the value set, the Arduino will drive 1 of three led's. For some reason the green led is not as obvious as the red/blue ones

Code after being augmented - '_20130622_Zippys_AnalogInOutSerial_3switch_led.ino'

c/*
  Analog input, analog output, serial output

 Reads an analog input pin, maps the result to a range from 0 to 255
 and uses the result to set the pulsewidth modulation (PWM) of an output pin.
 Also prints the results to the serial monitor.

 The circuit:
 * potentiometer connected to analog pin 0.
   Center pin of the potentiometer goes to the analog pin.
   side pins of the potentiometer go to +5V and ground
 * LED connected from digital pin 9 to ground

 created 29 Dec. 2008
 modified 9 Apr 2012
 by Tom Igoe

 modified 22nd June 2013 by Zippy : Added code for third LED.

 This example code is in the public domain.

 */

// These constants won't change.  They're used to give names
// to the pins used:
const int analogInPin = A0;  // Analog input pin that the potentiometer is attached to
const int analogOutPin09 = 9; // Analog output pin that the LED is attached to
const int analogOutPin10 = 10; // Analog output pin that the LED is attached to
const int analogOutPin11 = 11; // Analog output pin that the LED is attached to

int sensorValue = 0;        // value read from the pot
int outputValue = 0;        // value output to the PWM (analog out)

void setup() {
  // initialize serial communications at 9600 bps:
  Serial.begin(9600); 
}

void loop() {
  // read the analog in value:
  sensorValue = analogRead(analogInPin); // map it to the range of the analog out:
  outputValue = map(sensorValue, 0, 1023, 0, 255); // scale the input range(0-1023) from the pot
 // to fit the output range (0-255) of the LED.
   if (outputValue <= 1) {
    analogWrite(analogOutPin09, 0); // with analogWrite you need to specify a number value between 0 and 255.
    analogWrite(analogOutPin10, 0);
    analogWrite(analogOutPin11, 0);
  }
  if (outputValue > 1 && outputValue <;= 85) {
    analogWrite(analogOutPin09, 255);     
    analogWrite(analogOutPin10, 0);
    analogWrite(analogOutPin11, 0);
  }
  if (outputValue >= 86 && outputValue <= 170) {
    analogWrite(analogOutPin09, 0);
    analogWrite(analogOutPin10, 255);
    analogWrite(analogOutPin11, 0);
  }
  if (outputValue >= 171 && outputValue <= 255) {
    analogWrite(analogOutPin09, 0);
    analogWrite(analogOutPin10, 0);
    analogWrite(analogOutPin11, 255);
  }
  
  // print the results to the serial monitor:
  Serial.print("sensor = " );                       
  Serial.print(sensorValue);      
  Serial.print("\t output = ");      
  Serial.println(outputValue);   

  // wait 200 milliseconds before the next loop
  // for the analog-to-digital converter to settle
  // after the last reading:
  delay(200);                     
}

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Project #2 - LED and buzzer output dependant on variable resister input.
Uses a variable resister (pot) to set a value which is read by the Arduino. Depending on the value set, the Arduino will drive 1 of three led's and a piezo buzzer.For some reason the green led is not as obvious as the red/blue ones

Code after being augmented - '_20130622_Zippys_AnalogInOutSerial_3switch_led_with_sound.ino'

/*
  Analog input, analog output, serial output

 Reads an analog input pin, maps the result to a range from 0 to 255
 and uses the result to set the pulsewidth modulation (PWM) of an output pin.
 Also prints the results to the serial monitor.

 The circuit:
 * potentiometer connected to analog pin 0.
   Center pin of the potentiometer goes to the analog pin.
   side pins of the potentiometer go to +5V and ground
 * LED connected from digital pin 9 to ground

 created 29 Dec. 2008
 modified 9 Apr 2012
 by Tom Igoe

modified 23rd June 2013 - To include 3 LED's and a piezo buzzer by Zippy
piezo buzzer positive connected to pin 8 on the Arduino. 
 */

// These constants won't change.  They're used to give names
// to the pins used:
const int analogInPin = A0;  // Analog input pin that the potentiometer is attached to
const int analogOutPin09 = 9; // Analog output pin that the LED is attached to
const int analogOutPin10 = 10; // Analog output pin that the LED is attached to
const int analogOutPin11 = 11; // Analog output pin that the LED is attached to

int sensorValue = 0;        // set initial value read from the pot
int outputValue = 0;        // set initial value output to the PWM (analog out)

void setup() {
  // initialize serial communications at 9600 bps:
  Serial.begin(9600); 
}

void loop() {
  // read the analog in value:
  sensorValue = analogRead(analogInPin);            
  // map it to the range of the analog out:
  outputValue = map(sensorValue, 0, 1023, 0, 255); // scale the input range(0-1023) from the pot
 // to fit the output range (0-255) of the LED.
   if (outputValue <= 1) {
    analogWrite(analogOutPin09, 0);   // with analogWrite you need to specify a number value between 0 and 255.   
    analogWrite(analogOutPin10, 0);
    analogWrite(analogOutPin11, 0);
    noTone(8); // cancel tone to pin 8
  }
  if (outputValue > 1 &&; outputValue <= 85) {
    analogWrite(analogOutPin09, 255);     
    analogWrite(analogOutPin10, 0);
    analogWrite(analogOutPin11, 0);
    noTone(8); // cancel tone to pin 8
  }
  if (outputValue >= 86 && outputValue <= 170) {
    analogWrite(analogOutPin09, 0);
    analogWrite(analogOutPin10, 255);
    analogWrite(analogOutPin11, 0);
    tone(8,250); // tone(pin,freq[,optional duration]);
  }
  if (outputValue >= 171 && outputValue <= 255) {
    analogWrite(analogOutPin09, 0);
    analogWrite(analogOutPin10, 0);
    analogWrite(analogOutPin11, 255);
    tone(8,500); // tone(pin,freq[,optional duration]);
  }
  
  // print the results to the serial monitor:
  Serial.print("sensor = " );                       
  Serial.print(sensorValue);      
  Serial.print("\t output = ");      
  Serial.println(outputValue);   

  // wait 200 milliseconds before the next loop
  // for the analog-to-digital converter to settle
  // after the last reading:
  delay(200);                     
}

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Project #3 - LED and buzzer output dependant on sonic range finder.
Uses a sonic range finder with the time delay being read by the Arduino. Depending on the value read, the Arduino will drive 1 of three led's and a piezo buzzer. Similar to two previous projects. It just uses a different input device.For some reason the green led is not as obvious as the red/blue ones

Code after being augmented - '_20130622_EchoSounder_3LED_with_sound.ino'

c/*
HC-SR04 Ping distance sensor]
VCC to arduino 5v GND to arduino GND
Echo to Arduino pin 12 Trig to Arduino pin 13
Red POS to Arduino pin 11
Green POS to Arduino pin 10
560 ohm resistor to both LED NEG and GRD power rail
More info at: http://goo.gl/kJ8Gl
Original code improvements to the Ping sketch sourced from Trollmaker.com
Some code and wiring inspired by http://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/User:Dstaub/robotcar
*/

#define trigPin 13
#define echoPin 12
#define led1 9
#define led2 10
#define led3 11
// piezo buzzer positive attached to pin 6 on the Arduino

void setup() {
  Serial.begin (9600);
  pinMode(trigPin, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(echoPin, INPUT);
  pinMode(led1, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(led2, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(led3, OUTPUT);
}

void loop() {
  long duration, distance;
  digitalWrite(trigPin, LOW);  // Added this line
  delayMicroseconds(2); // Added this line
  digitalWrite(trigPin, HIGH);
//  delayMicroseconds(1000); - Removed this line
  delayMicroseconds(10); // Added this line
  digitalWrite(trigPin, LOW);
  duration = pulseIn(echoPin, HIGH);
  distance = (duration/2) / 29.1;
  if (distance <= 5) {  // If the range is less than 5cm
    digitalWrite(led1,HIGH); // For digitalWrite the value has to be either HIGH or LOW.
    digitalWrite(led2,LOW);
    digitalWrite(led3,LOW);
    Serial.println("RED");
    tone(6,600); // tone(pin,freq[,optional duration]);
  }
  if (distance >=5.5 && distance >=10) { // range is between 5.5 and 10cm
    digitalWrite(led1,LOW);
    digitalWrite(led2,HIGH);
    digitalWrite(led3,LOW);
    Serial.println("BLUE");
    tone(6,200); // tone(pin[,optional duration]);
  }
  if (distance > 10 ){ // range is greater than 10cm
    digitalWrite(led1,LOW);
    digitalWrite(led2,LOW);
    digitalWrite(led3,HIGH);
    Serial.println("GREEN");
    noTone(6); // cancel any tone sent to pin 6
  }    
  if (distance >= 5000 || distance <= 0){
    Serial.println("Out of range");
  }
  else {
    Serial.print(distance);
    Serial.println(" cm");
  }
  delay(250);
}

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I have ordered some more components but will have to wait until I get back to FFA in July.