Lauvrak

July 9th

Lauvrak was a prosperous farm 100 years ago.  It remains in great shape.  Olav is the patriarch these days.  We went to visit him after the excursion to Ramselia.  The original plan was to have a party there with all the relatives.  The weather forecast foiled that idea.  Rain was predicted.  Laila and Gunnar scrambled onto Facebook the night before, postponing the big gathering until Sunday.  Still, we had to pass right by Lauvrak on our return trip.  The eight of us decided to pay our respects to Olav along the way.

Olav and his family were gracious hosts.  They led us on a tour of their wonderful house.  It stands on a hill, surveying the valley below.  There were horses.  Several other houses dotted the property.  The farm spans a thousand acres.  A large barn is adjacent to Olav's home.  With a twinkle in his eye he led us inside.  It isn't used any more.  It was dark.  We worked our way carefully to the rear.  The beams supporting the structure had been coated years before to prevent fire and reinforce the strength.  Olav scrutinized several of them.  "Aha!"  He called us over.  Adam and Eve probably signed their names on a rock or whatever else was available in the Garden.  It's a tradition that will never end.  Olav pointed.  "Here's where your grandmother signed her name.  When she was growing up."  There was no date.  Olav guessed it happened around 1900.

The show wasn't over yet.  We haven't even mentioned the trip to the cemetery that Gunnar arranged before the expedition began.  Or the stop at the stone sculpture one of our ancestors had carved.  Or the interview with the local newspaper editor.  Or the front page story he published.  It was a heck of a day.  Yet another surprise lay in store.

Else Gerd prepared a spectacular dinner.  Gunnar, Gail and I relaxed outside as she put everything together.  We reminisced about the day.  And how things were different from when my father had seen Ramselia.  Gunnar introduced us to his new neighbors.  Refugees from Syria.  They're well educated but still getting acclimated.  Gunnar has a soft spot for the underdogs.  It's not as though he never gets riled up.  As we sauntered through his back yard he suddenly reached for a trowel and began slicing a swarm of grubs into pieces.  Don't mess with the garden!

Reindeer was the main course.  It tasted phenomenal.  We had potatoes and vegetables too.  Those I have eaten before.  The reindeer was a new delight.  It was either four helpings or five.  I can't remember exactly.  But it was a lot.  Then Else Gerd served another Norwegian specialty for dessert -- "riskrem."  Another hit!  It was a long day.  Else Gerd made sure we ended with a flourish.