opened the pasture fence so Hjelmer could drive the team through.
Ingeborg motioned to Gunlaug with a finger to her lips. Together they watched Hjelmer go over the process with Tor again, waving his arms and pointing to fallen posts and rails.
Ingeborg held to her place, wanting to go box Tor’s ears. Tor raised his voice, but Hjelmer shrugged. Tor tossed the logging chain around a broken post, hooked and snugged it, and took up the horses’ lines. The chain tightened some but slipped up and off the post end.
Tor now waved his arms around. He reset the chain, low on the post and tight. This time as the horses moved forward, the chain tightened and the rotten post popped out.
Hjelmer cheered so loudly they could hear him even from this distance. The two boys dug about in the posthole with shovels. Tor single-handedly picked up a new post and dropped it into the hole. He steadied it as Hjelmer filled the hole and tamped the dirt down. The two said something, exchanging what? Advice? Congratulations? Complaints?
“I wish I was a mouse in his pocket!” Ingeborg whispered.
“Or at least a bird on his shoulder.” Gunlaug gave Ingeborgan elbow in the side. “I am proud of Hjelmer. Maybe this will help them get along better.”
“We can only pray so.” The two returned to the house, Gunlaug to cleaning the pantry she had started as soon as they arrived, and Ingeborg putting the rooms to order and preparing the fireplace that would provide their warmth and cooking all summer.
She heard laughing from the barn where Anders and someone rather harsh-voiced were cleaning. The girls had finished the upstairs, fixed the beds, and were now in the great living room.
“At least it doesn’t look like it’s going to rain,” Kari said on her way to fetch more water. They were keeping a big iron kettle steaming on the fire outside so the cleaners would have hot water. She clearly loved the seter almost as much as Ingeborg did. “I’ll bring in a couple of buckets from the creek.” The tall, sturdy girl resembled her tante Hilde with the narrow brow and pointed chin, except she had a ready smile.
Ingeborg nodded. She’d been so engrossed in what they were doing, she’d forgotten to check. As the room darkened and one of the shutters banged, she figured maybe Kari had spoken too soon. Sure enough, drops spattered on the windows.
“Get the bedding in!” All those in the house charged out the door to keep their beds from getting wet. Within minutes they had the bedding in the house and draped over chairs and tables, all the while laughing and teasing.
Ingeborg headed outside. Sure enough, the boys had the sheep back in the corral, built especially for the sheep and connected to the shed on the side of the barn. The older boys had put the horses out, and now were standing in the barn door watching the rain. The animals ignored it, andIngeborg shook off the drops from her shawl as she returned to the house.
Please, Lord, let the others be nearing home, away from the danger of lightning. She’d seen a jagged light flash just moments before and heard the thunder grumble. A heavy rainfall would make travel miserable. Storms of any kind could be fierce in the mountains.
“Let’s get the fireplace going in case this fire is put out.”
“You think it will rain that hard?” Gunlaug asked, staring out the window. “Remember when we used to go play in the rain? Dancing around the birch trees until we were ordered inside, away from the lightning? It’s sad that we don’t do that anymore.”
“You want to go out now?”
Gunlaug shook her head. “Let’s get the fire going. Perhaps we should milk early too.”
Ingeborg opened the door and looked out. “You are right. The cows are up at the barn. We’ll do all the evening chores now.” She raised her voice. “Mari, you and Hamme make små brød as soon as the coals are hot. The rest of you come with us.”
“Where?”
“Out to the barn.”
Shawls over heads,
Ingeborg motioned to Gunlaug with a finger to her lips. Together they watched Hjelmer go over the process with Tor again, waving his arms and pointing to fallen posts and rails.
Ingeborg held to her place, wanting to go box Tor’s ears. Tor raised his voice, but Hjelmer shrugged. Tor tossed the logging chain around a broken post, hooked and snugged it, and took up the horses’ lines. The chain tightened some but slipped up and off the post end.
Tor now waved his arms around. He reset the chain, low on the post and tight. This time as the horses moved forward, the chain tightened and the rotten post popped out.
Hjelmer cheered so loudly they could hear him even from this distance. The two boys dug about in the posthole with shovels. Tor single-handedly picked up a new post and dropped it into the hole. He steadied it as Hjelmer filled the hole and tamped the dirt down. The two said something, exchanging what? Advice? Congratulations? Complaints?
“I wish I was a mouse in his pocket!” Ingeborg whispered.
“Or at least a bird on his shoulder.” Gunlaug gave Ingeborgan elbow in the side. “I am proud of Hjelmer. Maybe this will help them get along better.”
“We can only pray so.” The two returned to the house, Gunlaug to cleaning the pantry she had started as soon as they arrived, and Ingeborg putting the rooms to order and preparing the fireplace that would provide their warmth and cooking all summer.
She heard laughing from the barn where Anders and someone rather harsh-voiced were cleaning. The girls had finished the upstairs, fixed the beds, and were now in the great living room.
“At least it doesn’t look like it’s going to rain,” Kari said on her way to fetch more water. They were keeping a big iron kettle steaming on the fire outside so the cleaners would have hot water. She clearly loved the seter almost as much as Ingeborg did. “I’ll bring in a couple of buckets from the creek.” The tall, sturdy girl resembled her tante Hilde with the narrow brow and pointed chin, except she had a ready smile.
Ingeborg nodded. She’d been so engrossed in what they were doing, she’d forgotten to check. As the room darkened and one of the shutters banged, she figured maybe Kari had spoken too soon. Sure enough, drops spattered on the windows.
“Get the bedding in!” All those in the house charged out the door to keep their beds from getting wet. Within minutes they had the bedding in the house and draped over chairs and tables, all the while laughing and teasing.
Ingeborg headed outside. Sure enough, the boys had the sheep back in the corral, built especially for the sheep and connected to the shed on the side of the barn. The older boys had put the horses out, and now were standing in the barn door watching the rain. The animals ignored it, andIngeborg shook off the drops from her shawl as she returned to the house.
Please, Lord, let the others be nearing home, away from the danger of lightning. She’d seen a jagged light flash just moments before and heard the thunder grumble. A heavy rainfall would make travel miserable. Storms of any kind could be fierce in the mountains.
“Let’s get the fireplace going in case this fire is put out.”
“You think it will rain that hard?” Gunlaug asked, staring out the window. “Remember when we used to go play in the rain? Dancing around the birch trees until we were ordered inside, away from the lightning? It’s sad that we don’t do that anymore.”
“You want to go out now?”
Gunlaug shook her head. “Let’s get the fire going. Perhaps we should milk early too.”
Ingeborg opened the door and looked out. “You are right. The cows are up at the barn. We’ll do all the evening chores now.” She raised her voice. “Mari, you and Hamme make små brød as soon as the coals are hot. The rest of you come with us.”
“Where?”
“Out to the barn.”
Shawls over heads,
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