THE LEAVING OF SAUDA

In my first blog about Miss Apron in Sauda I made a link to my birth-town for those who wanted to learn more. Before leaving I thought we could make a tour to see more of the Canadian/American cornerstone factory areas where most of the inhabitants of Sauda earn their living. I present you to Mr.Sneath, founder of the factory, and the park where his statue still is standing. I had a summer-job as a gardener back in 1968 here, and did we put down a real work to groom the park. It took us three weeks to cut the hedges by hand, plant, weed the gravel paths and move the lawns. Back then there were a staff of six gardeners and summer-help as well to keep the company areas, parks, playground and houses for the employees flawless. Now the factory has changed owners twice, and the houses have been sold for a farthing to the workers.
The houses are made by an English architect, mostly in the 20ies and 30ies. Two movies have been made in this area and a third is about to be shot this summer.
Another view from the park.
The park and the factory down by the fjord.The white snow is still covering the mountain tops.

Down by the quays.Miss Apron is not willing to leave quite yet. She tied herself to a bollard.When I grew up the roads were so bad, we would rather go by boat to get to the nearest big town.
The high pyramids of raw material at the factory site are being melted to steel components, for car, airplane and weapon production. The bridge was built by Russian prisoners of war during ww2. A little train used to drive through town and unload fill-mass for building new roads of.My grandfather had a house not far away. We kids used to sit by the kitchen window and admire the locomotive.


The Saw Mill waterfall. The four years my father was crippled, we would lift his bed so that he could admire the waterfall from his bedroom window every morning.He took such an interest in how the water flow sunk and rise in the fall depending on the weather.When he was just a kid he and his comrades would row over the fjord and take a bathe by the Saw Mill .
On our way out of Sauda we had to stop to admire the Bridal Veil Waterfall. Miss Apron was enchanted by the clean air, the green birches and the roar from the fall.
She also persuaded me to pick some more white anemones.
Oh, that Miss Apron, she would like to take a dive, but I held her firmly to my bosom.
Gunnar leaning over the steep cliff to shoot a boathouse.

Sauda in the background. Miss Apron clinging to my arm, afraid I might take one more step back.
Parting is never easy.