Good Morning All!
Happy Birthday wishes go to former U.S. Senator & NBA Hall of Famer Bill Bradley, of the New York Knicks (who can ever forget their 1968 NBA championship team?…Bill Bradley, Willis Reed, Dave DeBussehere (sp?), Dick Barnett, Walt Frazier, Phil Jackson (I think) and others whose names escape me right now), who turns 76 today. I always admired Bill Bradley and thought he might have made a good President. Also, Happy Birthday to jazz musician-producer Delfeayo Marsalis, who is 54 today; to “Garfield” creator Jim Davis, who turns 74 today; to actress Lori Loughlin, who turns 55 today; and to actress-comedian Sally Struthers of “All In The Family” T.V. fame, who is 72 today. Here’s to all of you!
One of the things (among many) that impressed me about Iceland was their rest stops that dotted the landscape from time to time. They were not fancy, by any stretch of the imagination, but efficient and effective. They were composed of a gravel turnout and a couple of portable toilets (modern outhouses, if you will). They were always clean and were conveniently located (at spots where folks would need to use a bathroom). The people who chose the locations of these “rest stops” must be clairvoyant…knowing about how often to locate these places along the way. They also had plenty of toilet paper, which is very important!
You might remember that I gave credit to my grandson Josh or Bobby for the description of Dynjandi Falls as a “skeleton’s hand.” Well, I was recently informed by my daughter Andrea (Andy) that it was really my granddaughter Quinn who described the Falls as looking like a “skeleton’s phalanges”…so here’s to you Quinn…that’s an even better description of the Falls that I previously reported (not bad for a 9 year old, don’t you think?). Dynjandi was a fascinating waterfall to me. I could have stayed there all day…the water cascades over the cliff in tiers…as if the water was in slow motion…a truly unique waterfall in many respects and magnificent in appearance out in the middle of the Westfjords. A must see if you’re ever in that neighborhood!
I can’t get over how cool it was to visit the Puffins at the Latrabjarg Bird Cliffs. Those little puffins were sure cute and it amazed me how they built their nests into the sheer cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean there. The Atlantic Puffin is one of the smaller auks, and also the most common. It’s a stocky bird with a large head. It’s head reminds me of a toucan that one would see in the jungles of South America (or on a box of “Fruit Loops”). The adult Puffins on the Latrabjarg Cliffs are black on top, white below, with a black cap and black collar. Cheeks are grey, underwings are black and their triangular bill is very colorful (orange, red, yellow, black & white). They also have the cutest little orange webbed feet! Puffins seem to fly straight with fast wingbeats, usually low over the surface of the water (I even saw one stand straight up on the water in a fjord!) They are highly gregarious and have complex social habits (whatever that means…maybe they get involved in “love triangles”???). They dive for their food, propelling itself under the water with their wings. They can dive to a depth of 60 meters and spend up to 1.5 minutes underwater (how about that!). They can arrange 6-20 fish in their bill in each fishing foray. Their main food is sand eel and capelin (tiny fish). They also feed on fry, snake pipefish & krill. A swarm of puffins in a fjord might indicate that a whale is feeding nearby. The majority Atlantic Puffin breed in Iceland. They are fun to watch, for sure! Now one of my favorite birds…thanks to Iceland!
There are a lot more wildflowers in Iceland than you think there might be. Blue & purple (lavender) lupine (lupin) are plentiful all along the roadways and valleys. Icelandic (Arctic) thyme is a favorite…brilliant light purple/fuschia-colored jplant…it grows close to the ground. It would make a great ground cover back home in Spokane if it would only grow there! One of the best things about a trip to Iceland is discovering Arctic plants & flowers and many new species of birds!
After our visit to the puffins at Latrabjarg, we drove to a remote beach called Raudasandur (“Rose-Colored Beach”). The grandkids and I walked about one mile of sandy rose colored beach to reach the waves of the Atlantic Ocean. This is a beachcomber’s delight, for sure! The beach is located in a remote part of the Westfjords…you can’t get here by accident. Lots of different kinds of seashells dot the beach. The unique aspect of this particular beach is that when you walk on the rose-colored sand, your foot leaves a black imprint…in other words, the sand turns from rose to black under your feet…amazing (and I can’t explain why). There’s a quaint little restaurant (inn) located next to the place where you enter the rose colored beach and they serve the best waffles, jam and whipped cream in the world! Who would have thought you could get a delicious waffle in this secluded spot in Iceland…wonders never cease! A good time was had by all on this beautiful sand beach on a glorious summer day in Iceland! One of the many highlights of our stay here…a day that will long be remembered.
We’ve been listening to an Icelandic radio station on our trips around the island. It’s called BYLGJAN FM Radio and it features an eclectic mix of Icelandic local hits, Phi Collins (it plays a lot of Phil Collins & “Genesis”), Ed Shearin and offers talk radio from time to time. We couldn’t understand anything they were talking about, but could tell when a caller got excited about something, judging from the tone and volume of their voice (not unlike American talk radio)…some things are the same no matter where you might be in this world of ours!
We enjoyed a fresh haddock dinner on our last night in Flateyri (we’re going to really miss this place!) The fish here is delicious and fresh. Tender and tasty (like no haddock we get in the U.S.)…fresh as opposed to frozen.
As we traveled back to Flateyri from our adventures at Latrabjarg & Raudasandur, we came upon a car (a rental car by the looks of things) that had a major encounter with a bridge abutment and the car came out on the short end of the stick! In Iceland, the roads narrow to one lane as you approach bridges and one side has to yield to the other side (you’re supposed to yield to the car that is approaching the bridge sooner). Well, the best we can figure is that the damaged car evidently approached the bridge at the same time as the other car and had to swerve to avoid the other car and found itself impaled on the bridge abutment. A bummer to have a car accident out here, as you’re quite a ways from civilization! It’s what you could call a “bad hair day”!
As we traveled back to Flateyri for the last time, it struck me how many farms are found in such remote locations in Iceland. They really have to plan their trips “into town” to get groceries, supplies, etc., as the distances are great and the weather can be bad (especially in the winter months). They can’t just climb in their cars and make a brief jount to the grocery store!
More on our Icelandic adventure to follow in future blogs…
Here is the funny question for the day:
Q: What do you get when you take bovine & divide its circumference by its diameter?
A: A cow pi.
Here are some thoughts for the day:
“You think your life is going one way and then suddenly, you’re on another track.”
—Liam Neeson, Irish actor of “Star Wars”, “Commuter”, “Taken” and “Rob Roy” movie fame
“I once shook hands with Pat Boone and my whole right side sobered up.”
—Dean Martin, singer-comedian (1917-1995)
“There’s plenty for me to do. There are more albums. I’ll record as long as I can and as long as my voice works as well as it does now and for as long as people want to hear me.”
—Tom Jones, Welsh singer of “It’s Not Unusual” & “Delilah” fame
“One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said himself, If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner. “Simon, I have something to say to you,” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”
“A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they would not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. There I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
—The Gospel of Luke, Chapter 7, verses 36-48
Here’s to a great Sunday and lots of love always!
Press on,
Papa ‘a (Dad, Uncle Mark, etc.)