Quite a few of the houses, farms, small hotels, and other buildings that we saw in Iceland were located near or at the base of volcanic cliffs… Turf houses date back over a thousand years in Iceland although those seen today date from the 19th century and possibly later. We ran across this turf building,…
Signs of Autumn
Unlike in previous years by this time, the Red Maple by my garage is not yet changing color, but other trees and shrubs are beginning to show yellow or red. The orb weavers are everywhere, and flowering shrubs are fading. As always: Слава Україні!! Slava Ukraini!! #standwithukraine Хай живе вільна Україна Am Yisrael Chai
My 13th blogging anniversary. But what in the world, WordPress?
WordPress recently reminded me that I created my blog site 13 years ago, and I cannot believe I have been blogging for that long! My first post was on August 1, 2012 and was an account of Why I Live In The Woods. In April 2014, I added a second blog, Believing for Ben, chronicling my grandson’s journey through…
Update on grandson Ben
Grandson Ben, who at the age of four had two brain surgeries and a third surgery at the age of five, is now in tenth grade, taking advanced courses, and is driving!
Iceland: A melting glacier
Like all glaciers in Iceland, the Svinafellsjokull is melting due to climate change. I was in Iceland in March of this year and featured Svinafellsjokull in a post here in late May. When I posted, I didn’t know that there had been a rapid melt in May, and a rise in the snowline elevation had…
Iceland: The Yoda cave
A lava cave located on Iceland’s southern coast, the Yoda cave gets its name from the fact that its opening resembles Yoda from the Star Wars movies. Movie fans also are drawn to the cave because scenes from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story were filmed in the area. The cave is easily accessible by…
Icelandic landscapes: Waterfalls
There is no official record for the number of waterfalls in Iceland, but estimates put the number at over 10,000. I previously posted about two of them: Gullfoss and Skogafoss, and we visited several more. Foss a sidu Located on a private farm, this waterfall was mentioned in one of the earliest pieces of Icelandic…
Balloon Flowers
Also known as Chinese bellflowers, balloon flowers are noted for their buds that swell like balloons before fully opening. This year I had exactly three blooms, one white and two purple, although I captured the purple before the second bud opened. As always: Слава Україні!! Slava Ukraini!! #StandWithUkraine Am Yisrael Chai
Song for The Resistance: The Morning After
“The Morning After” was the theme song for the 1972 disaster movie The Poseidon Adventure. Written by 20th Century Fox songwriters Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn, it was recorded by singer Maureen McGovern. The song, which won an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1973, was played incessantly on my local radio station and…
Icelandic landscapes: The black church of Budir
One of three black churches in Iceland, the black church of Budir dates back to 1703. Although the building has undergone several restorations and has been moved, it still holds artifacts dating back to the 1700s. A fully functioning parish church, the black church of Budir has an historic graveyard with sculpted birds on many…
Unexpected in common hours 