I came home from a weekend away to find the Mountain Laurel in full bloom but only got out to capture the blooms today. It’s been pouring rain for several days, so the flowers are a little battered by now. THE FIRST OF MOUNTAIN LAUREL This morning caught me unawarethat I would see this blooming…
Icelandic Landscapes: Skogafoss waterfall and Eldhraun, the Laki lavafield
Skogafoss, one of many waterfalls on the Skoga River, is one of Iceland’s biggest waterfalls, 25 meters (82 feet) in width, with a drop of 60 meters (200 feet). Visitors can expect to be drenched because of the amount of spray, which also creates rainbows on sunny days. We were there on an overcast day…
Song for The Resistance: Sisters of Winter
The battlecry “Sisters of Winter” was first posted on Instagram in late February and recently was officially released on Spotify and other music platforms. It was written by Connie K. Lim, known professionally as MILCK, and by Raye Zaragoza. The song references the three Sisters of Winter of East Asian culture, plants that thrive in…
United24 celebrates three years
Today was the third anniversary of United24, the fund raising platform established by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, an initiative that has raised over $1,447,000,000 from millions of people worldwide to aid Ukraine in its war against the Russian invaders. Yes, that’s over a billion, four hundred forty seven million dollars. Donations have come from corporations and…
Iceland: Hotel Fljotshlid view and a tractor in the dining room
While in Iceland, we stayed one night near the village of Hvolsvollur at the Hotel Fljotshlid, a family-owned hotel located in a renovated cow barn on a traditional Icelandic horse farm. The rooms have views of the nearby Eyjafjallajokull volcano, which last erupted in 2010… View from my hotel room The hotel’s dining room serves…
Icelandic horses
Direct descendants of the horses brought to Iceland by the original Norse settlers, Icelandic horses are one of the purest horse breeds in the world. While other horses have three gaits (walking, trotting, and cantering/galloping), these horses have five gaits, the tölt which is described as being incredibly comfortable for the rider and the skeið…
Song for the Resistance: There’s a Man in Prison
“There’s a Man in Prison” is a new song that was released today by singer/songwriter Seth Staton Watkins, an American folk singer known for his renditions of classic songs from the Irish rebellions. This song speaks to the injustice of imprisoning immigrants without due process and specifically speaks to the plight of Kilmar Abrego Garcia….
Azaleas: “Starbursts in Spring”
I arrived home recently after a few days away to find the azaleas in full bloom, including my favorites, the orange, native Flame Azaleas. “Look around at the azaleas making fuchsia star bursts in spring; look at a full moon hanging silver in a black sky on a cold night. And realize that life is…
Two Easter messages: What a contrast!
(Note: This is an inherently political post.) Three days ago, Christians around the world celebrated Easter. Here in the United States, the so-called leader of the free world, who calls himself “a very proud Christian” and has the support of many evangelical pastors, posted his Easter message to the nation… “Happy Easter to all, including…
Icelandic Landscapes: Gullfoss waterfalls and Bruarhlod canyon
Gullfoss which means “Golden Falls” is one of Iceland’s most famous natural attractions. The falls are fed by the Hvita River which flows from the Langjökull glacier across the Icelandic landscape until it forms a two-tiered waterfall and then plunges into a deep canyon. Not quite two miles south of Gullfoss Falls is Bruarhlod Canyon, which…
Unexpected in common hours 