Are you all (both of you) waiting to hear more of the Naked Ladies of Húsavík? Your patience is rewarded! I hope the Þorrablót (Thorablot) fund raiser and festival went well for them. The postage cost more than the fund-raising calendar, but I think it was well worth it. Here are the women of January with accompanying delicacy, a sheep.
Gotta love small town women (Húsavík, population 2237) who would do this as part of an annual celebration. I have to visit them on my next trip to Iceland. Hopefully, I will be able to recognize them with their clothes on.
It is still winter here on the American steppes, but the days are getting longer and the sun is actually putting out some heat. Of course, when it warms up in winter that usually means snow. The air gets too dry below zero to have any meaningful accumulation. We have had less than a foot this week, but tonight will put us well over that. I have been stopping by the harbor and campground in Grand Marais on the way to and from work just to catch the changing conditions. As usual, click on the pic for a bigger version.
Last Saturday I had some of my younger and stronger friends come over and help me put away seven tons of hay. That is 230 bales, but they only had to go in two different places. I tried to do my share and my new knee held up pretty well. The extra swelling was gone in a day or two. Here is the pile.
What used to take me all weekend to do now takes less than an hour. My quality of life has vastly improved.
Now to the music part. Last summer, while strolling along Karl Johans Gata (Gata= street) in Oslo I spied and heard an unusual instrument. I had never seen one like it before and finally remembered to see what it was. It was being played by tapping the twelve strings that ran its length.
It is called a Chapman Stick. If you can play piano, harp, and guitar very well you may have a prayer of being able to play one of these. Invented by Emmet Chapman, a jazz musician, back about 40 years ago. I have since heard it play classical and rock music as well as jazz.
I like that instrument, the Chapman Stick – it has great sound. As for Iceland – when I lived in San Francisco I used to go to Paris around Christmas time via Icelandair – flying with a stop in Iceland then on to Luxembourg, then a bus to Paris. Because of the weather I have had several adventures on these trips. One of them was that because of the bad weather we had to stay overnight in Keflavik Airport in Iceland. I slept at the US Naval Air Station there. It was strange to be awakening very early in the morning with a soldier playing a trumpet, or whatever they use to wake up their staff then go and have breakfast at the mess – there was no strong security like now then. I think that this US base was closed several years ago and taken over by the Iceland Defense Agency.
PP, this year I have been determined to get something from winter other than frostbite.
Knatolee, thanks and give my best to the ducks.
Vagabonde, I would love to go to Paris. Otto used to get there now and then for business. All I ever get to see of France is the watching the Tour, but it shows an absolutely beautiful country. I also can't wait to land in Keflavik again.
The calendar reminded me of that movie, Calendar Girls. Perhaps we need a naked blogger calendar? :-) Those of us representing the northern climes can wear boots and hats while clutching strategically placed cats? :-)
Friko, I hope the ladies did well, also. Gotta love people that would do that.
Pearl, I think I could do that! Careful which cat, though, as the last time one spotted a one-eyed mouse she swatted and it bled profusely. But that's another story.
My kind of ladies. I hope they made good money for their fund raiser (fun razer?) Great phots but make me cold looking at them. Wish I could help you withthe hay. I miss farm animals
The link worked for me. Beautiful pics as always, Jono.
ReplyDeleteYour winter may be brutal, but it makes for beautiful photos!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pics of the harbour!!
ReplyDeleteGlad your knee is hanging in there. That's a lotta hay.
I like that instrument, the Chapman Stick – it has great sound. As for Iceland – when I lived in San Francisco I used to go to Paris around Christmas time via Icelandair – flying with a stop in Iceland then on to Luxembourg, then a bus to Paris. Because of the weather I have had several adventures on these trips. One of them was that because of the bad weather we had to stay overnight in Keflavik Airport in Iceland. I slept at the US Naval Air Station there. It was strange to be awakening very early in the morning with a soldier playing a trumpet, or whatever they use to wake up their staff then go and have breakfast at the mess – there was no strong security like now then. I think that this US base was closed several years ago and taken over by the Iceland Defense Agency.
ReplyDeleteDonna, Thanks! and congrats on the Brodie award!
ReplyDeletePP, this year I have been determined to get something from winter other than frostbite.
Knatolee, thanks and give my best to the ducks.
Vagabonde, I would love to go to Paris. Otto used to get there now and then for business. All I ever get to see of France is the watching the Tour, but it shows an absolutely beautiful country. I also can't wait to land in Keflavik again.
A strange instrument, but acceptable nevertheless.
ReplyDeleteThose ladies deserve a hand, and not on their anatomy either. Hope they’ve made a pretty penny.
With temperatures like yours and snowfall too, you need all the hay you can get in under a roof. Glad you had help.
I like how Friko says it.
ReplyDeleteThe calendar reminded me of that movie, Calendar Girls. Perhaps we need a naked blogger calendar? :-) Those of us representing the northern climes can wear boots and hats while clutching strategically placed cats? :-)
Pearl
Friko, I hope the ladies did well, also. Gotta love people that would do that.
ReplyDeletePearl, I think I could do that! Careful which cat, though, as the last time one spotted a one-eyed mouse she swatted and it bled profusely. But that's another story.
Hats off to those ladies, who've taken off much more than their hats for a good cause :)
ReplyDeleteStill chuckling over the comments!
My kind of ladies. I hope they made good money for their fund raiser (fun razer?)
ReplyDeleteGreat phots but make me cold looking at them. Wish I could help you withthe hay. I miss farm animals
I love this. We need more women who don't take themselves too seriously. Fabulous!
ReplyDelete