Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability. ~Sam Keen

Totally lazy, as I indicated in my last post I have been on holidays and have been travelling around the North.  Húsavík was amazing - the weather was so good.  In typical Icelandic fashion folk parked randomly in the caravan park, no rules or regulations here, most people chose the indian format - circling the wagons to prevent intrusion...

Árni and I borrowed his parents mobile home, it was really very comfortable and as we were in no hurry to leave we spent an extra night in Húsavík and drove home on the Monday, thereby missing out on the major traffic. 

 As you can see my face got a tad red....

 The following weekend we went to Siglufjörður - this time just for one night - and this time the mobile home was being used by another family member and Árni refused mum's offer for hers.... so my tent got an airing - I think I have only used it once.  It was surprisingly comfortable.

 We dressed accordingly - Mr and Ms Hobo.

 That night the town came alive so we headed to the town centre to listen to the bands and meet up with people..... There were a lot of folk from Skagafjörður there - which really isn't surprising as it is only just an hours drive or so away from S'krók.

 Björg looking refreshed and happy after her summer break on her island home Vigur (far North West Iceland)

 The next day was brilliant - hardly a cloud in the sky - a little bit of a breeze but otherwise excellent.

 So the afternoon was spent sitting around and talking.... Árni and I were heading home so no beers for us this day..... just relaxing in good company.

The fjord showed it's best on the way home.... there was a little bit of a fog around the islands - which just made them look even better.  Have I mentioned how much I love this place and my life???

This weekend has been very relaxed - almost early nights, still warm - around 20° C, overcast and southerly breeze.....  and I have been super super lazy - which is what weekends are all about!

Dad, your guiding hand on my shoulder will remain with me forever. ~Author Unknown

It's been a while since last I wrote anything here...  Lots of things to do when one is on holidays and one of the things that falls by the wayside is the writing of the blog.  However, tonight I feel I have a need.  It's the anniversary of  my father's death some 19 years ago.  Mum and I had a bit of a cry last night, and now tears are rolling down my cheeks. Is it self pity? Maybe, who knows - I never did the death and dying unit in Anthropology, so am not qualified to answer.   All I know is that I really do miss him and have missed having him around to talk to for far too long.  He was always the rational one, helped me and directed me in my life.  Sometimes the directions he sent me in were not the ones I wanted to go to, he however, probably knew better - or like me - thought he did.

Dad is the one on the right, my nephew Valdimar looks a lot like him, the good looking guy on the left is my uncle Bjössi,  dad's oldest brother - he passed last year and we miss him dearly too.  All the boys are gone now, the youngest Kári died in 1991.

Dad would have turned 87 last week, I think that that also makes it all the more difficult.  He died just after his birthday which was on the 27th of July, we try and console ourselves with the fact that he did not suffer for a long time in hospital... it wasn't a long and drawn out death, however, remembering the time 19 years ago - it seemed so long and yet at the same time so short.

But... one should not dwell on the sad... but on the happy.... Iceland is undergoing a good summer - a warm summer - a sunny summer - good for people on holidays, bad for farmers needing rain....  I have taken holidays that I don't think that I have accrued.... but hey - I figure I can make it up at some stage .....  I have a tan - the first one since I moved to Iceland! (well my face is brown, there are tan marks on my feet and my forearms are semi brown.... - not an Australian tan - but an Icelandic farmers tan)

Sandal tan...

In  other news have had a wonderful 2 and a half week holidays, first just chilling at home and painting the fence, then a week spent with Christine and Paula Laitinen - Christine used to be Nicholson - we first met in 1968 and last saw each other probably in 1978.... it was nice to renew the friendship and the ties that have been between our families for so long.  My car is thinking of giving up the ghost - it hasn't traveled this much for a long time - but, I know my subi will recover after a good overhall.  Also had a fantastic weekend in Húsavík - really really relaxing and the reason for the farmers tan....Now am back at work, trying to catch up on work that I have neglected..........

Local politics are fine... well as fine as they can be expected to be........