February News

Well not much of a winter but did wake up 3rd of the month to a light layer of snow

 The garden looks a lot tidier covered in snow!

I try to get various indoor projects finished in the winter as I am too busy outside in the summer. I never accomplish every thing I want to. This year was to try and get on with the blog which is happening slowly. Finish sorting a hamper of photos, postcards and various other memorabilia. This is nearly done. Sort out 3 drawers and a cupboard in the living room which hasn't even been started. Learn how to use my new camera and this I am slowly doing. I am trying to walk with our daughter and her dogs most days and this is going well too. I have only used the exercise bike a couple of times so that is a bit of a failure. I wanted to make a scrap/memory book starting in January so by the end of the year I wont have heaps of bits and pieces in a box. I have the January items and the book so that should get done.

Am getting plenty of birds in the garden including this Jay which I photographed through the kitchen blinds hence the foggy border. As soon as I put the monkey nuts out down come a couple of jays and several jackdaws and it is really amusing watching their antics. During the summer I regularly dig up nuts the jays have buried.

This was one of our visitors captured on my new camera. I have seen large flocks of ring-necked parakeets all over London but this is the first one I have seen in the garden.

Farewell Reykjavik

My last day and not leaving for the airport until 1pm so about 9 am still in total darkness walked through the streets toward the town center getting more krona from the bank on the way. Bit different to our banks with free coffee and comfy sofas. Did a bit of gift buying including sweets and an Icelandic baby congrats card. Was very expensive so not buy much. Views down to the coast at times were wonderful. I walked right along to the harbor area having a coffee en route upstairs in another book shop. I also bought some provisions for the flight. The wind was really fierce as I left the protective streets. Managed to get a photo of some redwings and some other bird which could have been a missel thrush. Walked partway back in the streets then back along the seafront battling the wind all the way.

Whale Watching

I couldn't decide between Pony riding or whale watching but due to the treacherous conditions underfoot decided whale watching would be more prudent especially as it is some years since I was on a horse. What a mistake!. To start with we were told that the boat had been moved across the peninsula to Grindavik as conditions were better there so we were taken in 2 coaches on an hour's journey in bright sunshine so not too bad. I went upstairs on the boat but had to go down to get my floatation suit to combat the cold. What a game that was with nobody helping and a free for all. I did pal up with a friendly passenger and we had a good laugh getting them on. Back upstairs and the boat had set off and no seats left. It was so rough it was all I could do to hang on and not get thrown onto the deck. Finally feeling nauseous and needing a seat I went to the lower deck but that was packed so on down to the cabin to the loo but somebody already throwing up in there. Managed to get some sick bags and slump into a seat inside at the back and suffer for 2 hours along with many others in the same state. I am usually fine on rough seas as long as I am outside but there were just too many on board. The commentary was interesting - what I heard of it. No whales were sighted and from what I gathered it is unlikely to see them in early January anyway. We were offered free tickets to come back!

View from the boat before my camera went away and we set sail!
 

Reykjavik

It was still dark but I set out from the hotel to walk along the sea-front towards the harbor. It was just a few minutes walk across two roads to get to the footpath right next to the sea. The views were stunning as the sun rose.

The mountains were named on a board so we could see what we were looking at. There were many different art works along the way such as this strange one. Saw eider ducks in the harbor and surprised they were so pretty. Lots of boats to look at and I found the office to book the whale watching which is another story! I was looking for a coffee shop and was directed into a book and craft shop! It was so lovely as the seats were scattered around and I found a good spot in an armchair by a window.

I didn't go much further than the harbor as I had to be back for the whale watching