Puffin Cruise

	During the Iceland portion of our recent trip, Kim and Adam decided to go on a short cruise to "Puffin Island" just off the coast of Reykjavik. Puffins are rather shy but we zoomed in as closely as we could.
Our boat the Skulaskeith.

Last Stop: The Blue Lagoon

We stopped for a soak in mineral-rich waters at the Blue Lagoon before returning home from Iceland. Thermal waters beneath the volcanic lava are a main power source for Iceland and, when all is said and done, The Blue Lagoon is the product of business, not nature. The blue waters are leftovers spewed from a nearby power plant onto a desert of lava. Inspired by the spas at Baden-Baden in Germany, a couple businessmen developed the thermal lagoon after watching locals dip into its warmth. They sanded down a lava rock basin to avoid lava cuts on feet and pooled the water for bodily pleasures.

We boarded our plane in a relaxed state.

It's Been A Week...

...since we returned from Norway. That time was filled with catching up on everything we left behind--mail, work, family, groceries, and news. We've also managed to review a few thousand digital photographs, some of which we'd like to share. We'll do highlights from time to time, keeping the numbers of pictures small.

This set of five pictures is a bit random--a view of a farm from our hotel room at Stalheim, a village along a fjord (no roads through the mountains for access, just boats and ferries), and a last view of a receding glacier. A tip of the glacier has broken off, resulting in an awesome mineral-blue lake where Kim and Adam could explore.

Hunter's Fast Ball

Today Hunter got his shot at the All Star Strike Zone challenge. He won the challenge for the 3rd graders with a 58 mph fast ball. He won a lovely bat shaped pen!

Go Hunter!!

Legend: Norwegian Food is White

They say all Norwegian food is white but we really didn't find that was true. But, just for fun, I did note a couple of times that white food turned up. On our trip up a mountain, we stopped for an asparagus soup and bread lunch. Even the asparagus was white. Later, I plated up a dinner of white food, just to see if I could. OK, so the potatoes have a lovely brown crust on them. You can't fault the Norwegians for their tasty potatoes! Nothing like them in the good ol' USA.

We promised pictures

The Midnight Runs in Reykjavik, Iceland featured a 3K, a 5K, and a 10K race. Kim and Adam easily ran the 3K in a few minutes and are now the proud owners of Icelandic medals strung on striped ribbons. It was a thrilling night in the bright light and such fun to participate in this international affair.

NEWS FLASH! Kim & Adam Running the Reykjavik 3K

Tonight's the night for the Reykjavik Runs. Start time: 10 p.m.

Icelanders like to make use of their "Bright Nights." Kim and Adam signed up for the 3K run and Allen and I will be there to photograph the results (in the daylight)...stay tuned! The prize for finishing is a free swim in the thermal pool not far from our hotel.

See you there!