Susan the Artist

 

Susan starting on her artwork

I have written about Susan before, but I had to brag about her again. She recently sent me an email with her latest artwork, and I was blown away. I had to share it. For those of you who don't know about Susan, this is the short version of her story. At the age of 23, she had a massive brain stem stroke. It left her physically incapacitated, but not mentally. Immediately after her stroke, she could only move a few fingers on her right hand. Her dad, a Navy man, taught her Morse code and that is how they communicated in the beginning. Her dad quickly realized she was the same, smart, funny woman he and Shirl raised. Through a lot of therapy, dedication, and determination on Susan's part, she regained some of her physical capabilities. She can walk with help, peddle a large tricycle, use her electric wheelchair controls, and paint with a brush. She is a wonderful artist and has painted a few paintings over the years. I have seen some of her watercolors of wildlife and am always impressed with them.

Some of Susan's watercolor artwork done with a brush

Her recent artwork was done with the help of her partner Carl and her wheelchair. Carl had the brilliant idea of taping down a white sheet for a canvas. Then he put paint on the wheels of her chair and let her go at it. I don't know the specifics of how that happened exactly. I don't know how many times they put different paints on the wheels. I don't know if Susan decided on the colors or if Carl did. Either way, the end result was a masterpiece in my opinion! Susan is really humble and doesn't take nearly enough credit for her extraordinary talents, but in the last photo, you will see she looks pretty proud of her work. And I don't blame her! She should be! Thanks to Carl for helping her with this project and thanks to Susan for sharing it with us. 

The final result

I LOVE Susan's face in this photo! She looks so happy.

This post is going to be short and sweet, just like my friend Susan. I just had to share her artwork with everyone I knew. Have a colorful week, weekend, Fall, Christmas, New Year and beyond!

     Now Go Out and Hug an Artist Today!!!

"Imagine" A Different Perspective

 

This is a different perspective

My friend Pluk sent me a video recently. It was a one-minute video of clowns playing with refugees, hospital patients, and nursing home residents. It is set to the tune of "Imagine" by John Lennon. You can watch it here. 

                                                           Video - Google Photos

Well, it got me to thinking... what if we all looked at the world with a different perspective. Imagine, if you will, that you had to live like a refugee. No, I am not referring to the Tom Petty song. I mean live like an actual refugee. If you lived like a refugee, would your perspective on life be different? I imagine it would be. I am sure my perspective would be very different. If that was your life circumstance, what would change your perspective on things? Would a group of people, coming to visit you, ease your burdens and change your perspective on life? On people? On the world? I believe it would, and I have amazing friends who do just that. They travel to war torn countries and spread love and laughter to the refugees. This is clearly not a cure for their lives, but it does give them a much-needed boost to keep fighting for their rights!  

My friend Guillaume with a refugee child. On the cover of his book "One Smile at a Time" 

Guillaume does as much or more than any other humanitarian clown I know. He travels the world to places few others want to go. He does this in order to bring a little joy, love, laughter and smiles to people who desperately need it! He has a different perspective on life for sure! And he tries to educate people on the things he has witnessed. He has educated me on plenty, and I still have a lot to learn. 

My friend Pluk travels to bring joy to refugees around the world. She also brings joy to local people in her country of Holland. 

Pluk is an inspiration to me and everyone she meets. She is the one who sent me the video from the beginning. She has traveled to Russia/Beslan many times and we know a lot of the same people. They all love her and look forward to seeing her, like an old friend. She has also traveled to Morocco, Georgia, Armenia and several other countries. All for the sake of bringing joy to people who desperately need it. I believe the people who meet her get a change of perspective, and in the best possible way! Her perspective on life is pure. I try to emulate that as much as I can. 

Imagine if you had to use a wheelchair to get around. I think your perspective would be different for sure. Just like the young man in the photo above with Pluk. I have many friends who need to use wheelchairs, and each one has a different perspective on life. Some of them wonder...  What the world thinks of them. How can they get along better and do more in their life. Why did this happen to them. When someone like Pluk visits them, makes them laugh, and showers them with love... then their thoughts change. They start to realize they can do way more than they ever imagined. There are kind and generous people out there who will help them. AND, I believe they realize it is OK to ask for help. We all need help, not just people who have to use wheelchairs. That is my perspective anyway.

In the song "Imagine", John imagines there are no countries. I must say I have a different perspective on that. I like it that we have so many countries, cultures, and kinds of humans. That is what makes life interesting and fun. The key is to enjoy each country from an open perspective and learn from the people of other countries. Try new things, explore, and enjoy the fun of the differences of each person you meet! That is my humble opinion on the matter. 

I also feel that imagining life from a different perspective helps us to deal with our own problems, inadequacies, and so on. It makes us more empathetic towards others, and that is so important! I feel it is more important now than it ever has been in human history. Do you agree? Have I changed your perspective on perspectives? I sure hope so. Let me know, as I would love to know your thoughts! For those of you who can't comment on my blog due to technical difficulties (AKA, my own inadequacy on setting my blog up properly), then email me, call me, or text. 

                          cheepski@gmail.com

    Now Go Out and Hug Someone Today!!!

Buckley Ousey "A Family History"

 

My Great-Grandfather was a great artist. This is a memorial set up at Castle Hotel in his honor.

As we get older, we learn things that we wish we had known sooner. This is the case with me and my Great Grandfather, Buckley Ousey. I wish I had asked my dad more questions about Buckley, and in turn about our family history in general. Luckily, my Aunt Bernice is still alive and knows a lot about the history. Plus, I have 2 dear friends who traveled to Wales last Fall and gathered more info and photos for me. This blog is written with the info supplied to me by my living family and these friends. I can't say for sure it is 100% accurate, but it is really close at least. And I find it all so fascinating! I encourage everyone to ask your parents questions NOW! One day it may be too late to ask. You will certainly hear stories you can't imagine are true, and it will make your imagination go wild. I guarantee it! 

A view of the castle walls in Conwy

My great grandfather was born in Stalybridge just outside of Manchester in England. His father died before he was born. His mom died when he was 2. He was raised by an aunt in York. He showed artistic talent as a youth. He settled in Rowen, Wales in 1884. Thomas Dutton, of The Belle Vue Hotel in Trefriw became one of his main patrons. Eventually the hotel's walls were covered with his artwork. The locals noticed his talent and sent him to Antwerp, Belgium to study art. After his 18 months of education, he returned to settle in Conwy, Wales. When he returned, he was not well. Some believe he knew he was dying. He befriended Sarah Dutton, who owned Castle Hotel. She was also Thomas Dutton's sister. She commissioned him to do some artwork for the hotel. His art is still on display there, 140 years later! He died in 1889 at the age of 37. Sarah had commissioned him for 1000 dollars' worth of art, which he would have finished in a year had he lived. He left behind a wife and 6 children. It has been said he died of lead poisoning, because he tasted his paints before using them. This is not confirmed but adds to the mystique in my opinion. 

Front Entrance to Castle Hotel, September 2023

My friends took the photo of the hotel and his art while there. They didn't stay at this hotel. They did go to the front desk to explain they had a friend whose great grandfather was an artist and perhaps had some art in the hotel. They asked if they could look around. The young lady at the desk was very excited when she heard the name Buckley Ousey. She showed them where his art and memorial were. She knew the history of the hotel well, and the history of my great grandfather. She said that Sarah Dutton was known to have loved Buckley's art. Which would explain the commissioned work. I find it fascinating that a 30 something young woman working the front desk of a hotel would be so excited and know so much about the history there, especially the history of Buckley! 

Two of his more well-known pieces. A lot of his artwork were on panel doors. Either on cabinets or actual doors.

When I told my Aunt Bernice, I had some friends going to Wales, she said Buckley might have some artwork there. She knew most of his artwork were painted on doors and she actually suspected most of it was probably painted over by now. What a delightful surprise to find out they have preserved his paintings! And not only preserved them but maintained and educated people about him. 

Some of his artwork on a door. It looks like this is a door to one of the rooms in the hotel. 

Buckley was a painter and member of the Royal Cambrian Academy of Art based in Conwy. They have a website with some info on him, if you search for it online. When he died, his was the very first obituary published in the local newspaper, The North Wales Weekly. Obituaries were not a big thing back then, like they are now. That is how well he was liked. One person wrote "He had a large and kind heart, his spirit never failed, he always had a cheerful word or merry joke for everyone with whom he came in contact and regardless of his own requirements was ready to give a helping hand when called upon". This would seem to explain the way my dad was, along with other family members who do the same. 

These are not his usual style, but they also hang on the walls in Castle Hotel

 

After Buckley died, his wife raised 6 children alone until she died two years later. She left behind 6 children. One of which was a young boy, age 5, named John Percival Ousey. John was my grandfather. My great grandfather and my grandfather were orphaned at an early age. Maybe this is why I have such an affinity for orphans and children in need? And in the words of the late great Paul Harvey... now you will hear The Rest of The Story. 

A painting of Conwy Castle that I own.

My grandfather, orphaned at 5, was taken in by the community. He started working at age 12, which was considered of age back then. So, he started working to support himself. He was somewhat of an artist himself, although mostly in masonry work. When he was older, he moved his family to Canada to live. He had a wife and 3 children at the time. When World War 1 started, he joined the Canadian Army and went off to war. Early in the war he was shot twice, once in the arm and once in the leg. He laid in the mud for 4 days and 3 nights until the German Red Cross found him and took care of his wounds. He became a POW for 3 years until the war ended. He traveled back home to his wife, who had a new child. She said it was his, but he suspected differently. He was still a loving husband and father, but work was hard to find. He heard about masonry work in Chicago paying 2 dollars an hour. He moved there to work. He begged her to come with him, but she refused to leave Canada. He sent money home routinely to help with the children and kept begging her to move to America. She adamantly refused. After some time, they decided to go their own ways. I am not sure if they even divorced, but it doesn't really matter in the end. Moving along, he rented a room in Chicago at a guest house. A nice lady named Eva Falvey Daly was the clerk there. A romance blossomed and they became a couple. She was married to an Irish drunk named Dan Daly, but he had died a couple of years before she met my grandfather. They stayed together for more than 35 years, had 4 children together, but never married. Those children were my dad John, his brother Earl, and their sisters Bernice and Mary. My grandmother never used my grandfather's last name on the birth certificates. She chose her last name of Daly. Hence, our "family" name became Daly. I always thought I was an Irish Hillbilly since our name was Irish and my mom's parents were self-proclaimed hillbillies. Turns out, I am an English Hillbilly via Wales via Canada via someone else's last name. So, my last name of Daly has no connection to anyone in our family, other than a first marriage of my grandmother. My true family name appears to be Ousey. Or maybe it isn't? :0). Anyway, now you know The Rest of The Story.

A painting of Conwy, Wales that I own

The last two paintings look like they could have been painted by my great grandfather Buckley Ousey. Instead, they were actually painted by my grandfather John Percival Ousey. So, artistry runs in the family, but alas I did not get any of those genes. However, my dad did! He never painted anything on canvas exactly. But I remember when we renovated our house after the garage fire, he painted a scene on the new playroom wall. It seemed like a simple scene of a sunset with geese flying. In retrospect, it may not have been quite as simple as I remember! I wish I had a photo of it now. I may have one in old albums, but not sure. If I find it, I will share it. My family is full of great artists/painters, and I could not be more enchanted by it! So, tell me something fun or interesting about your family history. I want to hear all about it. And if you don't know anything, then ASK another family member.

     Now Go Out and Hug an Artist Today!!!

Recipes for Love

Karen and Toby. Two of the most loving people you could ever meet.

I went home to Ohio recently to watch the Total Eclipse with Nathan, Natalie, Connie, and Judy. It was such a great trip. It was filled with love! I also visited with some friends. While visiting with Toby and Karen we had a discussion about love. It got me thinking about it. Toby is a chef and Karen is a psychologist. During our discussion, we were talking about the best way to live a life, and we all agreed that living life with love was the best way. Then Toby offered up a thought that I was intrigued and impressed by. He said something to the effect of "Love is such a simple recipe, we just shouldn't have too many cooks in the kitchen". As I thought about that statement, it really struck me how right he is! Love truly is a simple recipe. And living life with love is the best. Just because it is such a simple recipe, doesn't mean there aren't a lot of different kinds, forms, or ingredients to it. To me, love has many ingredients to its recipe. You can use any or all of your ingredients as YOU deem fit. It is just like chili, if I may use food as an analogy. If you ask 5 people about their recipe for chili, they will surely give you 5 different ways with various ingredients. But to them, their recipe is simple. The common ingredient would be some sort of chili. Whether it be a chili powder or chili pepper. If you ask 5 people about their recipe for love, they will surely give you 5 different ways with various ingredients. We can discuss what those "ingredients" should be ad nauseum, but my humble opinion is that every recipe for love should have heart. I also believe every form of love should have kindness. That is what makes it so simple! Heart and kindness. Those are two simple ingredients. Then you can add other ingredients that make it your own. Maybe you like things spicy? Maybe sweet? Maybe sweet AND spicy? I believe as long as it comes from the heart and you mix in kindness, you will have a great recipe.  

Pete and Jack. A father and son.

Also, there are all kinds of love. There is a love between Father and Son. Mother and Daughter. Mother and Son. Father and Daughter. Cousins. Friends. And so on and so on. They all have different ingredients in their recipes, that is a guarantee! I still believe each of those recipes should have heart and kindness in them. A parent and child recipe might have an ingredient that makes their love tough. As long as that toughness includes heart and kindness, it is all good I believe. Cousins might have silliness in their recipe. Friends might have laughter or hugs. The ingredients for a recipe of love are countless. 

In the photo above, Pete is making a speech about his son Jack. Jack had his confirmation in his catholic church that night. You could see the love in Pete's face and hear them in his words. You could see the love Jack felt from his father, and from the God he believes in. It was incredible to witness. I am not here to persuade anyone to love God or anyone else you don't believe in. Love God, Mohammed, Buddha, Jesus, Spirits, or any other entity that you deem worthy. It is YOUR love that should shine in my opinion. As long it has heart and kindness, it should be a great love. This goes back to "not having too many cooks in the kitchen". From what I can tell, all religions and good-hearted belief systems are based on the principles of love. Each religion and good-hearted belief system has its own ingredients. I say search for the ingredients and people that speak to your heart. Then add what ingredients you want to the recipe to make it your own. Don't get muddled by too many "cooks" in your kitchen. Follow your heart, with some guidance from friends and family, and your path will surely lead to love and happiness.

Cousins Beatrice and Addie, with Scarlett in the backdrop.

A love between cousins is usually fun. Addie and Beatrice show this all the time. Every time I see them, they are laughing and playing together. Enjoying each other's personalities and quirks to the fullest! Sometimes they are a blur, as you can see in the photo. Ha. Scarlett is Beatrice's dog. A love between pet and owner is special. I know I have loved every one of my pets. And I have loved them differently with different ingredients. I have always loved them with all my heart and with kindness! I am sure Beatrice and her family do the same with Scarlett.

Three clowns pretending to watch a Total Eclipse :0)

Nathan, Me, and Natalie. We share a strong love!

One of my personal favorite recipes is the one I share with my nephew and niece. Nathan and Natalie are two of my favorite humans on Earth. To witness the Total Solar Eclipse with them and see their reactions to such an incredible event did my heart good. We are bonded even more than ever. Our recipe includes laughter, heart, kindness, and hugs. They give the best hugs! They humor me with my love of clowning, and that makes me love them all the more! If that is even truly possible? They are such wonderful, caring, smart, fun, and beautiful humans! I will love them until the end of time. We have never discussed ingredients for their own recipes, but I am quite certain that theirs have some unique ingredients, with heart and kindness as their staples. I have seen their kindness and heartfelt acts firsthand. I learn from them, just by watching them. We can all learn more about love by watching the people around us. Especially ones that exhibit the best qualities in life. 

Connie and I have a great recipe ourselves!!

The love between a woman and a man can be incredible. So can a love between a man and a man, or a woman and a woman. Connie and I have our own recipe, and I think it is one of the best recipes out there. We use a lot of different "ingredients". Every day we use different ingredients. Our ingredients include laughter, trust, play, respect, heart, courage, kindness, adventure, etc. I honestly can't list all of our ingredients because there are so many, and they are forever changing. Some days we use all of the ingredients in our spice cabinet. Some days we only use 2 or 3. You truly don't need a lot of ingredients for your recipe. Again, I believe heart and kindness should be there. You can add anything else you want to make it your own recipe. Some of the best chili recipes only have 3 ingredients. Or any other dishes you want to cook up. You can also relate it to music if that helps. 3 chords and the truth make for great songs. 3 ingredients and the truth can make a great recipe for love in my opinion! Do you agree? 

Again, I am not here to persuade you into any certain "kind" of love. All love is great in my opinion. I just use certain examples to express my thoughts on the wholeness and totality of love in this world. This is how life should be lived on Earth. Just like the Total Eclipse we just witnessed, with totality comes a ring of light around the edges. This ring of light is the outer atmosphere of the sun. It is only visible during a total solar eclipse. It is called the sun's corona. So go out there and use your totality of love to create your own ring of light! Are you with me? 

     Now Go Out and Hug Someone with Abundant Love!!!

Burn, Prairie Burn

Connie and Katie watch the burn from the safety of our tree line

We just had our prairie burned. It was a prescribed burn, and we hired an experienced professional crew to do it for us. Prescribed burns are essential to native plants in a prairie, so much so that the government gives grant money to help with the cost. We were fortunate to receive such help. I imagine there are a lot of questions out there about the purpose of a prescribed burn. I had so many questions for Katie when I first started learning about burns, and I still have questions. It is all fascinating to me. There are 6 basic questions in life. Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How. I will try to answer those questions as they relate to a prairie burn to the best of my knowledge here. I will get some help from the internet and from Katie of course. If you have questions, contact your local conservation group, read up on it, ask me or Katie, or do your own research online. There is a plethora of info about it. 

They started on our back prairie. So, this is the start of the entire burn process. Exciting!!!

Let's start with the Why. Why do, and why should we burn prairies? There are a lot of detailed answers that can go into the Why. I will keep it somewhat short and simple for two reasons. I don't truly know a lot of the information, so I don't want to mislead anyone. Plus, I don't want you to get bored reading my blog. It would take pages and pages to give all the Whys. The basic reasons we burn a prairie on purpose are two-fold. First, fire helps the soil to reset which returns essential nutrients into it. In other words, fire burns thatch. Thatch consists of dead plant material. By burning thatch, the nutrients from it go back into the soil to be reused by living, growing plants. On a side note, burning thatch also reduces the risk of an uncontrolled fire. Second, it can kill off invasive and non-native plants that can take over a prairie. By killing the "unwanted" plants, we allow the native plants to recapture their territory and soil, so to speak. A prairie will thrive better and be more beneficial to the local ecosystem if we help the native plants do better. With more native species in the prairie, the pollinators and grassland birds will flourish easier.

A crew member setting the first fire line

A water "truck" patrols the fire to make sure it doesn't get out of hand.

The next question would be How do you burn a prairie. The short answer is CAREFULLY, very carefully. Ha. Seriously, you start by hiring a professional crew that does this for a living. They will bring a crew of people for the process. Depending on the size of the burn, it can be a few people to several people. Our burn had a 6-person crew. 2 people walked around with torches to get the fire started. 2 people drove around in all-terrain vehicles with water and hose attached to keep the fire from going where it shouldn't. The last 2 people roamed around and helped to survey and keep an eye on things. Every member of the crew had a walkie-talkie to allow them to communicate well. 1 person is designated the Burn Boss. The Burn Boss decides on the best course of action depending on wind direction, humidity level, and size of the prairie. Our prairie was burned in 4 different sections essentially. The back prairie was divided into 2 and the front prairie was divided into 2. It took about an hour or so to burn the back half and another hour or so to burn the front half. With some time in between to check on smolderings, recheck wind status, and make sure everyone was ready and in place. It was a fascinating process to watch, and the end result was just as fascinating!

Fire and Smoke

The first half of the back prairie is almost done.

The third question is Where? That can be an interesting question actually. The really short answer is wherever there is a prairie that has invasive plants or just needs its soil reset for better nutrients. The where has to be agreed upon of course by the people burning and whomever owns the land. Whether that be a homeowner like us. A foundation like The Leopold Foundation. Or the Parks and Recs folks. Our prairie desperately needed to be burned because it was planted almost 10 years ago, and the previous owner did nothing to maintain it. Invasive and non-native plants were growing amuck, while native plants were dwindling. This all affects the ecosystem of the area. As I mentioned before the pollinators and grassland birds are affected, and they are essential to the planet as a whole! 

A nice front porch view. I felt 100% safe here.

The fourth question is When? This might be the trickiest and most complex answer with multiple levels to it. When can mean what time of year? Or what time of day? Or when in general, for conditions? Let's start with the basics first. What time of year? The answer is either Fall or Spring. Fall and Spring offer the best weather conditions such as proper winds, humidity level, and temps. They are also the times of year for planting. Some flowers grow better when planted in Fall and some in Spring. I don't know all the specifics of that, but that is the general reason they burn in Spring or Fall. What time of day? They can burn ANY time of day, it just depends on the forecast for any specific day. Winds should be between 5 and 15mph. Depending on the goal of the burn process, they may want to wait til the winds are coming from a certain direction like South, or West? The humidity level should be close to 40%. Too dry and it is too dangerous. Too wet and it will be too difficult. The temperatures should be between 40 and 60 ideally. For our burn the winds were 8 to 10mph from the Southeast. Humidity was around 48%. Temps were in the low 50s. Not perfect, but pretty close. That is the very basics of when to burn. Trust me, that is the VERY BASICS. Again, to learn more ask a conservationist, or research online, etc. 

The crew working near our fire pit. No pit was needed today! :0)

The 5th question is Who? Well, I already answered that really. Who should definitely be a professional crew. It should be done in agreement with whoever owns the land. And whoever owns the land should be open and agreeable to it, because it is for the good of their land and the ecosystem of the planet as a whole. 

The front portion is almost done, with smoldering brush piles we couldn't burn.

The final question is What. Well of course I answered that already also. What you should burn is your prairie! Our prairie looks so cool after the burn, in my opinion. And I am excited about watching the regrowth! I invite everyone to come to Ugly Biscuits to see it for yourselves. Our prairie was already beautiful, and now with the proper land management plan, it should become more and more beautiful!

3 Generations out broadcasting seeds together! 💙💚💛💜💗

After the burn is over, you can broadcast seeds right away or wait a few days. It is best to do it when you know it will rain afterwards as this helps the seeds to soak into the soil better. Judy, Connie, and Katie did just that and we got a nice light rain overnight! We will broadcast more seeds over the next few weeks and our native flowers and grasses should be in full bloom come June or July! I can't wait!

So come lay in our hammocks and watch the regrowth!

For those of you who want to see ALL of the photos I took of the burn day, see the link below. I think they are all great personally :0). But I will warn you, there is a lot!

 

                          https://photos.app.goo.gl/7ZNp9ktb12udaAfZ6

Now Go Out and Hug a Conservationist Today!!

Spring Migration of our local Whooping Cranes

Spirit and Cloud. Our Local Whooping Cranes

Spring arrived earlier than usual this year, March 19th, thanks to the leap year. Of course, we are expecting snow this week now. I am still happy and excited that Spring is officially here though! I am ready for the bird migrations to begin! In fact, it has started already. The whooping cranes have come back! We have two local whooping cranes, "Spirit" and "Cloud", who nest on a farm about one mile from our place. Whooping cranes are so beautiful, with an incredible story. Did you know that in 1941 there were only 15 whooping cranes left in the world? They were on the verge of extinction until they were placed on the endangered list. Their numbers grew very slowly over the next 3 decades. During those 3 decades, they increased their numbers on average by about only one bird per year. In the mid-1970s, their total was up to 60. That was better than 15 of course, but probably not sustainable. That is when local legend George Archibald and his friend Ron Suey decided to do something! They established a local research facility called The International Crane Foundation. Here they study cranes from all over the world to help boost populations to keep them around. They also raise baby whooping cranes and then release them in the wild. Recent estimates have put the total number of whooping cranes at over 800. That is a far cry from 15! Approximately 670 live in the wild, while 170 or so live in facilities.  I know keeping birds in facilities can seem inhumane, but these facilities help boost the total population. This is needed as much now as it was in 1941. Even though they are not out of danger completely, they are at least on the right track. 

Look at that beautiful wingspan!

Think about it, at one time there were only 15 of these birds in existence. They are the rarest of all crane species, with a total of only about 670 in the wild. And you can see them live in their natural habitat one mile from my home! So...... If you come up this way, ask me how you can see these beautiful creatures in their natural habitat. The best viewing time is March through mid-June, while the corn is still low. After the corn gets knee-high by July, you can still see them, but they can also hide better. Having places to hide is important for their "colts" to be able to survive predators. I hope to see you here! And remember, if you are driving in this area and see whooping cranes... PLEASE slow down. We need to protect this amazing bird as much as we possibly can! Thanks!

Time to eat

                    Now Go Out and Hug Someone Today!!!

Icelandic Honeymoon

Connie had talked about going to Iceland for the Northern Lights way back in March. I was hesitant because I wanted to go somewhere warm. Then we decided to get married in September, and Iceland seemed like a more appropriate destination for a honeymoon than say Texas or Florida. I was also worried about a long flight because we only had 7 days of vacation. I learned flights were nonstop from Chicago. I was all on board after that. I am so thankful I got on board, as it was a trip of a lifetime and definitely Honeymoon-worthy! Not knowing a lot about Iceland, we booked a guided tour with Gate 1 and the ball got rolling.

This is from the top of a volcano center we visited. The volcano in this view is Eyjafjallajokull. It erupted and made big news in 2010. The volcano that is active now is Fagradalsfjall.

A few weeks before our trip, a volcano in Iceland was acting up and threatening to erupt. They evacuated a small town on the southern coast, and we all held our breaths. We followed the news up until a week before and it seemed we were a go. Iceland is no stranger to volcanoes, but certain eruptions in certain places can threaten travel. We were cleared to travel and boarded our flight on Dec. 4, 2023.

We were greeted at the airport by a guide and taken to a small brewpub for breakfast with the other people on our tour. After breakfast and introductions, we did a small driving tour around Reykjavik and stopped at a historically famous church named Hallgrimskirkja. We then went to The Perlan Museum where we learned a little about Iceland and got a 360-degree view of Reykjavik courtesy of its observation tower. 

Such a beautiful view from the observation tower at Perlan Museum

After the Museum we drove towards our hotel in the middle of nowhere. We stayed at Hotel Hella for two nights. There is no light pollution there because it is in the boonies! We had a meet and greet dinner with our fellow travelers. Then we went to bed around 9pm. We were exhausted. But don't worry, the hotel has a wake-up call for everyone whenever the Northern Lights become active. Sure enough, at 11pm our phone rang. We rubbed out the sleep in our eyes, got dressed, grabbed our cameras, and headed out. We were NOT disappointed either. We were treated to 2 full hours of dancing green lights in the sky. It was truly a magical feeling to watch the Northern Lights, and even more magical to witness them with my beautiful wife on our Honeymoon!

One of my favorites from the first night.

Another good one from the first night. I love how the light shoots up to the Big Dipper!

The next morning, we took a drive towards the southern coast, out to the town of Vik. Along the way we stopped to do some sightseeing, viewing a couple of great waterfalls. We stopped at The Lava Center and saw some interesting exhibits on the history of volcanoes in Iceland. The real treat, for us anyway, was the Black Sandy Beach in Vik. It was utterly surreal and unique! Winds were gusting up to 50mph, but that did not deter us from walking out to the beach and cliffsides. It actually enhanced the experience for us! It did make it a little dangerous for some of the folks who had mobility issues, and that was unfortunate. But I wouldn't trade the experience for anything!

This is such a fun photo of Connie. Notice the snow blowing in behind her! Incredible!

This might be my favorite photo from the whole trip. Connie took this of me while I was trying to get up out of the shallow "bunker" in the sand. The snow was coming in sideways!

After spending a little time around Vik, we headed back towards our hotel in Hella for a second night of Northern Lights. Along the way, we saw some beautiful farmland on the coast and another waterfall. We packed as much as we could in the 5 hours of daylight we had :0). The sun rose around 1030 and set around 3pm in December. Of course, it was all worth it to see the Lights as much as we did. Once again, we got our wake-up call when the lights were active, and out we went!

I like how the lights randomly shoot up into the sky

They "dance" along the horizon

The next day we checked out of Hella and drove to The Golden Circle. It is a uniquely scenic part of Iceland that is vastly different depending on the time of year. During the winter months, there are fewer hiking opportunities, but the scenery is indescribable with the frozen tundra, geysers, and roaring waterfalls. We also stopped at an Organic Tomato Farm, which was fascinating. Iceland imports almost all of its foods except fish. But this tomato farm harvests 2000 tomatoes a day for sale throughout the country. They are all grown inside an elaborate Greenhouse. We were also treated to a delicious lunch of tomato soup and some amazing homemade breads! It was quite the experience, to say the least.

Geyser at sunrise

Gullfoss Waterfall in the Golden Circle

Organic Tomato Farm

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The bread was to die for!

Our 3rd night we spent in downtown Reykjavik. We walked around a bit and had a nice dinner at a Thai restaurant. After dinner, we had a guided Northern Lights tour. Basically, our guide drove us out to the edge of The Golden Circle, away from the city lights. He found a small parking lot and we all got out to set up tripods and such. Within a few minutes, the lights were dancing all over! We spent an hour and a half just enjoying the display before we headed back to our hotel to sleep. All 3 nights were spectacular, but the last night seemed extra special to me. Maybe because it was our last night? Maybe because we were in The Golden Circle? Who knows, but I do know Connie and I thoroughly enjoyed them all!

The Big Dipper was really prominent!

For this one I played around a little and made a Fisheye effect 

"Beam me up Scottie"

Two Happy Honeymooners!!!

The final photo of the night.

On the final day in Iceland, we were supposed to go to The Blue Lagoon. Unfortunately, it was closed due to the threat of volcanic activity. Luckily, our tour guide had another option for us. It was a smaller, more quaint Hot Springs just north of Reykjavik. It was called Hvammsvik and we loved it. We probably enjoyed it better than we would have The Blue Lagoon. We always enjoy the smaller out of the way places better and this one did not disappoint. 

The view was spectacular! Notice the small "Hot Tubs" near the water and to the left. 

After the Hot Springs, we had free time to do whatever we wanted. We lounged at the Hotel Beer Garden and then walked around the city a little before grabbing dinner. The trip was only 4 full days, but we were thoroughly tuckered out and ready to come home. I am so glad I made this another LILI moment in life and followed Connie's suggestion. It is a trip we will never forget! May you all have such a trip in your lifetime!

                            Now Go Out and Hug Someone!!!