A summer of Verse

Bird of Borgarnes – for Michelle
by Robin Horty

I climb down
down and through
crusts of old Earth
In the morning I awaken
breathing Diamonds 
This fire inside me
resembles all those flashes
I’d lost behind
in the shadows of whispers…
in the vines of my own good reasons
Tears have collected
a glacial tendency
to cease all fire
The breath I have chosen
has been forged on my own
even the boulders have consequences
unchained
may be their gifts
What I held on most to
In the end
I willingly let go
Rainbows fall from this island
Spheres of Oracles
Round and round
the Holiest must go
Promises, river like
melting
cascading downstream
Even Angelica has her prayers
asks for forgiveness
of cowards,
sages,
queens and queers
Corner yourself in no country
Breathe Fire...
Erupt like the volcano
you this morning
walked upon
Breathing in her magnificence
gazing into her womb…
All that bleeds is momentarily warm
We are running out
as we
run on.
We are running out of time
as we run on...
The caliber of your country
Is beyond all others
Where are your Guardians,
Chieftains,
Trolls
and Elves?
I knew I’d never trace my footsteps
Alone
the way in my imagination I live
I knew
Oh Holy, Holy
channel this Seer
with effervescence and good cheer
What I held on most to
In the end I willingly let go.
Corner yourself in no country,

breathe…Fire

Seamstress to the Fairies
Maine Garden Magic and Fairy Lore
www.homeplacefairies.com

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The Mermaid at Borgarnes – for Michelle
by W. Jason Miller

She’s scared to breathe.
Her face is always veiled
or are those wisps her hair –
twin-ribboning the fjord?
She lives unseen
but lifts her hip when fish concentrate.
If you walked in
she’d trip your foot.

The  settlers followed her down
where she sang a siren’s song
but her saga has not been found.

Her skin is an emerald iridescence
and translucent bronze reminiscent of
the necks of swans.
Her breasts are mountain tipped
with nipples pink as tern beaks.
Some say she fills the nets
with lump fish – wait –
you thought men controlled their fates?

Perhaps she is our self
as we are always seeking that reflection
that transition where the reflection
in the window becomes the scene within.

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Yesterday and Today, clear skies after the code yellow

I do believe I love the snow.  The freshness, the fun, the swirls and soft curves.  Friends say it hasn’t snowed like this in decades.  Neighbors came out to marvel the ice floats and remarked that they’ve never seen it so packed with ice.  Some ice drifts flows deep under the water.   Millions of drifts blanketed the estuary, then collected morning snow and changed their mood from intense to vivid as the skies cleared.

Sunday was a code orange, guests arrived before the storm and when roads were opened.  The winds came from the north west and the storm seemed to hit all of Iceland except Borgarnes. I curled up with the book Arctic Chill and a box of doughnuts apropos for a crime novel.  The guests did the same.

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Winter Wonderland

In the top photo near the left of the horizon you can see the glacier OK which is about 88 kilometers east of Borgarnes, near Eiríksjökull (named after a famous outlaw) and Langjökull which stretches out over the horizon and skims the mountain range in the foreground.  In Icelandic ok means pressure, load or yoke. Not a day goes by without several exclamations of amazement.  Ice clusters, ice crystals, pink and blue opalescent skies reflect on the glistening dazzling shimmering calm of the flow of this wondrous bay.

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Integrity in photographing spaces and the art of keeping it real.

These beautiful images are from our friend Dani Vottero.  What I love about them is their clarity , intimacy and the reality of space.  The photos are unpretentious and the colors are accurate.  The images are taken from a human view point.  His photography is classical and true to the environment.

Born in northern Italy Dani travels the world for his work, much of which has been in Latin America and Asia. He developed his skills and honed his artistic eye at Animum 3D in Malaga, Spain’s renowned school of photography. His graduate work “Himalayan Trails” is a documentary of Nepal. After publication in September 2015, it has been embraced by art, travel and documentary photography aficionados world wide. Himalayan Trails can be ordered at Uno Editorial http://www.unoeditorial.com/portfolio/himalayan-trails, and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the reconstruction of Nepal.

danivotterophotography.com

Extraordinary Abode Borgarnes Iceland photos by Dani Vottero
Extraordinary Abode Borgarnes Iceland photos by Dani Vottero
Extraordinary Abode Borgarnes Iceland photos by Dani Vottero
Extraordinary Abode Borgarnes Iceland photos by Dani Vottero
Extraordinary Abode Borgarnes Iceland photos by Dani Vottero
Extraordinary Abode Borgarnes Iceland photos by Dani Vottero

 

 

 

12 October daylight hours 10:08

Home is everywhere, literally and figuratively.  The exhibition at Tales from Iceland features a dozen or more short films and we are proud to have our home included in their treasure trove of films. Visiting Iceland is just a glimpse of what it’s like to live on this remote rock.  The exhibition shows what life on the island is like for Icelanders and foreigners throughout the media age.  This exhibition covers the music revolution, the political climate, sports and daily life adventures of conquering weather and natural disasters.  Below is an image of our first snow fall in Skessuhorn.

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1 October daylight hours 11:18

The color and texture variations this time of year are boundless. The photo above was taken at 18:57 and the one below at 16:09. The hue of the red glowing everlasting sunset was impossible to capture with my device. Civil twilight began at 18:46 last night.  There are three classifications of twilight astronomical, nautical and civil. These types are clearly defined in the photographers ephemeris.

Hiking along the mountain range is equally fascinating and varied.  Recently we hiked Brekkufjall with Icelandic friends.  We meandered with the river along scree and shale rock slopes, hopped light footed through moss covered lava flow along it’s banks, and climbed some boulders until we reached the falls. There are two other hikes which are very different from Brekkufjall.  Hafnarfjall ‘s is primarily scree and shale, it is exposed which means lots of wind yet once your reach the summit it offers remarkable 360 views of the area.   Hestfjall is a shorter less ambitious hike doable within 2 hours, it’s a very easy hike with unique vistas of Borgarfjordur.

 

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28 September daylight hours 11:38

Above is a close up of our beloved coffee machine paired with an amazing view.  The view from the kitchen window, especially in the early autumn light evokes images of Maynard Dixon’s poetic landscapes of the North American south west.  We take our coffee as seriously as we take in our views!  Samueles’ Italian sensibilities have nurtured our home, which means that in addition to our small collection of precision tools to make coffee, we also have a reserve of dried pasta.  We treasure our bean to cup espresso machine.  There is also an Italian Moka pot for those who love ritual and a French Press which has actually never been used, but gives peace of mind just in case.

Extraordinary Abode Borgarnes Iceland
views from the hallway

 

The window bench at the base of the undulating extinguished volcano range Hafnarfjall, was designed to feel like an old wooden rig. Our dear friend Jack North from North Design, created this piece by re-purposing scrap wood that originated from the house. 

The abstract painting on the left was made using water soluble oil paints and palette knives.  This artwork with it’s bold gestures and primary colors, was created when I was living in Antwerp and seeking out  alternatives to standard artist mediums used with commercial oil paints.