Back in Iceland

 So... This blog isn't all about animals, as it may seem from this picture selection, but these are the only photos we've taken so far.  We are in Iceland for a few months this spring while Keith works for the dog sledding operation he has worked for twice before here with his good friend, Siggy, the owner.  The kennel site, along with the farm house we are staying in, is now near a town called Selfoss, yet actually quite isolated (we are).  Without a car, we have been here at this small farmhouse all week with one companion (besides the horses, dogs, and tourists that come to visit), Mirko, a German, who also is mushing for Siggy.  The tourists liven things up a bit though--like yesterday--I hosted a tea party for seven old-school Englishmen/women who offered me my first "Jammy Dodgers."

One thing to do--a chance to get outside--is to feed the Icelandic horses that are right outside our house.  We've brought them some apples and carrots and other food items that are stale, or going bad and they seem to love it.  Beautiful creatures.

This colt is so adorable--I love his curly hair on his head.  I can see them from the kitchen window and I watch him often jumping around, playing outside.  Today he finally trusted me enough to eat out of my hand. 

One good story: the first day we were here I took a run on the road--it is a small black gravel road just going through the farm fields--there are just farmhouses at spaced intervals along the way.  On the way back I noticed some people standing on the road, as I got closer I saw that they were herding about a hundred Icelandic horses across the road, but when the horses got to the road, they didn't cross, but started running down the road straight towards me.  On my I-pod (on shuffle) started playing a song from Braveheart, "The Legend Spreads," and as the music triumphantly picked up I saw them turn and had to get off the road and one hundred beautiful shaggy horses ran past me, manes flying, hooves hitting the gravel--it was unbelievable--all the while, Braveheart.  I had a HUGE smile on my face, I couldn't believe how beautiful and perfect that was!  And my husband was there to watch from the other side, he had come to meet me on the road.  A nice welcome to Iceland.

Harnessing the dogs for a midnight run with just the three of us--a chance to look at the Northern Lights and scout a track for tours in the fresh snow.