California

And then life slides you along and suddenly you're in California, right back where you started from... ~.~

Have you tried Dynamic Viewing yet? Five new views in all. Use the blue tab at the top of the view page to check them all out : )

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GUEST PHOTOGRAPHER: Sophie Mara

Sophie writes: This picture was taken at the family summer cottage last July, a beautiful day, beautiful light, beautiful sisters, beautiful daughters.

It is nice to be reminded of the sweetness of summer at times like these, because it's cold out there! Winter has hit all over Western Europe and some areas to the east. Airports in the UK are snowed in, frost and ice are impairing traffic in Germany and France, and schools are closed in many regions. In the US, heavy rains have hit California, much to the chagrin of a good friend of ours who took her family out to Hollywood for their first West Coast adventure last week, and have been huddling under umbrellas on wet and empty streets and beaches nearly the whole time.

Here in Iceland, though, we've only had a baby cold snap: -5° Celsius with high winds for a few days. Brrr! But we have no snow, and none is foreseen on the horizon. It may well be another rauð jól, or red (snowless) Christmas here on this northerly island. Regardless of what may come, we can give many thanks for the calm and crispness we are now enjoying here in Reykjavik.

Snowtime

No, this is not Iceland. This is a shot of my sister Addy and her husband Dan's "cabin" in the California Sierrras (just west of Bear Valley ski resort, about a three hour drive from San Francisco. There is more snow on the bumper of the SUV in the photo than we've had all winter long here in Reykjavik. As my Dad says, this could be a good time for Icelanders to start investing in palm trees...

Speaking of my Father, Thor Roff, who took this great shot, its his Birthday Today! March 15th! Yaayyy!

Til Hamingju Með Afmæli, Pabbi!

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A Big Hello from California!

(note girl on Paul Bunyan's foot)

More soon...