[Photos taken 02 – 16 September 2022, posted online 20 May 2023. Rainy and windy days, but at least it’s rather warm.]
The weather in September was surprisingly nice, almost Indian-summer-like. This prompted us to finally buy an outside couch for the summer-house, as there was no good way to congregate on the deck otherwise.
Back in town, Finnur put this summer’s deck-building-with-his-dad to good use by helping my brother build a deck at their place. Thankfully the weather co-operated, and they could work long into the evening, as the days were still fairly long.
I found biking to work to be a nice thing to do, and began working slightly shorter days as my work was winding down, having resigned a month prior.
Friday 02 September 2022
Outside couch loaded onto Finnur’s dad’s trailer, and about to be hauled northwards. The weather was amazing!
Earlier that day my work-day had started less great as my computer blue-screened. Boohoo.
The sofa display at Bauhaus. This one won me over due to the high back.
Thankfully the unit came in one big box that fit on a trailer.
I stayed in town, as I often do, as the redcurrants desperately needed to be jammed, and I was giving a couple of people a ride the following day.
Unlike the last time that I made jam, I went straight for the sieve, skipping the part where I burn myself while inefficiently squeezing gunk through a cloth.
Oh no! I might want to invest in a funnel?
Saturday 03 September 2022
We’d managed to convene a good number of Finnur’s family (no kids though) for an overnight stay at the summer house.
Testing out the new couch. It was found to be acceptable!
Siblings prepping dinner, peking duck with plum sauce.
Others chilling.
Outside, these two watched a game on a phone.
Appetiser!
The duck!
Dinner time!
Dessert time!
A long-winded sunset beginning around 8:30 pm.
Sunday 04 September 2022
Brunch in progress.
Everybody had things to do, so most everyone had departed by 1 pm.
I stopped by in Borgarnes on the way back for a bit of quiet time.
I like this view.
The weather was nice enough to eat outside!
By 5 pm I’d made it over to my brother’s place, where deck-building had commenced!
First task: digging holes to put foundation poles down in.
To be filled with concrete so it wouldn’t fly away in a storm.
Finnur was the master planner and foreman.
Finnur’s dad owns a cement mixer!
The status at 7 pm. A crew had just installed a proper drainage around the house, which is why the area was so raw.
Monday 05 September 2022
The weather was so nice that I decided to bike to and from work. The large machinery was hard at work on the top of the hill, where a ton of houses will soon appear.
That day’s gym program.
Then I went to survey how things were going at the building site, and lend a helping hand.
The holes had all been dug, and sawing had begun.
Still at it at 9:30 pm, but rapidly loosing light.
Pensive home owner.
Tarring in progress.
Tuesday 06 September 2022
Another gorgeous day, more building to be done.
The vertical poles fixed in place.
Photo of the now-closed hole in the fence, that I’d helped close the evening before. We ran out of light before we could finish.
By 7pm all the poles had been fixed in place, and cement mixing could commence.
The mixer vomited the mix into a big bucket.
We dragged the bucket to a hole, and poured the mix in.
Pouring.
Rince, repeat, until all the holes were full, and smacked to have a smooth surface away from the wood.
I stopped by the library on the Hamraborg-hill to return a few book through the dropbox, and the view from the top of the stairs was nice.
Wednesday 07 September 2022
Anna’s sugar snap crop was great this year!
The kids had music school, but it was 17C/63F (!!!) so I decided I had to go for a jog instead of waiting in the car.
Proof it was me.
There is a lot of horse-traffic in that area.
The railing has seen better days.
I decided to clamber up the hill, looking for nature paths. Here are some young trees.
Found the path! Nothing beats trails through trees.
Finally, somebody got around to building a better ramp & stairs up to the very old slightly crumbling bridge.
The view from my bed at 9:20 pm.
Thursday 08 September 2022
All the parents were invited to school to see what the kids were working on. Here’s the circle of water.
Friday 09 September 2022
To recap, I’d resigned from my job at the end of July, which in Iceland means I had 3 months left to work, unless we’d agree to something else. This photo reminds me that I went to interview at another company, and I liked their chairs.
Dinner party time!
Saturday 10 September 2022
The weather forecast called for rain, at which point I realized Emma had outgrown these boots, and needed new ones.
To the mall we went, and added blood sugar before heading to the stores.
Sadly, her feet are now solidly out of kid-shoes range, so she ended up with plain black boots.
I found the big camera, and the big camera found Emma.
Sunday 11 September 2022
Trying to help Bjarki with his homework, and he was being funny. The text under “Theory” reads: “When I was in nature science one day we measured things and tried to figure out the order of food-oil saltwater syrup and water. After that I walked home, relaxed a bit and had something to eat. Then l”
The deck building continued after a hiatus over a few bad weather days.
The owner and landlord of the adjacent apartment showed up to put up a few poles on the border. He would then disappear again for months.
Actually putting down the deck!!!
Monday 12 September 2022
Trying to maintain a gym routine.
The main downside to Icelandic shops, besides the prices, is the abysmal quality of fruits and veggies. Also, why pack carrots in airtight bags?!
Tuesday 13 September 2022
Cool sun-halo while biking to work.
More gymming, not a terrible time for 2 km of rowing.
Proof it was me!
Wednesday 14 September 2022
Autumn coming in hard, with crazy colors.
I had an after-work cafe-date, and noticed the kids still jumping outside at 6:10 pm.
All geared up!
Thursday 15 September 2022
Another photo while biking to work. Looked nice.
The cooled lava field by work, reminding us all that this area could disappear under fresh lava again in the future. Rich people’s homes in the distance.
Anna harvesting kale seeds!
Friday 16 September 2022
Photo to remind each other to always put the charging cable all the way to shelter so it doesn’t get rained on.
Checking to see how far in km we’d have to drive the next day for a dayhike up and down the ex-glacier Ok. At 90 km one-way, I figured my car should be able to do the drive without trouble (famous last words!)
