{"id":43091,"date":"2025-04-17T12:40:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-17T12:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hrefna.com\/blog\/?p=43091"},"modified":"2026-02-07T13:36:15","modified_gmt":"2026-02-07T13:36:15","slug":"easter-break-summer-house-feasting-yard-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hrefna.com\/blog\/2025\/04\/easter-break-summer-house-feasting-yard-work\/","title":{"rendered":"Easter Break: Summer House \/ Feasting \/ Yard Work"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

[Photos taken 17 – 21 April 2025, posted online 07 February 2026. The multi-week draught got temporarily halted yesterday when we finally had a bit of rain, which promptly froze on the freezing ground, and had people slipping all over. The weather systems have been locked in a strange configuration for a while, and the UK and mainland Europe have been getting all the tumultuous weather that usually hammers Iceland in winter…<\/em>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The five-day Easter holiday weekend went by in a blur of activity! After an epic printer-battle, we went up to the summer house with some friends, and used the lovely weather to put the trampoline together again, in between lounging and playing games. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Easter day was by-the-book, with easter-egg hunts galore, good food, good company, and social whist. The second day of Easter was spent in the yard, as spring was very much in the air!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thursday 17 April 2025<\/h2>\n\n\n
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Driving to the summer house as the five-day-long Easter weekend began.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n
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The day began with a printer battle! The objective was to print photos for the Social Whist Tournament Book, as that’s the responsibility of the previous round’s winner.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Miraculously we had the missing print cartridge in the house!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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We bought this printer in 2008, and we moved it with us from the US. It still works… if you have time to dote on it.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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After about an hour of battling with driver installs and print cartridges, the photos finally appeared on paper!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Finally done updating the tournament book! Phew!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Time for a little bit of the Blue Prince<\/a> video game, of the seemingly never-ending puzzles.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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I put some seeds out for the birds, as it was still pretty cold out.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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I could see little sunflowers starting to peek from the ground…<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Ooops, these got left in my car when the Swedes got hurriedly unloaded at the airport. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Bodies getting quickly fueled on route of of town.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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We spotted a container-ship that had probably been visiting the aluminum smelter that’s located in that fjord.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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The smelter … trying to blend in.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Some snow still in the mountains.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Turkey for dinner!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Friday 18 April 2025<\/h2>\n\n\n
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The weather offered up a whopping 10C\/50F, which meant it was time to hang out outside!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Working to put up the trampoline-soft-bits.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Emma is now tall enough to safely fasten the safety net.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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In the shade!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Jigsaw completed.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Cozy time in the sun.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Out for a little walk.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Someone had dug a new ditch to remove water from the top soil.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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A small waterfall in the sun.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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BBQing in progress.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Eating in progress.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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The sun lowering in progress at 8 in the evening.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Sunset in progress at 10 in the evening.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Aurora in progress at midnight!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Saturday 19 April 2025<\/h2>\n\n\n
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Fresh growth!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Heading back to town.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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This time we passed an empty container-ship exiting the fjord.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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A family tree from the Blue Prince video game…<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Easter Sunday 20 April 2025<\/h2>\n\n\n
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The kids before searching for their chocolate Easter eggs.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Anna was the first to find hers.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Emma chased clues, and was successful in the end.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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The master-hider enjoying the chaos from the sofa.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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With their haul.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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About to open and find the saying inside. Emma got: “Gott er a\u00f0 hafa mikinn mat og marga helgidaga” or “It’s good to have a lot of food and many holidays.” Bjarki got: “\u00dea\u00f0 hvort svartur k\u00f6ttur bo\u00f0ar \u00f3g\u00e6fu e\u00f0a ekki fer eftir \u00fev\u00ed hvort \u00fe\u00fa ert ma\u00f0ur e\u00f0a m\u00fas” or “Whether or not a black cat is unlucky depends on whether you are a man or a mouse.” Anna got: “Oft ver\u00f0ur tr\u00e9 \u00far mj\u00fakum kvisti” or “Often a soft branch becomes a tree.” <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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I got “Flest allt \u00fea\u00f0 sem fer \u00ed kaf fl\u00fdtur upp um s\u00ed\u00f0ir.” or “Most everthing that gets submerged floats up in the end.” Finnur got “Aumur er \u00e1stlaus ma\u00f0ur” or “Wretched is a loveless man.” <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Entering Finnur’s parents’ place for the annual Easter feast.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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The trio. Using every opportunity to photograph them together, as Anna had already applied to schools abroad for the following fall!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Bjarki looking over the Social Whist Tournament book.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Busy kitchen peeps!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Our old plastic eggs, that we brought from the US, all loaded with candy.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Easter decorations!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Our gracious hosts!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Chess in progress.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Emma collecting the “hidden” eggs.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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The kids checking out their haul!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Yet another saying: “Many feed mice rather than the poor.”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Social Whist time!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Anna showing her hand.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Dessert about to appear.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Cousins getting ice-cream!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Social Whist results were read out, and Anna got a price for ending in last place!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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My phone got a nervous breakdown as the winner was getting his trophy, and this was the only photo that got saved to memory!?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Ahhh… the time of the long sunsets was upon us. This was at 10 in the evening.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Monday 21 April 2025<\/h2>\n\n\n
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Feeling energized after watching a gazillion videos on social media of gardeners cleaning up messy areas, I went out to tackle the corner of our lot, that had slowly but surely grown into sloppy mess.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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The view from the other direction.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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An hour later, the pavement was visible again!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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The next pile…<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Poof, all gone in 20 minutes!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Our corner looking a lot more tidy after about two hours of work.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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My other goal for the spring was to stain the tops of the veggie boxes, that I’d built the previous summer. It required removing all the acrylic fabric and the staples first… <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Removal in progress!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Ready for staining!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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It was five in the afternoon, and I remembered I had to charge my internal batteries a bit before going to work the following day!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Pleased with the days progress!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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A little Blue Prince for good measure…<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Finnur’s epic seafood pasta for dinner.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Photo-ing the day’s work, again, now in setting-but-direct sunlight.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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I meant to get to that line of shrubs all summer and remove some of the moss that’s gathered under them, but noooo… it never happened.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[Photos taken 17 – 21 April 2025, posted online 07 February 2026. The multi-week draught got temporarily halted yesterday when we finally had a bit of rain, which promptly froze on the freezing ground, and had people slipping all over. The weather systems have been locked in a strange configuration for a while, and the UK and mainland Europe have been getting all the tumultuous weather that usually hammers Iceland in winter…<\/em>]<\/p>\n

The five-day Easter holiday weekend went by in a blur of activity! After an epic printer-battle, we went up to the summer house with some friends, and used the lovely weather to put the trampoline together again, in between lounging and playing games. <\/p>\n

Easter day was by-the-book, with easter-egg hunts galore, good food, good company, and social whist. The second day of Easter was spent in the yard, as spring was very much in the air!<\/p>\n

Thursday 17 April 2025<\/h2>\n
\n
\"\"<\/a>
Driving to the summer house as the five-day-long Easter weekend began.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[141,16,130,18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43091","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-easter","category-finnurs-family","category-friends","category-us","post-container col-md-12"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hrefna.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43091","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hrefna.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hrefna.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hrefna.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hrefna.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43091"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/hrefna.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43091\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43166,"href":"https:\/\/hrefna.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43091\/revisions\/43166"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hrefna.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43091"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hrefna.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43091"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hrefna.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43091"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}