Names for many characters and places I have made up.
Monet henkilöiden ja paikkojen nimet olen tekaissut.
May I introduce / Saanen esitellä:
Iceland. Magical island just below the arctic circle, splashed by waves of North Atlantic Ocean, blown over by many winds, ice and fire together in its heart.
Icelanders, nation who compensates their small numbers with big self confidence. They can stand against rest of the world if they feel its needed. People who at the same time are very stubborn and proud as well as welcoming and friendly.
Muck Site is the name of the farm were I live and work in Iceland. "Shit Place", I got as answer when asked what does the Icelandic name of the farm mean, but I didnt like to call it quite that and prettified the translation slightly. The farm is mentioned in one of the sagas so it has had its name hundreds of years but it is not known if back then the name meant the same as now. Anyway the name fits well, there is lots of muck at the site by all the bovines.
Muck Site = Sontala, maatila jossa asun ja töitä teen Islannissa.
Nimi on hieman kaunisteltu käännös sillä kun kysyin mitä
islannin kielinen nimi tarkoittaa sanoivat että "Paska Paikka".
Bergur and Fjóla are the farmer and the farmess* of Muck Site. Couple in their early fifties. They keep cattle and sheep and to help with the work they like to have a worker and they have especially come to like girls from Finland so it comes that they now have me as their farmeling*.
As well as work the 3 of us share house. We go to same fridge and round the same table and to same bath room door to see if it is free.
*(Me playing with words. "Farmess" female for farmer like waitress is female for waiter. And "farmeling" like hired man=hireling.)
Karita and Essi are the Finns before me and they are very much farmily members even when not present.
Thanks for Karita these cows are so tame. She loved loved loved them as calves.
Essi is firm professional and our cattle adviser. Cattle breeding plan is made and updated by her.
Teddy is the farm dog. Often following right on my heals. He is Icelandic Sheep Dog cross. Gentle softy. Loves to be hugged. His main and favorite job is to chase swans away from the fields. Sometimes he manages to herd sheep. Sometimes he manages to herd them the right direction.
The Cat is the farm cat with long orange coat. He is most loved by Bergur. They are best friends. Same sort of humor. Bergur can pick him up from his tail and throw him up in the air and as soon as he lands he gallops back for more. The most gentle words I hear Bergur saying he says to The Cat. The Cat believes that all animals and people do love The Cat.
Cattle are The Iceland Native Breed of Cattle. Small size, usually and preferably born without horns and in lots of different colors. Cute little cows. Averege milking 2012 kilos/cow/ year 5600 with 4% fat and 3,38% protein, averege live weight of the cows 450kg. (As comparison averege Holstein weights 636kg, milks 9440kg/year with 3,95% fat and 3,32% protein.)
Sheep in Iceland also are in all sorts of colors and with or without horns. At Muck Site white sheep with horns have been favored.
Sheep have summers free on mountains and every autumn there is great sheep hunts everywhere in Iceland getting them back to their farms to winter.
Sunna Bergursdóttir
Geir Bergursson
Hlín Bergursdóttir
They are adult children of Fjóla and Bergur. They have moved elsewhere to live and visit sometimes. Sunna we see most often and then she also helps in the barns. rúlla = round bale of hay.
Rúllas are being discussed every day.
Life at the farm is based on rúllas as thats what cows and sheep eat.
The tracrors:
JohnD John Deere
Massey Massey Ferguson
McCormic Mc Cormic
Vehicles:
Terrano old, rusty, hard use working jeep
Kyron newer, not so rusty, city journey jeep
Micra my little red car
Muck Site map:
Reykjavik capital of Iceland
Ring Road/ Road 1 road round Iceland
From Reykjavik on to Ring Road, past mountain and ocean views, and horses, trough a 6km long tunnel under sea, cross a lava field, then of the Ring Road and on to a side road over mountains, or if bad weather a side road round mountains, when the sea shows again, it is Boot Fjord and by the heal of it a smaller side road turns in to beautiful valley.
The valley is called Hawk Dale.
The gravel road in to the valley is called Hawk Dale Road.
In the valley there is lake called Hawk Dale Water
and a river called Hawk Dale River.
Mountains are everywhere around.
Some of them have more than one name and some have name the same as another near by. It can get complicated with names in Iceland. Same with peoples names.
Vatnsfjall/sandfell 568m, Hædirnar, Rjúpnafell, Geldingafell 820m, Klambrafell, Tröllakirkja 1001m, Krossbrún 516m, Kirkjufell, Hamrafjall, Jörfahnúkur 712m, Hlídar Haus/Svínhólshlíð 557m
Hædirs = "Hills", the hillside just up from the farm
= "Kukkulat", tilan läheiset kukkulat
Canyon with steep rocky sides and several waterfalls opens right by Muck Site.
The-One-Shop-Town I have called the nearest like town or village thing.
Thats by Boot Fjord further along.
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