Divas Under The Cosmos

The details of our fourth day were already chronicled by birthday Diva, Meghan.  I won't duplicate that effort here.  However, last night...  was too incredible not to be chronicled in its own right.

We arrived at the Guesthouse Gerdi this afternoon, a rustic and idyllic complex situated between an imposing mountain and the majestic Atlantic Ocean.  Once we returned from our wine and seafood run in Hofn, we settled into our accommodations, pouring glasses of now plentiful wine (thanks Vinbudin!).  Craving some human interaction outside of ourselves, we migrated to the cozy dining room in the main house for dessert and wine.  Our waitress was good-natured.  When Meghan asked her about our likelihood of seeing the Northern Lights, she offered a rule of thumb:  if we can see stars out, it's likely that the Northern Lights will be visible.

We returned to the room, satiated with our evening snack.  Meghan, monitoring aurora borealis alerts on her iPhone with the intensity of a meteorologist tracking an epic storm, told us that the likelihood of a northern lights sighting was as high as its ever been since our arrival - I wasn't so convinced.  We'd been fooled before.  Nevertheless, we got dressed - mixing sleepwear and outwear for a chic fashion statement - and ventured outside.

Initially, clouds blanketed the sky.  Slowly, the curtains parted, revealing an awe-inspiring view of the celestial bodies.  The moon shone brightly, dancing upon the Atlantic Ocean, its relative calm providing the perfect backdrop for the moon's shimmering display.

Meghan obviously paid attention to astronomy in high school - she was able to spot constellations in the sky with relative ease.  She called my attention from the Moondance on the ocean to look at an equally impressive show going on behind us.  The large, imposing mountain - verdant green by day, dramatic and black silhouette by night - allowed us to see the Big Dipper with even more intensity.  It was a sight to behold.

Meanwhile, Chasity is coming along quite nicely as a neophyte photographer.  She captured some beautiful shots of the celestial show, including a beautiful shot of a glacier off in the distant west. Her progress is even more commendable considering her tripod wasn't overly cooperative in this effort!

 

We returned to our room to find respite in our cute little twin beds.  I left the window slightly open to allow the roll of the ocean to lull us to sleep.  No aurora borealis, but who's complaining?  I'm somewhat convinced that this trip will inspire Meghan to become a Northern Lights Chaser, though.

I awakened at 6:30 this morning.  Shortly thereafter, Meghan whispered, beckoning me to the bathroom.  I followed and looked out the window at her command.  We had a neighbor!  A little sheep was grazing at the edge of the pasture adjacent.  Right outside our room.  I am legit in nature, y'all! As I write this post, I am watching the sunrise over the ocean, as it has before me and as it will long after me.  I'm just blessed to observe it do its thing.

 

 
We can't pronounce the name of this little town worth a damn, but if anyone asks where we're at, you can tell them under the stars...