A man, a woman, and a dog started the day early, applying wood preservative to the deck of their summer cabin. The sun shone in a clear sky, and the day was hot—likely one of the warmest of the summer. The thermometer read 21°C in the shade; it’s a rare occurrence for temperatures to climb higher during an Icelandic summer. The preservative dried quickly, so they decided to finish the entire deck and head out to fish in Tangavatn while it dried enough to allow them to tip-toe back into the cabin—the deck being the only way inside.
The trio drove up to Holtavörðuheiði in the eldest daughter’s SUV and then hiked eastward until they reached Tangavatn. They fished for seven hours without a single strike. That didn’t matter, however, as the man, the woman, and the dog thoroughly enjoyed being out on the moor in the company of the birds. Four swans glided across the lake, keeping their distance. The Great Northern Diver (himbrimi) was also in its usual place, its calls echoing across the water. It is far more cautious here than its counterparts at Lake Þingvallavatn, being less accustomed to human presence.
They were surprised to see what looked like a mature Diver chick swimming when they arrived. It didn’t seem right, as chicks should still be nest-bound at this time. Later, they saw it take flight and pass close enough for them to realize it was actually a Long-tailed Duck (hávella). There was no mistaking its melancholy ‘a-oo-a’ call echoing over the water. Both Purple Sandpipers (sendlingur) and Snow Buntings (snjótittlingur) were foraging by the shore. The Snow Bunting isn’t seen often, but there was the male in his striking black-and-white summer plumage. Should he perhaps be called a ‘Sun-shrieker’ (sólskríkja) now? Probably. Meanwhile, the moorland birds went about their business a bit further from the bank.”
The moor had not yet turned a vibrant green, but the highland flowers were blooming everywhere. The man and woman amused themselves by trying to recall the names of the plants. The man remembered none, but the woman was more knowledgeable, having learned the names of the flowers from her late father. He had known nature intimately, as it was his livelihood. Highland flowers like Cuckoo Flower (hrafnaklukka), Moss Campion (lambagras), Alpine Forget-me-not (kattarauga), Alpine Mouse-ear (músareyra), and Thrift (geldingarhnappur) were blooming all around, along with numerous other plants they couldn’t identify. One striking bright blue flower caught their attention and turned out to be Alpine Speedwell (maríuvendlingur). The dog couldn’t care less about the names of birds or flowers, but was tireless in watching the maneuvers of the man and woman as they wielded their fishing gear with great zeal.
Finally, the man, the woman, and the dog ‘glided’ over the deck and into the cabin, where they rested in total bliss—content, despite being fishless, until the following day.