Lögberg-Heimskringla - 30.04.1999, Blaðsíða 1

Inside this week:

neimsKringia
The lcelandic Weekly
Lögberg Stofnaö 14. januar 1888 Heimskringla Stofnaö 9. september 1886
icelandic News 1, 3
Viewpoint 2
Letters to the Editor 2
Memoirs of Guðmundur Jónsson
from Húsey 3
The lcelanders of Kinmount 5
The Saga of Guðríður
Þorbjarnardóttir 7
Calendar of Events 7
113. Árgangur “The oldest ethnic periodical still publishing in Canada” Föstudagur 30. apríl 1999 Númer 15
113thyear Publications Mail registration no. 08000 Friday 30 April 1999 Number 15
Judith Jonsson
Edmonton, AB
What DO you CALL a gathering
of 250 Icelandic families and
friends? Sköflungur Grafa?
Blása Úti? (The author profusely apol-
ogizes for the blasphemous use of the
Icelandic language.)
We called it Þorrablót 1999, held
Feb. 20 in Edmonton, Alberta. From
the Elizabethan-catered meal to the last
melody frora the John Anderson Trio,
those who attended enjoyed “tala
saman” laughter, good fellowship,
Icelandic delicacies, and drink.
After dinner entertainment was
supplied by Carl Krenbrenk, who
played several classical guitar pieces as
well as one of his own compositions;
and the Saga Singers who perfonned,
in their usual inimitable way, Icelandic
songs of the past and present.
There were twenty-six prizes given
out throughout the evening, as door
prizes and spot dance prizes, as well as
the youngest in costume, the longest
married, from farthest away, and the
family with the most members. These
prizes ranged from pairs of hockey
tickets to phonics books and choco-
lates.
The highlight of the evening was
the Raffle draw and the draw for mem-
bership. The ralfle for $100.00 cash
was won by Keriy Bjamason; $200.00
cash was won by Bonnie Clark; an
afghan (donated by Margret Reykdal).
was won by Melissa Larondelle; and
the big prize, Icelandic Saga Books,
was won by Angela Schenstead. The
membership draw was for two 27-inch
TVs, donated by RTO Enterprises
(Gordon Reykdal, President, and John
Johnson, Vice-President). This was
won by Johann and Laura Eliasson.
A new narae for Edmonton?
Þorrsborg!!
Above: Cal Krenbrenk
entertains;
below: Angela
Schenstead, winner ot
The Complete Sagas of
lcelanders

ICELANDIC NEWS
A Valiant Dinner Guest
The couple Inga Þorvaldsdóttir and
Birgir Ámason at Straumnes at
Skagaströnd have fed birds in their yard
or on the beach below it for many
yeárs. They have received immeasura-
ble joy from serving their dinner
guests. About seven years ago they first
noticed the most unexpected, and
undoubtedly the most valiant visitor, a
beautiful falcon. Last winter marked
the eighth winter the falcon visited
Straumnes.
The couple at Straumnes were sur-
prised when the bird was attracted to a
piece of meat which they had put out-
side and he surprised them by retuming
again and again. Inga and 'Birgir soon
named the bird Friðrik after the Danish
Crown Prince. They did not realize that
“Friðrik” is a female bird; female fal-
cons are about one fourth larger than
male birds. However, they did not see
any reason to change the name as he
would not be affected by teasing on
account of it.
Friðrik comes and goes as he/she
pleases, especially in cold weather. The
bird is usually first seen in October and
then visits off and on until April, when
he disappears, most likely to his nesting
grounds. The couple at Straumnes take
good care of him and bring him various
goodies such as beef liver and horse-
meat. Even ptarmigans at Christmas.
Bird photographer Jóhann Óli
Hilmarsson visited Straumnes recently
to film Friðrik. He said that Friðrik was
a very beautiful “Falcon lady,” as he
put it. “Seen from below the bird is
very light in colour, a bit like a
Greenland falcon, but the grey colour
on his back and head show unmistak-
ably that he is of Icelandic origin. It is
actually invaluable and rare to get an
opportunity to film a falcon in this way
lcelandic News continues on page 3