Thank god, I was in Paradise.

I could adjust to life in Iceland. It's a nice place. Off the beaten track. A nation without a defense budget. Icelanders have their priorities straight. There are some 310,000 of 'em. And I like everyone I've met. They are decent people. Mostly speaking two languages. Icelandic. And English. Maybe that's what we need more of in this world. Bilingual people. That improves the chances of friendly communication. Anyway, when in Iceland, I moreorless ignored what was happening in the rest of the world. My world became Iceland. And it's a beautiful and idyllic place. Volcanoes. Geysers. Hot springs. One can go bathing in natural heated pools of water. Even in wintertime. Oh, what a way to relax. And this summer, the sun didn't set until after midnight. And there was never total darkness. Of course, only two or three hours of daylight in wintertime. But it's not as cold as Minnesota. Because of the gulf stream. The temperature seldom drops below zero. And the all-time high temperature was 86 degrees. Ah, comfort. Never saw a completely clear day. But that's all right. I like sweater weather. And I like the laid-back people. A fellow that moved from the capital city, Reyklavik, and into the countryside. He has 14 horses. Burly and hairy Icelandic horses. And he and a friend have purchased a boat. Takes the likes of me into the fijords. To see seal. Wow! What a way to live. And Iceland has yet to be discovered. Only three people per square kilometer. Outside of Reyklavik, the biggest city is 17,000. And most towns range from a few hundred to a thousand or two. Lava fields. Rivers. Craters. Mountains. If ever I'm stuck in Iceland, I'll count my blessing. And thank god. For sending me to Paradise. --Jim Broede