Mika Lappalainen | Friday, 8 December 2023
First winter season week starts to be done. It has been pretty good one. Our team, reindeer and workers has been doing great job, when it is like this, this is easy work.
My biggest doubt was on Sunday. I have had same pullover/sweater (made from wool) for over 10 years. Last spring, Satu bought new one which similar as old one. Old one has some extra holes and to be honest, it has seen better days. It has been heavily used, about 180 days per year, every day during the winter.
So when I was wearing new pullover I was worried if everything will go well..... seems like I'm superstitious. First round of season starting, all the sleighs are checked twice and everything is good to go. Guests are sitting on sleighs, and off we go. I'm walking in front and taking care leading reindeer. Satu is behind checking that file of reindeer is starting nicely. (I don't know if this file of reindeer is right word, it is raito in Finnish. It means that reindeers are walking kind of queue, where reindeer is connected behind of sleigh with rope. So you only need leading reindeer and others just walk behind and pull their own sleighs. This is old transportation system in north. )
Anyway our reindeer boys are not used to this because normally we drive them individually, with Spanish this is best way to do it. Anyway raito starts nicely, totally 4 reindeer when after 15 meters Satu yells that sleigh flipped. Our speed is less than 5 km/hour, slow walking. Connection rope from sleigh to shaft has been broken, pull has come only from one side and sleigh flipped. Luckily it was last reindeer in raito so no damage for anyone.
Satu drops last reindeer off and I continue with 3 reindeer. Nice round and during that they have fixed rope, I'll take same sleigh reindeer on private walk, he smells something on half way and try to run off. Big reindeer, full muscles, but I'm able to stop him before full speed. (You know reindeer can run 60km/h, 37 mph, even with sleigh 25 mph, 40 km/h) I calm down him and reindeer put antlers gently against my head, he is relaxing and trusting me. Guests in sleighs has funny faces, they can't understand what's happening.
Same day, next group, different reindeer. After 5 meters leading reindeer kicks my feet off and I fall down. Of course reindeer jumps and try to run off, I'm able to stop them again. Now there is small mess but we can sort it out and calm reindeers again. I start again and really thinking that it has to be because pullover, there is no other reason that some extra action.
Day is finished. Everything went after all nicely even there was some action. I gave one more chance to new pullover on Monday, no extra action so it was not about pullover. I had similar feelings with new fishing cap last summer.
We are still gathering reindeers from forest, and week has been busy with Spanish. Thursday I had short and nice chat about flyfishing with one of guests. TZ made some flies for us to sell and there was guest who was tying flies so some fishing talk and sold flies.
It has been -20 celsius, -4 F. I made have solution for casting practise, or more precise where to do it. 2 km from us there is horse stable, they have heated riding hall which is easily big enough for casting training. I hope owner will let us use it for training. They are not using it on weekends and Friday evenings. Fingers crossed.
Have a nice weekend
Mika from Finland