Mika Lappalainen | Friday, 6 February 2026
Shocking news, it is still cold in Finland. Fun part is that southern Finland is colder than our area at the moment. I'm cool with that as in here is around - 16 celsius so it is pretty perfect weather for reindeers to pull sleigh.
And it is not too cold for guests to be outside and have a ride. Casting is still on pause. Mainly as seems to be some surprises coming behind every corner and this winter starts to be more like extinguishing fires than just doing things. They say that good things happens to good people, so I must be really bad one.
Things happens when you do something and if not nothing happens. So two weeks ago Satu had quite bad accident with snowmobile, luckily she only got some bruises yet there was possibility for bigger damage on her.
Last Friday I had plan to give silage to reindeer. Plan was to do that in afternoon and also firewood pallets were coming so tractor would be warm and ready to unload firewood after silage work. Well tractor got hydraulic issue and nothing worked. Tuesday everything worked smooth and nicely and after few days nothing worked.
So I spent 6 hours in - 25 celsius trying to solve problem and made some part change, no help from those. Saturday I drove tractor to garage so they could check it on Monday. Luckily I got my friend to come help with silage on Saturday so reindeer were just fine. Problem in tractor was that there was broken sealant which had blocked valve and oil couldn't move.
Tuesday I gave silage again and in middle of work problem came up again, this time in loader and when trying to get loader down. Issue came and went so might also be wire thing this time, haven't got really time to check. Crossing my fingers that it will work today as it is silage time again.
This seems to be different kind of winter than earlier. It has long cold season and no snowing for weeks really. Basically like last summer during heat wave so nothing new as July is mirror for January.
Still I can't get Scorpions song holiday lyrics out of my head:
"Exchange the cold days for the sun
A good time and fun
Let me take you far away..
Longing for the sun here we come
To the island without name
Longing for the sun here we come
On the island many miles away from home"
Just add word fishing and river in right spots and they nailed.
I always say that you haven't had childhood unless you haven't experienced sticking your tongue on iron during winter time. It is painful as hell, yet you haven't have childhood without that. That is just one of those things you need to learn in hard way.
Am I going slightly mad? it is difficult to be sure. Yet few times in past week I almost stick my tongue on iron even I have done that twice as child. Maybe it was just idea to check if it as painful as it was as child.
Have a nice weekend and go fishing
Mika