delight , it began snowing again . Another wonderful day full of challenges and adventure was discussed as we enjoyed a cold glass of wine .
A reindeer farm experience began the next day where we rode in a sled pulled by a reindeer and explored an old house which once belonged to the early Finn immigrants who learned their survival skills from the original Sami people of the area . Then it was off to visit a local artist ’ s home and gallery which he had built himself out of logs from the forest . It was an amazing mix of adjoining rooms with a huge open fireplace where he entertained us by singing accompanied by his zither , he was a very accomplished performer . Located on one level of the house was a heated swimming pool , another a fabulous dining room / gallery and up in the attic his art studio . His oil paintings of the surrounding countryside in all seasons and the self -portraits were just wonderful
With nervous excitement we began the next day with a 5 minute video of instructions on dog sledding followed by a basic hands on instruction from our guide Katerina . I wondered if I would remember everything !! When we stood on the rungs of the sled and held on grimly to the handles , our guide and dogs were ready to RUN !! We took off with Katerina in the lead then Joan and I each with our own dog team . Gradually we got the idea as we glided over swamps through forests and along snow covered roads , we began to relax and enjoy the experience . The dogs just love to run pulling effortlessly as we traversed the beautiful white countryside . Travelling uphill the dogs pulled at the same rate and to slow them down we had to use the brake to slow them down to negotiate through the forest . I felt very mean , trying to slow them down as I balanced with one leg on a rung of the sled and the other on the brake trying to negotiate a curve in the path through the forest . Quite challenging at first but we soon got the hang of it .
When we stopped for lunch we realised the tension we had had while holding on . Beside a tepee in the forest we lit a fire and cooked our lunch and we also fed the dogs their snack , soup and dog pellets , they had worked so hard .
Then we were off again and were much more relaxed this time remembering to lean and bend the knees and use the brake . The snow was deep and soft and sticky due to the late time in the season . It was really lovely gliding silently though the white wilderness , just magical .
Arriving at the wilderness hut the first chore was to unload the sleds then unharness the dogs and tether them for the night . They are lean dogs , just like a greyhound with fur , very