February is here, well January 31st then February

31st January.

OMG – Double surprise today.  Firstly it’s the first time in over 22 years I woke as a “Civvi”, my disgust was so great I had to shower for over an hour. But fortunately soon realised nothing had changed when we made a timed schedule for our day off, with ETAs and ETDs and NMB timings and started with bed blocks!!!   See – nothing’s changed.

Secondly it’s our consecutive day off.  Fxxx me that’s like a weekend and to think I always complained that 5:2 (work:time off) was shit now it’s more like 8:1 and instead of a bank account briming with cash; now I’m doing it for free!!!

So we had a lie in followed by a mooch around town.  There really isn’t much in Inari but we found it truly pleasurable to pop into the supermarket and get a refund on our empty beer cans; check out the gift shop; send a few postcards and then have coffee in the petrol station.  Actually all petrol stations have a ‘burger joint’ attached.  We were about to leave when the proprietor turned on the TV.  And yes we did watch Finnish langlauf championship for 3 hours. Ain’t moving pictures fab!!! Haven’t seen any since Helsinki.  That’s 28 days – that’s cold turkey that is!!   So we were rooting for contestant 20, 51 and 81 and comparing their style to our own yesterday.  Clearly we would’ve given them a run for their money.

Rocky relaxing at the Wilderness Church.

Then we did a short walk behind the Sidda -the Sami cultural museum (specially chosen walk for really deep snow – thanks Daz!) and then back to the apartment, just as Seb and Rob were returning.  An early finish from the farm.  And then off to Hotel Inari to update the blog etc and catch up with Kate, who’s back from Karigasnemi to run Villa Lanca for a while.  Chatting to her and hearing her voice some of our thoughts make me wonder if we’ll manage another 2 months here.  Maria and Ola soon arrive.  Maria has found a job in Svalbard and leaves tomorrow and Ola will leave for Ivalo too.  Goodbye guys – we will miss you, especially Ola with her ‘hole’ game.  Apparently it’s her equivalent to ” who am I?” , when a post-it of the name of a famous person is placed on your forehead and you have to figure out who you are.  Ola’s version – I have a hole, meaning I’ve thought of something which has a hole, and all the other game players have to work out what she’s thinking of (we had coffee filter, a wood chisel, Crocs).  Strangely this is the game she played with the Sami truck driver whilst hitchhiking from Norway.  Ola says ” I have a hole, guess which hole am I thinking of?” Strangely the truck driver wasn’t that interested in guessing but in pulling over in a lay-by and looking and perhaps “filling” Ola’s hole.  Oh the naïveté of youth and thank god for our dirty minds as we enjoyed this story massively.  Thank you Ola.

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Petrie the ice fisherman.

The Wilderness Church.

Daz and Rocky skiing.

Tonight after dinner we play poker.  Me, Daz, Rob, Kate and Seb.  Kate and Seb have never played before and we don’t even know if Seb understands the rules or how to win, given his limited English but whatever he does understand, he’s on a winning streak but he’s bored by the game and soon retires.  He doesn’t play cards nor drink (because he’s an epileptic) and it seems he used to rougher play.  Being chased by his brothers and hit over the head with a hammer – well we think this is what he said!  He has 2 brothers – one younger, one older.

 

1st February

Pick up at 0930hrs.  Rob’s last day at work and Seb’s first day off.  Nothing much else happens although a client did fall off their sled.

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The puppies – can you see Fat Fuck?  I am a feeder and he’s getting fatter by the day.

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Reindeer poo – smaller than rabbit droppings.