Monday 2nd February.
Early start today because there are 2 clients for the long tour at 0920. And because Daz has been waking up every hour worrying about oversleeping we get to the farm even earlier than expected! Chores done and dog team ready BUT no clients. So we go out sledding. Just me, Daz, Lukas and ‘Team Kazakhstan’. First I drive whilst Lukas drives the skidoo with Daz on the back. Then Daz and I swap and finally Daz drives the skidoo and Lukas the dog sled. It’s a beautiful clear morning and it’s fab and no clients to worry about. Great fun!
Then we have more puppy time and take them for their first proper walk outside their compound to the yard by the horse paddock. Only 3 come with us the other 2 are a little shy and stay in the kennel but hopefully next time they’ll all come. They are so cute and just follow us around… Fatfuck got distracted by the horse paddock when he came across his first horse poop, ‘yum yum’, and runs off chewing on a lump or two!
We do a few chores
(Daz and his amazin’ shit sled!)
and clear the snow on the road to remove the drifts and everything’s done but our cabin still hasn’t arrived. So we give up waiting and go for coffee and then just as we sit down Lukas tells us the trucks have arrived and we all rush out so we can watch and record the delivery of our new cabin with sauna!
Hels enjoys the sauna!
new cabin is a bit small! 
Tuesday 3rd February.
Another early start and when Seb falls asleep in his dry muesli we discover he hasn’t slept well. Apparently the bed’s too small for him so when he rolls over he falls out of bed!!!
Today Rob leaves and Stephanie from Karigasnimi will be joining us. It’s a really long day for us – 8am pick up and not home until 7pm. Hard day too. We start with an early dog sled long tour and then have 6 for short tour at 1.30pm. We take Grey, Lumi and Beige which is always an adventure. Firstly going into their cage to get their collars on and they jump all over me. One always wants my jacket hood so jumps all over my back whilst another is hanging from my ripped pockets and the third generally getting stuck in where there’s space. They’re so excited but finally I get their collars on and its down to the holding line. Grey and Lumi are pretty well behaved but Beige cries and whines as if he’s being beaten to death and all will fight and squirm to get out of harnesses and even chew their way out. Daz is supposed to be leading on the skidoo but Erkki decides against it because of the snow drifts and Erkki manages to lose the track several times leading the dogs into deep snow. One client manages to capsize his sled and another walks away leaving it untended. An eventful trip and Daz is relieved he wasn’t driving!
We take the puppies for a walk and clearly Lukas hasn’t shared the briefing with them. When we asked him how to walk the puppies he said ‘ We are their mother. They love us most and they will follow us anywhere!’. Well clearly they don’t! The 3 that did follow us yesterday are more than happy to make a break for the yard whenever we let them out and when the more timid 2 follow they all end up down a new track playing in deep snow. They don’t even look to see where their ‘mothers’ are – 3 of us watching them from a distance to make sure no-one gets lost in the dark.