Going To Visit Santa And His Reindeer

By Jim Whelan, The Joan Randall Agency

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

The Whelanator flew to New York this morningto meet some friends so we could take a little trip.Actually itz a long trip, we're going to Finland,which is a hop skip, and looong jump away.

We're flying to Helsinki, where I have been oncebefore. Then we're going to take a little detour tovisit Santa and his reindeer. That means we aregoing to Lapland, where all of the reindeer, includingRudolph, hang out during the summer, and we mightget to see the annual Reindeer Games, or a portionof them. They're set up a little bit like the Olympics,and I think track and field is on tap the day we getthere.

All the races are straight ahead, as reindeer havenever adapted to the oval track like horses. Thecompetition I like is pond jumping, which can meanthat you get a little wet if they miss a jump or two,and that does happen fairly often as young reindeerdon't quite have their "big air" legs.

Santa's Village is there too, and it's quite a place.You just don't expect to see such a thriving placeso far north.

Another thing we have planned is hitting a trueFinnish sauna. The sauna was invented in Finland,and their saunas are the hottest ever, hitting about220 degrees. As Paris Hilton would say, "That's hot!"

After you hit the sauna, you jump in an ice cold lake.

If you don't swallow your leathers on the first run, yourepeat it over and over. I've never done this, but I'mready to give it a whirl.

I'll keep you posted, but they're calling us to board.

From the big saddle,
Jim Whelan