Hello Norway

Well, I have arrived. Tromso, Norway.  Here for a spell at least, and hopefully a wee while.  Those who know me in more recent years will know that I am wanting to spend a little more time in fewer places…  I had my needs though: mountains, sea, snow, sun/less rain, wildlife, trees, people… Yes, I am a fussy thing! Well, Tromso seems to fit the bill so far, although at 600km north of the Arctic Circle, the sun is a bit slow to come up still.  We have plenty of daylight (8-15h) but sun for only a short while still.  It’s OK by me though.  More than.

My work is ‘dog-handler’, and I work at Villmarkssenter (see http://www.villmarkssenter.no for more).  There are a varied tasks to this role: feeding the 250 odd sled-dogs (noisy! and messy), cleaning frozen poop (less messy), tending to the tourists needs…. and lastly (not by any means least) is charging off in a flurry of snow with a team of dogs. The noise of all the dogs shouting “pick me... pick ME... PICK ME!” as you unclip dogs from their kennels and harness the teams to their sleds is ear-splitting.  As is the frenzied barking when you career off! It’s wonderful.

Oh, and I forgot my Marmite this time, which is a crying shame…  If anyone fancies popping a jar of the stuff in the post - 'thousand thanks' (as the Norwegians say).  If you haven't the stamina to ParcelForce a glass jar of goopy, sticky, brown, salty, evil-smelling lifeblood to me then postcards also fine ;).  So, for those carte postales to decorate my otherwise rather undecorated room, my snailmail address here is: Tromso Villmarkssenter, 9100 Kvaloysletta.

But - in case you are thinking of it - no thank you, NZ buddies, VEGEMITE will just not do at all! ….Sacriledge!  (As I was saying, I am a fussy beggar!)