A little while later they arrive at the pond, where they have several activities to choose from. They can start ice fishing, snowshoe walk, do sledding, try skiing or skating, or help make a campfire by the lean-to shelter. Finally, at the end of today's outing they have a Yukigassen between the Chinese and the Finns.
Laura Norppa (Saimaa Seal) is the guide of those who want to try ice fishing. She is an expert in fishing and knows exactly where the best places for catching fish are situated. Thanks to her expertise two elves have spotted a few good places and made some round holes in the ice with an ice auger. Some guests volunteer and they are taken to the holes. They are provided with a small cooler box on which to sit by the hole while fishing with a rod and reel. At the end of the line there is a bait that can be lowered by releasing the reel lock. Then the bait sinks deeper in the water. Laura shows how to lure fish and says,
'You just keep your arm steady and use your wrist to lift and lower the bait in the water. This movement makes fish interested and they take a bite of the bait and get hooked.'
It doesn't take long when the first guest cannot pull the bait upwards easily any more. Laura Norppa helps the guest by showing how to reel the fish in by winding the reel. Onto the ice it lands, a big perch. Some time later, after a joint effort of several ice fishers there is a great number of perches and some roaches on the ice.
While some are fishing Sportalph, a sports fanatic, introduces them skating and cross-country skiing. However, after some attempts most of them quit because they have never done anything like that before. These sports really require a lot of practice before you can maintain good balance. Fortunately there are easier sports to do too. So sledding and snowshoe walking finds more popularity among the guests.
Then it's time for some guests to help with the campfire. Sparkalph, a campfire expert, shows how to chop firewood with an axe and how to use a hunting knife to make tinders and kindlings. The fire has to be started with tinders (eg the smallest pieces of wood or birchbark). You light them eg with a match. When this fire is big enough, add some kindling on it and when most of the kindling is on fire, it's time to put some firewood on it.
After a few attempts they have a nice campfire. The fire brings them warmth and gives them enough heat to fry fish and sausages. The roaches they just caught are not chosen for frying but the perches are.
Shortie or Ccookie?
If you want to know more about these outdoor activities, see Ccookie 9. Otherwise just keep reading right below:
After some time they start eating fried fish and fried sausages sitting comfortably on reindeer hides (=skins) by the fire. There are also sandwiches and hot drinks for them to enjoy. Such drinks as coffee, juice, hot chocolate and tea, also pakuri tea, a very healthy drink rarity, (chaga mushroom in English), are all available. There are such delicacies for them as cardamom rolls and gingerbread cookies too. So there is no need to starve in this outing.
The highlight of the outing day is approaching. There are two flags in the ice rink and some snow walls on both sides of the rink. The Chinese team is asked to choose either of the sides. They choose the northern side to face south. The Finns go to the southern side. Protectoralph asks both teams to put on their team vests, put on the helmets and pull down the vizors. Both teams also get ammunition to take down the opposing team.
It's 1:30 pm and gradually getting dimmer. It's high time a Yukigassen battle started. The team members on both sides have chosen their positions and the referee puts the whistle
on his lips. There is a whistle and immediately the first round piece of ammunition whistles through the air and hits a member of the Finnish team. He has been eliminated; he has to withdraw from the snowball battle.
The Finnish team is down one man so they decide to charge hard however risky it may be. The backcourts throw snowballs continuously at any appearing opponent while two forwards run fast to the center shelter, which they manage to reach.
It's time for the Chinese to change their positions. All their three forwards charge toward
the closest shelter to the center shelter. However, this is not an entirely successful move because one forward is shot down. Nevertheless two of them reach the shelter.
Meanwhile the Finnish backcourts have started passing balls to their forwards, which gives them an upper hand. Then the forwards throw two lobs over the closest shelter the opponent is possessing. One of them eliminates a Chinese forward. The other Chinese retreats quickly to another shelter deeper in their own court.
The Finnish backcourts keep throwing balls at the Chinese to help their two forwards to take possession of the abandoned shelter, which they really do. However their attention is too much drawn in that direction, which gives the fastest Chinese a chance to enter deep into enemy territory. He runs like the wind and not a singular ball has been thrown at him. The Chinese team members admire his fast advance, perhaps too much.
When he grabs the enemy flag he turns triumphant around but what he sees is really not what he wants to see; a Finn too has a flag in his hand. Stunned he looks askance at his team members. Their eyes were so fixed on his fast advance that they forgot to protect their own flag.
The referee announces the result, 'It's a draw!', and smiles. Both teams shake hands with their opposing team.
The dark has fallen over the landscape. They collect their equipment and all the rubbish and put them in the food and gear sleigh. Then they get on their sleighs and direct their way toward Santa's Hideaway. The warm dinner and the hot sauna are already waiting for them there.
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Weigh Out Way-In
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