The car was standing by the engine heater pole, it was one of many cars lined up that were connected to a pole on this cold day when the thermometer showed well below zero degrees. My American friend was very impressed that everyone here in the north had electric cars, which confused me until I realized that he had misunderstood the function of engine heater poles. Everything needs to be heated in the winter, cars as well as people and animals, and that is exactly what I want to dwell on. I am a frozen soul who is always wrapped up in clothes. I prefer to sleep under double duvets with a blanket closest to my body and buy shoes that are too big to fit an extra wool insole in them. I have drilled geothermal heating for the house and make fires in the tiled stove every evening. I tuck my homemade heating pads under the children's duvets even though they assure me that neither their fingers nor toes are cold. When I was little, my grandmother used to say that I was cold as a frog. Grandma grew up as a nomad when the Sami still lived in huts. She told me how they heated stones by the fire and packed them into the children's beds.

Warming up is an art that can be done in different ways, from the outside in or the inside out. Nothing warms up as well as a powerful, steaming broth when working outdoors. I have noticed an international trend with broth bars. Among us Sami, broth has a long tradition and is a natural part of the meat stew that is usually on the stove. Broth steams and spreads pleasant warmth and strength in the body. A good physical trick that an older Sami taught me against cold fingers is to stretch your arms straight down, spread your hands and fingers outwards while pumping your arms up and down for a long time. Then you can feel the heat spreading. Another warmth for body and soul is of course a crackling fire, a reindeer skin to sit on and if you also have good company, you are lucky.

Outside, the animals sleep to use up as little energy as possible. The reindeer's fur has hollow hairs that insulate exceptionally well and provide buoyancy in water. It has a heat exchanger in its nose to protect it from the cold air. Just like other animals, the reindeer uses the snow to keep its heat close to its body. As long as there is soft snow to sink into, this is rarely a problem. The legs and hooves are its most vulnerable body parts. Keeping reindeer in pastures for a long time can be a problem as the snow is trampled hard and they constantly need to find a new place with untouched snow. How do you best keep warm?

Victoria Harness

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