There’s plenty of fine weather in store for the next few days and into the weekend, so tractors and trailers will be on the road to the bog to bring home the turf.
The first 30 seconds after you’ve been told you’re going to the bog are met with excitement. After those 30 seconds have passed the excitement is replaced with loathing and sometimes fear.
The bog is associated with back-breaking work, the odd case of sunstroke and midges.
1. Midges Everywhere
Image: Stefan Berkner (Flickr)
You can buy a can of fly spray for the house for summer in Ireland to fight the flies and insects, but good luck with killing the midges in the bog.
Any sign of good summer weather at all and they’re everywhere. In you eyes, your ears and on your clothes.
Farmers can often be heard that they’ve been ‘ate’ in the bog thanks to the midges.
2. Aches and pains all over
It’s back-breaking work in the bog. Whatever about footing turf, it’s throwing it into the trailer that’s the killer.
And don’t even mention how sore your arms, calf muscles and hamstrings feel – the bog is the original boot-camp in our book.
3. Sunburn
The bog is a sun trap and going to the bog in the one good week of summer means many people will be roasted.
Farmers’ tans are made in the bog with the back of the neck, calves and arms being the worst hit. Sales of after-sun often shoot up!
4. The Dust
One thing that’s unavoidable in the bog is the dust. It’s everywhere, in your eyes, stuck at the back of your throat and in your socks.
Much like sand, it takes a couple of days and several showers to rid it. Don’t even mention the dust managing to get into the cup of tea that you poured out of the flask/glass bottle.
5.The Tractor Getting Stuck
Image: Dell Balallan (Fordson Tractor Pages Forum)
It rained a bit last week, but the weather has been forecast to be good for a few days and now might be the only chance to save the turf.
You get to the bog, it’s sunny, a bit of a warm breeze blowing and you’re tossing turf into the trailer like there’s no tomorrow.
Picture it: you’re halfway through the second hopper when you notice that the tractor is down on one side. You’re stuck in the bog. You try and drive the s**t out of it but it’s no use. Luckily you threw that plank of timber into the trailer before you left.
Lesson of the day: ALWAYS double-tyre the tractor!
Have you anything to add to this? Let us know in the comments!