bog footy

Here in Finland there aren't too many flat places which aren't rocky, and those that are are often swamps. So just where do you go to to play footy in summer? Well, the sign points the way :-)



Yep, that right, the bog



Now, it might look just like a grassy field in that picture up there, but this is a full on peat bog, and you'll sink to your ankles even stepping onto the tufts of grass out here where its 'un-trodden' ground. Walk with caution and better still, bring the gum boots!

I've found that there's a reason that everyone here likes to wear gore-tex boots!

As you can see even though I'm treading carefully, there's water oozing out of the ground around my foot, and a puddle already waiting there on the left.

These wetlands are very rich, moist environments by the way, generating heaps of biomass and helping to keep the water pure (well, where they don't get churned up by fellas runnin around in in em that is).

You can see from the field though that there isn't much 'untrodden' moss over there.

Just in case you happen to think that's a dry looking field over there, I took this from the back line.

That' ain't grass there laddy.

There was (sadly) noone there on the day we were there, so I didn't get to see a match, but heck, these fellas must be fit as if you started running in this place you'd just sink deeper.

I started to sink in one place, and found that you just can't push down with the other foot to pull the stuck one out or it just pulls you in deeper.

Its all good clean muck though, so its not hard to get off your jeans later on.

Say, if you've ever been to a wetland in summer, you might have noticed the mosquitoes?

That'd keep you running ;-)