Cranberry Harvest Festival, Part Two

I didn't realize that the bog harvest was located a couple of miles from the rest of the festival, so we hopped on one of the schoolbuses that were bringing people to and from the bogs.

For those unfamiliar with the process, cranberries are grown on the ground on vines.  The bogs have irrigation trenches all around them, and when it's time to harvest, the bogs are flooded and the berries float to the top.  There is also a dry harvest where they drive a special machine up and down the islands that rake the berries into the back.  I like the wet harvest because the berries look so beautiful floating on the top like bright red jewels.

We waited in line to go up on the bridge and see the wet harvest from above.

There were also wagon rides but I didn't stay long enough to take one.

Here's a large truck full of the ones sucked out of the bog before we got there.

All the cranberries are floating in the flooded bog.  

They get sucked up into a machine with sprayers and conveyor belt that dumps them into the trucks.

There were helicopter rides but I didn't take one.  

Every now and then a little froggie gets sucked into the trucks too but they are always found and released.

We got there a little late for the whole owl show and only got to see two of them.  

This one is from Europe.  Look at the size of her feet!  They are huge!

Beautiful bird.

We wandered around a bit seeing the sites in and around the bogs.

You could even put on some hip waders and go into the water.  I didn't.

But I did take pics of people who did.

I had to cut my visit short cause I was going to visit a dear friend who was in a nearby hospital, but Sheila & Joe stayed for about 90 minutes longer than I did.  Before I left, I bought 5 lbs of fresh cranberries to split with my mother in law.  Then I had a terrible panic when I could not find my car in the parking lot.  I was really starting to freak out when this guy on a golf cart showed up and drove me up and down the rows while I pressed my alarm button till we found my car.  If he hadn't helped me, I never in a million years would've found it.  

All in all, there were a lot of fun things to do and see, but it was unbelievably crowded and I don't do well in crowds and waiting in lines.  After I saw the pouring down rain the next day, I realized that's probably why Saturday was so packed.  I look forward to next year when I can stay longer!