Cranberry Harvest 2018

Earlier this week, an email went out to members of the South Shore Camera Club letting us know that a bog owner in Plymouth had begun flooding his bogs. Let's just say that this news is irresistible for photographers. Photographing the cranberry harvest has been an autumn ritual for me for years. 

I knew that my forever friend Cathy (we've known each other since we were toddlers) had the day off so I called and asked if she would like to accompany me. She had never seen cranberries being harvested and was truly amazed. In case the process is new to you as well, I'll try to explain. Cranberries may be harvested wet or dry; wet is far more colorful.

First, water is flooded into the bog. A machine not unlike an overgrown "eggbeater" is driven through the bog agitating the berries off the low growing bushes. The berries float to the top creating a glorious crimson field which is then corralled by a wide band.

Next, the cranberries are siphoned up into the trucks.

 

As always, you may click on any image for a larger view.

After watching for a while, we went for lunch to Plymouth Harbor where an art installation featuring colorful lobsters dotted the area.

The foliage in our area has been disappointing thus far, but as you can see, we still had a colorful day.

Cranberry Harvest

This was a Stoughton quilting weekend, but I only really spent time there on Friday. Yesterday, I attended the 12th birthday party for my cousin's triplets. It doesn't seem possible that they are that old. Today after church, I decided it was too beautiful to spend the day inside quilting, so I headed to Plymouth in hopes of photographing a bog being worked. I thought I would share some photos in case you have never seen a cranberry harvest.

 

First, the bog is flooded and then a machine not unlike a giant eggbeater is driven through the bog to release the berries from the bushes. The berries float to the surface creating a magnificent crimson carpet. That probably occurred yesterday. When I arrived on the scene this morning, a worker was pulling a very long band through the bog encircling and pulling together the berries. 

 

Here's my favorite image of the day.

 

Then the trucks are brought up and a machine siphons the berries up. The "separator"  spews the twigs and leaves into the pickup truck and the cranberries into the long truck.

 

 

 

It's fascinating to watch the whole procedure. I was also surprised to see so much gorgeous color appearing along the highway. Hopefully, the color will deepen here on the south shore. 

On another note . . . if you have emailed me and not received a response it is because my email is messed up. I can receive email, but my responses are not going through. My responses appear in the sent folder, but no one receives them. Comcast is supposedly working on it. Yesterday while dealing with a level two technician, suddenly over 10,000 previously deleted emails dating back to 2014 appeared in my laptop inbox and about 700 on my iPad. Yikes!!! But . . . they're working on it. . . fingers crossed . . .

Cranberry Harvest

This afternoon I headed down to Carver in search of bogs being worked, but unfortunately, I didn't have much luck. This is as close as I came; this bog was flooded and the cranberries were floating on the surface, but there was no sign of any workers.

It was still a very colorful sight.

I have often driven by this lovely church on Rt. 58 in Carver, but I haven't photographed it in recent years. Today I decided to stop.

I love the beautiful architecture and totally embrace the message proclaimed outside.