I Want to Wake up in the Morning where the Rhododendron Grows, and The Snow Cone harvest

As a kid at camp back in the hills of West Virginia we used to sing " I wanna wake up in the mornin where the rhododendron  grows,  where the sun come's a peepin into where Ima sleepin and the song bird says Hellooo".   Well it did not quite work out that way, but it is a nice view of the Rockies from our camp site in Colorado.  A visit with the Snoocher Bear, and the Ticklepinch in Denver,  then we head home to Hazen, North Dakota to help with the snow cone harvest.

Harvesting snow cones in North Dakota is still done mostly by hand.  At the festival on the lake people warm up in the shacks where the various flavorings are heated.  Then with garden sprayers we go out on the ice and spray the flavorings.  A special sharp rake is used to curl up the ice.  The next part is done with a hand pushed machine that looks like a motor grader.   The machine puts all the ice shavings in a row.  It is a wonderful site to see all the various colored ice shavings on the lake in the sun.  Then sleds are pulled with the "coners".  The coners have a special scoop that they use to fill the little paper snow cone cups.  Finally the packers come behind and package all the snow cones.  Very few people know most of the snow cones in the country come from Lake Sakakawea, in North Dakota.  As part of the harvest festival people wear special goofy hats with a little fuzzy ball on the top and ear flaps.  It is a tradition to speak with a German accent and no matter what anyone says to you answer " ya that's different".   Later everyone pours vodka on the snow cones and does the snow cone dance on the ice.   Before the festival each person puts on a special white jumpsuit.  Drunker than hell trying to dance the polka on the ice everyone falls down onto the ice which has been splattered with the food coloring for the snow cones.   The result is a colorful bunch of drunks slithering on the ice with accordion music playing.