melons

[mitchmaine]

Back in the 60’s, if you could manage to grow a watermelon here in Maine, it was a true cause for celebration. It usually meant a chance for a photograph in the local paper. Neighbors would drop in to ooh and aah, and of course it would be eaten. It might look like a summer squash, with a three inch rind and this tiny half ripe, lightly pink center that could possibly taste a little like a watermelon, but it did and that was all that counted, so the grower went away with braggin’ rights, and the neighbors left with a new goal for the next garden season and all was good in the world.
Now, thanks to global warming and new hybrid varieties, watermelons are actually quite common here now and not too hard to grow. But that doesn’t stop the aah factor, and neighbors are still lugging their watermelons around for show.
We still differ from the rest of the watermelon eating world in that they eat their melons in july at the beach or at the backyard parties. I’ve seen the pictures.
Here, in Maine, when the fruit is ripe and ready, we are usually standing around in a woodyard, kneedeep in woodchips and bark, dressed in sweatshirts with the hoods up, back to the wind and the rain, happily chompin’ away on our watermelons, oohing and aahhhing and laughing away having a great old time, and I wondered if anyone else saw the humor in this? Cracks me up every time. Life is good. Hope to see you all next week.

Mitch and Penny

[Carl Russell]

Bring a melon to share.

Carl

[Jean]

I had some watermelons growing this year. They got to be about 4 inches around and my over anxious husband pulled the plants saying they would never amount to anything so why bother? Why bother, I say! Because we still have a good month of no killing frost! Give the melons a chance!

Maybe next year I will find a secret spot for my watermelons.
Jean

[mitchmaine]

@Carl Russell 21298 wrote:

Bring a melon to share.

Carl

rain or shine, see you there.

mitch

[Author]

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