Watermelon Harvest

I left the farm three weeks ago with nine good-sized melons growing in my garden patch. When I arrived Monday evening, only three of those had survived. The other six had been enjoyed by some critters, probably my pet rabbits. But two appeared ready to harvest. So I cut them off the vine and took them inside, hoping that they really were ripe and ready. Even if they weren't, better that I should take them than to leave them to the watermelon-devouring rabbits.

You must understand that watermelons are one of my favorite features of God's creation. Right up there with coffee and chocolate. I love locally grown melons each summer (not those tasteless, mushy ones grown far away and available all year long). My favorite melons are grown in Stockdale, TX (the home of the annual Watermelon Jubilee) and sold at Bush's, a family roadside fruit and vegetable stand on Hwy. 123 just north of town. When I stopped by Bush's last month I learned that there were NO watermelons this year. The drought had prevented their raising any. I couldn't believe that. I wound up buying a good one grown in the Rio Grande Valley from a guy with a trailer load of them in Floresville. But my garden had several in process and I hoped to see them to harvest.

I put the larger of the two in the refrigerator, The next morning I spent four hours mowing and cleaning up the garden. I discovered a small puddle beside the long, caliche driveway, which, in a time of exceptional drought, should not have been there. Some digging around revealed a burst water pipe between the water meter and the house. I turned the water off at the meter and called a plumber. I was hot, gritty, and tired, but could neither clean up nor cook until I had water restored. While I waited for Red Rose Plumbing to arrive, I cut the watermelon and sat with a ice cold piece on the front porch.

It could not have tasted better. Cold, sweet, juicy, crisp -- perfect. I cooled off and quenched my thirst in a most satisfactory way -- with the first watermelon I had ever picked from my garden. Now I had a dilemma. Taylor and his family were arriving the next day. Amber, my daughter-in-law, enjoys watermelon about like I do. Do I eat the whole thing before they arrive or save some and share. My pride in actually growing a good-tasting melon trumped my appetite, so I saved it and served it with breakfast this morning.

The vines continue to stretch out, across rows and even outside the garden fence. They continue to blossom and form fruit. Another melon is about ready to pick, if the critters don't get to it first.With some luck we'll have others available soon.