Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Daddy's Watermelons-- Sweet ans Juicy, Well Not Yet



Y’all know I love Monday nights, this week (last week really) was no different, if anything it was better than most. Angela invited one of our cousin’s daughters over while her mother finished working on a set for the children’s play at church Sunday night. Notice how much she resembles Charlee.


When her Gigi arrived to pick her up, she ran to the car and proclaimed to Gigi that she just had to come smell the kitchen. Angela had fixed the most amazing chicken ‘n rice and green beans with new potatoes. I stewed and fried squash plus fried some chicken. So yeah, the kitchen smelled pretty righteous. After a little begging, Gigi agreed to stay. Aunt Bernice also dined with us. The meal was wonderful. Gigi and Anna had to hurry home with a plate for little brother at home with Grandpa.

After we had finished our countryman’s feast, dad mentioned he needed to go start the pivot and he would take the grand girls for their usual tour of the melon field.
I insisted that we all “load up” and go. Aunt Bernice of course, wanted to clean the kitchen first, but I persisted that the dirty dishes would not go anywhere while we were gone.


Dad wasn’t too sure about all of us loading up in his truck. Really I think he didn’t want to clean out the front seat of the truck (or embarrassed) nor did he want to unload the back of the truck.
Dad fretted over the junk in front and I moved the sharp objects and barbwire out of the back.
Consequently, we decided that the kids could ride with him and the older women could ride in mom’s car.
Even the dogs loaded up for the adventure to the watermelon patch. Each time the truck would stop another dog would jump in and sometimes one would jump out.



When we arrived at the patch the children bailed out like clowns out of a circus beetle bug. Dad cranked the irrigation motor.



Waiting for the motor to gain rigor, dad and the grand kids walked through the corn field.



Papa talked to Katie about his corn crop. He explained to Katie that the planter skipped the two middle rows… which in the end will affect his yield. I hate that, because I love to mix field corn with my sweet for the best cream corn ever.

Finally it was time to hunt for a ripe melon.


Even though dusk was on us, dad had a flashlight to help illuminate the way. Charlee and Papa found what they thought could be a ripe juicy melon.
All the kids, 7 to be exact, plus 3 dogs and 1 older woman (me) hovered over waiting the first taste of summer. Daddy carefully cut the melon as mouths started to water. The moment had finally arrived; dad cut a small piece of the heart for Charlee, and the other kids.
The kids took a bite out of their slightly pink, crunchy slice of watermelon.
Some mouths thought they were eating manna from heaven while others--- well didn’t care much for the bitter sweet delight.


Needless to say the melons still need a few more days in the hot sun to ripen and get a little juicier. Hopefully, next Monday we’ll have red juicy melons.
Tuesday, I noticed another sign of summer---blackberries.
Now every afternoon, we have to stop along our driveway to pick blackberries.
Saturday, Grandma prayed asking for rain to help the blackberries grow so Charlee and she could make a clobber.


Here are some other pictures taken at Meme and Papa’s. The big kids decide to race on their bikes to the second cattle gap. Miss Charlee thought she would go too, only she had a little problem.

She took it upon herself to walk through the cow pasture (where a bull who likes to play tag lives also. As I was washing dishes I noticed a speck --- All the kids made it safely back in the yard.




6 comments:

  1. What an adventure Kimberely! Memories...you will be so glad you have all of this documented!!

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  2. oh mercy.. you tell charlee she is a lot braver than me! walking in that field with those bulls! I've parked my jogging stroller for the next few weeks until ours are moved from the pasture in front of our house! :) And as for the cattle gap incident--- we had one of those a couple months back... my sister in law lauren was riding her bike up our driveway and on her way back, as she was going over the cattle gap, she slowed down to turn around and tell us something (we were walking)-- she didnt know you couldnt slow down or you'd fall in! (She's a tampa girl)... she's learning all about this "country life"... ha... Uncle Frank & aunt clara nell's house always made me want to live across some cattle gaps...and now I've got 2 of my own! :) Seeing him in the field with those grandkids makes me think of my days spent in the garden with my Papa. So sweet... I love to be around Uncle Frank cause its like having a little bit of Papa around... I love him and Aunt Clara Nell dearly..lots of great memories and times spent with yall! :) Oh, and we're still coming to monday night dinner sometime!!! :)

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  3. OH Kimberly..can I just be adopted in your family? You all have the coolest traditions EVER..I think the only thing we do every year is hang the same ornaments on the tree and charlie read the Christmast story...we need some good traditions..and besides how are we ever going to get Chloe and her duet partner together if they are never together..haha love ya

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  4. How fun! And something about me is loving that picture of the blackberries...you have a good camera! I'm also loving Charlee's bike in the cattle gap...you gotta learn sometime!

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  5. ...all your stories are so cute and make me laugh when I read them! I can just picture Charlee in my head as I am reading... your stories also remind me of home down in the South! We miss you all and think of you often! Keep the good stories coming!

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  6. Hope Charlee will have better luck when learning to drive!!!!!!!!!

    A trip to the field never seemed as interesting until I read this account. I recall many a day as nights as well going to the field, checking on the irrigation, spraying, loading, etc. And let me tell you, I'd give anything to take a ride through the fields again with my dad. I still believe today he could walk on water and not to mention the tales he could share.

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