Early June brings the local watermelon season. It lasts between three and four weeks. Along with the growing melons, an army convoy of school busses with their drivers and families arrive. The wonderful people who pick our fruits and vegetables on the way to our tables make this time of the year very traditional, indeed. Summer and Watermelon!
Most of the busses are unique. Many have the window are cut out. Some have the entire back cut out. Last year I had planned to take pictures of the busses, but they disappeared as quickly as they came. The grapevine eventually told me that they were on their way to their next picking area…Cordelle, GA—whose claim to fame is that they are the watermelon of the world. (I guess we like our titles…Ocala claims to be the horse racing capital, so why not a watermelon capital.)
This evening on my way to finish up some census stuff, I stopped at the local warehouse and center of action to grab a snapshot of the trucks. I ran into Rene, a wonderful man, hard working gentlemen. I asked if he would mind if I took pictures of the area. He said that was fine. His entire family were working. He told me that his son was a chef, but helped pick during various seasons. Rene’s favorite pickin’s apparently is Delaware blueberries. They pick and pack from sunup to sundown. And, all we have to do is go to the grocery to get those yummy round seedless melons.
Steve had just mentioned to me today that he wondered where they were grown. We have never seen a watermelon plant, but there are hundreds of boxes waiting to be filled and shipped. Rene offered to show Steve and me the watermelon fields some evening next week. I may just take him up on that. Thanks, Rene, for the offer and wonderful information that you provided.
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