As we slowly walked by, bellies absolutely gorged from a late lunch feeding frenzy at Wild Sushi, we both came to the same conclusion: we wanted a watermelon. After all my yapping about Korean CSA boxes the one thing we had not received all summer was watermelon (though we received many other types of wonderful local melons). In the winter, the average cost of a watermelon is approximately $35 or more. Under $30 is a real steal. Watermelon Man was selling his watermelons for about $10 each. We knew we had to get one before fall officially arrived.
Just moments prior we had no intention of eating anything but lettuce for dinner, but after looking at a flat of perfectly round, bright green watermelons, we both turned to one another and said, "want to eat watermelon for dinner?" We agreed it sounded like the perfect plan.
Sly thumped about 10 watermelons while I scoured the truck bed for the roundest, greenest, heaviest melon. Watermelon Man wrapped up our melon in plastic twine and Sly walked home swinging our little watermelon baby. When we finally got around to eating dinner, we sliced up our poor little melon and ate it along side a plate of cheese and crackers and huge mugs of hot tea. The melon was filled with so much juice that the moment I pierced it with the tip of my knife, the watermelon split open like a can of Pilsbury biscuits. It turned out to be the juiciest, sweetest most delicious watermelon we have had in a long time.
Today we went back in search of Watermelon Man but he wasn't there. Hopefully that won't be the last and only time we see him. Come back Watermelon Man!