"Catchup" has caught up!

Catchup has caught up and passed up every melon in the field! The stress factor at this point is phenomenal! This is one BIG MELON folks and it's steadily inching into record territory. Anything can happen but we must continue to think positive on our outcome. We are pushing this one to the limits.

It has been a scorcher in the Missouri Bootheel this past week. The mercury has been topping 100 degrees in the shade at our house causing the melons, animals and humans great distress. Our desert like soil wicks away all the moisture we can provide through artificial means.

A certified platform scale by the United States Department of Agriculture Weights and Measures Division is a must for accurate tales of the scales. Our friend, Dave Diebold (Diebold Orchards), of Benton, Missouri has always been happy to oblige.

A testament to the resilience of these massive vines is evident when we found this melon growing 50 feet from the tap root on the other side of the fence. This vine had our 172 pound giant that we pulled earlier. We have decided to let this melon keep growing until the season ends. The horses have investigated but are unimpressed.