End of season report

It's all about giving. I donated a 156 pound melon to a fellow co-worker who used it to raise funds for his friend, Joey Williams in Kankakee Illinois. Joey was injured in a water skiing accident this year.

His friends rallied by his side to help defray medical expenses incurred as a result. Thank God for good friends!!!

It's official! Once again my friends Lyman, Dennis, and Tony help tote a jolly green giant to an official scale. The result is a 219 pound melon that was 32.5 inches long and a whopping 66 inches in circumference! Now that's a heavy melon for it's size....

The journey to the Republic Missouri Pumpkin Daze festival on October 4th was filled with anticipation as other growers from around the world weighed in their produce on the same day. The contest is held in conjunction with the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth and unites growers world-wide on the first Saturday in October each year. My friend Dan Westfall the Missouri state pumpkin record holder was on hand as my giant was awarded 1st place in the entire competition for the year! Wow! For such a rough start and all the problems I faced this year what a pleasant surprise. "Surrender Hell, I've just begun to fight!" John Paul Jones.

Growing giant watermelons is an obsession that starts way before seed germination. You must think outside the box and plan each years crop the previous season. I've already started preparing next years field with the help of my trusted Kubota tractor.

Many thanks go out to all my friends who have helped me survive yet another trying year physically and mentally. I leave on a couple profound thoughts........ Luck is a losers response on a winners position.... Evil prevails, when good men do nothing....

We had the pleasure of receiving a nice email from the fine people with Gallagher, the inventor of the "Sledge-O-Matic" that slices, dices and above all else, totally DESTROYS watermelons. Gallagher's stage act is world-famous and he's had numerous comedy specials on the Showtime cable network. We've exchanged links between our two sites in an attempt to help "grow" the hobby of giant melons. I wonder if Gallagher and his "Sledge-O-Matic" could slice and dice a 200 pounder????!!!!!