The 43rd Annual Watermelon Cutting

Yep, you read that right! This dear neighbor has been having a watermelon cutting for the entire community, in her front yard, for 43 years. Because that's just how Oriental is.

Here are the conspirators hosts. Miss Fay and her family, and their watermelon:

Get a look at this watermelon cutter! That's serious stuff.

Adam can eat watermelon like a 7th grade boy, as in, a whole one by himself. He limited himself to one "piece," which, in Miss Fay's world, is a slab.

"Me? Daddy!! Don't forget me!!"  He didn't :)

They provided tables, chairs, paper towels, forks and salt.

I (sadly) am not much of a watermelon enthusiast, but even I had to admit that this was one good specimen.

Old folks and young folks:

Lots of folks:

I do believe Miss Fay was enjoying herself!

One little girl brought along lemons to squeeze on her watermelon. Have you ever heard of such a thing?

There were deep pink seedless ones,

And deep red seeded ones,

Here is Goldie, Miss Fay's faithful companion, giving Sandy a good sniff.

Sandy made several new friends.

But then she hid under my chair for a bit. Oversocialized, I guess.

Here's the trash solution - cute!

The rinds. Miss Fay feeds the big turtles that come into her creek from the Neuse, and I bet she feeds these to them. They're rather large turtles, I hear.

Sandy says she had a grand time.

This is only a fraction of the bicycles on Miss Fay's lawn. If you long to live in a community that feels like something from the '50s, where kids are safe and everyone knows everyone, Oriental is a great choice!