Harvesting watermelons while listening to the chirping of bell crickets

In the evening, as the sound of bell crickets drifted in from the field, I harvested the watermelons.

A little while ago, I spotted a raccoon dog near my house, so I was a bit worried that “maybe it would eat my watermelons too?” but somehow, I managed to make it to harvest day without any trouble.

This year, I grew small watermelons.
When I cut one open, it was sweet, juicy, and had grown into something truly delicious.

Watermelon is, of course, the quintessential summer fruit.
But when I listen closely to the sounds around the garden, the chorus of frogs—which I’d heard almost every night until recently—has quietly faded away, and now the chirping of bell crickets can be heard here and there.

Eating the watermelon makes me feel like it’s still summer,
but the sounds I hear suggest that autumn is already here.

The rice in the paddies is also gradually moving toward the harvest season.

Is Akita’s short summer coming to an end already?