A watermelon that grew to the size of a palm

This year, I’m growing watermelons in my garden.

They started out as tiny seedlings, but they’ve been growing a little bit every day, and before I knew it, they’d finally reached the size of my palm. Every time I go to the garden, I look at them and wonder, “Have they gotten a little bigger than yesterday?” It’s become a daily joy.

It’ll still be a little while before harvest time, but from here on out, the battle with nature begins.
My biggest opponent, of course, is the crow. They strike just as the fruit starts to sweeten, so I can’t let my guard down.

Not only that, but raccoon dogs and palm civets also come around here, so I have to keep a close watch. Whether we’ll make
it to harvest day safely—that’s where the real work begins.

Living in nature, I’ve come to realize that it’s not just humans who look forward to the bounty of the seasons—the animals do too. Still, this year, I’d really like us to get to enjoy at least one watermelon.

The watermelons are growing bigger little by little during Akita’s short summer. Looking forward
to harvest day, we’ll continue to tend to them with care this year as well.