When one has tasted watermelon he knows what the angels eat.
-- Mark Twain
If there is one thing that tastes like summer, it is watermelon.
Tell me I'm wrong when I say there is a special taste and (this is important) texture when you bite into a sweet, chilled slice of watermelon.
It's the summer treat. You don't eat it any other time of year.
And it's a time machine.
Take a bite and suddenly you've gone back. You're 5 years old and sitting in your grandmother's backyard. There's juice on your jaws, and you don't care.
WHICH REMINDS ME: I got to thinking about watermelon because I got this nice invitation -- which I'm sharing with you -- for the sixth annual Tom Watson Watermelon Festival on Saturday, Aug. 1, in Thomson.
There not only is a cash prize for Tom Watson Watermelon growing, there are other events.
- A seed spitting contest to see whether anyone can top the 1989 world record of 68 feet and 9 inches.
- A watermelon shot-put, which should be fun.
- Watermelon rolling, bowling and tossing.
- Plus live music, crafts, historical displays.
For a map and directions go to www.hickory-hill.org.
TRAVELS: And nothing says summer vacation like a post card.
Brian and Glenda Purcell , of North Augusta, send a post card from Maine where "we watched George Bush sky-dive on his 85th birthday."
Henry and Carol Klein , of North Augusta, send a wonderful card showing the new Philadelphia Phillies ballpark and point out the home team is in first place.
Garry and Irene Hawley , of Aiken, send greetings from rainy, windy Russia. They've also made stops in Stockholm, Helsinki and Estonia.
Lynn , Matt and Nick send a card from Virginia on their way to a family reunion in upstate New York.
Old friends Winnie McElvried , Cathy Neal , Sarah Hicks , Cathy Billiter and Rachel Meadows send a couple of cards from Alaska.
The Oligs were in Vermont and Massachusetts and Maine and even Mount Vernon in Virginia. (They get around and they remember to send us post cards.)
Gary and Lillian are at Lake of the Ozarks. Will (8) and Steven (5) Moffatt are in Boston with their parents.
Wes , Wendy and Merrill Whisenant send "greetings from cool, fresh New Hampshire."
Sandra and Shirley Johnson and George Pittman were in Orlando for a wedding.
Howard Hensley and family spent nine days on the islands of Oahu, Maui, Big Island and Kaua'i. "We had a blast."
Ken Gordon from Winfield says he was visiting friends in Wyoming along with Jean Kelly and Jean Giles ... "arrived to 2 inches of snow."
TODAY'S JOKE: The new army recruit was given guard duty at 2 a.m. He did his best for a while, but at about 4 a.m. he went to sleep.
He awoke to find the officer of the day standing before him. Remembering the heavy penalty for being asleep on guard duty, the young man kept his head bowed for another moment and looked upward and reverently said, "A-a-a-men!"
Reach Bill Kirby at (706) 823-3344 or bill.kirby@augustachronicle.com.
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