My love for cantaloupe started when I was a lad. I really began to appreciate the luscious melon about ten years ago. It was a blisteringly hot July morning, when me, my stepdad, and a couple of his friends went deep sea fishing 80 miles off the coast of South Carolina. At the time, I was being a good lad and not drinking any alcohol; in fact, I had bought a twelve pack of sodas to take with us before we left.
After a three and a half hour boat ride, we arrived on the fishing grounds in the Gulf Stream. I had been deep sea fishing before, but this was an all day gig. I baited my hook with the slimmest squid parts I could find and as soon as the weights hit bottom, I had two Red Snappers yanking on the rod and reel. I battled it out with Red Snapper, Grouper, Trigger fish, and Amber jacks until I tired.
The drunks got drunker, and I got dehydrated in the afternoon sun. I went into the galley of the boat, where the drinks were being cooled, and found nothing but case after case of Bud Light, an American Beer. I went back outside to find one drunk pulling in an Amber Jack and two others puking over the side.
After a minute or two of looking around aimlessly on a boat that I was not familiar with, I asked the Captain and first mate if they knew where the sodas were. They were both clueless. The first mate offered me his last soda, but I declined even though I was extremely parched.
So, I went and knocked back a beer and laid down on the small couch in the galley. That was a major mistake. It didn’t take long for the rolling waves in my stomach to match the five foot waves of the Atlantic Ocean.
I went back outside and joined the drunks vomiting over the side. The first mate checked on me yet again. I managed to get together enough energy to fish some more while we trolled with live bait. I managed to snag myself a lovely amberjack that weighed in at around 25lbs. Not long after I caught it and another bloke caught an even larger one, and we started the long journey home.
All of the drunks decided to go lay down, so I stayed on deck with the first mate. I was so dehydrated and exhausted by this point that I could barely talk or keep my eyes open. He went to a cooler that was concealed by seats and pulled out a huge cantaloupe. He cleaned his fish knife off in the salty Atlantic and whacked it in half. Then, he preceded to hand me half of it. I kindly whispered a thank you but I’m fine remark, but he gave it to me anyway. I kindly thanked him and ate every bit of that melon without one utensil.
Every time I eat a cantaloupe, I think of that day. I might have fell over dead in a few more minutes, if he hadn’t of demanded that I take the half. It is a marvelous fruit of nature that holds so many nutrients. It is my favourite food in the summer time. It captures my imagination with its knotted ropes over a lush green surface rind. Well, everything captures my imagination. 
What say you? Do you dig Cantaloupe? What is your favourite summer fruit or vegetable?
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I love the Galia melons, grapes, apples and pineapples.
Did you ever try open freezing cubes of melon or pineapple? Eat them frozen on a hot day… thirst quenchingly bliss!
Out here we call them Rockmelons – then we call courgettes zuchini so go figure. A sweet Rockmelon is delicious and the essential ingredient for any fruit salad – they’re available all year round. They make great gelati and you can dip them in your chocolate fountain. My favourite are mangoes .. short summer season – one of the few things that actually have a ‘season’ out here but we buy them by the case load . . mango puree, fresh mangoes, mango icecream and of course . . .mango daquiri, sunshine in a glass!
Rich red watermelons!
Can’t wait to see you Jeffy.
You have my cell phone no?
I’m figuring what you call a cantaloupe is what we call a sweet melon – the shots indicate that it looks the same.
As for my favourite fruits – bananas – followed by raspberries, then pineapples and mangoes and sweet melons.
Grannymar, I love melon frozen!
It is better than icecream!!! 
Baino, we sometimes call them rock melons here as well. A mango daquiri would do me well about now!
That sounds absolutely delicious. 
Suzan, watermelon takes me back. I remember eating buy the river bank with my grandfather. I remember one time that I dropped a chunk of melon on the ground and asked him if it would be okay to eat. He proceeded to tell me about an old African woman that lived on their farm when he was a kid. She ate dirt to get iron! So, he said it would be good for me!
Vanilla, you just listed my favourite summertime fruits.
I eat a ton of bananas year round. For some whacky reason I am always running low on potassium. Also, I love dried cranberries and pineapple. Dried pineapple is far better than any sugary snacks! 
My grandpa always called them ‘mushmelons’. And I adore them as I did him!
Are you sure you’re not from South Carolina? My grandmother called them muskmelons as well.
Canteloupe and watermelon (seedless, I hate seeds).
I love cantalope too!