Birdmane's Ode to a Watermelon Bus Life

For those unfamiliar with the concept of a watermelon bus, some retired Georgia school buses are lucky enough to be chosen for a unique second life. They are gutted out empty and spend their summers transporting melons from the fields of South Georgia to markets and transport hubs where they can be shipped out to the corners of the known world. You can put a lot of melons in an old bus so they are perfect for the task.

Once they are too old a tired for melon duty, there are still a few noble purposes they could still serve. Our good friend Birdmane daydreams about one of them:

Brandon “Birdmane” Chonko
​@GApasturedbirds

​Found a old watermelon bus out on that lost highway. A wiser, ballsier, younger version of myself buys this as a 25 year old and parks it off some desolate road next to some picturesque beach. I’d plant a garden and spend my days fishing and playing catch on the beach with a dog I’d have named Mullet. By night I’d eat my catch along with whatever vegetables I was lucky enough to harvest that day. My tan would be impeccable, the kind of tan you typically see on the well to do. I’d rig up some speakers and hang some beads up as curtains. If I got lonely I’d make friends although I’m certain that mostly I’d just hang with Mullet. Maybe I’d even learn to surf. As a first order of business I’d hoist me a flag at my encampment, claim it as my own. On my flag would be a bottle of cane syrup emblazoned underneath with Free State of Souega. Rising with the sun and sleeping with the moon as the waves crashed outside my bus door and my beads danced in the wind and Mullet did that dog dream thing where he runs in his sleep, I’d sleep that satisfied sleep only known by a mere few.

---

Brandon Chonko is the Head Birdmane in Charge at Grassroots Farms in Waverly. He's also involved with the Southeast Georgia find you something good to eat site Eater Souega. From time-to-time he makes appearances on the various ABG outlets. He also caters parties and such. Find him at thegrassrootsfarm.com