My Mother's Famous Watermelon Salad

The day before the picnic, look at the melons; an even, balanced, level-sitting, ripe watermelon that fits ice chest or fridge; same for honeydew or Persian.

Place unchilled, washed, dried melons on drain-board; assemble utensils, clear bottom fridge shelf.

Place an oblong platter, French bread basket on top of watermelon; draw, dot with felt tip, a shallow cap around the top of watermelon.

With paring knife, cut along this cap line with knife parallel to board.

With 8-inch knife, remove cap with lever action, gently.

Cut off red melon into pieces bowl bite-sized. With scoop cut out large melon balls; put in 3 gallon bowl.

Smooth out inside of shell; cut up odd-sized pieces and juice into "pieces bowl".

Peel honeydews, Persians, tops to a "bowl"; repeat same process for melon balls and discard seeds.

Rinse, wipe off outside of shell and make a saw-toothed edge on watermelon shell; decorate, fill shell with a mix of all the kinds of melon balls, until shells are full.

Pour juice from the "pieces bowl" and "empties" into the watermelon.

Fill red shell until it is 1/2 full; wipe off, cover and chill.

Fill other shell with leftover melon balls and juice. Cover; chill.

The same for "pieces bowl".

Transport in ice chest, covered, on crushed ice.

Save Persian shell for breakfast.