how old do you think i am well i don t know i turned 65 about 11 months ago i was sittin in miami pouring blended whiskey down when this old gray black gentleman was cleaning up the lounge there wasn t anyone around except this old man and me the guy who ran the bar was watching ironsides on tv uninvited he sat down and opened up his mind on old dogs and children and watermelon wine have you ever had a drink of watermelon wine he asked he told me all about it though i didn t answer back ain t but three things in life worth a solitary dime that s old dogs and children and watermelon wine he said women think about themselves when menfolk ain t around and friends are hard to find when they discover that you re down you know i tried it all when i was young and in my natural prime now it s old dogs and children and watermelon wine old dogs care about you even when you make mistakes god bless little children while they re still too young to hate when he moved away i found my pen and copied down that line about old dogs and children and watermelon wine i had to catch a plane up to atlanta that next day as i left for my room i saw him picking up my change that night i dreamed in peaceful sleep of shady summertime of old dogs and children and watermelon wine