Watermelon time in the northeast?

Good watermelon is hard to beat.  This summer, June, July, August, the watermelon here in metro New York has been routinely disappointing.  At our two main stores, Whole Foods and North Shore Farms, the fruit was either too hard, not sweet, or tasteless.  Now, in September, it is perfect.  What gives?

Ever the conspiracy theorist here, could it be that those southern states who grow most of the melons were using all of the prime produce for those great summer traditions at home.  That's picnics, summer camp desserts, rewards for sack races and wheelbarrow races, baseball games, church gatherings, family outings, just about everything goes with watermelon in the humidity drenched heat in that region.  Would they then send the old or the unripened fruit "up north", where some might think nobody knows the difference anyway.

Certainly there was no shortage of watermelon on shelves this summer.  It just was not good.  Could it now be that with all of those southern summer traditions satisfied, the good stuff is finally arriving here.  Whatever the reason, it's wonderful to finally have some of what was my late father's favorite breakfast treat arriving here in perfect shape, great taste, refreshingly familiar, and energizing.