If it falls off easily it should be ripe enough to eat. Yours looks ripe. If there is green in the background below the netting then they may need to set a day or two. A really ripe one also usually has a good aroma in the stem area.

OldHippieMomma enjoy that melon its ready and remember where seed go back to. I bought cucumber seed in 2010 I let some get to big and they dry till soil in spring and new crop pops up way to thick I thin and go again.

Thanks, Gator_rider 2! I did open it up and it was definitely ripe - and very tasty.

Last year my husband and I started a compost pile. I guess it didn't break down enough as, after he put some around the garden, there were all kinds of volunteers popping up. There was some very healthy spinach but most looked like squash. We kept a few of those - they ended up being ornamental squash. One vine had different looking leaves so I decided to keep it and it turned out to be the cantaloupe.

I didn't think the growing season where I live was long enough to grow melons. Now that I know I can, I plan to grow more next year. I hope to find some heirloom seed or at the very least non-GMO.