Tuesday, October 11, 2011

At Maurice Roberts Park, a nap, a walk and pictures where form, at least momentarily, trumps function

Lunch hour can be a dilemma. When my eyes get heavy and I know I need to be rejuvenated, do I nap in my car, walk or both (not necessarily at the same time)? Now that it's cooled off, finding a shady spot is no longer a priority. I can pretty much nap anywhere I pull over. I took a brief snooze at Maurice Roberts Park in Richmond recently, then walked the perimeter of the park with my camera. It was a wake-up two-fer, a rejuvenator supreme. There were a couple of parents with children on the playground, so I was concerned not to make eye contact. An adult male with a camera in a park can arouse suspicion these days, so I felt it was wise to avoid even looking in their direction. I came across these colorful berries (not even sure that's what they are) and shot a couple of photos. I thought the colors, especially the purple stems, were unusual. If you know what kind of a shrub this is and what the green "berries" are, I'd like to know. I've never seen anything like them. They are very small and shape-wise are a cross between a (very) miniature pumpkin and a flattened tomato. So much for my powers of description. On the way out of the park, I found a nicely landscaped mailbox. I've been collecting photos of unusual mailboxes; not sure what for, but sometimes form rises above the demands of function. Enjoy your day and remember my motto (at least for the next 20 seconds): "Treybooshkas today, tomorrow Quatrebooshkas."

2 comments:

  1. Looks like reader Fran Ellsworth has it right -- pokeberries, just one of many names for them: The pokeweeds, also known as pokebush, pokeberry, pokeroot, poke sallet,[3][4][5] polk salad[6], polk salat, polk sallet, inkberry or ombĂș, comprise the genus Phytolacca, perennial plants native to North America, South America, East Asia and New Zealand.

    When I saw polk salad (also polk salat), it reminded me of a song time (there's always a song). Try this one on for size -- "Polk Salad Annie" by Tony Joe White with Johnny Cash http://www.totallyfuzzy.net/ourtube/tony-joe-white-johnny-cash/poke-salad-annie-video_959fe536b.html
    Funky 'nuff fo yuh?

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  2. Good advice: unless you're a bird, don't eat them.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pokeweed

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