You say buckeye, I say conker

Loving the abstract patterns that the whitish scars leave behind on these horse chestnut conkers. They are like finding striped rocks at the beach–you can’t help but pick them up and slipping them into your pocket. I picked these up while I was in Seattle. The common name horse chestnut originates from the similarity of the tree’s leaves and fruits to sweet chestnuts–to which it is not related–together with the alleged observation that the fruit or seeds could help panting or coughing horses. It is sometimes known as buckeye, for the resemblance of the seed to a deer’s eye. Conker. Chestnut. Buckeye. Call it whatever you want. But always pick them up and squirrel them away in a jacket pocket to remind you later where you were when you found it. Especially if you are traveling.

horse-chestnuts (Aesculus hippocastanum)