Eavesdropping and laughing

Walking a garden, or nursery, I try to be conscious of of the dialogue happening around me. Some might call it eavesdropping, I call it being aware of my surroundings. I love the little bits of conversation I overhear. During my visit to the Huntington Gardens in December (posts still to come) I was privy to the exchange between a couple of young students working an educational booth, and a family visiting the garden.

The students had just explained and shown cochineal to part of the family group. The newly educated were amazed!

"That white fuzzy mess is a bug? And it makes pink dye? NO WAY!" Yes, way. An important detail, my story rests on the fact they were told it makes pink dye, not red dye.

photo of cochineal from my visit to The Lodge on the Desert in Tucson, I didn't see any actual cochineal at the Huntington

 
When you say "pink dye" kind of fast it can be heard as "pink eye"... so you had one part of the family excited to show the other part where pink dye comes from...

"You guys this is where pink dye comes from! Here touch it...."
... "Pink eye!"... "I don't want to touch it, I don't want to get pink eye!"

...and around and around they went. One side saying pink dye and the other hearing pink eye, and both sides getting more and more exasperated with each other.

I just giggled quietly to myself and walked on, admiring the opuntia...

Weather Diary, Apr 29: Hi 74, Low 53/ Precip .01

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