In Nederland, there are many things that I cannot explain.  Does the football season ever end?  Will elected members of Parliament ever form a government and why does it matter? Why does the water leak into our apartment during a heavy rain? What is this strange fruit? (See update below.)

Susan found this on the sidewalk near our house, but could not find the plant that it came from in spite of looking. It was mildly interesting to photograph, mainly because of the color.  But the inside was even more interesting. The whole thing is about 2" along the long axis.  The insides have structure similar to melons, eh?  But those red things are a mystery.  Melons have seeds but nothing quite like those red things.

Quite by accident, I learned that laziness may have some benefits. Many times now I have discovered that leaving a piece of fruit or a vegetable on the counter for several days, utterly neglected, even after cutting it open, lets it dry up and shrivel in interesting ways.  The results occasionally are far more interesting than the original.  This strange fruit is a perfect example, I think. So here's to laziness and neglect.  But remember to practice it in moderation.

Dried Fruit

*It's a passion fruit.  When mature, all the little seeds had grown into the red thing, and you can eat them. Like a pomegranate.