Ramble 11: A Lovely Bunch of Coconuts

Crab Cove is a favorite Marge and Sergei ramble. There's a public walkway from the Cove to Central Ave. that winds along the inside bay - formerly known as Sunny Cove - that we've walked dozens of times to watch terns, pelicans, all sorts of ducks and shorebirds, egrets, night herons, gray cranes, even seals.

On our most recent walk - a warm, sunny day that made us feel like spring is on the way - Marge took a closer look at the fence that encloses the play yard behind Paden School. What she'd always assumed was a fence right against the edge of the inlet actually seemed to have a walkway.
And it does.
The walkway entrance is on Central Ave. Access it by heading left of the school's main entrance and between the apartment block and the school there's an open gate leading to a concrete walkway.
This presents a different view of Sunny Cove and, despite Marge carrying home unwelcome prizes from this particular foray, we're both looking forward to excellent photographs of sunsets from this spot.
What unwelcome prizes?
The walkway ends at a secluded spot behind the school and in front of condo/townhomes. Debris washes up here and Marge found a pair of coconuts!
She pulled them out of the drying mud and reeds - they were balding but intact - and she shook one then the other: the slushing sound implies each contains coconut milk! What a find.
Where did they come from? Far as we know, Alameda, with all its palm trees, does not produce this sort of coconut. Did the tide carry them from some Pacific island, through the Golden Gate, and wash them up on this tiny beach? Did a local grocer toss them into the garbage? Or something else?

While Sergei generally finds Marge's passion for collecting discarded items "an artistic expression" (she's currently she's collecting blue, green, and brown plastic bottles) this time, he cautioned her.
"Marge, why do you need to drag home shit-covered coconuts and plastic bottles? Think: coliform, e-coli and god-knows-what-else...."
"Sergei, whenever I remember, I dumpster dive for colored plastic bottles and lately, with everyone getting in on recycling, it's been slim pickin's for collectors like me. Sorry to disgust you, but these are coming home. Just look at the worn quality of the plastic after floating in seawater and sewage: it is unique."
Luckily Sergei was carrying a couple of large, new garbage can liners. (Yes, the man is patient and prescient!)

Marge bleached and scrubbed the bottles and, voila, they are unique.
As for the coconuts, well, Sergei may be right; they are stinky. Right now they still repose in the clean garbage-can liner that carried them home.
Marge circles them each day waiting for inspiration to strike.

Meanwhile, important facts about the song, "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts":

• a novelty song composed in 1944 (as "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Cocoanuts") by English songwriter Fred Heatherton
• in 1949, the song was a top-ten hit in the U.S. for Freddy Martin And His Orchestra with vocalist Merv Griffin (it sold over three million copies)
• in 1950, it was a number-25 hit for Danny Kaye
• the song celebrates the coconut shy (coconut toss) at funfairs.