Joke's On Me

A bright splash of color in the midst of a sea of green underbrush - what could it be? Determined to find out, I left the footpath and waded into the weeds, keeping my eye on the prize.

"It must be some new, rare flower - growing all alone like that," I thought, as I ignored the fact that most of the understory weeds I was passing through had leaves-of-three.

The closer I got, the brighter the "red blossoms" became.  I couldn't imagine what kind of exotic flower was flourishing there, beckoning to me in that shady, desolate spot.  I mentally cringed at all the poison ivy around me and pressed on.

Finally I found my prize.  Here's what I saw:

The rare paintius fluorenscus!

Yes, the joke was on me.  I had seen something bright and flashy alright - surveyor's marking paint - fluorescent pink!

I went on to find a number of plants that had been spray-painted in the area - mostly isolated weeds here and there, with no rhyme or reason that I could make out.

Eventually I found a few surveyor's ribbons marking this and that.  Something's up at the park, people!  I wonder what it is?