i am glad these are HORSE chestnuts and not "regular" ones
i picked a few of these (as in ----roasting on a open fire)
as yo can see by this picture http://www.chestnutsonline.com/
the outer cover is very prickly...one fell on me and scratched
my face...these would make dangerous weapons...
http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/forestry/Education/buckeyetrees.htm
buckeyes were used by the natives here to stun fish and
make them float up to the surface where they would scoop them up.
the blossoms are poisonois to bees and cattle..and presumabley
other critters, too.http://www.biosci.ohio-state.edu/~herb/buckeye.htm
my uncle used to live on Buckeye ranch in a small town in Nebraska
called Buckeye.
--the buckeye in California has a shiny mohagany colored outer skin
which is quite woody, and smoothe.