Spark of Inspiration

I like to walk for exercise and explore new areas. I came across a bush, with these…?? I don’t know what to call them. They didn’t turn into flowers. They weren’t on a tree; otherwise, I would think they were pine cones.

In fact, in second photo, you can see that they were drying up. They felt squishy. I’m not sure how to search online to discover what they are.

Any gardeners out there who have seen this before? Chime in.