The Official 1st Sign of Spring in SD

I know it's Spring when the mayflowers bloom on the native prairie.  Rocco and I took a little walk west of our place to check and see if Spring was here.

The pasque or wind flower in South Dakota dates back to a time long before Europeans settled in the area. The first flower to show its blossom in the spring was the subject of Plains Indian songs and legends. As the first blossom to show itself in the spring, the pasque flower lent itself to legend and an endearing place in the hearts of early settlers.


The history of the pasque flower, its abundance and its spring wake-up call made it a natural choice for the floral emblem of South Dakota.  The pasque flower is known by many names. The Lakota name for the flower is "hosi cekpa" meaning "child's navel." Others refer to this flower as anemone, wind flower, blue anemone, Hartshorne plant gosling plant American pulstilla, prairie crocus, blue tulip, wild crocus prairie smoke, sand flower, rock lily, headache plant, Coventry bells and the May Day flower.




 
As a child I was taught to call them May flowers.  They bloom the end of April or the first part of May.   This year they are very thick.  The moisture we had from that heavy snow helped to bring a bumper crop.  I love to walk on the prairie and think of the settler women who must have been pleased to see flowers blooming after the cold hard winter.  They are a lovely flower in their delicate beauty, but how hardy they really are to come back every year.
 
Things have not slowed down much, but I hope to be posting more often.  I miss sewing and reading my favorite blogs. 
 
We did attend Michelle's pinning ceremony in Pierre.  She is now a graduate from the University of South Dakota with a Degree in Nursing.  I was honored she chose me to "pin" her.  Jen flew in the day of graduation.  It was nice to have her here for a few days.  We enjoyed a Mother's Day supper together in Pierre too.  Jen flew home to Pensacola today. 

Michelle will be working at the hospital in Pierre.   She is busy studying for her licensing test in June.  We are very proud of her.  I know she will make a caring, compassionate nurse.