Saturday, May 7, 2011

I have decided to interrupt my posting on the
wonders of Saskatchewn for my first flower
of the year. I was away from home for work 
for three days, when  I got home my wife
mentioned  the crocus had bloomed
I was out to look right away. These
grow wild here but this one is in our
garden. As Candice Savage notes in her
marvelous book Prairie a Natural History,
they risk frost and snow pushing up
without growing leaves to take advantage
of snow melt. The coat of hairs holds in
heat and moisture. By the time the other
flowers appear they will already have
set seed.






The Crocus Teaches Wapee to Overcome Fear


"On the fifth morning, in that brief state between
sleeping and waking, Wapee heard the flower
whisper, "Who never knows fear is a fool.
Who knows fear and listens is wise. Who knows
fear and conquers is brave." Startled, Wapee
opened his eyes and stared, but the flower
only opened its petals and danced in the wind.
All that day Wapee thought about what the
flower had said, and wove its words
into his prayers. Again he sheltered the flower
with his body and robe. As he fell asleep,
he heard the flower close its petals and
sigh, "I am so pale and plain.""

from

Legend of the Prairie Crocus

A First Nations Tale About the

Origin of the Prairie Flower


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

My friends in Montana are posing these now as pasque flowers. I just looked the name up and found these are only two of the many names for this lovely flower.

Guy said...

Hi Sandy

Yes we use both names here, I am just more used to calling them prairie crocus.

All the best.

Guy