My mom always taught me these are wild crocuses, but my my buddy Dianne calls them prairie wind flowers. Whatever they are, they mean spring to me. When I was growing up, nearly every year my mom used to take us out to a hill where she knew they grew and we would pick a couple. They grow on scrubby hills and are often the first wild flowers to bloom around here in the spring. They are soft and fuzzy and don’t last long. Enjoying a crocus is a temporary treasure – a seize-the-day kind of thing. I think there is a Japanese term for this, called wabi sabi, which means extremely valuable and beautiful, but temporary.
On Friday I only had time for a short, hilly jog, but I eagerly scanned the brown hills in the grassy area south of my neighborhood for hues of soft purple. I went up and down 2 small but steep hills before I got to the last one, and I really hoped I would find them before I had to go home. I hoped I had not missed the season for them. There they were, all over the 3rd hill – several clumps of fuzzy pastel purple blooms, shivering in the breeze.
I brought my family back there yesterday with the camera. We traipsed over the hill and admired the hardy blossoms. Little Miss Purple (wearing entirely purple) picked one and enjoyed the softness of it all the way home.
All Downhill From Here 
I know what you mean about first spring flowers. I just delight in them!
By: susan on April 17, 2005
at 3:54 am
I call them crocus’s too but I think Pasque flower is probably more correct according to out local windflower guru.
By: LouBob on April 17, 2005
at 11:27 am
Catherine has discovered dandelions! She prizes them above all other flowers. Good thing we have a bumper crop.
By: Nancy Toby on April 17, 2005
at 5:35 pm
I love spring!
By: Dawn (aka Pink Lady) on April 17, 2005
at 6:10 pm
Those look like crocuses to me. Ours have come up and croc’d already. I missed them totally. I never see them in the wild though. Nice.
By: Jon in Michigan on April 17, 2005
at 7:33 pm
Those are sweet looking flowers. Nice that you’re out enjoying nature. These precious moments of spring!
By: kirsten on April 17, 2005
at 7:59 pm
we call them crocuses too…but I LIKE prairie wind better…
By: Pamalamadingdong on April 18, 2005
at 12:19 pm
I like Linda Loubob’s crocus pic better. Thanks for your comments, everyone! I walked out to another crocus hill for “fuzz therapy” last night during yet another house showing. Found some buttercups and little white flowers, too.
By: Karen in Calgary on April 19, 2005
at 7:23 am