Flower Power

Tweet

This is a free Pixabay image. These adorable monkey faced flowers have several names: Viola, Pansy Violet, Johnny JumpUps. I have always loved these flowers, ever since I first saw them as a toddler at grandmother's house. I loved them so much that I was inspired, when I was about four years old or a little younger. My mom always talked about how bad gas fumes smelled. So. . . I was playing outside, and this was in the day before the safety gas caps on cars. I opened the gas tank, and put pansy violets into the gas tank of our Studebaker !! I never told anyone, until I mentioned it to dad a couple of years ago. He said "Now I know why that engine was ruined." I was planting Violas in my yard one day, when I found a stray kitty in my tree. She was a combination of gray stripes in patches and white. Her face was mostly white, but the tip of her nose was part of a spot that looked about like a viola to me. We named that cat Pansy. I used to drive a school bus for special needs students. I drove all over town. One year we had an explosion of Johnny JumpUps in yards all over town. I was saddened to see the lengths people went to to kill this sponatneous explosion of color. I called them "Johnny JumpOuts" as they had all strayed out of their assigned flower beds. I will sprinkle blossoms in my posts from time to time, I hope you do enjoy.