State Symbols

Since my blog yesterday was a bit winded, I thought I'd keep this one simple by sharing with you some of Oklahoma's State symbols.

We'll start with their bird: The Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher

Pretty, isn't it? Driving down a backroad one day, a bird swooped down in front of us. I remarked, "What in the heck was that?". It looked different than any other bird I'd ever seen in flight. Hubby replied, "That was a scissor-tail." As you can see, its' tail is long and split. Makes it very interesting to see one fly.


Next is Oklahoma's State flag:


Their license plates used to display the same Native symbol.

(I later discovered that green and white are the State's colours, representing the foliage and berries of mistletoe, which is the State's floral emblem).

The license plates have changed, and I am not a fan...too blah:


The State tree is the Rosebud. I blogged about rosebuds in a previous post, but here's a pic for convenience sake:


Oklahoma also has a State rock...the Barite Rose, more commonly known as the Rose Rock, which forms in the sand:


During my first trip here to Oklahoma back in 2005, hubby made sure to bring me to the Timberlake Rose Rock Museum. A cute little place. Here I am in front of it:


And here's a pic I took inside of the clustered rose rocks they had on display:


I find them amazing little creations. Here's a picture taken several years ago of hubby and his beloved late buddy Keylock searching for single ones by the lake:

The following is a quote taken from State Symbols USA: "Oklahoma designated rose rock (barite rose) as the official state rock in 1968. These rocks were formed by barite rock crystals and resemble blooming roses. They are found in only a few rare places around the globe. Barite Rose Rocks can be found in clusters with only two roses to as many as hundreds of roses (some clusters weigh hundreds of pounds). In Oklahoma, the distinctive red soil colors them in hues ranging from reddish brown to cinnamon - rose rocks are sought after and prized worldwide. An old Cherokee legend says the rocks represent the blood of the braves and the tears of the maidens who made the devastating "Trail of Tears" journey in the 1800's to Oklahoma."

Lastly, I leave you with an outline of the State itself.

Bang, bang!