first wildflower of the year

Wife and I went for a hike today. Northeast Mo. Rained yesterday and last night. This afternoon it was about 55 and the sun popped out. Supposed to be raining according to the local weather people. Nope. Anyway, nice day called us out. Drove to a nearby conservation area to hike off trail to a swamp wetland area. Hoped to maybe see some spring beauty leaves. There were a few. Maybe a Mourning Cloak flying. Through the woods we meandered. Stopping to sit on a log to  listen to the recently emerged spring peepers I glanced over and there was a Hepitca blooming. First spring wildflower of the year. Wife is a wildflower nut. She can identify over 400 by sight. Lives for them (well, maybe). This was nirvana, the om. She started snapping pictures. Eventually we found about seven hepitca blooming in the nearby area. What a wonder. Truth be told, we go to this area in the woods every year to see the Hepitca. An area on the up side of a northern hill with sun exposure before the  leaves arrive. Never, but once before have we found any this early. Usually we see them at the end of the month. Probably snow in a week or two (had five inches on March 24th three years ago), but we made it. The spring bloom has begun.
PS - not sure what was more exciting. Seeing the first flower of spring or seeing 1,100,000 snow geese at Squaw Creek last weekend (a four hour car ride one way) or seeing my son and wife's new house in KC last weekend. Ha!