Sacred Lotus

These beautiful seedheads of the Sacred Lotus are one of my favourite things to photograph. Thought the pretty, tropical, flowering shrub in the background created a bit of bokeh to add colour to the image. Macro photo taken in the ENMAX Conservatory at the Calgary Zoo on September 26th. "The pods/seed heads contain the Lotus seeds within little circular chambers on the flat surface of the top of the pod. These circles appeared to cradle the seeds, which are round, within the pod until fully ripe. Both the chamber of each seed and the seed itself got larger and larger until the pod bent over to finally release the seeds into the water." www.flowersociety.org/lotus-plant-study.htm

An enormous Sacred Lotus flower, seen at the Calgary Zoo on 11 September 2011. My photo doesn't do it justice, as it makes it look just a medium sized flower. I love these spectacular flowers at all stages - bud, flower and seedpod.

I have always loved Lotus seedpods, but only ever saw the dark brown, dried ones that you sometimes see in flower arrangements. The one in my photo belongs to an amazing Sacred Lotus that is growing at the Calgary Zoo (not in bloom now).

I believe the whole world will be watching, or stopping to remember, tomorrow (well, I should say today now, as it is after midnight) and remembering the horrific events of 11th September 2001. So many mental images that will never, ever leave our minds and hearts. People from so many different countries, not just the US. So many stories of loss and heartbreak - and so many stories of bravery and heroic actions. Remembering .... all those who lost their lives on that fateful day: all those who lost loved ones and close friends or fellow workers; all those who rushed in to "do their job" or "to help others" in any way they could. Remembering .... all those who were severely injured on that fateful day and who have bravely suffered every day since then; all those Firemen, Emergency Medical people, Police - men and women, who have suffered and continue to suffer emotionally and physically, including illnesses caused by being exposed to harmful chemicals. The list goes on and on. Remembering ... and praying that we never see another day like September 11th, 2001.

Feel like I'm in some humid, tropical setting when I look at this photo - and, indeed, I was : ) No expensive, exotic holiday needed - just a drive over to the Calgary Zoo, on 1st September 2011. Love it when the sprinkler/mister comes on, though it is far from pleasant and comfortable whilst in the butterfly room (open only in the summer months). This is one of the Sacred Lotus seedpods that were there.

"The lotus was of great significance to many ancient cultures, and in particular to the Eastern religions. From ancestral times, the lotus regularly appears as a symbol of purity, peace, transcendence, enlightenment, rebirth, beauty, and fertility. In India, the lotus flower is considered to be of divine origin and is viewed as sacred by both Hindus and Buddhists. Buddha was said to sleep on a lotus six months of the year, and Shambala (Buddhist heaven) is sometimes represented as a field of flowering sacred lotuses." Taken from the first link below. www.holisticaroma.co.uk/shp/TheSacredLotus.htm en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelumbo_nucifera For this special International Day of Peace, I'm using this image of a recent Sacred Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) that bloomed at the Calgary Zoo, to symbolize PEACE - that is so desperately needed in so many parts of the world. Of course, in an ideal world, every day should be an International Day of Peace : ) I couldn't add the title to the black frame as I have somehow messed up PhotoShop Elements and can't add text into the textbox : )

HAPPY WINTER, EVERYONE!!! Trust me, this image took a lot of patience and time, lol!! I had managed to get a very quick shot (posted recently) of a different butterfly on this beautiful Sacred Lotus seedpod, but didn't particularly like the result. I was so lucky that this beauty landed very nicely and gave me the shot I had waited and hoped for : ) I think I am right in saying this is a Banded Orange ( Dryadula phaetusa). Taken in the ENMAX Conservatory at the Calgary Zoo on September 30th. "The pods/seed heads contain the Lotus seeds within little circular chambers on the flat surface of the top of the pod. These circles appeared to cradle the seeds, which are round, within the pod until fully ripe. Both the chamber of each seed and the seed itself got larger and larger until the pod bent over to finally release the seeds into the water." www.flowersociety.org/lotus-plant-study.htm en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dryadula_phaetusa

Photographed this huge bud of the Sacred Lotus against one of its enormous leaves, at the Calgary Zoo on September 1st. "The lotus was of great significance to many ancient cultures, and in particular to the Eastern religions. From ancestral times, the lotus regularly appears as a symbol of purity, peace, transcendence, enlightenment, rebirth, beauty, and fertility. In India, the lotus flower is considered to be of divine origin and is viewed as sacred by both Hindus and Buddhists. Buddha was said to sleep on a lotus six months of the year, and Shambala (Buddhist heaven) is sometimes represented as a field of flowering sacred lotuses." Taken from the first link below. www.holisticaroma.co.uk/shp/TheSacredLotus.htm en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelumbo_nucifera

I have always loved the large seedpod of the beautiful Sacred Lotus, but have usually seen it only in its dried, dark brown state, when it is often used in flower arrangements. Lol, I felt as if 20 eyes were watching me while I was taking photos of this beauty at the Calgary Zoo three days ago. Yesterday, I picked up the estimate for building a ground-level, cedar deck to cover the whole of my tiny 16'x18' backyard. It is on a bit of an incline, so that would give extra work of course, plus the plants/shrubs in my two small borders would have to be removed first. However, the total cost would be almost $10,000!! Can you imagine? So, I am back to square one again - just as I am with the sale of my brother's house in England, when the buyer backed out a few months after putting in his original offer. The only reason I thought about a wooden ground-level deck was that I had been unable to find anyone who would come and remove all plants/shrubs and put down netting and wood chips, as I just can't cope with a garden, even a small one. It seems no one wants a one-time-only piece of work - they all seem to want a job that is weekly or at least monthly ... sigh. Lol, I'm beginning to feel as if I'm taking one step forward and six steps back these days! Lots of interesting information about the Sacred Lotus on Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelumbo_nucifera Also a link to an interesting article in the Calgary Herald newspaper from 22nd July 2011. www.calgaryherald.com/news/todays-paper/Secrets+sacred+lo...