Anne Elliott's favorite photos

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

The actual quality of this photo is far from good, taken in really low light, but I still like it : ) I think this little fungus was something like 1" diameter. Found on 12th August in West Bragg Creek, Kananaskis, west of the city. Thanks, Sandy! Just a reminder of the tiny miracles of nature's beauty! What we can find if we don't just "look", but really "see".

The sun has finally come out, late afternoon, but it has been a cold day today, with an unpleasant cold wind (which has just started to pick up). Had a routine dental appointment this afternoon and when I got back home, I noticed that the first flower on my little Christmas Cactus had fully opened. Thought I'd make the most of it - after all, a day without using my camera is not my favourite kind of day, LOL! Hope it sends out lots of cheer : ) Rebecca (Red-Star) - this is to celebrate your successful, but bittersweet, house sale.