Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: circles

"One can think of labyrinths as symbolic of pilgrimage; people can walk the path, ascending toward salvation or enlightenment. Many people could not afford to travel to holy sites and lands, so labyrinths and prayer substituted for such travel. Later, the religious significance of labyrinths faded, and they served primarily for entertainment, though recently their spiritual aspect has seen a resurgence. Many newly made labyrinths exist today, in churches and parks. Modern mystics use labyrinths to help them achieve a contemplative state.Walking among the turnings, one loses track of direction and of the outside world, and thus quiets the mind." From WIkipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labyrinth Duncan Badger had a deep desire to build a labyrinth in the Silver Springs Birthplace Forest for about 5 years before he began. The story of all the hard work involved can be read at the link below. www.botanicalgardensofsilversprings.ca/labyrinth.htm With our autumn colour long gone, it feels good to be able to look back to photos from 1 October 2016. On that day, I finally had my very first visit to the Silver Springs Botanical Gardens, thanks to friend, Sandy. I first heard about this beautiful place from my daughter, but I had never been, because it is way out of my city driving comfort zone. In the morning, it was raining, at least in my part of the city, and I wondered if going would turn out to be a big mistake. However, the rain stayed away while we were there and, though the sky was overcast, I was still able to photograph to my heart's content. I was surprised at how many flowers were still in bloom on the first day of October and I was extremely impressed with how meticulously these gardens are kept - every inch of them. So many different kinds of trees and plants, and it was very obvious that each area had been planted with so much thought and care. Amazing that dedicated volunteers have been, and continue to be, the ones to thank for these gardens. Thanks so much, Sandy, for giving me the chance to spend an afternoon in such beauty and peace! We all knew that snow wasn't far away and about a week after this visit, Calgary had its first snowfall of the season, the whole of the Thanksgiving weekend. At least I now have some bright, colourful photos that I will be able to post in between all the coming white, snowy images that will be taken during the long months of winter. "The Botanical Gardens of Silver Springs is without doubt one of the Seven Wonders of Calgary, Alberta. It boasts 1350 square meters (14 600 square feet) of gardens which includes a spectacular Wall Garden that runs an uninterrupted 1300 feet. In the gardens you will find an endless variety of annuals and perennials ranging from artemisias to zinnias. Here indeed is a place to stop and smell the roses and the peonies and the delphiniums and the chrysanthemums and the … What makes these gardens so very special is that they were created and continue to be maintained by a band of green-thumbed enthusiastic volunteers. These hale and hearty diggers, planters, seeders, weeders, mowers, waterers, pruners and community builders work two to three mornings a week to keep the gardens in primrose shape and their efforts are truly appreciated by the many walkers, joggers, and cyclists. On any given day, hundreds of people walk the wall garden with their families, friends and out-of-town visitors. It has become a treasured destination site for many. For anyone who has spent time in the gardens, it is hard to believe that they have only been here since 2006 when a humble ornamental garden (400 square feet) was developed within the existing BirthPlace Forest tree beds. The BPF, by the way, saw 7000 trees planted in the area. The project was accomplished through a partnership of BP Energy, Calgary Parks, Regional Health and Golden Acres." From the gardens' website. www.botanicalgardensofsilversprings.ca/

This is one of the very first butterflies to emerge this year in the Butterfly House at the Calgary Zoo. I hadn't seen this species before. Thanks, bayucca, for the ID - Hamadryas feronia / Variable Cracker.

Bubblewrap with water droplets - which tells you that I definitely haven't been doing much in the way of outdoor shots recently!

Not exactly a good photo for ID, but I loved the sparkling bokeh created by the sun shining on the water : ) This Sticky Asphodel plant was growing near a tiny inlet that was running into a small stream at Bow Valley Provincial Park (eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains) yesterday. Sticky Asphodel, also known as False Asphodel, is a member of the Lily family, flowering June-July, in calcareous marshes and shorelines.

Not a patch on your photo quality, of course, but just wanted to let you know that I was thinking of you yesterday when out of the city with friends. I was thrilled to bits that this bokeh happened "naturally", ha, ha! We all enjoyed seeing Pussy Willow catkins at the edge of the forest. Thanks so much for making me aware of "bokeh" and how fascinating it can be, and for providing endless inspiration. Big shoes to fill, but I'd love to improve, even if only a little bit : )

I was a little concerned when I first noticed these bubbles in a tiny stream deep within a woodland area at Brown-Lowery Provincial Park recently. I hadn't expected to see this, but presumably it is not a sign of lack of water health. Loved the patterns.