WC559 - Sun Please

When I saw the weekly topic, I imagined an image like this; a flower in form yet absent of color but persisting in a hostile environment. I forgot who it was who suggested the topic, but it really was a great idea and your image is a great example of it as it brings to mind not only the words of Alexander Pope, "life, force, and beauty must to all impart; at once the source, and aim, and test of art", but also the essential concept of existential theologian Paul Tillich in "The Courage to Be".

And an interesting aspect of your image, one among many, is that it reverses the usual tendency of the eye; that to be drawn to the brightest point: Here it is drawn to the darkest, at least initially, but then within the darkest, it finds the brighest still in the highlights on the droplets of melted water.

Lovely image. And I'm a big fan of Alberta, by the way, and your part of the Canadian Rockies.

The Crocus in our area also seem to frequently get caught in a late winter snow. These Crocus are an interesting variation that I haven't seen before. The spiky leaves (?) around the buds add some interesting textures to this scene. Nice comp of these flowers in the midst of the snow although a slight crop on the left side may be helpful IMO. Great find and fits the theme perfectly!

Neat view of what we call Pasque Flower (Anemone patens or Pulsatilla patens), with the flower spread across the frame surrounded by snow.

Thank you for the comments John, Carolyn and Mark.

The priarie crocus Latin class is the Anemone patens - exactly as Mark identified. Looking in my guidebook, they are also known as the Pasque flower - although in my local circle of friends I've never heard that term.... Amazing how regional differences develop

Their thermogenic properties that enable them to melt the snow and pop through intrigue me. They grow in many of the cattle pastures around here and when I see them in mid-to-late April it's a good sign that spring is finally here to stay - well, almost