Passing Passiflora Butterfly

Gulf Fritillary Butterfly, the front yard... Normally butterflies don't land a whole lot but if you follow them with the lens long enough (argh) they will eventually land. This one landed twice on the jade plant before getting back up to my Passion Fruit vine, likely looking for a spot to lay a few eggs. They are also called Passiflora butterflies.

Yesterday, a big brown dragonfly, wings glittering in the sun landed on one of the tomato hoops/wires. He was 2-3 feet away from me. He looked a me. I looked at him. It was really cool. He almost seemed to have a smile as he stared at me. Creepy? Or really cool? I tend to look at it as the latter.

I've very seldom if ever seen a dragon land right next to me while I was moving. This one seemed more curious than not. Not to mention that I live pretty far from water and in a semi-arid area (cactus like it here). I wonder where he came from? Do you suppose I've got dragonfly larvae in my little lilly oak barrel?

I totally could have snapped an awesome picture...but I didn't have my camera with me. Argh. #$%*! Rule number one. The camera follows you everywhere! Rule number two. If you don't have your camera, go back to rule #1. You leave the camera in the house, you miss the picture. That's the breaks, eh? So you get gulf fritillary instead of really cool, awesome, carnivorous looking dragonfly! [Chuckles to self]. Happy Sunday all.