Amazing dragonflies....a garden guest

I walked out to the courtyard this morning with my coffee to check out the temperature and just enjoy the sun as it was starting to appear ~ just like I do most mornings.

When I started back in the house to get a coffee refill I glanced up and saw this dragonfly, apparently too chilled in the 68° temperature to fly away. I just think they are beautiful creatures - the wings are like the finest lace. I returned with my coffee and watched as the sun light crept closer and closer to my eves where the dragonfly was hanging on.....and when the sun light (and heat) got to the body of the insect ~ ~ he (or she) took off! I do hope that dragonfly returns.

Where I live, facing wetlands, there are many dragonflies!

I could not believe how many we had this past summer. I have lived here for 7 years and this year the dragonflies outnumbered the regular flies!
One day I counted 12-14 flying around...

It was like an old horror movie, "Invasion of the Dragonflies"!!  

But they are so cool to watch !

I've just never seen them so large before. The one yesterday morning was at least 5" body length.

I like them, too, mainly 'cause they eat other insects.  I wouldn't have thought 68 degrees would be too chilly for them, though.  Go figure.

Years ago, my in-laws, now deceased, built a beautiful home with a pool in Florida. It had what they called a "cage" around the pool -- mandated by their homeowners' association. It wasn't bad as the screen was really, really fine and almost invisible. My MIL knew I love hummingbirds and told me they had tons of them prior to our visit. One morning I was out by the pool and she commented, pointing upward, about all the hummingbirds. I didn't see a single one and told her so. She kept pointing up and saying, "But there's hundreds of them, Michelle! How can you miss them?! Look at their gossamer wings!" I managed to not laugh out loud and said, "Mrs. B, those are dragonflies!" Eventually, we were both howling laughing. Poor heart -- I think she was getting a bit of dementia back then but none of us really noticed until we thought about a few things down the line and after the fact...