Foiled Again!

I had a lovely afternoon. Really I did. Even if the Pipevine Swallowtail was out with a vengeance. Y' see, I went afoot to the park, with my pipes on my back and, having finished my obligatory depredations on the peace of a Sunday evening, donned the figurative hat of the Nature Photographer and wandered over, with great hopes raising my heart, to the preserve--which was absolutely crawling with pipevine swallowtails. I mean, there was hardly even airspace! Okay, I exaggerate slightly, but there were herds and herds of them. If you look at the picture below, you should be able to count five, and this is certainly not counting their kinfolk who were fluttering among the branches of the live oaks, not to mention at 360 degrees around me--in whichever direction the camera was *not* pointed.

Butterflies in every direction, and what sort of pictures did I get?

Mostly the kind that didn't even pretend to have a butterfly in 'em.

If you can somewhat make out the shape of the insect in the picture below, memorize it, then avoid any similar creatures at all cost. They are cruel beyond measure! I tell you, whenever I was deleting useless photos (I had plenty, as you can guess) or callously attempting to shoot "just flowers", I'd have a pipevine swallowtail come gracefully wafting within inches of my nose. They have an impeccable sense of timing, and will hover, quite boldly, watching your finger on the shutter button, count the milliseconds it will take the shutter to close, and dance off, just before the picture is actually taken.

It is enough to make anyone quite bitter.

And other than that, I can scarcely tell you what a pleasant afternoon it was!. . .Yet it was indeed.