The Red Baron Arrives in La Jolla

I have had a visitor the past few days. He flew in and I know he will only stay briefly, but his visit has been a learning experience for me. My husband calls him the "Red Baron" because he likes to dive bomb our pool and he "escorts" other competitors away from his territory.

The Red Baron will have a short life, as all dragonflies do, and I think he makes the most of it. He makes frequent passes over the pool, buzzes by us within inches and whirls and twirls on the current of the wind above the water. He always lands back on the same branch of our fruit tree... so I grabbed my camera and took this picture to not only remind me of his visit, but also a reminder that life is not a spectator sport and like the dragonfly, we should give it our "all" and live life to its fullest...