4 more pictures in notes above!

I decided to take a day off from practicing with the Raynox DCR-250 Super Macro conversion lens and walked out into one of our meadows to see what I could find before the 100 degree heat drove me indoors. First I found a fly that was zooming around the Star Thistle flowers. I thought it would be fun to see if I could get any pictures clear enough to share, and I got lucky! (See my next two pictures) Then I walked a little further to another Star Thistle and as I was studying the stems and flowers, I noticed movement. It was an odd but pretty little fly who I have two pictures of as well! Finally, I headed up along our "granite valley" and saw some interesting weeds, but thought, "Oh, these won't look like anything!" But knowing how often I'm wrong when I say such things to myself, I took a few pictures. Three of them were so nice that I had a hard time choosing which would be my Picture of the Day! :D This is a perfect example of serendipity: a happy accident! :D

José Manuel Durão Barroso (Portuguese; born 23 March 1956) is the 11th and current President of the European Commission and a Portuguese politician. He served as Prime Minister of Portugal from 6 April 2002 to 17 July 2004. Wikipedia: José Manuel Barroso

Explored on August 20, 2013. Highest placement, page 2.