This is the time of year that the purple thistle flowers bloom and despite the fact that we are in a severe drought they are producing plenty of their beautiful and interesting blossoms. The flowers themselves are a lively p. inkish purple color when they are fairly new and they are filled with loads of nectar and pollen, making them an insects delight. While I took photos of this one (probably 8-10 minutes) I saw two types of bees, two types of butterflies, and a leaf bug. One of the butterflies was this tattered looking Palamedes swallowtail (Papilio palamedes). Even though its wings had seen better days, they were still quite strong and it flew just as well as it did when it first came out of the chyisalis. Animals, including insects, out in nature are surprisingly resilient, which is a trait that should definitely be admired.