What in the world is this?

Anybody have any idea what this creature is?? I have never seen one of these before and I was intrigued by it though cautious while snapping shots since I don't want to take chances with getting stung by yet another of these flying animals. I seem to be a magnet for bugs and I don't seem to react well to stings and bites. My goal is to make it through 2010 without another visit to ER for an allergic reaction to a sting. :-) So far, so good (knock on wood!).

Today I came home for lunch to get away from my work computer for a bit. It is sooooo lovely today (as it has been for a few days now) that we decided not to waste it eating inside. We took our peanut butter and honey sandwiches out to My Father's Farm to enjoy the breeze and watch the bees. It made the day so wonderful! I just loved doing that with Mark. Awesome. While we were there, we also took a walk along some of the garden rows to see what Pedro was growing currently. Saw some green peppers, dill, potatoes (we think), and salad-looking greens. There were also lots of beautiful wildflowers still in bloom. It is a wonderful time to be living here!