I heard a loud buzzing nearby and turned to see a really big bee land on a post in the bed next to me. Hmmm, it was about an inch and a quarter long and looked like a bumble bee on steroids!
Pickles said it might be some kind of fly and by golly, she was right. I did some internet digging and it is a Robber Fly. They're fast fliers, snatch other insects out of the air for munching and hang out on branches and posts waiting for the next meal to fly by. The good thing is that they really like to eat Japanese beetles. Woo hoo! Yo Robber! You're more than welcome to hang around this garden!