20 June 2011

Dingo

The Alpha has just finished reading a book about Spitfires (Spitfire: The biography by Jonathan Glancey) and looking through it (while I was on the Food Lady's lap in front of the fire!) I found a photo of a Port Alfred Terrier called Dingo who was the mascot of one of the RAF squadron's during the second World War. He is seen here with one of the Spitfire pilots, Flight Sergeant James Hyde. For more WWII dogs, click here.

Glad to be back

Me and the Alph in the Constantia Greenbelt - compensation for missing a week of walks!

Dawnie and Dougal inspecting the brand new wooden bridge.

Meeting a beagle.

The indigenous cobra lilies are starting to flower even though it is nearly midwinter.

19 June 2011

A week on the Sunshine Coast

The Alpha and the Food Lady abandoned us for a week and flew to Port Elizabeth where they hired a car at the airport and drove to Port Alfred for what they assured us was an inactive "catch up on our reading" week but looking at the photos, they had a lot more fun than that!

In Port Elizabeth they drove past Samrec which is the place where they rescue penguins. I thought all the penguin-orientated members of the Sunday walkers would be interested. They went for a walk along Kasouga Beach where they found three paper nautilus shells. We would rather have liked to be there. Stormy weather evidence on Kasouga Beach.It had rained a lot but stopped just before they arrived but everything was wet wet wet.
They went for a walk in the Waters Meeting Nature Reserve (NO dogs allowed) where there were lots of flowers like this Aloe ciliaris var. ciliaris which is endemic to the Eastern Cape and the only true climbing aloe. This is all part of the Albany Centre of Plant Endemism so the the Food Lady was in heaven. A Dragon Tree (Dracaena aletriformis) in the coastal forest. A rather spooky hiking hut in the Waters Meeting Nature Reserve. Maybe a dragon skull? The Alpha Male on the Port Alfred embankment - the famous bridge in the background. And a scottie on the beach! A Port Alfred Terrier at the Zest Cafe.Strange snails on those beaches.

A German lass

Is that really YOU Paula?