Two Scots, two dams and some tortoises

This cool, but not wet morning we set off from the Brooklands ghost town parking off Red Hill Drive with Sue and Alice and Maddy. We arrived rather late because the Food Lady was worried about a fox terrier in the road at Simonstown, but luckily some kind ladies picked him up and took him to Darg. We set off up the path in the most glorious fynbos - just Scotty height for hunting, and what did we bump into but some friendly Scottys called Bonnie and Wallace.

But don't try your luck with Dougal you two - he can only take so much intimacy ...

The paths here are nice a flat and sandy for Dougal who  is still not quite back to his old self, but very much up to a walk. This is the bird-pollinated Table Mountain Watsonia (Watsonia tabularis).

We enjoyed a sedate dip in the Kleinplaas Dam, but it was rather chilly. The dam was quite full today - just look at the marker out in the middle. 

And just for comparison, these photos from previous visits to the dam in Dec 2011 (left) and June 2012 (right) show the same marker.

Watching a lone swimmer in the dam. The Food Lady said he looked like Louis Pugh.

Looking back towards Simons Town over the Kleinplaas Dam.

Sue, the Alph and Dougal stepping it out in the white sand and white Cape Snow.

A little hopper thing in a Cape Snow (Syncarpha vestita).

And an orchid with squinty eyes:  the rather unusual Bloumoederkappie, Disa purpurascens.

Tea in the chilly breeze - with Sue, me, Maddie, Alice, the Alph and Doog.

Dougal back on form hunting Cape Spiny Mice. (But not with any success I might add!)

Maddy and me tormenting tortoises. This one got well slobbered on before we were hauled off.

Then down to another dam - the Lewis Gay Dam.

What is this monster rising from the murky depths? Yikes ...

and a spooky hand rising from a plastic buckets at the disused waterworks ...

but Dougal was too tired to play monster games! Tired but happy on the short trudge up the road to the cars.