Pretty in pink

Here we are again, climbing up the steepest path the Food Lady could find - Thea and Tessa, Pauline, me, Lad, the Food Lady and the Alph. Now that the Food Lady's foot is better ... watch out - we are all going to get fit again.

But luckily for me, she has to keep stopping to take photos. Here is the start of Orchid Season for the Food Lady - a dainty pink Moederkappie or Granny's Bonnet (Disperis capensis).

Tessa bounding up and down and up and down,

while I found every little water hole to cool off as it is definitely getting warmer.

Thea and Tessa knew EVERYONE we bumped into on the mountain!

We tried to spot Pauline's house in the distance when we reached the top but concluded it was just out of view.

Suffering from exhaustion, the Food Lady called for an early tea - which suited me as I could smell the dog biltong bits,

and Thea's delicious sandwiches.

The Alph tried to send messages,

while I kept watch for baboons and porcupines, caracals and other dogs that might want to muscle in our feast, 

and Tessa and the Lad went exploring.

There were quite a lot of flowers for the Food Lady - a pink flushed Yellow Rice Heath (Erica lutea),

some pink, honey-scented Erica glabella plants in full flower,

and these interesting, pinky white Common Starheath (Staavia radiata) flowers that are from the Bruniaceae family. They are composite flowers, like daisies. 

With battleships far below,

we reached Muizenberg Peak which had already been conquered by lots of other peeps.

So we turned down, past these endemic and rare Sticky Green Heath (Erica urna-viridis) flowers

and these big bright pink Cape Fellwort (Saltera sarcocolla) flowers which also belong to an interesting fynbos family - the Penaeaceae.

Some more of Thea and Tessa's friends passed us.

The Food Lady was super excited to find some teeny tiny, sweet-scented pink orchids called Disa obliqua subsp. obliqua.

And there were more pink flowers too - the pinky-blue, early flowering bulb, Babiana villosula,

and some pretty pink and white Needle-leaf Sunflax (Heliophila scoparia var. scoparia) - but eventually she had to stop and run to catch us all up.

Tessa and Lad and me were having a welcome dip in the river at the bottom of the path.

Then it was a short walk back to the Land Rover and home. Incidentally, the yellow flowers here have the fabulous common name of Fivetooth Baboon Cabbage (Othonna quinquedentata).

Two black dogs meander through the mimetes

Today we walked up Steenberg Peak again. Its quite a pull, and I find it difficult to keep up with my idol, Maddie the Big and Beautiful Bouvier. It was just Alice, Maddie and us three today: Thea opted to stay in bed with Ruth Ozeki, Paul is doing chores, Pauline has a back and Sue is in the far north. And THE PEST stayed at home.

There were some crazy rock climbers out and about as we puffed our way up to Steenberg Plateau

past some Hangertjies (Erica plukenetii) and

on the other side, some Green Sticky Heaths (Erica urna-viridis).

We walked all the way to Muizenberg Peak. Here are us two black dogs and Alice on the top.

There were lots and lots of teeny tiny ericas, like this Wind Heath (Erica hispidula) with its protruding stigmas for catching pollen on the wind. (Hispidula refers to its hairy stems and means "with bristles" in Latin).

And, taking a stab at identification of the restios, today's Restio of the Week is the Tall Tasselreed (Staberoha banksii). (The male plant. Ahem.)

A fat leathery Bark Spider (Caerostris). I swear it was looking at us with a cat-like face - just asking to be bitten in two. Lucky for it, it was out of my reach.

There is still water everywhere - perfect for hot black dogs!

Meandering through the mimetes. These are Tree Pagodas (Mimetes fimbriifolius) that are only found on Table Mountain and nowhere else in the whole wide world (if you discount garden-grown ones of course).

The top of the mountain is full of them, and golden leucadendrons too.

The oddly named Chrysocoma coma-aurea or Golden Bitterbush just starting to flower.

Through a narrow gorge we went,

and down a sandy path,

past this impressive Gladiolus tristis flowering near the loo at the Wolfkop Carpark.

Back home I tried to get THE PEST to start behaving in a manner befitting a Scottie. Get off the compost heap at once! And you are NOT going to bite me again. (I am putting the wheelbarrow between us to make sure.)

Digging in a companionable truce for the moment.

Hey, come back with my carrot! PEST!

I think I will join the Alph and the Food Lady as THE PEST is driving me to drink.

Pecking order

Today Paul, Pauline, Sue, the Alpha Male, the Food Lady, Dougal and I walked up Pecks (being careful to observe the correct Pecking order with the AM around) to Muizenberg Peak and right across to the Wolfkop parking spot on Ou Kaapse Weg (where we had conveniently left the Land Rover). The photo above is us looking down from Pecks Valley over Muizenberg and False Bay to the Hottentots Hollands. Me shaking the deliciously cool mountain stream water off after a dip.

There were lots of these little Granny Bonnet orchids (Disperis capensis).

Looking over Muizenberg and the Cape Flats to the Hottentots Holland mountains - with wisps of cool mist swirling through.

Pauline, Paul, Sue, the Alpha Male and me having tea on Muizenberg Peak. You can see me on my lookout post on the right with False Bay and Hangklip in the background. The Food Lady was taking the photo and Dougal was far too busy hunting mice to even bother about the delicious rusks, crunchies, date slices and dates on offer.

On Muizenberg Peak.

The Alpha Male walking past a baby dinosaur.

Walking along from Muizenberg Peak to the Steenberg plateau path. Lots of smells and flowers and rocks to perch on.

Who says only birds can perch on the top of rocks?

The Food Lady found this lovely China Flower (Adenandra villosa) on the wagon track. It is one of the buchus in the citrus family. It is less common than the other kind of China Flower one sees all over - Adenandra uniflora.

We saw quite a few of these noisy Cape Sugarbirds. Then we stopped for a quick drink and wade in Junction Pool, which was a weird red colour. Here you can see the Alpha Male taking virtual photographs a-la-Paul. When we got back to the car park it was absolutely chockablock. Everyone is so happy to see the sun again after a rainy week! (And there is no more soccer to watch!)