Up the garden path again ...

This morning we met at the Brooklands ghost village carpark for a short walk to the dam and back.

Pauline was waiting for us, and Sue and Honey arrived with Richard who is flying home back to Lucy later today.

The rock monsters and ghost villages here are rather creepy,

but not the tortoise smells and other delightful things to investigate,

like this little Sandkalossie (Lachenalia rubida or L. punctata according to Graham Duncan)

and lots of Fire Heaths (Erica cerinthoides) coming up in the recently burned area. Tails up!

The Food Lady led us all up another of her garden paths and soon we were lost in amongst large scary totem animals

so we got the hell out of there and retraced our steps. Just look at that Meerkat looming ahead.

Even this strange little grasshopper thing wanted out of there and hitched a ride on Richard's shoe.

Soon we were back on a proper road,

with a few distractions like these glowing Red Pypies (Gladiolus priorii),

until we reached the dam which is looking rather low again. Click here for comparisons.

Sue had brought from bubbles to celebrate the fact that Kate's thesis has been accepted and she is almost officially a PhD. Richard acted as Her Majesty's porter service and video cameraman and filmed us all celebrating Kate's achievement. The dogs, on the other hand, received a teeeeeny tiny bit of biltong. Mingy!

Here I am scrounging for something to take the edge off my hunger pangs.

We were serenaded by honking hissing Egyptian Geese who wanted to join in the general convivality.

The first proper walk the spaniels came on - Thomas the Cool and Aiden the Voice. They have to stay on leads as they haven't learned their names and never come when they are called.

Wait up!

Two black dogs leaving the dam. The spaniels almost count as black dogs but they are strictly speaking blue as in "blue roan" cocker spaniels.) Mighty posh.

Some pretty Dog Faces (Trichocephalus stipularis) were out.

And pretty soon we were past all the delicious smells, and loomy snary monsters and back at the ghost village.

Honey wasn't happy to share her car with offerings from the Food Lady, but Sue persuaded her that all was safe despite what the pee-mail on them might say.

When we got home, we suddenly heard a familiar voice at the gate,

and LOOK who came home to reclaim her kidnapped spaniels! We were all overjoyed (especially the idiot Lad). But all was strangely quiet after they all left.

A discombobulated but fun fynbos hike

The spaniels are still with us. Sometimes Clare comes and takes them away for a bit, but mostly they are here. I think their human is on holiday as the Food Lady keeps getting lovely photos of gardens and roses, ponies and happy picnics in the frozen north. They certainly have fun exploring together in our garden.

Tails up in the flower beds!

Thomas enjoys the occasional swim and a good shake too.

But they don't like the Food Lady to go out for a minute. 

And Laddie hasn't been able to persuade them to join his lizard hunts.

Sometimes Harvey comes to play too.

And one night Laddie had a lovely time watching Sue's slideshow of game reserve photos and videos. Here he is learning all about hyenas.

We have also been on lovely green belt walks - and when the Land Rover went away for a service we all piled into the polo and even Thomas stayed in the back.

We mostly walk with Margi, Rupert and Paddington,

and sometimes with the Alph.

And always have the BEST time.

One day we found a parcel waiting for us from Korea -

with some yummmmmmy dog treats inside - from Simon and So Yhoung. Thank you!

Then on Sunday we joined Lydia and Helen and Paul for our walk. Here is Lad looking a bit anxious as only he can look, probably with all the kissing and hugging going on. (Lad and I are NOT into kissing.) Lydia is about to return to New Zealand so this was a farewell walk for her.

Richard was there too - all the way from the frozen north - and Sue and Honey, and Res (left).

And so was Timber the Wolf Dog - also looking a bit worried about all the kissing - and his family.

Pauline also came, and we all set off into the fynbos,  

with Res and Birgit's little girl Nora making sure I didn't do a duck into the bushes.

Here is Helen in the middle trying to herd the wayward group.

Nora let me smell all the smells and I had a lovely time with her. I enjoy feeling special.  

Birgit and Res with Niels in the middle.

This lovely old gent is Jack - Timber the wolf dog's big brother. No-one knows what happened to his eye as he came to Andre and Zandra without it many years ago.

People and dogs were walking in all directions, on upper paths and lower paths,

and Laddie just wanted to run with the wolf and Jack.

When we came to a junction we realized we had lost Pauline, so we split up and went to look for her while most of the party trudged on in the opposite direction.

We eventually found her at the end of the path admiring the view over the Karbonkelberg.

We were hot and tired and in need of tea by then so we found a good spot and admired the view some more. I had some time with the Alph,

and gave Honey a turn to get some attention from Nora.

Teatime with the Alph, me, Niels, Sue, Richard, Birgit, Honey, Nora, Res and Pauline (the idiot Lad was deep in some bushes somewhere).

Soon is was time to head back home.

Then we split up once more and waved goodbye to everyone while the Alph and Foodlady and us set off to try and re-join the rest of the group.

We passed some newly sprouting Candlesticks (Stilbe vestita) plants on the way, which seem to be everywhere after the fire,

as well as some more sorrels - this one is Oxalis eckloniana.

A hot happy ME.

A hot happy Rooi Pypie (Gladiolus priorii)

and a lot of hot, scrappy Skraalbossies (Senecio pubigerus).

We took our usual shade break in the rocky overhang and the Food Lady tried to see if Helen and Paul's car was still in the carpark as there is no cellphone signal here.

While I cooled off, they decided that the big walk had already gone home as we couldn't see their car. So we decided not to go back to look for them on Noordhoek Peak and walked back to the car

via the dam for a swim of course!

A new sign has been put up. Not sure we like the bit about leads ... but we would LOVE to chase some baboons!

When we got home, the Alph lit a braai to celebrate his and the Food Lady's millionth anniversary.

Thomas disappeared with a hoof and hid in the ivy,

Aiden stared at the Food Lady,

Lad put his feet up,

and I just collapsed.

PS It turns out that Lydia and Helen and Paul had still been on the mountain so we could have linked up with them again. Pity! But anyway, we wish you happy travels home Lydia and look forward to future hikes in the fynbos with you.